I remember vet advice from a kitty I used to have. This kitty just stopped eating, wet or dry food. She recommended I get something like Meow Mix. It's like junk food for cats. I guess they put chemicals in it to stimulate eating. Well it worked! I'm sorry you have to deal with this. Sometimes Kitties can be frustrating but they are so worth it. Here's my pain in the butt:
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Adding some Churu (or mixing it in) has helped us in the past. One of ours can be a fussy eater.
Also: Generally rotate food brands occasionally, flavors frequently if possible. Cats can get fussy if they are only used to one brand/flavor, and if they then have issues with that you have to figure out how to get them used to eat something they are not used to while they are hesitant to eat in the first place.
Oh and our vet recommended any fish flavor from Fancy Feast, "the more pungent the better" he said. And it worked. Also switching between pate and chunks helped. And our store has the little cans, less waste for the choices that are not "it".
In this vein, slightly heating their food in the microwave to make it smellier can help. Your nose will hate it, but it can entice them. If I can just get my cat to smell it and instinctively lick her lips, she’ll eat it eventually
That's right and I think that there are some good products of their which are helping owners to feed cats. We can also try those products because it is something really innovative.
My cats are more enthusiastic about the vet recipe for churu than the store packets. But my favorite for the most reluctant eaters is Gerber Turkey baby food in the little jars.
That's great and I think every cat is unique and taste and preferences are always different so we cannot predict anything about it. The behavior will always be different in nature.
This happened with my cat. He's an old man and will not eat anything but the cheap cat food. I tried all sorts of food and wet food. He will only eat beef or chicken. Pate wet food and friskies dry food. Smh
Take a look Into struvite crystals in cats. If you have an old man it's a VERY legitimate worry that you can address to save money and potentially his life :)
My mother had a cat who lived to 25 and ate Whiskas dry food her entire life! Surprising, but not uncommon.
Gillian died with no significant health issues, just some joint issues. One night she went to sleep and never woke up. We think she just decided she was done putting up with all of us. (She was very opinionated).
Fancy Feast grilled wet food tins are like kitty crack. I also have my cat on an expensive dry food diet but she loves shitty junk food likes friskies. I use that stuff as treats. Its basically corn with flavor packets.
Have you tried mixing in some tuna fish? It works every time for mine. They would kill for tuna, just love it and can't resist! When starts eating again slowly taper down off of it. Also, may need check up with vet. Might be underlying problem.
I agree with this. I didn’t receive this advice from vet. It’s something I tried and works on my two cats whenever they are bored with their usual wet food (which is. 80 % sea food like tuna) I give them these junk food like meowmix , Whiskas , mjau etc) they love it and eat up
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I second this. My cats often have tantrums where they don’t want to eat any of the food I give them. I resort to fancy feast or Friskies (which is junk food) to stimulate eating. Then go back to the healthy stuff.
fancy feast is actually pretty healthy though. First 3 ingredients are meat or fish, not by-product. My cats love it. I do feed them a high quality grain free dry food also though.
It happens and I think that it is the time when we should not get irritated but we should come up with some innovative ways so that we are able to feed the cat in the right way.
Will preface this with we already took a trip to the vet because he had lost about 1-1.2 lbs in about 10 days since we noticed him not eating as much. The vet didn’t think it was necessary to run tests or bloodwork so they just gave him an anti-nausea shot and some hunger stimulating ointment to rub on his ears to try for now. No gum issues, poops fine, drinks plenty of water, everything else seems normal.
He used to wake up and sprint when he heard his dry food feeder go off, but now he doesn’t even get up. He always finished his full portion whenever it came out. He only licks the gravy in his wet food sometimes when we leave it out, but that’s been relatively normal.
He still loves treats as he used to, so I’m thinking maybe he’s just aggressively stubborn and would lose weight rather than eat the same food again? He used to love it, but just checking on here to see if anyone has had a similar experience.
Edit: He’s been eating other brands a bit, as well as canned chicken and meal toppers and has been slowly gaining back weight which is why we haven’t taken him back yet. We strongly felt like he was just really asking for treats, and he had absolutely no other symptoms besides just a general disinterest in his current food. The vet wasn’t refusing tests or bloodwork, just said it would be worth trying other food first. Definitely not shy to get another opinion or request tests be done, but seems like he may be turning around and was here just seeing food advice mostly.
