Aargh, Sigh and Ahhhhhhhhh: When Your Cat Won’t Eat

Argh, sigh and ahhhhh = frustrated, dejected and panicked. This is how I feel when my kitty won't eat. Over the past few months, our cat, Today (aka Stinky), has been intermittently sick and refusing to eat. When I first started working on this post a week or so ago, Stinky was much better and we were cautiously hopeful that we had solved the problem. Alas, she is now sick again, showing all of the same symptoms as before - lethargic, anti-social, glossy eyes, huge pupils, vomiting and refusing to eat. Sigh.... :( We've also dealt with this problem before with Muffin. Because it can be scary, overwhelming and frustrating to have a kitty that's not eating, and because it's an issue that every cat owner will likely end up facing at some point, I thought I would share what I have learned on the topic for others who might be dealing with this. [Note: As a former lawyer, of course I have to point out that I am not a veterinarian, or even a veterinary technician, and I am not giving you veterinary or medical advice! If your cat is refusing to eat, PLEASE consult your veterinarian.]

Why Won't Kitty Eat??

Cats often refuse to eat simply because they don’t feel well. As with any symptom of illness, if you can identify the underlying illness, it’s wise to try to treat that problem to attempt to prevent the problem from recurring. Sometimes that’s possible and other times it’s not.

With Stinky, our veterinarians (both in town and at a clinic near Richmond) are not sure why she is having these random intermittent spells of illness where she refuses to eat. Although the vets thought it was unlikely that this stomach illness was related to her ear infections or chylothorax (fluid on the lungs), before this most recent bout of illness, we suspected that it was connected to her ear infection because it seemed to improve as soon as the ears looked better. Now we're puzzled again. Her ears are definitely still having issues, but they had been steadily improving before this sudden change.

When Muffin refused to eat several years ago, it was clear she was dealing with some major illness. She was panting (never good for a cat) and so lethargic and hot that she actually peed where she was lying on the floor and didn’t bother to get up. I immediately rushed her to the doctor. We found out then that she had a heart condition (hypertrophic cardiomyopathy) and she was suffering from congestive heart failure due to a steroid shot she received for skin problems. The vet administered fluids that day and we ended up boarding her at the hospital for a few days so they could force feed her. (More on force feeding below.) From what I remember, by the time she got back home, she was stabilized and eating better on her own. (There was a lot more to the ordeal to treat her heart condition, but that's not relevant here.)

Also, a lot of things around the home can be toxic to cats and cause stomach upset (or worse). Your kitty's tummy troubles could be related to her ingesting something toxic, so be sure to "cat-proof" your home periodically and be very careful if you let your kitty explore your dinner plate. (I'm embarrassed to admit that I'm guilty of this.) I'm sure our kitties have probably ingested bad things before, but we haven't had any serious issues with this that require medical attention (knock on wood!!), so I'm not sure how your vet would determine this was the cause of the illness, how long this kind of illness lasts, or what the vet will do to treat it. Unfortunately, there are also times when a veterinarian and owner are unable to diagnose an underlying illness.

What I have learned from our experiences with kitties not eating is that a cat may not eat simply because she doesn’t feel well and the primary illness does not necessarily have to be a stomach illness. This makes it hard to figure out what’s wrong, but if you do know of another illness or recurring condition, it may be that treating that condition will improve kitty’s appetite.

What's the Big Deal? She's A Little Tubby Anyway.

With cats, not eating can be dangerous. Obviously, not all cats will devour all the food you give them every time, so it’s good to know your cat’s normal patterns and routines with food. But if you notice that your cat has stopped eating altogether (and particularly if refusal to eat is combined with other symptoms of illness), you should not delay contacting your veterinarian in hopes that the problem will resolve itself. I’ve read in several sources that 24 hours is the time frame after which you should really be concerned – i.e., if your cat does not eat for more than 24 hours, you should consult a veterinarian as soon as possible. The problem is that cats can quickly develop liver disease (“fatty liver disease” or “hepatic lipidosis”) from not eating, and overweight cats are particularly at risk of developing this condition. If you have a kitty that is not eating, however, now is not the time to worry about the nutrition value of his food or whether he is overweight. Right now, you just have to get him to eat. (Then, after kitty is well again, you can work on having him lose weight gradually.)

Ahhh - What Can I Do???

