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The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Original poster

Got my (lovely) rescue cat on Friday - he seems to be settling in well - but he's not really eating much...

39 replies

BaroqueAroundTheClock · 24/01/2011 21:08

is this normal? Is it just his way of reacting to the move?

He's made himself at home, and is quite comfortable striding round the house, sitting on laps, playing with the DS's etc.

He's got water available, and I've carried on feeding him what the fostered had been (wet pouch morning and night and dry available in the day).

He's been using the litter tray so is "going" fine.

This morning he didn't touch the wet stuff, this evening he's eaten about 1/2 of it. And has only really picked at the dry during the day.

Is this normal - - at what point do I start to worry??

OP posts:
Catsmamma · 24/01/2011 21:10

I would almost certainly say to give it a wee while

is he showing a preference for wet or dry?

if he is drinking and socialising...sounds like a drunk...I really wouldn't worry.

Original poster
BaroqueAroundTheClock · 24/01/2011 21:13

seems to be showing preference for the wet at the moment - though Sunday the boys left the cupboard open that the dry was in and he got in and knocked it over and was raiding the contents Grin.

I presume he's drinking - water isn't going down a lot - but he's weeing lots. Though he's got free range of the house so could well be getting from the kitchen or bathroom (he's rather partial to the bathroom).

Other than that - he's very sociable.

OP posts:
Doodlez · 24/01/2011 21:16

Firstly, he'll settle with his eating as he settles in and gets a grip of the idea that he's 'home'.

Second - my cat (died last year aged 22) was a finky beggar - some days she'd eat loads and others, not so much. She supplemented with birds and mices etc as well!

Give her a head scrunch from me Grin

Original poster
BaroqueAroundTheClock · 24/01/2011 21:23

Thank you both of you. They did say (and I have read) that they may be funny with eating to start with, but then he's not done any of the other stuff they said he'd probably do (run and hide in a cupboard, hide from us be nervous etc) so I wasn't sure.

He is so lovely though and I can't believe I've waited this long to get a cat.

OP posts:
Ben10isthespawnofthedevil · 25/01/2011 09:33

We also got rescue cats on Friday! Ours seemed to like the wet and dry food but then I did a roast chicken on Sunday and they absolutely loved it. One of them was growling at the pieces of chicken and batting it around the floor! How old is yours? We have two 7 month old kittens from the RSPCA.

Original poster
BaroqueAroundTheClock · 25/01/2011 10:03

Jambo is 2. He's eaten a little bit more today. Still not sure if he's drinking much, though he's still wee-ing.

Has taken to coming up stairs with me at night and sleeping at the foot of my bed - it's lovely, and rather funny. His purr sounds just like someone has got a car engine running outside Grin

OP posts:
Ben10isthespawnofthedevil · 25/01/2011 10:18

Grin to the car engine. Mine sleep on top of each other but they are not allowed upstairs yet due to asthmatic DH!

Ben10isthespawnofthedevil · 25/01/2011 10:20

We have Willow and Wisp - two girls

glastocat · 25/01/2011 21:29

Ha, he's in your bed already, he's got you right under the paw! Grin

Original poster
BaroqueAroundTheClock · 25/01/2011 21:30

well..I encouraged him to my bed on the first night as he wandered in as I was getting ready..........Blush

OP posts:
Elk · 26/01/2011 19:42

My cat doesn't eat much and is really thin, you can see her ribs, but the vet says she is fine. She has the same amount of food offered as your cat and some days eats it all and others it gets left.
I think quite often cats don't actually drink that much.
My cat likes going into the bath/shower after we have been in and lapping up the water that is left, she never actually drinks from her bowl.

Your cat does sound quite setttled if he is happy, purring and sitting on laps, IME an unsettled cat doesn't really stay still.

Original poster
BaroqueAroundTheClock · 26/01/2011 19:46

Thanks Elk. As it happens the fosterer rang a little while ago and asked how he was. I told him about his eating and she said he sounded fine, and not to worry.

He's still been hardly touching the dry stuff, but eating about 1/3-1/2 of the wet pouches so she thinks he's probably getting most of what he needs liquid wise from that.

Still happy and purring and sitting on laps etc.

Though we just lost him under my bed for a while as I put the hoover on - a very loud Dyson - for the first time since he's been here and she shot upstairs like someone had set his tail on fire.

He's come back down now though and is mewwing around his bowl Hmm - no doubt he'll pounce on it as I put it down, lick as much of the jelly off as he can, eat a token amount of meat and leave the rest hehe

OP posts:
SecretNutellaFix · 26/01/2011 19:47

Fussy sods aren't they?

Sounds like he has you well under his pawGrin

Original poster
BaroqueAroundTheClock · 26/01/2011 19:49

of course he does - he's my fluffy baby Wink

OP posts:
SecretNutellaFix · 26/01/2011 20:05

You have it bad. Pull yourself together woman!Grin
you're making cat people look like they really are loons

Meow75 · 26/01/2011 20:43

Baroque - Jambo sounds lovely.

Cats BELONG on the ends of beds, imo. Unfortunately, we have a weak bladder in the house, so it's only me and DH in our bed for the time being. [bsad]

Original poster
BaroqueAroundTheClock · 26/01/2011 21:18

Grin SNF - I was a loon before I got a cat.........there's no hope for me now Wink

OP posts:
sharbie · 26/01/2011 21:23

Grin jambo

try him on a little ham (from packet) - mine love that even if they won't eat anything else

Original poster
BaroqueAroundTheClock · 27/01/2011 00:10

I did give him a little piece the other day - he had a nibble and then got distracted and buggerered off

I am now sat here in shock - he's just gone into the kitchen and is sat audibly eating some of his dry! The most I've ever seen/heard him have at once is one crunch - and then he buggers off and doens't touch it again.

Think we're getting there.

Off to bed soon so hopefully he'll be following me up to the foot of my bed again and he can stop playing with that ball of screwed up paper in the hallywa........of ALL the places to choose he picks the hall Grin

(though it's wooden floors through out so noisy on all of 'em)

OP posts:
sharbie · 27/01/2011 00:35

sounds like he is settling in fine

Blackletterday · 27/01/2011 01:03

He sounds lovely, what colour is he? Are you going to be letting him out, or will he be a house cat?

Original poster
BaroqueAroundTheClock · 27/01/2011 01:11

I was going to say "there's a link to some photos further up the thread".......and then I realised that the link is on my other thread in the Litter Tray Grin

He's white - with bits of black.

I will let him out, but CPL said to wait at least 6 weeks or so - to reduce the chance of him dashing out of the door and me never seeing him again. Though will probably mostly be a house cat.

OP posts:
Blackletterday · 27/01/2011 01:31

Oh that's good, I have had a few cats, and always feel sorry for those house moggies. I would love one but dp isn't keen.

It wouldn't work with the little kids atm, plus dp's objection about the flea infestations is a valid one tbh.

Enjoy though, I love moggies on my knee.

simpson · 27/01/2011 13:58

Have seen pics of him on FB he looks lovely Grin

If he is eating pouches of wet food they don't normally drink much water as its in the food iyswim.

Having abit of a battle to try and get my two 9mth old kitties to attempt dry food

Meow75 · 29/01/2011 00:19

Ooooh, 9mth isn't very old for biscuits, I thought. Are their teeth upto it?

Always kept my young 'uns on wet kitten food till 12mth. Blimey, it's as bad as feeding kids!!!

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