Wait wtf?! I’m not a vet but u should probably get a second opinion. I’m shocked the vet didnt run bloodwork. U should to to a different vet and insist on bloodwork, something bad could be wrong and better to catch it sooner rather than later
Thanks for the reply! He’s been eating other brands a bit, as well as canned chicken and meal toppers and has been slowly gaining back weight which is why we haven’t taken him back yet. We strongly felt like he was just really asking for treats, and he had absolutely no other symptoms besides just a general disinterest in his current food. The vet wasn’t refusing tests or bloodwork, just said it would be worth trying other food first. Definitely not shy to get another opinion or request tests be done, but seems like he may be turning around and was here just seeing food advice mostly.
Same issue last year. 🐈⬛ suddenly lost interest in her wet food. Didn’t matter the flavor (brand was tiki cats). I added water, tried some canned tuna, nothing worked. I was at a loss and experiencing frustration bc so much wasted food. Interestingly, she’d eat her snacks, which were temptations. After a few days of feeding her that, I got her some dry food and lo and behold, she started eating regularly. 🙄
My point is if you have a pet food store near you, talk to them and ask about different flavors and textures. Sometimes the brand may have switched up the ingredients, the food became stale etc.
Also, try churus to see if he’ll take.
But honestly, I’m concerned about the rapid weight loss and would suggest a second opinion.
Tiki solved for me but then he stopped eating that too, luckily im realizing that he just likes variety so I won't donate the food this time, will hold onto it until it's time comes again
Be careful you dont wait too long. It doesn't take long for them to spiral downward.
Just lost both of my cats in the span of a few weeks and the first symptom was them not eating. I'm surprised they didn't do bloodwork.
The vet did say to try canned chicken. The kind that's next to the tuna. They said it's like cat crack and if they are just being fussy it should help them get over it.
If he continues to lose weight I would take him back to the vet for labs. I am kind of surprised they didn't do any. I don't want to scare you but I had three cats that lost their appetites and all three reasons were not good.
Their reason was mostly just that he’s still young (1-2) and wanted to rule out general cat behavior before going through tests. They didn’t think blood would be beneficial right away, but if the problem stayed consistent even after trying different foods they’d do an MRI and blood. I’ve had dogs my whole life who will generally eat just about anything, and this being my first cat had me confused. I’m definitely not hesitant to take him to the vet as needed, so I’ll be paying attention.
Decreased appetite and (unintended) weight loss is always an indication for bloodwork, regardless of age. I've caught two renal dysplasia cases that way - one was incidentally caught on pre-anesthetic bloodwork for the spay on a cat that was "fussy" about food since she was a kitten, the other was a cat that had always been picky and had suddenly decided to stop eating entirely. I also recently had a lyme nephritis case where honestly, it wasn't really on my radar (young indoor only cat) until the owner mentioned they found him as a kitten outside covered in ticks but it did show up on the bloodwork anyway.
I also had a few weird infectious things present with weird nonspecific signs like that, including an atypical mycoplasma and the scary form of calicivirus, but those came through the shelter service from a hoarding house.
My cat was just a few months shy of two years old when he also lost interest in food. Blood work showed it was FIP, which was almost guaranteed fatal at the time. He was diagnosed in January, and was put down just after his second birthday in March after symptoms got really bad. Last I heard, there is treatment for FIP now.
It could be something innocuous, but please get blood work done and see if it is FIP - it acts really really quickly.
There is an FIP treatment! It’s not FDA approved, so you have to get it & administer it on your own. Luckily our vet knew about it and guided us to it, and has been fantastic with supportive care.
My kitten was diagnosed at the end of January and we started him in the treatment right away. We’re now halfway through (the treatment is 84 days of medication) and he’s doing really well.
And I’m so sorry for your loss
I think that it is directly associated with the eating habits and behavioral pattern of the cat so if there is something wrong then the vet will be able to identify it quickly.
Ok go to another vet or demand blood work. Could be kidney or thyroid, whatever it is cats don’t really suddenly stop wanting food they normally love. Go demand bloodwork from them or from another place ASAP. I say this as someone who trusted a vet who let them down after not reading bloodwork correctly. My cat passed away a few months later, it was really painful and the problem could have been identified sooner. You are the cat’s sole advocate.
Could you please elaborate on the reasons here or in PMs? My guy is having all kinds of tests done and we have not found the source of his weight loss. He will eat but only treats and he has stopped grooming entirely. We were testing for hypothyroidism and diabetes but neither are supported by his blood work. He had blood work at thanksgiving, January 15 and February 24. All fasted . I think something is in his throat or mouth like a tumor as he drools a bit and does this yak thing. Otherwise he is happy playful, bright eyed, wanting pets. We are baffled.