The most important thing is to be persistent! It is very hard to keep bothering kitty when she keeps refusing food, especially when it’s clear that she’s sick and just wants to rest. But you have to be persistent and not get discouraged. (Kitty does need rest if she’s sick, but it is imperative that she eat something.) If you keep putting the plate of food in her face, she might eventually eat something. Many times, if we are just persistent with Stinky and literally hold the food in her face - practically in her nose, she will eventually eat. We suspect that she might have trouble smelling anything when she's sick (due to infections, or growths in her ears and nose, congestion or whatever) and that our persistence causes her to eventually catch the scent of the food. When kitty won't eat, here are some specific things you might try to get her eating again:

· Treats: Many commercial kitty treats are like junk food to us (i.e. fattening and with low nutritional value), so they should generally be given sparingly. However, if treats are the only thing that kitty will eat, let him have as many as he wants. The objective is to get him to eat something.

· Smelly food (fish!): Many people warn against feeding your cat too much tuna because it is fatty and contains high levels of mercury (among other problems). However, it appears that small amounts of tuna are okay, and if you have a kitty that is not eating, it is worth trying to offer him some tuna just to start him eating again. Two out of four of our kitties like canned salmon, and some varieties of salmon supposedly have less mercury than tuna. If you suspect that your kitty’s loss of appetite may be connected to a loss of smell, smelly food might be the only thing that interests her.

· Chicken: There have been several instances when Stinky refuses to eat where Jon has gone to the store to buy chicken breasts to grill for her. (How adorable is that?) We have to cut the chicken into tiny pieces for her. This sometimes works when she won’t eat anything else. You can also boil chicken to make it softer for kitty.

· Baby food: This was a tip I received from a couple of other local pet sitters (thank you to Linda Porzio of Housecalls for Cats and Alice Nicely of Petwatch Services!) They informed me that some cats that are not eating will respond to meat-based baby food. We tried this with Stinky and sometimes it works. (She devours it when she's feeling better.) Apparently baby food can give some kitties diarrhea, though, so it’s best to start with a little bit to make sure it doesn’t upset kitty’s tummy too much.

· Cream cheese or other creamy things: Cream cheese was another suggestion from Linda and Alice. Stinky didn’t go for it, but Stinky and Little Man both generally like anything creamy. They often try to eat my salad dressing and mayonnaise. I have also heard that some kitties like plain yogurt. If you do try giving creamy foods, though, be sure to check all of the ingredients in the food to make sure there are NO onions, garlic or other potentially harmful ingredients. You can find a list of foods toxic to cats here. (Note that baby food is on this list because of the risk of toxic ingredients.) Again, when changing kitty's diet (even temporarily), always start with small doses to make sure the food doesn’t upset her tummy.

· Cheese: Stinky loves cheese (especially when melted) and will sometimes eat cheese when nothing else works. (When Stinky first came to us and was semi-feral, we used cheese to lure her into a big doggie-sized carrier in order to transport her to the vet or a new home!)

· Antacids: You should not give your cat ANY medication without first consulting your veterinarian. However, if your vet does not suggest it, you might ask him or her about using over-the-counter stomach medications for humans. The veterinarian we saw in Richmond suggested that we try giving Stinky a quarter tablet of Pepcid when she was having stomach troubles. We did this a couple of times. I have no idea if this helped because we were trying so many other things at the same time, but it could have been part of the solution the last time the issue was resolved. I do have a friend that gives her doggie a Pepcid every day for doggie acid reflux (at the recommendation of her vet) and she says it really helps his tummy issues.

· Force feeding: As a last result, you may have to force your kitty to eat. I know it sounds cruel, but it’s not. I’m not talking about force feeding like they do to the poor ducks and geese that become foie gras. (I'm going to spare you the link on that one.) This type of force feeding can and should be done gently, slowly and sparingly and is for kitty’s own good. You just need to get something in her. Sometimes, I will get a little clump of tuna in my fingers, open Stinky’s mouth, put the tuna in and then hold her mouth shut until she swallows. You can also use an oral medication dropper to feed her mushy cat food. Here's a picture of one I bought recently:

You can get these from your veterinarian or in the medical section of a large pet supplies store. You might also find them at any pharmacy with basic medical supplies. (Note that, for smaller droppers, you may need to snip a little bit of plastic off of the dispensing end of the dropper to make the opening big enough for food.) To use the dropper, you draw food into the dropper (or mash it down into the dropper from the other end), open kitty’s mouth (by prying her mouth open with your fingers placed at the back of the jaw), put some food on her tongue, and then hold her mouth shut until she swallows. Since Stinky is sick again and needed this earlier today, I have included a video demonstration for you.



