Cat not eating

[soggylump]

Cat is not eating much at the moment, last week or so.
He can be an awkward buggar over food, which I usually get round by alternating cat food brands, but this is not working.
He's just licking the gravy off the various different cat food brands and picking at some of the other options and seems to manage a few dreamies offered, so his teeth seem ok. I have bought him some cat soup, which he is 'drinking'.
I don't know if he's just being fussy and holding out for something better, or there is something wrong with him.
He recently (1 month ago) had cystitis and had to be catheterised and treated for, seems to have recovered from that , so unsure if its related to that.
Can anyone give any advice.

I’d ring the vets to get him checked out.

Definitely get him checked out, but my boys often go off their food a bit as the weather gets warmer.
I sometimes crumble up a few Thrive freeze dried treats over their food to give them some encouragement.

I'd take him to the vets just to make sure.

Yeah I'd go to the vet with him too I think.

My oldest cat is 13 and has kidney disease. She normally eats pretty well (although only one type of food - literally won't even go in to the room if you try to give her anything else at all!) but she went right off her food a few months ago.

Got a urine sample, and she had cystitis too. She got antibiotics and nutra-cys tablets, and is now as right as rain.

If your boy uses a litter tray, have you got one of those kits with the non-absorbent litter/pellets in it? I'll dig out the name of it if you want.

I’d also take him to get checked. Our cat is usually very greedy and a few years ago went from being “a bit fussy” but still gobbling down treats, to refusing everything in the course of about three days. She needed teeth removing. It was astonishing how quickly it seemed to happen, although clearly had been going on for much longer and she reached the point it was unbearable.

I would add though, while it’s been very hot here she does go back and forth with food more (still always a clean plate) rather than her usual wolfing it in one go. I definitely think heat effects her appetite.

He wants to eat, keeps coming to get me and directing me to his food bowl, sits in front of bowl staring back and forth at me, but when given food he's either just picking , or drinking the gravy off it.
I thoughts perhaps it was his teeth, or there was something stopping him eating, but snaffled the Dreamie's biscuits offered as a test.
I will keep my eye on him for today and get him to the vets on Monday, or sooner if need be.
Thanks for replies.

That sounds really similar he is, OP. Our girl jumps about yelling when it’s dinner time, was obviously delighted to see the food, but not able to eat it so just picked/licked and walked off. She was otherwise completely fine in herself, racing about, climbing trees, but the vet said the dental disease was severe.

How old is your cat @soggylump? Has he lost weight, is his fur looking duller than usual? I think a trip to the vets is in order. It might be him being fussy, our old boy is, but this is why we didn't notice he wasn't eating and losing weight until her lost lots of weight. Does he try to grab your food?

He is approx 9 years old and a bit over weight.
I got him nearly 5 years ago from a rescue, he was a former stray.
At the time he had a broken leg that had been pinned badly and got infected, requiring multiple treatments.
He has had cystitis twice over last 3 years, requiring anaesthetic each time for treatment.
I worry about the amount of anaesthetic he has had in the time I have had him tbh. It can't be good for him.

Sorry, in answer to your question.
His fur and overall condition looks good.
I think his cystitis may have been caused by the stress of some new cats on the block (long story) so I am unsure if this is still and ongoing source of stress for him, he seemed to be improving but I am wondering if the new cats are still upsetting him and causing him to lose his appetite.
Although, he has just eaten about a table spoon sized amount of food ?

Is he eating a urinary diet? I found it worked wonders for my crystal prone cats.

I also had a cat who just picked the gravy off so I bought old style cat food where she had to eat the food, not just lick and discard the chunks. And cat soup is very popular too! I used to get a shouts of 'Where's my soup' every morning from her.

My cats were easily fooled when I sprinkled crushed up treats on their (not their favourite) food.

I have given him that in the past. I actually had another cat before this one that had cystitis too and he lived on the dried food.
I was advised by a vet that its really not necessary to feed them the urinary diet , instead I have been giving him cystease tablets with his food.
Normally I alternate the food when it gets to 'licking gravy of food stage' , or just don't buy the brand anymore, meaning I have quite an wide supply of different brands of food for him, some expensive brands and some cheap.
I bought him some cat soup last night, he drunk the soup and left the meaty bits.
I think he may still be stressed by some new cats in neighbourhood, as he just looks a bit sad and is not too keen to go out. He's normally loves sitting out in the sunshine, but I'm having to coax him out at the moment.

Mine have all really really liked the urinary dry food which helped, even the cats which weren't supposed to eat it.

Have you tried sitting down with him while he eats? I know it sounds bonkers but my reluctant eater picked up when I moved her food bowl to where I was sitting, and in dire circumstances I'd sit down on the floor with her while she ate - it got her going.

If he is unhappy due to other cats I'd be covering the house in Feliway as well.

I'm just gonna see how he gets on over weekend and take him the vets Monday. He is eating bits, so won't starve, but hevdoesn't seem himself at the moment.

Mine went through a phase of this after bladder issues. We found offering some food on a fork got him going then he tucked right in. Not sure if the hesitance was some association with pain he felt when eating prior to the treatment or if he was just being a Diva.