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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

Kitten not eaten, today is the third day

138 replies

Hubblez · 08/03/2014 07:48

Hello, I have the vets booked today for as soon as it opens for my girl cat

She's 5 months old, usually sleeps and lays around a lot but would come for cuddles and rub her head on me and purr etc and was very affectionate. The last 2 days she hasn't eaten anything and will refuse all food. She wasn't drinking either and seemed dehydrated. I gave her water in a syringe and last night she did drink a little from a water bowl and the same this morning. Today is the third day not eating.

I guess I'm writing here because I'm worried and the vet isn't open yet. She doesn't seem in pain and will let me prod and poke her and pick her up without being bothered. She did a wee but I haven't seen her poo, though she could have done one but it could have also been from boy cat.

She's just sitting on her scratching post curled up with her head down and eyes closed. Not sleeping just sitting there, she was doing the same last night. She has moved around the house as the scratching post is downstairs and litter box upstairs and I've seen her hanging around both places. I offered her tuna last night and she licked a bit of the brine stuff but didn't eat any of the tuna. Offered her different types of cat food wet and dry and all rejected. I shook the dreamies bag and she came up to me but when I offered her a dreamie she just ignored it :(

I don't know how she can have been fine a few days ago and to have changed like this with the only real symptom I can see being not eating. She's indoor only and has never been outside. I'm thinking maybe she ate something she shouldn't and it's stuck inside her? But as I said she will let me prod and poke and I would've thought if she had a blockage that would hurt her but she shows no signs of pain.

I also gave her a strong wormer (drontal) last night and 15 min after she vomited bile, no sign of worms anywhere. She vomited again this morning but I think it's because she's so hungry? It's just yellow bile. My dog does the same out of hunger if I delay feeding him for any reason

I've rambled on a bit... anyone have any suggestions or insight before it's vet time? :(

OP posts:
notapizzaeater · 08/03/2014 09:54

Poor kitty, perhaps she has been in pain and might now eat because she's had painkillers.

cozietoesie · 08/03/2014 10:14

OK. Try her on some nice moist cooked chicken if you can rustle that up from somewhere - and keep us in touch with how she's doing. It's so nerve wracking when they're ill, isn't it?

(Well done for getting her to the vets, though.)

cozietoesie · 08/03/2014 10:15

PS - your profile is now viewable.

Original poster
Hubblez · 08/03/2014 10:43

Ah super useful being viewable now haha. Thanks for the advice from everyone, will pop to the shop and find some chicken for her in a bit, just praying that she will eat it and perk up a bit

Will update later after attempted feeding time

OP posts:
Original poster
Hubblez · 08/03/2014 10:45

I also (I think) added a photo of her and my boy cat to my profile. Boy is black and white and girl is the tabby

OP posts:
BumpyGrindy · 08/03/2014 10:51

You don't use Zoflora do you?

Original poster
Hubblez · 08/03/2014 10:58

I have no idea what zoflora is so probably not! Google tells me it's a disinfectant, so no I just use random shop own brand ones

OP posts:
cozietoesie · 08/03/2014 11:00

What a great pair. They look awfully solemn though!

Original poster
Hubblez · 08/03/2014 11:45

Probably wanting to rip my hand to pieces that was holding the treats to make them sit still Grin wish she would be like that today! Sent DP off to the shop for chicken while I watch real housewives keep an eye on the cat

OP posts:
BigcatLittlecat · 08/03/2014 12:03

Poor Kitty. We have a kitten who is 3 but she will always be my kitten! Anyway she sometimes just seems to get very sad. Sits doing nothing and off her food. We try and tempt her with treats as she is on the royal canin hypoallergenic food, but she's not interested. Doesn't want to interact. it's heartbreaking. Vet says nothing wrong DH thinks she is coming down from her monthly steroid injection. After a few days it passes. OP hope she feels better soon.

cozietoesie · 08/03/2014 12:31

Now there's a thing, OP. My immediate thought was 'solemn' but it could be read as 'contemplative and planning a deed'.

Original poster
Hubblez · 08/03/2014 15:16

I gave her the medicine and tried to feed her after it but she still won't eat. She has been drinking much more than yesterday and voluntarily which is good. Still sitting around and not moving though. She's sitting on the table staring at the water bowl, eyes open just sitting there not moving at all :/ she only did 1 tiny wee today and no poo at all so I'm still thinking she's possibly blocked up yet vet didn't feel anything

Not sure if I should mush up cat food and syringe feed her that today or wait until tomorrow and give the injections etc more time to kick in... Though it's been nearly 6 hours now since she had them and no change, I wasn't told how long it was meant to take but the vet said she couldn't guarantee it would work.

