Knowledgeable cat-person? Veterinarian? Please help

2hobbit1

the small and dark stool may just be a reflection of the fact that she is not eating much. I would watch to see that you are getting urine clumps. Have you tried tuna water on her chow or in a dish? Its not something I would do on a regular basis but will give you a feel for whether she is truly ill or just has a bit of a bug. Chicken broth is also another good option to check if she will drink. Milk is not so good as it can upset her stomach more.

nikinyx6

the small and dark stool may just be a reflection of the fact that she is not eating much. I would watch to see that you are getting urine clumps. Have you tried tuna water on her chow or in a dish? Its not something I would do on a regular basis but will give you a feel for whether she is truly ill or just has a bit of a bug. Chicken broth is also another good option to check if she will drink. Milk is not so good as it can upset her stomach more.

I'll grab a can of tuna on the way home and cross my fingers

Thanks for all of your suggestions everyone, it helps ease my mind at elast til Monday

twinketta

Checked the litter box...1 small # 2 very dark colored... no urine clumps....

I repeat what I said earlier and then add, that the stools if very dark coloured dependant on the food you give her, sound like she is dehydrated...
take her to the vets but meanwhile. like I said, give her fingers of milk/water x

danaweston

you can try rubbing a small amount of butter or margarine on the top of one paw she might lick it off and that will help pass a hair ball...

EnchantedEvening

It could be an issue with her teeth too. If you haven't been to the store already, get some soft food and see if she'll eat that. My kitty Gomez (RIP) had trouble with dry food when he got older, so I switched him to soft. It's like giving an old person with dentures a bowl of creamed corn.

I hope she's better soon. If she's still not eating or urinating by tomorrow, I'd take her to the emergency vet.

nikinyx6

Thanks guys...I'll take all the advice to make sure she's hydrated, and I think I'll call the emergency vet tomorrow morning.

I will update everyone then.

2hobbit1

One of mine will drink from any container anywhere - in fact if the closest water dish is low she will dunk her paw in my mug and lick it dry - she will lick the faucets to get you to turn them on. Loves the cat water fountain I have upstairs.

One will only drink from moving water - and lets me know when the fountain is running low.

The third i have to entice with a small serving of wet chow once a day to ensure he gets enough liquids.

If she is still playful and active she is probably ok for now - but if you her mood/activity changes then you need to get her to the vet now.
If you are not getting any urine out put then she absolutely needs to go sooner rather than later.

MaryJane_8810002

I had this problem with my Yoruichi. (in the ticker!) The vet said to make sure that she was eating and drinking water (she would eat and then throw up so she tried not to eat) because they will have problems with internal organs if they go long periods of time without food. I was under the assumption that she had consumed some yarn since I found it in her litter box. Ironically they day I had to take her to the vet she felt a lot better.

rml_16

Make sure she is drinking...food is not so important for a couple of days. Put some water/milk on you finger and let her lick it.

Keep her hydrated and then take her to vets on Monday xx

Agreed.

I would think if it were something serious, she would show it in other ways and can probably wait.

I really don't know how much my cats eat. I free feed them. I have three and I fill up a feeder and it lasts about a week before I have to fill it again. Some cats just are not big eaters. A half cup a day is a decent amount (ignore this. I need to read more closely.). But definitely call the vet.

You CAN call the emergency vet and ask questions without having to take her in. They may have better advice than you will find here. I've done that in the past.

makemewannadie

My 5 month old kitten stopped eating for a couple of days but was acting completely normal otherwise, it turned out to be toothache from teething, obviously won't be the same for you (unless she has an adult tooth problem). What we did was make sure she was getting liquids- get your hands on some cat milk if you can for her to stay hydrated.
We also mashed up wet jelly food until it was smooth, mixed a couple of tablespoons of water and microwaved it until it was 'mouse temperatured' (just warm) and she ate some of it, it makes it more appetising for cats Keep an eye on her litter tray/energy levels and make sure nothing else changes.