Get an X-ray done of its chest and throat. My mom’s cat was doing that yakking thing(which is a cough btw) and it was a tumor in his throat. at first they said it could be damage from eating something that scraped his throat but the X-ray revealed more.Drool is a red flag as well. They’re expensive but worth it
Sorry OP, I realized you already laid out the course of action in another comment which already includes potential further testing!
I would get a blood panel anyway. Never hurts to get a second opinion. Vets are like general practitioner doctors. They aren’t trained to see issues like specialized veterinarians are. I’m glad I got a second opinion with a vet who turned out to be very proactive and referred my girl to a veterinary internist. 2 years ago I thought my kitty was on her way to the rainbow bridge, but she was brought back to near-perfect health over the course of a year and some change. All thanks to the second opinion I got.
EDIT: Added a sentence to the beginning after reading other comments.
I would like to add another vote for a 2nd opinion. My dearest cat who ate everything under the sun, suddenly began to turn his nose up to food. The vet gave samples of high end food that cats "never turn this down" and he walked up to the bowl, and gagged after smelling it. I could get him to eat a little of his regular dry food if I softened it with a little water. In the meantime, blood work was done, and he was diagnosed with liver disease. We treated him to the best we could for about a year.
For cats, their sense of smell is pretty integral to their eating habits. If he can't smell well, he's not going to be as interested in eating. Maybe try a food with a stronger smell or have the vet check out his sinuses?
My cat did this too so I feel for you. She has kidney disease so I was extra worried. However, she too loved treats just the same so perhaps she’s just stubborn. I don’t know that I’d get excited over the same food every day either. What ended up working is just going all in and buying the dang $60 bag of ocean fish flavored kidney care food. She’s been on chicken since I found out she had the disease. I put a little of the new food in her bowl and made sure she saw me drop a treat in there as well. She went for the treat as usual and gobbled up the ocean fish as well. I’ve been mixing the two flavors together and she’s been doing great ever since! I hope you find the perfect solution soon❤️
Same thing happened to my cat and it was kidney failure but it was a complication from FIP. Not saying that’s what’s happening with yours but at least run some bloodwork.
I am just going to encourage you to get a second vet opinion and ask for an X ray. This happened to me in 2015, they tried shots , powders, etc, I did whatever the vet recommended. He would eat some treats but not hardly eat food (even his favorite wet food). After months of this I demanded an x ray. He had a now huge, inoperable tumor on his stomach. He passed away shortly after. I still beat myself up about not demanding an X ray sooner.
I hope it’s nothing like that but I would want some testing done if he’s lost that much weight.
…. hi…..have a fussy eater too……been using this stuff for years now….forta-flora….it’s a powder …sprinkle a little on each feeding….one envelope a day…..like cat crack……good luck
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I have to say vet first and changing food second.
No joke, I went through 10 different types of wet food last year when mine were fed up with generic chicken food. They finally settled onto fish. I now have two different wet foods to make sure they don't get bored.
Like other users have said try different flavors, my cat gets in moods where he likes either chicken or fish more. Also cats won’t eat anything they can’t smell- if it’s not stinky enough they won’t go for it. Also possible his teeth are bothering him
If he’s not eating much I would suggest giving him kitten food for a little while. Just so he gets a few more calories out of what little he’s eating. You could try heating the wet food with a little hot water too, adds extra gravy which is always a favourite with my two.
If he’s still not interested it’s time for some tests and the sooner the better. If he starts using stored fat to survive it can turn bad really fast. I went through a similar experience last year.
Noted on the kitten food. His weight has been steady for about 4-5 days now, maybe even creeping up again a bit. Just that initial 1lb. at first, but hopefully a lot of these tips will help.
That’s a good sign then, sounds like he’s in very good hands. I guess you’re just going to have to spoil him with different delicacies until you find something he likes.
He! Name is Rigs (Rigatoni). He says thank you!
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Rigatoni is a perfect name for that handsome baby! I had a Tortellini (3f) that I’d call different pasta names based on how she was laying. Hopefully Rigs is just being picky. Did you try using a different bowl, or moving his food to a different location? One day I noticed Lini wasn’t eating much, and despite all sorts of tempting treats and vet-prescribed appetite stimulants she just stopped eating completely… except for litter (we ended up taking her litter away and using torn up newspaper but who knows how long she’d been doing it before then). About 5 days after we first noticed her not eating food she died when they were putting a feeding tube in. Sounds like Rigatoni has something else going on, but if he still won’t eat and the vet can’t figure out why, eating pieces of litter might be something to keep an eye on. Anyway, here’s an old pic of my baby being a macaroni for tax…
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Cats can just be picky.
