Ideas to get a poorly boy eating again please

[frugalkitty]

My lovely lad is home after treatment for triaditis, liver function is normal and he's doing ok except that he doesn't want to eat. He has a feeding tube although he's lost a little more since coming home at the weekend.

We are trying to tempt him with things like chicken, his biscuits, ham (he'll eat a little from our hands) but he just isn't interested enough to eat, and his appetite stimulant isn't doing much.

Years ago we had a cat who died after just stopping wanting to eat so it worries me that he's not interested. I know it's only a few days since he was in the vets but if anyone has any suggestions that might help I'd be grateful!

With mine I found the brand encore one is tuna and shrimp and one tuna and salmon it really helped with eating again with mine. It has quite a strong smell and flavour.

Does he like treats? Just until his appetite comes back full force? Idk if you’re talking about a dog or cat but maybe call the vet (or staff) again?

Strong smelling foods - anything in the fish family! And warm them up a bit so that the scent wafts about the place. Also make it the calmest possible environment for him to eat in - if you have other cats keep them away during feeding time - you need him to feel as relaxed as possible. Hope that he recovers soon. Poor lad.

Likelix or cat soup? Something liquidy. I used to buy Liquivite cat food when I had my old girl. She used to lap it up.

Sending best wishes to you & your boy @frugalkitty. Have you tried the little tubes - Nature’s Creations - Gourmet do them. I mixed them with a spoon of warm water & a spoon of Greek yoghurt. When my boy had his teeth out he started eating with these.

Have you tried warming his food?

Thank you all. We have tried little bits of ham which he will eat from our hands (ham is his favourite treat). He's had a few biscuits and my son gave him a few dreamies today which he ate. Just tried him with a tube of the liquid treat stuff and he licked down about half a tube.

Hasnt wanted chicken. Nibbled a little tuna first day home but not since. Warmed some mackerel earlier but that didn't tempt him either.

I will add all your suggestions to my list of things to try. He obviously CAN eat, he just doesn't want to. He's being tube fed every four hours. I wonder if it's feeling weird because of the bandage round his neck holding the dressing/feeding tube in place?

Seconding Liquivite. It's designed as a "convalescent" food for poorly cats and is very high in nutrition as well as being irresistible. Even at his sickest Elton would happily lap it up. You can also try finger feeding him - sometimes they just need a couple of scoops offered to get the hang of eating again.

Go for really smelly food - my cats won't eat anything bland or boring when they are not feeling well. Tuna or dreamies, or cat soups usually perk them up and get them interested again.

Sure my vet gave my last old boy a jab to increase his appetite. We did the feeding tube at home and it stayed in until he started to eat. He had two ops for teeth and he lived well for a further two years. First thing he eat was liky lix , but they are only 15 cals. Would cat soup be any good? Hope he gets better soon op

Thanks again for your ideas. He went to the vet yesterday and has put a little bit of weight back on and she said he's now going in the right direction. She also said it could take up to a month before he's 'normal' again which has put my mind at rest because no one had given us a timeframe before so I was probably expecting too much too soon.

He is good as gold with his tube feeding and is having the mousse type food through the tube. He's happily eating bits of ham, a few dreamies and the licky stick stuff plus some of his usual biscuits overnight. So definitely progress and he's looking better in himself plus his fur looks healthier than a few days ago. It's his birthday today so he's had extra fuss!

Thank you all again, you've really helped x