Definitely get her to the vets asap. It might be nothing/might be just under the weather, but it could be something serious, so it's best to be on the safe side Hope she's ok!

floopysandi

Another thing you can try is chicken baby food (stage 2). If you can't get her to eat it on her own (and most will) it is easily syringeable for force feeding if necessary. And I had a cat that went into liver failure due to not eating. Not a fun 2 months of force feeding her a mix of vet prescribed food whenever I could. As soon as she drops any weight now I give wet food to get her to eat. (She has FIV and her "brother" likes to push her away from her food). Also, low sodium chicken broth works well for some cats (just make sure it has no onion or onion powder in it).

ashlbubba

My cat is picky about food.. perhaps the food is stale or he/she is bored of eating it.. treats, tuna, wet food, etc should be appealing to your kitty if it's not eating the food provided.

rml_16

if it is a UTI then she will be in the litter an a lot trying to pee - and may even start to use corners or other places to try to go. Girls do not have ans many problems as boys with UTIs and blockage issues since the anatomy tends to be larger in girls. I had a boy that was a tiny build part Siamese that had to have a sex change op to prevent the complications of chronic blockages. He lived to a ripe old age once he was modified.

My last kitty was on IV, catheter, the works, for a week due to a blockage. He clearly had signs of something wrong though, where Ralphie seems fine...hope that's notwhat it is!

A blockage in a male cat is very common. Not so much in a female, but they do get UTIs. If that's what it is, she can definitely wait until Monday, though she'll be uncomfortable in the meantime. A blockage is more serious, as you know. Been through that!

momofthreesons

if it is a UTI then she will be in the litter an a lot trying to pee - and may even start to use corners or other places to try to go. Girls do not have ans many problems as boys with UTIs and blockage issues since the anatomy tends to be larger in girls. I had a boy that was a tiny build part Siamese that had to have a sex change op to prevent the complications of chronic blockages. He lived to a ripe old age once he was modified.

Now that is interesting.. never in my 36 years have I heard of a cat having a sex change op... wow. Glad it worked out for him.. I mean her. :-) too cute!

Troll

She may have a blockage.

if shes not vomiting or hasnt got runny stool, dehydration isnt a biggie. my moms cat only drinks running faucet water.

All of my pets will randomly eat less. make sure shes not lethargic or losing weight. keep an eye out for bloating, pale gums, trouble pottying, or vomiting.

SueGremlin

Do not let the cat pass more than 12 hours without eating. Cats are prone to getting liver disease if they don't eat for long periods of time, or so I was told by my cat's vet. That's what happened to my cat but he had diabetes and that's what made him stop eating, he was in no way as active as your kitty is and was just lying on the floor.
So the fact that yours is fully aware of everything and playing is a good sign, keep an eye on the cat and get her encouraged to drink. Call the vet if her personality changes or if she stops drinking water. If the situation persists get her to the vet, maybe she swallowed something? Is she using the litter box for number 2? (The solid one i mean, lol)
I knew a cat that stopped eating because of constipation.

I hope she gets better in no time!

Try some new fresh things, my cat loved tuna, ham and olives unless he was feeling seriously bad he would eat any of those. It was a terrible sign if he ignored them.

Give her a hug from us,she's so cute!

Thank you for saving me the time to write all of this out.

momofthreesons

I would definitely have the kitty drink my finger anytime a few drops of water goes a long way in cats. You could also wet his chin, sides of his face a bit, or paws.. he will definitely CLEAN it off and that way there's some water in! But definitely take the kitty to the vet monday just to get it checked out.

miriamwithcats

Watch the water thing, but also I would question whether anything else in the environment has changed. Anything, like a new baby, guest, new pet, move, change of where the food and water is, or your stress level even. Cats will be affected by environmental changes or your stress level and it can affect their appetite. The fact that she is still playing is a good thing. It isn't likely to be anything serious.

Moosycakes

Could she be getting food from somewhere else?

RaeLB

Purring is not just an indication of happiness. It is an indication of heightened emotion (including stress, fear, etc). So that is not a good predictor of health and happiness.

Yes, it is a good sign that your cat is drinking (water NOT milk (unless it is cat milk/formula - cats are lactose intolerant)
Yes, it is a good sign if your cat is having regular urination and bowl movements.

However, if your cat stopped eating something is wrong. It could be due to environmental or food changes as someone else said. Or it could be an indication of poor health. I would take Ralphie to the vet as soon as possible.