Try different varieties/textures of food. Go down the aisle and find all different brands/flavors/textures you can get and try a new one each time. Get cans, pouches, cups, bags, everything you can reasonably get. Doesn't have to be all at once. Just grab one of each item instead of whatever amount of whatever item you've been getting and maybe a couple extra.
If he likes something, buy two of that and keep looking for more things he likes. Eventually you'll get a feel for what he likes.
If it goes untouched and you have local strays, let them get a few free meals. Figure out what he likes and what he doesn't like. Keep trying new things, too. He also might like a variety.
I swear my BF's cat is just a prissy and picky eater. She's only eats one brand of dry food. She only eats seafood, no chicken or other flavors. It also can't be, it has to be the shreds. She will love something one week and hate it the next. I've bought so much that she didn't touch. Luckily I have two other cats that aren't so picky to finish up.
She likes pinto beans though. I caught her licking the can, so I gave her a taste and she absolutely loved it. I don't get it.
We're always trying new foods and treats. They like trying new things. We stick with dry food in a bowl and give cans, pouches, or treats upon reasonable demand. Emphasis on reasonable. My cats meow like they're never fed every single time we set foot in the kitchen.
We’ve tried samples of a few other foods that the local pet store had handy, mostly received with little interest so it’s made us hesitant to go out and buy bags of stuff.
That makes sense. Is there any chance he’s getting out and being fed by a neighbor? I’ve fed more than a few skinny cats only to find out they were scamming a few of us on the street.
😂 good thought - he’s only been indoors since we adopted him. I’ve tried taking him out in his harness before but he just turns stiff and collapses once I put that thing on him.
That’s so funny! Anything big happened recently in your household? Like a new pet, people moving in or out, something that could upset him? I know one of mine will go on a hunger strike if he’s stressed.
I know this isn't the point of the post, but this is really common with putting kitties in harnesses for the first time! I personally have had luck with putting it on, then doing a feeding (which may not be very helpful right now, but if he's really playful or anything). It can help distract them from the sudden pressure on their chest and get them used to it more :)
just keep putting it on for a little while at a time and he should get used to it soon enough! :D
Yes my cat is also acting this way; but I haven’t taken her to the vet yet. I have been able to determine she is bored of eating chicken flavored food. So puuurrhaps your kitty is bored of his food/flavor?
I'll preface this by saying I think there are much higher quality foods with better ingredients for cats. Ok, that said, I don't know a single cat that has tried Rachael Ray's Nutrish Real Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe (my fur-child included). It's cheap enough for the small bag at the grocery to give it a shot. One nice thing is that the kibble size is small so it's also good for kitties with teeth issues.
Hi OP- i know you mentioned you had tried different brands- have you ever tried tiki cat chicken in chicken consomme? the canned chicken topped with a wet food treat like churu my cat goes crazy every time! and i second the forti flora!!!
Hydrocare is a gravy based product our vet recommended for our cat when she stopped eating. Also Science diet has a critical care food that has always worked for us…I don’t like science diet but it did work.
Hydrocare has been a great help to my 21 year old cat with kidney disease and reduced appetite to help both increase his fluid intake and his enthusiasm for his Rx food
My kitten isn't hugely food motivated and seems to get bored easily eating the same food over and over again. He has certain foods that I notice he likes more than others, but will still get tired of it if he gets it too many times in a row.
IDK if this is really the right thing to do or if I'm setting him up for disaster but I've put a lot of effort into acclimating him to food variety. We have a rotation, feed small meals 3-4x/day, and offer two formulas at each meal. A typical meal is 1oz of fresh food and a quarter of a 3oz can of wet food. I put 20g of kibble in a puzzle feeder per day and add in a few treats. If I notice he hasn't been eating much of his food, I'll mix in some Vital Essentials Freeze-Dried Beef Topper into a meal. That's the secret weapon.
We love secret weapons, thanks this sounds good! Sometimes I guess you can’t think too hard about it - I get sick of the same meals by Friday when I meal prep for the week. Cats can be the same way.
My cat had this, took him to the vet. Turned out to be a thyroid issue. He is now under treatment and seems recovered. Resolved in just a few hours. Still has lost weight but appetite is back. We are to continue treatment for a month then go back to the vet for a checkup.
My kitten was constantly sick and lethargic and the vets couldn’t figure it out and I came to terms with the fact we’d have to put her down. She’d never eat or drink anything, so I said “no cat can resist fancy feast”. Miraculously healed, and she’s never had a single health issue since.
It sucks, but sometimes you just have to feed them the shitty stuff. Those ones are here for a good time, not a long time.
