Cats care slipped and weights been lost, help?

[CatCareDisgust]

Name change as I’m ashamed

I’m a single parent and I’ve slipped recently with my cat care.

I’ve noticed she’s lost weight, she’s about 9. Realise she wasn’t eating at all and I’m not sure when she last had a full meal. I can feel her spine, and she’s very light to carry.

She’s always been a grazer, I used to give 2 pouches of wet food supplemented with dry food in the bowl for her to graze on but then the hot weather kicked in and she stopped emptying her bowl so I only left dry food and water down and switched to 1 pouch of wet food a day which she hasn’t been eating really.

I’ve now switched her food to a different one that I know she likes more (switched from Sheba to Whiskas which I know is hated on here but it’s all she’ll eat) and she’s eaten quite a bit but there’s still wet food and dry food in her bowl.
I always leave water down and my DC is good at checking that.

She’s booked into the vet next week (earliest appointment I could get even after explaining on the phone). Is there anything else I can do between now and then to hopefully get a bit more weight on her?

As I said I am completely ashamed of myself for letting it slip and not noticing she’s basically been starving, I love her and she’s like my other baby after my DC.

more to bump this for better idea's but i can imagine my dh opening up a can of sardines or tuna.

Just a couple of tea spoons of tuna (you can cover the rest in the fridge for later) and a bit of tuna water. It might tempt eating and if you only put say 2 teaspoons down and only have one cat its easy to keep an eye on what is being eaten. If it doesn't tempt her, put it in the microwave for 10-15 seconds as it makes the scent stronger.

Piece of plain chicken, just a tea spoon at a time as chicken is currently expensive and if she eats a tea spoon worth, then you can repeat it as needed. One of my cats likes chicken but not cold from the fridge, 10 seconds in microwave and he will be waiting for the microwave door to open so he can eat.

Do you worm them?

Don't blame yourself. It's hard to keep all the plates spinning, sometimes one goes wobbly. This is the wobble.

The recent heat will have affected the cats appetite as it did yours too. She is drinking. She is eating maybe not as much as before but thats a good sign that she is doing basics.

You are taking good care of her and are getting her in to see the vet as soon as they can see you.

For a nine year old my immediate thought it teeth. My friend's cat had an infected tooth and lost a huge amount of weight, even after it was extracted, because he associated food with pain. There are supplements you can syringe into their mouths that are high in calories. But yeah, she needs a vet.

You’ve been given good advice here , and seeing the vet , so I’ve nothing useful to add other than to wish you both all the very best .

Smelly fish does seem to tempt them - mine loves pilchards as a treat . I have to hold my nose !

MrCat has gone off his food twice this year. Once was immediately after his tooth extraction, the other was during the heatwave.

When he doesn't eat well the following encourage him to:

I offer him raw egg, which he loves.

I feed him when he asks, rather than to our normal schedule, but keep track of what he's had so he doesn't get too much or too little.

I give him half a pouch or less at a time.

I put a little water on the wet food when dishing it up. Just a spoonful or so.

I put a few drops of Lickelix on the wet food to entice him.

Hope your little puddy is ok and is just getting over the heatwave.

Thank you everyone, she's eaten 1 whole pouch this morning then I've left another one down which she's picked at, I'll give her some more if she asks when the bowls empty or I notice it's empty.

Will mention teeth to the vet when we go as well,

We were advised to try warming the food slightly so it gives off a more tempting smell. We had similar with our little cat. She liked the cat soups as supplements but now is happy with the dried again

I've always left dry food in a separate bowl to wet stuff. My cat has 4 pouches a day (male cat). I also replace one of his 3rd meals with a TIN of tuna or half a chicken breast. I do that about 4 times a week.

I'll try tuna but she's never been a big lover of it, I have some chicken in the freezer I can heat up and try though thank you!

I think a lot of cats lose weight in summer. My cat seems to stay inside and fatten himself up over winter, and then in the summer he seems to lose his appetite, doesn't always come in for meal times and eats less when he does. It's been an especially hot summer so maybe your cat has just been less hungry and will eat more when the weather becomes colder- I wouldn't worry about her being on the lean side as long as you are offering her food and she's otherwise healthy. Make sure she is treated for fleas and worms.

@purfectpuss thank you looking at her this morning I don't think she's lost as much as I feared but I will be offering more food from now on, she's always been a grazer so it's hard to keep track of exactly what she's eating which I think is why things slipped tbh, no excuse though and I should be more aware.

Our cat has a number of allergies, and when they flare she loses her appetite. We have a battle to get her eating again, even when her allergies are under control we have to work to stimulate her appetite again. Things that work for us are cooked (still warm) chicken, lick-e-liks (she won’t have it in a bowl, will only lick it off the back of a spoon 🙄), and cheese.
she does tend to eat less in hot weather, which is an issue since her medications are given in her food. If a vet check up doesn’t reveal any health conditions, or if her appetite hasn’t recovered after treatment, you can get a cream that you apply to the inside of the ear to stimulate appetite (I forget what it’s called but the vet will know). This has helped our cat with getting her eating again.

Try offering half a pouch 4 or 5 times a day. Warm a few teaspoons of tuna in spring water not brine. My cat loves pilchards or chicken nuggets with breadcrumbs removed. Also consider worming as if a cat has worms they get skinny.

Still not eating much but I just watched her get into the bath for a pee (no idea why she didn't use her litter tray) but I think she's dehdyrated, she hates water bowls has always been on to jump up for a drink when we brush our teeth or are running a bath, is there anyway I can encourage her to drink?

She seems really frail, she's not moving about much, and I'm so desperately worried about her.

She will drink out of the water bowl but not really if she has an alternative.

Try swapping her water bowl for a water fountain. Cats much prefer moving water, and if she’s drinking out a tap maybe something that is similar?

www.amazon.co.uk/Parner-Drinking-Fountain-Dispenser-Stainless/dp/B082B4BDXB/ref=mp_s_a_1_6?

@AnotherDelphinium Ordered!

This sounds like a UTI. When is her vet appointment?

I would be wanting her seen urgently if she's urinating outside her litter box.

@mountainsunsets Wednesday they wouldn't get her in sooner even when I explained. UTI sounds likely, I remember a previous cat having one and she lost weight too.

She's drunk about what I'd be expecting overnight, so UTI is possible, she must just have been drinking when I didn't notice.

I would try and get her in at another vets. If it's a UTI she'll need antibiotics and you don't want to leave her with an infection for another four days before she gets treatment.

@mountainsunsets the other vets is the other side of town and not taking on new patients right now and it#s more expensive (Single parent did say in my OP). I will call the vets on Monday to see if they can get her in any sooner.

@mountainsunsets popped in to the vet on my way past as noticed it open and she’s booked in for Monday morning 9am, they said it sounds like a UTI and to keep offering small amounts of food by hand and to keep her water bowl next to her as I have done.