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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

Cat not eaten for days

40 replies

Caspianberg · 12/09/2023 19:43

Our girl cat is 5. She had a small external tumour removed about a month ago. It’s healed fine and biopsy came back good.

Now she hasn’t eaten since maybe Saturday? Maybe earlier but we were away and she was with live in cat sitters who weren’t 100% which cat ate what. We took to vet Monday who said she might just be anxious from cat sitter strangers and operation still.
Shes usually mainly an outdoor cat and just returns at night for food.

So she’s been locked indoors since Sunday. Usually hates but doesn’t seem bothered and just sleeps. Vet said to return in 2 days if not eaten still.
Have offered various food, fresh chicken, fillet type in broth, lick snack things, cat milk, water.. and she refuses everything.

Shes a petite small cat to start with so looking even thinner.

Any ideas?

OP posts:
Toddlerteaplease · 12/09/2023 20:05

I'd take her back to the vet asap. Cats can get very I'll if they don't eat.

Original poster
Caspianberg · 12/09/2023 20:53

I only took her to the vets at 5pm on Monday ( it’s only open 4.30-6.30pm), and she said to wait 2 more days? So I was going to go back tomorrow when it’s open again

I did say she hadn’t eaten for several days already on Monday eve at vets, and she didn’t seem too concerned. Gave some liquid dehydration supplement to add to food ( which she hasn’t touched), and I have syringed this into her this evening.

OP posts:
andrainwillmaketheflowersgrow · 13/09/2023 07:53

I'm shocked by your vets' attitude - cats can die if they don't eat. I hope you get some answers.

Original poster
Caspianberg · 13/09/2023 08:36

I don’t know. The vet is really good and highly recommended. She did the skin tumour surgery recently really well, and checked her every few days after.

We aren’t in the uk so there’s not a vet everywhere, the next one would be an hour+ trip with cat that hates the car.

Its something called Virbac Nutribound supplement feed we were given Monday evening. I have given her a few syringes full of it now over the last 24hrs

OP posts:
DirectionToPerfection · 13/09/2023 08:40

Has she been taking the syringes? If so, that's positive.

I agree the vet's attitude is not great.

Original poster
Caspianberg · 13/09/2023 08:48

Yes mostly. I was told I could add to food also but she is refusing the food. So each syringe is 3ml and she’s had 4 of them. Reluctantly, and some spat out, but she’s probably getting 2ml at a time min.

I shall take her again this afternoon when it’s open. The vets here really are just one man band, so it’s just vet clinic attached to side of husband and wife vet team ( he does mainly the larger farm animals, and she does pet side. They would do some things together if needed). So it’s only open 2hrs a day for walk in clinic, but can call in emergency before

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Original poster
Caspianberg · 13/09/2023 08:49

She does seem to be drinking a bit of water also

OP posts:
JaceLancs · 13/09/2023 10:00

I would go to another vet
one of my Dcat died after 5 days of not drinking or eating due to distress over sibling death, turned out he had a kidney stone which got worse due to his dehydration
we were devastated

Original poster
Caspianberg · 13/09/2023 16:24

Update:
Cat has temperature. Has been given antibiotics and was on a drip to boost liquid. Still hasn’t eaten, but will see how she is now the next 24hrs

OP posts:
andrainwillmaketheflowersgrow · 13/09/2023 16:38

Bless her, hopefully she turns a corner.

ProKolin is good for upset stomachs and nausea if you can get hold of any.

Pudmyboy · 15/09/2023 03:49

Any news @Caspianberg ? Fingers and toes crossed 🤞🤞 for a good outcome

Original poster
Caspianberg · 15/09/2023 06:07

@Pudmyboy - not really. Last went to vet Wednesday evening, and she said antibiotics should bring temperature down and hopefully start eating after about 24hrs. It’s now Friday am and she still hasn’t eaten anything. Just water, a 20min saline drip thing Wednesday at vet and some syringed vet high energy stuff.

She keeps being sick also so I’m not sure the vet stuff is helping or what is making her sick

OP posts:
Malificent1 · 15/09/2023 06:12

I would urgently try a different vet.