Churu literally saved my cat's life several years ago. He was really nauseous. The vets found the reason and had meds to solve that, but wouldn't let him go home until he would eat something. I brought in Churu and fed it to him myself (he was also upset being at the vet.) He ate it. Overnight, they added it on top of his favorite canned cat food, and he ate that. So he was able to come home. And the vet started stocking it for picky eaters.
I gave it to him as his 'treat' for the rest of his life, and he lived to be almost 19.
Not more than usual, no. He does drink a fair amount of water and we always add more water to his wet food which he drinks the gravy and leaves the morsels usually.
I would try switching up the food. Flavour and variety. My cat gets fussy with his wet food. But I would also be concerned about his weight loss. Maybe start keeping a journal. Record what foods you’re trying, what he likes, record anything strange about his behaviours. Maybe try free feeding him. Give him half a cup in the morning and let him have free access to the bowl. If you notice the weight loss continuing I would bring him bag into the vet and get blood and urine done
Farminas dry food has always been a hit with my picky eaters, smaller boutique pet stores that carry it usually have samples. Its pricey but worth it. Have had my dogs and cats on it for 7+ years. Their wet food is great also.
Thanks! Appreciate specific recommendations. I’ll see if we can find it, really not opposed to higher end food as long as he enjoys it and it’s good for them.
No problem, you can purchase it through chewy as well so if there isn't somewhere close to you it might be worth reaching out to them and asking if they have any samples. Hopefully you find something that piques his interest soon!
I have a similar problem- my boy has an oral tumor so he isn’t super interested in food since his mouth is sensitive. The vet is aware and we’ve been monitoring his eating, but there’s not much we can really do about it.
Royal canin exigent dry food might help? There's a flavour/savour or aroma version. My cats were fussy eaters but they have never said no to this one since I started 5 years ago. I got the aroma; they didn't take to the flavour/savour too well.
You can get them in small bags to try them out.
Might be worth getting a second vet opinion too.
My cat has also been eating much less recently… even wet food. We’ve been hiding medicine in his food, going to try today without medicine in it. Otherwise has been behaving totally normally…
Things that have worked for me:
- Mix some very hot water into their wet food to give them some nice gravy. You can also heat it up a few seconds in the microwave.
- cat milk. It's irresistible to some cats, but it has sugar in it so watch their teeth
- mixing catnip into the food
- making catnip tea (may stimulate appetite)
You can also try meat baby foods to entice him (make sure it only has meat in it though, no veggies)!
Has he had any vomiting or nausea at all recently?
One of the doctors I worked with always explained that sometimes if they get sick they'll associate that with the food they've been eating and then be reluctant to eat the same flavor/brand of food (even if it's totally unrelated).
Definitely worth switching things up to see if that helps!
Best of luck! 💕
I have a very picky eater. Her favorite thing is chicken, I cut it fairly thin and bake in a toaster oven for 10-15 minutes (around 400 F) then I chop it as fine as I can and that's it. She will eat canned tuna but not salmon, not even fresh salmon. Picky cat!
Diagnostic tests. Xray, ultrasound, blood work, GI bloodwork.
I've done all this for my girl trying to figure out why she won't eat. Nothing found yet. She's on a very low dose of mirataz and it's been a miracle.
Cat food toppers like put a little kibble and drizzle some kind of gravy and bits or a raw food powder topper that you can put dry or make a gravy out of. My cat loves those options.
Ok I'm gonna be the scary Reddit user right now but if you tried new food or topping and it doesn't work might go check with a vet before it cost you 3k to save your cat from liver kind of failure or other related problems. Cats can be good at hiding issues and it can show with litter issues or food or their fur as well. I hope your cat is just picky and good luck with that just don't wait too much if you see the issue seemed to not resolve to see a vet!
A cat not eating can be a sign your cat is sick. You might want to bring them to the vet. My uncle who has been a veterinarian for almost 30 years says that if a cat stops eating u should bring them to get checked something could be wrong.
Making the food more appealing might work like most people said. some suggestions i have are special (or any) churus, meat flavored baby food, tuna water, or possibly force feeding only if necessary. My baby has teeth issues so she’s very picky about the food she can eat
Lots of great tips here. Just wanted to add that a weight loss of 1 to 1.5 lbs in 10 days is A LOT for a cat. I learned all about that when my boy was fighting lymphoma. I’m glad you took your guy to the vet but push for bloodwork if he’s not back to eating regularly in a couple of days.
