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

Original poster

Handhold - poorly cat

24 replies

snarfblatt · 09/04/2019 22:27

Our cat has chronic vomiting (7 months and counting of throwing up almost daily), and in the last couple of months has also stopped eating (will only lick the sauce off food). He's lost over 1kg in about two months, some of which I'll admit he could afford to lose but is now looking so skinny. Bloods are all clear and he has an ultrasound next week to try and figure out what's wrong but I'm feeling so sad for our poor little boy Sad

He's otherwise fine, doesn't seem in pain or distressed, although much more vocal than he used to be. Has anyone experienced similar?

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huntinghighandlow · 09/04/2019 22:35

Has he had his teeth checked? Our cat was vomiting every day (not for that long though) then stopped eating. When they did bloods they sedated her, so the vet had a look and she ended up needing all her back teeth out. We had thought the worst as she was 14 at the time. The vomiting was straight after eating so probably bolting down without chewing. The not eating later on was due to the pain of the bad teeth.

Original poster
snarfblatt · 09/04/2019 22:40

@huntinghighandlow Yes, he's had his teeth checked by two different vets, there's absolutely nothing wrong that they can see. His vomiting started at night only then after a couple of months became daytime too and now it's pretty much whenever, and he's not eating enough to bring up any food, it's all bile Sad He also doesn't throw up for quite a while after eating the small amount he manages. I did wonder if it was something related to his teeth but they checked! The weird thing is at first he was vomiting but eating like normal - it's only the last couple of months he's stopped eating.

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Original poster
snarfblatt · 09/04/2019 22:40

And I hope having her teeth out helped your cat!

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huntinghighandlow · 09/04/2019 22:57

Yes she's 16 this month! She lost about 1.5kg so the vet said expect it not to be good news. The bloods all came back fine. She never put much of the weight back on and now hovers around 3kg. She's very boney under all the fur but is quite happy. Doesn't blood cell count sometimes help with indicating tumours? Sounds hopeful that everything has come back clear, will keep everything crossed for you xx

Original poster
snarfblatt · 09/04/2019 23:03

Thank you! Yes, it could be something gastrointestinal, I'm hopeful it's nothing too serious. Previous vet did say when she went to take bloods he was gagging as though there was a blockage but hopefully clear bloods is a good sign! Glad to hear your cat is still going strong Smile

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starbrightnight · 09/04/2019 23:09

Is he long-haired? Could be fur balls. Ours vomited an enormous sausage yesterday about 6 or 7 inches long. He was a lot happier after that.

At the end of the winter cats often over-groom to remove their thick winter coat, resulting in fur balls and loss of appetite.

We find Wiskas hair ball treats help. Our cat loves them. 😽

Original poster
snarfblatt · 09/04/2019 23:17

@starbrightnight wow, that's an impressive fur ball!! The first vet gave him some hairballs treatment at the start of the year, he does (or used to) bring up some hairballs from time to time but it's mostly just sick. Have tried the anti hairball treats too. Can't rule it out though I guess! He's not long haired but has long hair for a short haired cat iyswim.

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starbrightnight · 09/04/2019 23:21

Does he have access to grass to eat? That might help clear the problem, and is he drinking enough? I feel for you, it's horrible when you can't seem to help.

Original poster
snarfblatt · 09/04/2019 23:25

No grass, he's indoor - can you get grass for cats indoors? He does love eating anything green! I don't think he's drinking much either tbh, his water never goes down much.

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Totaldogsbody · 09/04/2019 23:27

Not a big cat lover but DD has one and she's a mess when anything's wrong with her. Hope your cats happy and healthy soonFlowers

viccat · 09/04/2019 23:28

How old is he?
I was wondering about hyperthyroidism, it doesn't always show up on the usual T4 thyroid test but will show up on the more specific "free T4" test. Usually it makes them hungry though but the other symptoms fit - vomiting, weight loss, increasingly vocal. Usually affects senior cats from about 10 onwards...

starbrightnight · 09/04/2019 23:57

I'd dig up a little piece of grassy turf and plant it in a pot for indoors on the windowsill maybe, so he can eat grass if he feels the need.