As happens in this video, often, once you start kitty eating, she will realize that it tastes good and start eating on her own. If you are too uncomfortable with force feeding, though, you could ask your veterinarian if your kitty can be hospitalized there for a couple of days so that the professionals there can feed her until she starts eating on her own again.

Disclaimer: In the interest of full disclosure, when I checked on Stinky again a couple of hours after we recorded this, she vomited up a lot of the food. However, we've continued to encourage her to eat all day, and she has held down some food for the past few hours.

Readers: Please help! Do you have any other tips, tricks or ideas for how to get a kitty eating again? If so, please share in the comments section below! Or, if you prefer, e-mail me at buggledoopetsitting@gmail.com and I will add an update to the post.

What a Pill!: When Your Cat Needs Medication

How to Give Your Cat a Pill in 20 Easy Steps*

1. Sit on sofa. Pick up cat, and cradle it in the crook of your elbow as though you were going to give a bottle to a baby. Talk softly to cat.

2. With right hand, position right forefinger and thumb on either side of cat's mouth and gently apply pressure to cheeks while holding pill in right hand. (Be patient.) As cat opens mouth, pop pill into mouth. Allow cat to close mouth and swallow. Let go of cat, noticing the direction in which it runs.

3. Pick the pill up off the floor, and get the cat from behind sofa. Cradle cat in left arm and repeat process. Sit on floor in kitchen, wrap arm around cat as before, drop pill in mouth. Let go of cat, noticing the direction in which it runs.

4. Retrieve cat from bedroom, and throw soggy pill away. Bring cat back into the kitchen. Take new pill from foil wrap, and cradle cat in left arm, holding rear paws tightly with left hand. Force jaws open, and push pill to back of mouth with right forefinger. Hold mouth shut for a count of ten.

5. Pry back-leg claws out of your arm. Release cat.

6. Retrieve pill from goldfish bowl and cat from top of closet. Call spouse from backyard. Kneel on floor with cat wedged firmly between knees. Hold front and rear paws. Ignore low growls emitted by cat. Get spouse to hold cat's head firmly with one hand while forcing wooden ruler into its mouth. Drop pill down ruler and rub cat's throat vigorously.

7. Retrieve cat from curtain rod, and get another pill from foil wrap. Make note to buy new ruler and repair curtains. Carefully sweep shattered Royal Doulton figurines from hearth and set to one side for gluing repairs.

8. Get spouse to lie on cat, with cat's head just visible from below spouse's armpit. Put pill in end of drinking straw, force feline mouth open with pencil, and blow down drinking straw into cat's mouth.

9. Check package label to make sure pill is not harmful to humans, and drink glass of water to take taste away. Apply Band-Aid to spouse's forearm and remove blood from carpet with cold water and soap.

10. Retrieve cat from neighbor's shed. Get another pill. Place cat in cupboard, and close door onto neck to leave head showing. Force mouth open with dessert spoon. Flick pill down throat with rubber band.

11. Fetch screwdriver from garage, and put cupboard door back on hinges. Apply cold compress to cheek, and check records for date of last tetanus shot. Discard soiled clothing.

12. Call fire department to retrieve cat from tree across the road. Apologize to neighbor whose car crashed into fence while swerving to avoid cat. Take another pill from foil wrap.

13. Tie cat's front paws to rear paws with garden twine, and bind cat tightly to leg of dining table. Find heavy-duty pruning gloves from shed, and force cat's mouth open with small spanner. Push pill into mouth, followed by large piece of steak. Hold head vertically, and pour one cup of water down throat to wash pill down.

14. Get spouse to drive you to emergency room, and sit quietly while doctor stitches lacerations to fingers and forearm and removes pill remnants from right eye. Call at furniture shop on way home to order new dining table.

15. Get last pill from foil wrap. Go into bathroom and get a fluffy towel. Stay in the bathroom with cat, and close the door.