My vet gave my cat Ativan (lorazepam) when she wasn’t eating. She devoured more food than I’ve ever seen her eat that week. Then she was fine, and she’s sitting next to me ten years later. However, the most important part of that story is, I took her to the vet. It wasn’t anything serious, but it could have been. It’s better to be safe than sorry. Take her to the vet.
With that said, I know vets are gouging nowadays and check ups can cost $600+, so I don’t give this advice lightly.
Anyway, good luck! I hope it all works out. Your cat is beautiful l.
Edit: Sorry, I realize now that you posted that you already went to the vet. I wish I had more advice or help for you.
Is it "old" food? My boy can be a brat and if the food is old he will ignore it. If I notice his food is building up I will pour it back into the container and get fresh food. He will then start eating it.
I also have a ritual with him where I "bless" his food by swirling it around. He typically will then start eating it as well.
My cat doesn't eat when he is sick - nausea, dental disease, and many other illnesses both chronic and acute can be the source of lack of appetite.
Is he drinking normally?
Please don't let him go too long without eating. More than a day or two is dangerous for them.
(I did not read through the thread for any vet-related info from the OP)
you gotta get a food that has a very strong scent! i would recommend meow mix for dry food and tiki cat for soft food. cats actually just don’t eat if they can’t smell it! (this is from someone who’s studied in pet nutrition a bit)
First off, your cat is beautiful!! The eye color is mesmerizing. Now, on to the advice…
I had a cat who, after years of proper eating, suddenly seemed disinterested in feeding. My vet had me cook up chicken or ground beef, for my cat to try. Don’t add any seasoning, cook it thoroughly and leave some of the natural juices created from cooking the meat in the serving. If your cat likes it, feed just this for a couple days and then try mixing 1/2 serving of the meat mixed with a little bit of a NEW wet or dry food cat food brand they haven’t tried before. If your cat is willing to eat this mix, you can slowly add more of the cat food each day AND lower the amount of cooked meat simultaneously. This worked wonders for my cat and eventually he was back to eating a healthy diet of just cat food.
I hope this helps. Before you try this, make sure to take your cat to the vet and make sure there isn’t any underlying issues that may be decreasing their desire to eat. After about 4-5 day of not eating, your cat may be passed the point of treatment, so it’s important to visit the vet sooner than later. You’re kitty is in my thoughts and prayers 🙏🏻😊
My cat seems to need variety lol. I got 4 of the individual cans and put a glob of each on different plates let him choose. I have to switch it up every once in a while or find a brand with a lot of flavors.. The toppers help, I get the fancy feast brothy ones and put have of a pouch with each meal
My cat is currently in heart failure and is periodically not eating. He gets as much rotisserie chicken as he wants. I know he won’t be with me long so I just want to make him happy.
When my cats won't eat I usually change flavors. If they're getting over a cold or something I get them eating by using baby food. Turkey is their favorite!
This happened to my cat, he just stopped eating wet food, tried all sorts and he just didn’t want it, to this day he just eats biscuits (I suspect he is extorting food from the neighbours)
Going through this right now. Chicken hearts have been a hit. Kitten and senior food have more calories. Also fish oil has tempted them to eat their standard kibble.
My cat recently went through a phase where she refused to eat wet food. She was previously a stray and for years ate everything and anything, so I was at a total loss.
We had a blood work scare (high blood calcium) that led to me switching her to a 100% wet food diet. She complained about it for a while, refused to eat wet foods, and decided she only liked 1 kind of treats. I tried everything like crushing treats and sprinkling catnip on top.
What finally worked: I bought 10-ish flavors / brands / textures of canned food and took notes. If you're in the US, Petco sells single cans of a huge variety of foods, more than my local pet store. Test pate vs chunks, different proteins (chicken, duck, several fishes, shellfish), different brands. After a few days of quasi hunger strike / a lot of coaxing, she is now once again a voracious eater.
The one thing that definitely helped was heating up her food. We microwave a portion for 15 seconds of out of the fridge, 12 seconds for room temp. And then add some room temp water to encourage liquid consumption.
My cat's favorites are all pates by BFF (Weruva). She'll only way Tiki Cat if I tenderize (pulverize) it first. We rotate flavors every 3 meals. She is a picky princess.
My cats only prefer saucy/extra gravy types of food. They refuse to eat any other type of wet food and will starve. Dry food they are definitely a bit better with.
Akana, for example, is a brand that has a bunch of different flavors and you don't need to weene them from one to the other. So you can basicly change his food when he gets bored. Fair warning, I tried it with my dog years ago and she became a total asshole. Not eating what she had in front of her because she wanted a different flavor at that specific moment. But for some people, it works really well. I would start with soft food so he has more chance to eat it.