Maybe if I get her eating from a syringe she will want to move on to proper food again, she hasn't thrown up since before the vet though so I don't want to force feed her and make her throw up again either cos that would be just going backwards and dehydrating her more. What do you think, should I try syringe feeding now or give it til tomorrow morning?

OP posts:
cozietoesie · 08/03/2014 18:20

How is she doing?

thecatneuterer · 08/03/2014 19:36

I would try just a little bit now. Often it sort of kick starts them into eating again. I've just this second done that myself and the cat is now eating:)

cozietoesie · 08/03/2014 22:03

Anything eaten yet?

Original poster
Hubblez · 08/03/2014 23:21

I fed her some blended wet food with the syringe but not a lot, maybe 1/5 of a packet. She sat and let me do it and took it easier than when I was giving her the water, but she won't touch it herself. Monitoring her for 2 hours or so now and will see if she vomits it up again or not. She only had 1 tiny wee all day though and no poo. I keep putting her in the litterbox and she just curls up and sits there :(

OP posts:
cozietoesie · 08/03/2014 23:33

Fingers crossed that she doesn't vomit then - and that gets her system going again.

I wouldn't worry too much at the moment about the no poo, nor would I put her anymore in the litter box - unless you see her straining somewhere else. See what tomorrow brings.

I guess you won't get much sleep tonight.

(Can you leave her something to nosh overnight if she's so minded or will boycat find it and pig it?)

Original poster
Hubblez · 08/03/2014 23:48

Boy cat will probably eat it all, I might put him in the large dog cage for tonight, he's used to sleeping in that when he's in my way and I'm trying to clean! Then girl cat can do what she wants and I'll be able to see clearly if she toileted or ate through the night.

She is drinking by herself still though and sits next to the water bowl looking really grumpy as if she hates the world, she's ignoring the dogs and boy cat when they go near her, boy cat keeps jumping on her trying to play and she just sits there until he gives up. Haven't seen her grooming herself either, she has bits of mushed cat food round her mouth still

Luckily my sleeping schedule has already been messed up for the last week!

OP posts:
cozietoesie · 09/03/2014 00:05

Nice idea about the cage if he's used to it.

I'd maybe give her a hand with her grooming - a quick comb/brush of her back and flanks and a moist cloth or kitchen roll/tissues to quick-clean her mouth and nether parts. It's good for a girl's morale!

Original poster
Hubblez · 09/03/2014 04:07

Thecatneuterer said some of my flowers were poppies... Apparently poppies are toxic to cats too! I can't find that much info on it but found this link www.petpoisonhelpline.com/poison/poppy/ but that's american and I'm in the UK. I know a leaf dropped off for sure and can't remember doing anything with it so it is possible my cat ate it. I will ring the vet back on Monday and mention it, will keep force feeding mushed up food until then. That website says symptoms are no appetite and staring into the distance, which is what she's been doing constantly, if the vet couldn't find anything wrong with her then poppy poisoning could make sense, right? Just can't find any info on how it's cured :(

OP posts:
Original poster
Hubblez · 09/03/2014 04:12

I got the flowers last Friday, the cat was stopping eating mid Wednesday and according to www.icatcare.org/advice/keeping-your-cat-safe/cats-and-poisonous-plants it can take a few days to kick in so it would make sense...

OP posts:
cozietoesie · 09/03/2014 05:27

So you didn't get much sleep after all?

There are just so many potentially cat-toxic plants and substances, Hubblez but lilies which, if I recall, you didn't have, are a particular bad guy among them partly due to the fact that they don't require foliage etc to be actively chewed and ingested.

I'm afraid that with poppies, I don't know - although having a look at the literature, it sounds almost as if the effect is narcotic more than anything else. (The staring into space bit.) If so, it should just wear off gradually, although mention it to the vet by all means if you think it's a real possibility and she hasn't made strides by then. One of the vets who post might wish to comment.

Keep an eye on her throughout the day and see how she does? I would be hoping for an improvement this morning. You did, after all, get her to the vet pretty fast.

Original poster
Hubblez · 09/03/2014 09:54

Thanks Cozie , I left food overnight and she still hasn't eaten or toileted. She rubbed her head on me this morning which she hasn't done since she stopped eating. But I put her on the floor and she was very wobbly and weak when trying to walk :( and nearly fell over when I put her back on the scratching post. Just mushed up some more food so going to give her that now with the syringe

OP posts:
cozietoesie · 09/03/2014 13:22

How is she doing, Hubblez ?

Original poster
Hubblez · 09/03/2014 14:15

She just had a seizure :( :( :( phoned emergency vet but it's £140 for consult alone and then medication and tests ontop of that. Going to ask my family if I can borrow money as I really don't have any. If not will have to wait til tomorrow evening for a normal appointment and if the meds for that is too much I guess she will have to be put down if she has another seizure :(

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