Also maybe try and collect rainwater for him to drink? Fluoride and whatever else they add might be making the water taste funny. Also maybe increase his wet food if you don't think he's drinking enough, or buy a bottle of 'cat milk' made specially for cats, though I'd probably dilute it a bit.

Not sure these ideas will work but they might be worth trying.

Original poster
snarfblatt · 10/04/2019 07:12

@viccat he's 10 so it's a possibility! I know lots can happen when they're a bit older.

Thanks for the tips @starbrightnight! He's only eating the sauce of his wet food so is getting some liquid at least. Will try and get some grass.

And thank you @totaldogsbody we've been very lucky with him that he's never been sick beyond some nerve-related stuff so I guess this is just new and I'm not used to not being able to fix the problem! I'm very pragmatic but it's sad seeing him look so skinny.

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Original poster
snarfblatt · 10/04/2019 08:05

Although I think the vet tested his thyroid in particular for that exact reason so presumably that's come back clear

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huntinghighandlow · 10/04/2019 10:30

Yes you can grow cat grass I've got some seeds on the go now, got from Wilko, this is after 10 days. Says ideal for indoor cats

Handhold - poorly cat
huntinghighandlow · 10/04/2019 10:34

Ours never touches water either but loves the cat milk. The vet said as she only eats wet food there's plenty of water in that.

Original poster
snarfblatt · 10/04/2019 12:22

@huntinghighandlow thanks, will get my partner on the case to find some grass! Our cat isn't really eating his wet food but hopefully licking enough of the sauce to be getting enough liquid (he doesn't have dry food any more)

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Allergictoironing · 10/04/2019 18:50

You can get Trixie Cat Grass from Amazon, & pet food places like Zooplus, which is the one my cats seem to like the best. It comes in a mix of seeds and a sort of moisture holding compound, and I tend to line whatever I'm using with a couple of layers of kitchen roll to hold the moisture even better for when I water it.

Original poster
snarfblatt · 18/04/2019 16:53

So our cat has gone in for tests, after having lost even more weight (now down to 3.7kg from 5.3 in Jan). His lymph nodes in his stomach are enlarged, and his stomach lining is thick. It could be inflammatory bowel disease or cancer - they're doing a biopsy to try and get a more definitive result. Poor thing Sad Obviously don't know until the results come in what will happen next, but if it's cancer I guess we'll have quite a difficult decision to make. Trying not to think about it!

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Stressmess · 18/04/2019 20:23

SNARFBLATT. I am so sorry to hear about your cat. It is such a stressful and worrying time when a pet gets sick. I know from personal experience. My beautiful boy got sick and they didn't know what was wrong with him and he went through a barrage of tests, bloods, x-rays, an ultrasound and had to be put under sedation for them. At the end he stayed in the vets on a drip for three days. We did everything we could for him but it wasn't enough.

I hope you get answers soon and that it is good news for your cat.

Original poster
snarfblatt · 18/04/2019 21:49

Thank you @stressmess. He was sedated similarly to your cat today for all the tests/X ray/ultrasound etc. Now just need to wait for the biopsy results next week. I feel sad but whatever the outcome he's getting lots of love right now! I'm sorry to hear what you went through with your cat. He's my first pet so this is all new to me! But lucky that he's had 10 healthy years prior to this.

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Original poster
snarfblatt · 24/04/2019 16:38

Me again. We heard back today... our poor cat has lymphoma Sad I'm so sad. They're going to give him steroids which, if he responds to them, should help him feel a bit more comfortable and hopefully bring his appetite back at least a little. But even if they work, we're probably only looking at a few more months with him. He's our baby boy! Handhold definitely needed now Sad

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claragolightly · 29/04/2019 16:43

So sorry to hear that, Snarfblatt. It's terrible when they get sick. Cherish every moment, every stroke, every cuddle you have with him.

Original poster
snarfblatt · 29/04/2019 17:08

Thanks @claragolightly - we're making the most of the time we have left! He's still not eating so I don't think it'll be much longer, but who knows.

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