Original poster
Caspianberg · 15/09/2023 06:19

@Malificent1 - it’s not that easy. I’m not in uk, and there isn’t a vet in every town here. This one gets very high reviews and has treated ours excellently over the years ( including the whole tumor removal last month).
I have a sick toddler, live remote, and dh is abroad atm. It’s not that easy to just do a 4hr round trip with cat that hates car, and toddler also ill. I have barely slept between cat and child the last 2 weeks so I wouldn’t even be safe driving that distance today.
I don’t have anyone else who can help me either.

I can call vet for emergency consult but there wasn’t much point yesterday as she said the antibiotics needed 24 ish hours to start helping

OP posts:
Malificent1 · 16/09/2023 08:55

That sounds really hard, I’m sorry you’re going through so much, and on your own too.

Do they do vitamin B injections for cats in your country? They can make even the most stubborn of cats ravenous. They are given in the UK as standard procedure when a cat is refusing to eat.

Alternatively, could you try smearing some food onto your cat’s paws/legs? Cats hate to be dirty, they will lick it off to clean themselves, and this might just kickstart your cat’s appetite again?

Original poster
Caspianberg · 16/09/2023 12:02

Thank you.
Im not sure about vitamin b. Cat has been at vets since yesterday lunchtime. Still not eaten. Has had bloods taken and kept in overnight for fluids and monitoring.

Its looking most likely either liver disease or it’s poison. The vet says bloods are showing low red blood count, and cat often hunts mice in woods. Maybe she’s has eaten a mouse that had eaten rat poison someone has left out. Waiting for full blood results.

If poison they may be able to give an anti treatment, but if liver there’s not much they can do. She already had tumor removed last month so it could be it’s simply spread.

OP posts:
Malificent1 · 16/09/2023 13:37

Poor cat, wishing her a speedy recovery. I hope the vet can help.

andrainwillmaketheflowersgrow · 17/09/2023 11:20

Any update OP?

My kitten is on day three of not eating properly - it's so worrying when they're not right.

Original poster
Caspianberg · 17/09/2023 12:23

It’s a mystery. Cat red blood count is really low, but liver seems fine from tests and the rest of the blood tests seem normal. It could be poison but it’s not showing up either in standard tests.

There’s not much else we can do. She hasn’t eaten now for over a week. Had vitamin b and glucose drip etc at vet’s yesterday but she she simply won’t eat.

Vet said blood count if low and it looks like she isn’t producing new blood. We have brought her home for 24hrs of so, but she will probably have to be put to sleep next week.

We have been trying to syringe stuff but anything bar cat food broth she’s been sick with soon after. The high calorie syrup from vet she vomits on and it just gets us and her so stressed trying to give,
I feel like it’s worse forcing her, seeing as she’s then covered in sticky stuff and sick

OP posts:
Original poster
Caspianberg · 17/09/2023 12:25

She’s also a very fiesty cat. Had to be given calming pill to even take blood. So there’s no way she will sit still for an hour to be tube fed awake for example. She can’t be sedated again as too weak now

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SallyWD · 17/09/2023 12:40

Have they done a scan? My cat didn't eat for 5 says and just vomited everything we tried to give him. Bloods were normal. In the end they kept him in over night and did a scan which showed his bowel was inflamed. We changed his diet and he's been absolutely fine since. He was close to dying when we had the scan.

andrainwillmaketheflowersgrow · 17/09/2023 12:46

Oh, bless her. That's awful, especially when you don't know what's caused it or how it's happened.

andrainwillmaketheflowersgrow · 17/09/2023 12:47

SallyWD · 17/09/2023 12:40

Have they done a scan? My cat didn't eat for 5 says and just vomited everything we tried to give him. Bloods were normal. In the end they kept him in over night and did a scan which showed his bowel was inflamed. We changed his diet and he's been absolutely fine since. He was close to dying when we had the scan.

Did they say what caused the inflammation, out of curiosity, and how was it treated?

Original poster
Caspianberg · 17/09/2023 13:34

@SallyWD - they did a general scan and nothing shows up.

OP posts:
Original poster
Caspianberg · 17/09/2023 13:37

She’s 5, and been on the Same foods since a kitten. Generally purizon or applaws, wet and dry. She catches wild things and eats also I’m sure so I can’t quite say what exactly. But I wouldn’t have thought sudden intolerance. We have offered various other things since she has been ill which she also won’t take

OP posts: