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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.

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Original poster

Kitten won't eat!

24 replies

blackcats73 · 29/10/2013 08:24

Hi, I have a five month old Siamese kitten. She was a really good eater and very playful. We went away for a long weekend and put her in the cattery. She's had nothing to eat since she left the cattery and although affectionate and purs a lot, she's also very quiet. Is she just recovering from the trauma of the cattery or or does she need to see the vet? The lady at te cattery said she didn't eat much there.

OP posts:

Mogz · 29/10/2013 09:46

Please take her to the vet, she sounds like she is stressed from the cattery, but if cats don eat for a while they can develop kidney/liver problems.
I hope she is ok and the vet can sort her out.
In future when you go away would it be possible to find a pet sitting service near you? Our cats hate the cattery so we hire someone to pop in once or twice a day to feed them (works out well as we also have bunnies and fish). And it's about the same price as a cattery stay.

cozietoesie · 29/10/2013 09:49

My experience of Siamese and catteries is ......not good. They're sometimes so fixated on their humans that they can have the most enormous sulks when they come back after the Separation. And boy can a Siamese sulk when they feel they need to make a point to you.

How long has it been since she wouldn't eat? And do you know if she's drinking and using her tray?

Oh - and does she sleep with you at night time? (I'm thinking about what she might be doing in the wee small hours.)

Original poster

blackcats73 · 29/10/2013 10:41

She sleeps with us, she has weed and used her tray. I'll give the vet a ring. She hasn't eaten for two days.

OP posts:

Fluffycloudland77 · 29/10/2013 11:05

I'd be down the vets, mine does this if he picks up an infection.

cozietoesie · 29/10/2013 11:24

If she's peed and used her tray I'll lay odds that she's still drinking from somewhere - but a good idea to get her checked out at the vet in case she's picked up an infection.

Good luck with her and let us know how she gets on.

Original poster

blackcats73 · 29/10/2013 11:26

Thanks, made appointment for 6.20pm. I'll update to later :(

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Original poster

blackcats73 · 29/10/2013 19:19

I took her and she's not got a bacterial infection, she had a viral infection when I got her and the stress of the cattery could have brought it on again. Everything else seems fine. If she's not eating tomorrow, I've got to take her again. She's been prescribed Metacam and bisolvon powder. She's hiding now so even more stressed :-(

OP posts:

Fluffycloudland77 · 29/10/2013 19:35

Poor little thing, has she got some nice treats tonight to make up for it?

cozietoesie · 29/10/2013 19:36

Keep the lights lowish and everything very calm - no initiating stroking or calling her. Just go about your normal business but slowly and in a measured way.

If you can put up with it, have a constant noise source on lowish - eg some music or the telly - and just let her do her thing.

Oh - and if you have any, put a few morsels of fresh ham in a bowl in a dark corner along with some fresh water. (Along with a small amount of her normal wet food.) Fresh is pretty important: heating can really dry food out and make it less toothsome.

Best of luck.

Mogz · 29/10/2013 19:56

Oh the poor little mite. At least the vet has ruled out bacterial infection, keep things quiet and calm for tonight and tomorrow and hopefully she'll perk up a bit once her medicine starts working. Is it in tablet or solution form? If you can get her to eat a little I find that the Applaws pouches are great for grinding tablets in to as they are very juicey, our big fussy ginger tom was on steroids for a month and never once noticed them in his food when we used Applaws. If she is still not wanting to eat then mixing ground down tablets or liquid meds in to a little pâté or marmite and dabbing it on her front paws should make her groom herself and so lick it off.
Best of luck and lots of scritches for kitty

Original poster

blackcats73 · 29/10/2013 20:33

Thanks for the tips, she's sniffing her food and having some water as I speak. I'm trying to be calm and now my five year old is in bed things will be quieter. I've tried her with ham, beef etc with no luck.

The medicine is administered by syringe so she got some. Shes just on my knee now and purring gently. I'll update tomorrow.

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cozietoesie · 29/10/2013 21:01

That's good. Having your 5 year old out of the way will be better for her - just let her make all the running at the moment.

Hope to hear better news tomorrow.

Original poster

blackcats73 · 30/10/2013 17:23

Puss eating her Royal Canin wet and dry kitten food thank crunchie!!!.

I think I need to get a pet sitter next time we are away. Thanks everyone :-) :-)

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Mogz · 30/10/2013 17:44

So glad to hear she's on the mend.
Pet sitters are great, we used a fantastic company when we went on our hols last year who took in the mail, took the bins out and watered our house plants as well as feeding the cats, bunnies and fish and cleaning the litter tray every day and the hutch twice a week. It cost us just 5p more per day than putting the cats in a cattery!

cozietoesie · 30/10/2013 17:46

Excellent.

Looks like you've got one of the sensitive ones. When is she due to be neutered?

Original poster

blackcats73 · 30/10/2013 18:34

She was supposed to be nuetered on Monday, but as she's tiny, 1.75kg the vet said to leave it for a while, She doesn't go out yet. She's the first Siamese we've had and I'm still learning!!!

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cozietoesie · 30/10/2013 18:43

Ah well. Get her booked in just as soon as you're able to. Siamese can be 'forward' in coming into maturity and you really don't want a Siamese girl in heat around the house, believe me. Watch her like a hawk as well - you may not get too much notice.

Mogz · 30/10/2013 20:21

You should be ok waiting until she's 6 months for the neuter OP, just do keep an eye on her like Cozie says, and be prepared for some rather crazy behaviour if she does have a season before that. And be very careful that she cannot get out and no naughty tom cats can get in! Has she had her vaccinations?
Is she a classic Siamese or a new look one? I had a classic girly when I was little and she was at once my arch nemesis and my best friend. Such a great character.

Original poster

blackcats73 · 30/10/2013 21:20

She's a chocolate point siamese. No sure if shes old or new. Ill try to add pictures.The breeder had given her vaccinations before we got her. We are going to get a cat flap( at great expense as its a double glazed glass door) but at the moment no male cats could get in.

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Original poster

blackcats73 · 30/10/2013 22:33

Just a thought cozie. How do you think my pus would like another kitren either moggie or siamese? Would leavin her with another cat make her less stressed

OP posts:

Original poster

blackcats73 · 30/10/2013 22:38

Just a thought cozie. How do you think my pus would like another kitren either moggie or siamese? Would leavin her with another cat make her less stressed

OP posts:

cozietoesie · 31/10/2013 07:49

Gosh - I'm not a good person to give a view on this one. All the Siamese I've had have been/would have been entirely happy to be singletons. They have seemed to identify so closely with their special humans that I've had far more problems with jealousy than I've ever had with loneliness. (When their human isn't around they just seem to go to sleep or mooch around gloating over their kingdom.)

But yet I know that they can work well in multi-cat households, especially if that's all they've really known. Whether they're truly happier that way or merely making the best of a bad job (not something Siamese are known for) is not something I would care to judge.

So my instinct would be 'No' - but I'm not objective and you would do best to have a few views from other posters.

PS - They're the most glorious cats though. I wouldn't be without one in my life.

Mogz · 31/10/2013 09:34

A yes, double glazed doors are a bugger! We rent and have had the expense of putting in a cat flap each time and then replacing the panel when we move out.
Couldn't possibly keep our two indoors though, they get very upset.

My Siamese hated all other animals, especially ones that dared come anywhere near to my Dad as he was very firmly her human. I'm not sure if things would have been different if she'd been socialised with other cats at a younger age or if she had been with a litter mate. Probably best to get some advice from a breed specific forum. My moggies now very much need each others company, they've always been together and we've always been lucky enough to be able to give them enough room and outside space that they coexist very happily and will play and sleep together. When our boy had to spend the night away for emergency vet treatment his sister was distraught and didn't settle all night. She spent about an hour grooming him when he got home and was stuck to his side for days afterwards.

cozietoesie · 31/10/2013 09:59

I'll make an exception for dogs. My Siamese haven't generally been bothered much by them. They seem to regard them as big lumps which aren't worthy of attention. (We've had bigger dogs and not terriers - it may be different with the latter.)

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