Older cat now rejecting all food - ill or normal irritating cat behaviour?

[ThereMustAndShallBeTea]

Me again, still stressing about cats' eating

We have two rescue cats that we've had since September last year. Until recently they've both been fed on Purina One as that's what they had at the rescue centre, but I don't particularly want to buy it as it's made by Nestle and we boycott. Also younger cat is now on diet biscuits as he is greedy and overweight. They also had a pouch of meat in the evening.

I posted recently about the older cat (age 10) just licking the jelly off his meaty chunks and leaving the rest. A few posters suggested trying a pate type meat instead so I got some Sheba, which he outright rejected. We do have some Animonda Carny which we haven't tried yet.

Also got some Applaws on MN recommendation but it took a while to arrive so got some (small, thank god) bags of IAMS to tide us over. He refused the IAMS. Applaws arrived so opened that, he wolfed down the first bowl and then refused to eat any more.

Now he keeps coming and looking at me and when I give him his bowl (which has to be kept on top of the fridge otherwise greedy cat will finish it) he runs over to see what it is, then looks at it and walks off.

He's going to make me buy bloody Nestle, isn't he?

I rather suspect he is.

Seniorboy has access to any good quality cat food he wants - I may live on carrots but he isn't required to - but is unconscionably fond of Felix AGAIL Doubly Delicious Meat in Jelly, nicely mashed up. If he was a healthy younger cat, I'd hang tough but I need to get his meds down and give him some throughput in his system.

Remind me - has your boy had his teeth checked over recently?

One of my cats had a small swelling on his lip caused the vet thought by an insect bite - a wasp or some such which made it difficult for him to crunch things. Vet gave injection and he was fine.

There also seems to be a very fastidious side to one my cats -he likes the smell to be just right. He hates fishy smells. Also likes lots of water - so I think the jelly is need for water in some instances.

Depends what you mean by recent, Cozie - they were checked before we took them home, so start of September.

I'd be more worried if he hadn't scoffed a helping of Applaws before then rejecting it.

Sounds normal to me

I think I'd take him in just to reassure yourself - that's 5 months and a mouth problem could easily flare up in that time - and he's of an age where there might be some troubles. (Although he may well just be being fussy.)

One of mine will only eat wet food in gravy and high carb dry food (I was trying a low carb diet for her for health reasons) so that leaves the poorer quality foods or she loses weight.

She will however steal all sorts of food from people's plates if given the chance

Luckily the other one only cares that there is food there, not what it is.

Cats are contrary creatures. I gave away a huge sack of Royal Canin Kitten a while back because MKitten refused it. He liked the Applaws dry, until I ran out and had to tide over with a small bag of Royal Canin. Now he's decided the Royal Canin is delicious, and eating the Applaws with reluctance and disdain.

I agree with Cozie though - I'd definitely vet for peace of mind.

He ate a small amount of Applaws earlier (left over breakfast), then I topped it up and added some Animonda Carny and he's ignoring it.

Tbh I think really he'd be happier having a few mouthfuls every now and then throughout the day but we have to keep moving his bowl so Fat Cat doesn't get it. We have a spare microchip flap that only works for him so wondering about putting it in eg door of spare room so he can have his own space (though we had a similar set up when we went away for the weekend and Fat Cat nearly brained himself trying to stove the flap in).

How's his weight and general health doing?

Might still be a good idea to have them both registered and seen by your local vet practice on the basis that it's they that they'll have the long term relationship with and having them given the once over 'gets you on the books' as it were in case they need emergency treatment/a prescription etc.

Hmm. If he's running over to the plate, it sounds like he's hungry, so likely being fussy rather than ill / off his grub. I'm mean, and I'd stick it out and let him come to whatever I had in stock - hunger will eventually overcome fastidiousness. Depends how kind you are feeling I suppose! Giving him his own space sounds like a good idea, too.

Health seems fine, not sure about weight. He had a trip to the vet just after we got him, when he went out to check out his new neighbourhood and got badly beaten up :(

Was actually planning on changing vet as the one we've been going to, although very cat friendly, is about 25 min away on winding country roads, and the last two times we've been (for Fat Cat to be weighed), he's thrown up on the way. Hate getting them in the carrier to go though, particularly as older cat is far more savvy about it than Fat Cat.

Is he eating any of the soft food? Sorry am prob being thick if he likes the wet food then just up that maybe?

It does sound more like fussiness than illness but if continues I guess worth getting it checked....

Mind you with older cats I would be a bit more likely to cook them up a bit of chicken or fish

No wet food at all.

Update: he's on his third helping of Fat Cat's diet Royal Canin. Am concluding that he's fine, just an utter bastard.