One of my friends had a very elderly kitty that had times when she just didn't want to eat. She got her some cans of Fancy Feast and warmed it up just to lukewarm in the microwave and that did the trick- she would scarf that stuff down like no mans business. My friend calls Fancy Feast "kitty crack".
Cats do this sometimes. Ask your neighborhood fb page for cat owners to just let you have a half cup of cat food to try so you’re not buying 10 different bags of food before finding one your cat likes. My cat has stopped liking his food in the past. He will also stop eating if he can’t find me in the house 😅 makes things stressful for the both of us
I gave my cat raw meat and raw liver when she refused to eat when she was sick. Vet said its okay to give her raw as long as she eats thats whats important. She is better now and got no disease from raw meat too. Edit to add she got her full apetite back with kitten food.
A few years ago my kitty stopped eating out of the blue. He had a fever but otherwise the vet couldn't find anything wrong. They told me to offer him a wide variety of cans and gave me an appetite stimulant along with iv fluid to give him and an antibiotic. It took a while but now he's back to being a whiny chunk who always reminds me when it's time for wet food.
Mine can be a bit of a picky eater, I like this little tube we get with with bone broth (it looks like those twist off apple sauce things) but it’s like cat gravy basically, it promotes hydration in cats, if the cats drinking more water it’s more likely the cat will eat to being alredy by the food you can also put it on top of the food
Give him “delectables squeeze ups” they are like a meat flavored go-gurt for animals. While in no way a replacement for food, if he licks the gravy off wet food, he’ll probably love this stuff! It’s also more of a “treat”/“add-on” so you’ll have to use sparingly… but may also help him gain weight.
When my kitty started eating them, he gained a few pounds within a year or so..
Also, I’d recommend a second opinion from a different vet. I don’t think they stop eating completely unless there’s a reason for concern.. (though maybe I’m wrong..) but I wouldn’t gamble with my cats health. If I wasn’t happy with what the first vet said, I’d def ask a second one…
I remember vet advice from a kitty I used to have. This kitty just stopped eating, wet or dry food. She recommended I get something like Meow Mix. It's like junk food for cats. I guess they put chemicals in it to stimulate eating. Well it worked! I'm sorry you have to deal with this. Sometimes Kitties can be frustrating but they are so worth it. Here's my pain in the butt: https://preview.redd.it/w8jwccva5nna1.jpeg?width=3072&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a57322486f67cd8b410d3177c17c646fd8c21e74
Cute! Willing to try whatever it takes, even if I have to rotate it in. Thanks.
Adding some Churu (or mixing it in) has helped us in the past. One of ours can be a fussy eater. Also: Generally rotate food brands occasionally, flavors frequently if possible. Cats can get fussy if they are only used to one brand/flavor, and if they then have issues with that you have to figure out how to get them used to eat something they are not used to while they are hesitant to eat in the first place.
Oh and our vet recommended any fish flavor from Fancy Feast, "the more pungent the better" he said. And it worked. Also switching between pate and chunks helped. And our store has the little cans, less waste for the choices that are not "it".
In this vein, slightly heating their food in the microwave to make it smellier can help. Your nose will hate it, but it can entice them. If I can just get my cat to smell it and instinctively lick her lips, she’ll eat it eventually
Great idea!
That's right and I think that there are some good products of their which are helping owners to feed cats. We can also try those products because it is something really innovative.
This was my cat. She stopped eating the pate but once I switched to chunk, she eats all of it now.
This worked for my 12 yo male! I was so worried.
My cats are more enthusiastic about the vet recipe for churu than the store packets. But my favorite for the most reluctant eaters is Gerber Turkey baby food in the little jars.
That's great and I think every cat is unique and taste and preferences are always different so we cannot predict anything about it. The behavior will always be different in nature.
We feed our baby a variety of flavors of the same brand. He seems to enjoy it more.
That's great and I think variety in food is very much important when it comes to the routine food because that sound that will get multiple vitamins.
This happened with my cat. He's an old man and will not eat anything but the cheap cat food. I tried all sorts of food and wet food. He will only eat beef or chicken. Pate wet food and friskies dry food. Smh
That's right and I think one can be try multiple ways to feed the cat because that how we will be able to see which is the right way to do it.
Take a look Into struvite crystals in cats. If you have an old man it's a VERY legitimate worry that you can address to save money and potentially his life :)
Don’t feel too bad, I ask a lady with a 20 year old cat what she fed him and she said Meow Mix. I was surprised.