16. Sit on bathroom floor, and wrap towel around Kitty, leaving only its head exposed. Cradle Kitty in the crook of your arm, and pick up pill from counter.

17. Retrieve cat from top of shower door (you didn't know that cats can jump 5 feet straight up in the air, did you?), and wrap towel around it a little tighter, making sure its paws can't come out this time. With fingers at either side of its jaw, pry it open and pop pill into mouth. Quickly close mouth (the cat's, not yours).

18. Sit on floor with cat in your lap, stroking it under the chin and talking gently to it for at least a half-hour, while the pill dissolves.

19. Unwrap towel, open bathroom door. Wash scratches with warm soapy water.

20. Arrange for SPCA to pick up cat and call local pet shop to see if they have any hamsters.

*From Planet Cat, a cat-alog, by Sandra Choron, Harry Choron and Arden Moore. I've included another funny article from this book before. It's really great and I highly recommend it. I'm trying to get the dog version of it, but might have to order it online because I can't find it in stock anywhere!)

Now for the serious instructions....

Muffin and I recorded a little instructional video below about how to give a cat a pill. Keep in mind that Muffin and I have been practicing for a while - she has taken several pills almost every day for the past 3.5 years. We've gotten pretty good at the routine. As you see from the funny instructions above, it can be so difficult that people have made jokes about how impossible it is! Don't get discouraged. You will get better at it and so will your kitty. (Please ignore the little spat Muffin has with Little Man at the end of the video. Muffin doesn't like the other kitties to get too close to her, especially after she has just taken her meds! I promise you she's fine and enjoyed her treats right after this.)



You could also try these other tips if you're having difficulty:

(1) Crush the meds and mix with food. If your vet says it's okay for the type of medicine, you can try crushing the medication and putting it in the cat's food. This has never worked with my cats. I think they can sense that I'm trying to pull a fast one on them and they inevitably turn their noses up at the food - no matter how smelly it is or how much they like the food usually. We also have the problem that we have 4 cats and they all trade plates about 5 times before all the wet food is gone. And now that our cats are very well fed, it's rare for them to finish everything on their plate in one sitting. If it had medication in it, I wouldn't be sure that they had gotten the entire dosage.

(2) Coat with margarine. Coat the pill with margarine to make it go down more smoothly. I've read this online and in books but have never tried it. I would think it would make the pill hard to hold onto, but maybe not. It could also work when using a pill popper.

(3) Use a pill popper. Click here to see a picture of one. This is slightly different from the one we have, but you either put the pill in the grabber at the end of the tube (like the one pictured here) or you put the meds down in the tube (like the one we have) and then put the syringe down in behind them. Then you open the kitty's mouth, put the tube in, and push the syringe to pop them out. We have used this before and when my sister has had to medicate Muffin, she thought this was very helpful (especially since Muffin takes so many and the few small ones could all be given together with the popper we have). I can imagine it would also be helpful for people with larger fingers who have trouble placing the pill onto the cat's tongue. I just don't use it because it feels gentler to just place the meds with my fingers now that we're better at it.

(4) Use pill pockets. These are basically soft kitty treats with a little pocket inside where you can stick the pill. My cats have never gone for these (see #1), but they must work for some people because I hear about them a lot.

(5) Compounding. This is a fancy word for getting the pills made into a liquid form (often one that tastes good to the kitty). If you find it easier to administer liquid medications, you may be able to get the pills compounded. Ask your vet about this. We have done this in the past for Stinky (back when she was semi-feral and I had a much harder time with her), but it is very expensive. Here's a cute article where the woman swears by it (her kitty, Lightning, apparently has the same heart condition that Muffin does): http://www.cathobbyist.com/articles/PillingACat.html.

You have to figure out what works for you and your kitty. It may be frustrating and overwhelming at first, and you'll feel as though you are causing the cat more stress than the medication is worth, but once you both get used to it, it's not so bad and the payoff can be immense. When Muffin first went to the cardiologist and I asked "will she have to take these pills every day for the rest of her life?," they would barely look me in the eye as they told me they weren't sure how much of a life she had left. And here we are years later and she's still having fun and loving life!

Little Man Warns of Pet Food Recall

WARNING!

Please go to http://www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmrecalls/nutro05_09.html to read about the latest pet food recall. It affects certain Nutro dry cat foods with “Best If Used By Dates” between May 12, 2010 and August 22, 2010.