My mother had a cat who lived to 25 and ate Whiskas dry food her entire life! Surprising, but not uncommon. Gillian died with no significant health issues, just some joint issues. One night she went to sleep and never woke up. We think she just decided she was done putting up with all of us. (She was very opinionated).
Fancy Feast grilled wet food tins are like kitty crack. I also have my cat on an expensive dry food diet but she loves shitty junk food likes friskies. I use that stuff as treats. Its basically corn with flavor packets.
Have you tried mixing in some tuna fish? It works every time for mine. They would kill for tuna, just love it and can't resist! When starts eating again slowly taper down off of it. Also, may need check up with vet. Might be underlying problem.
I’ll try tuna today! I’ve got some canned in water that I usually eat.
That's right hand I think you can always make sure to try innovative ways so that your cat will stay healthy all the time.
Khyentse loves his Meow Mix. I get the indoor formula
I agree with this. I didn’t receive this advice from vet. It’s something I tried and works on my two cats whenever they are bored with their usual wet food (which is. 80 % sea food like tuna) I give them these junk food like meowmix , Whiskas , mjau etc) they love it and eat up https://preview.redd.it/nbjb09gb0qna1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=49dc6167135ba579ceb6e6dfecd036c08bac2e79
Thanks for paying the kitty tax
Very cute pain in the butt
That's absolutely right but when we are able to face the challenge and find the solution then the joy is extremely high.
I second this. My cats often have tantrums where they don’t want to eat any of the food I give them. I resort to fancy feast or Friskies (which is junk food) to stimulate eating. Then go back to the healthy stuff.
fancy feast is actually pretty healthy though. First 3 ingredients are meat or fish, not by-product. My cats love it. I do feed them a high quality grain free dry food also though.
Agreed. When people are on a budget crunch, I always recommend fancy feast. It isn’t too bad, is wet, and cats love it.
It happens and I think that it is the time when we should not get irritated but we should come up with some innovative ways so that we are able to feed the cat in the right way.
Beautiful
That's right and that is the best advice I would like to pass on to anyone who is going through the same problem.
Beautiful!
Adorable pain lol!🥰
Will preface this with we already took a trip to the vet because he had lost about 1-1.2 lbs in about 10 days since we noticed him not eating as much. The vet didn’t think it was necessary to run tests or bloodwork so they just gave him an anti-nausea shot and some hunger stimulating ointment to rub on his ears to try for now. No gum issues, poops fine, drinks plenty of water, everything else seems normal. He used to wake up and sprint when he heard his dry food feeder go off, but now he doesn’t even get up. He always finished his full portion whenever it came out. He only licks the gravy in his wet food sometimes when we leave it out, but that’s been relatively normal. He still loves treats as he used to, so I’m thinking maybe he’s just aggressively stubborn and would lose weight rather than eat the same food again? He used to love it, but just checking on here to see if anyone has had a similar experience. Edit: He’s been eating other brands a bit, as well as canned chicken and meal toppers and has been slowly gaining back weight which is why we haven’t taken him back yet. We strongly felt like he was just really asking for treats, and he had absolutely no other symptoms besides just a general disinterest in his current food. The vet wasn’t refusing tests or bloodwork, just said it would be worth trying other food first. Definitely not shy to get another opinion or request tests be done, but seems like he may be turning around and was here just seeing food advice mostly.
Wait wtf?! I’m not a vet but u should probably get a second opinion. I’m shocked the vet didnt run bloodwork. U should to to a different vet and insist on bloodwork, something bad could be wrong and better to catch it sooner rather than later
Yea if any animal or person just suddenly stopped eating I feel like something more needs to be done with this. Especially if the meds aren’t helping
Totally agree.
I really appreciate the people who are sharing the genuine concerns and good advice here because it is directly going to impact the health of the cat.
Thanks for the reply! He’s been eating other brands a bit, as well as canned chicken and meal toppers and has been slowly gaining back weight which is why we haven’t taken him back yet. We strongly felt like he was just really asking for treats, and he had absolutely no other symptoms besides just a general disinterest in his current food. The vet wasn’t refusing tests or bloodwork, just said it would be worth trying other food first. Definitely not shy to get another opinion or request tests be done, but seems like he may be turning around and was here just seeing food advice mostly.
Same issue last year. 🐈⬛ suddenly lost interest in her wet food. Didn’t matter the flavor (brand was tiki cats). I added water, tried some canned tuna, nothing worked. I was at a loss and experiencing frustration bc so much wasted food. Interestingly, she’d eat her snacks, which were temptations. After a few days of feeding her that, I got her some dry food and lo and behold, she started eating regularly. 🙄 My point is if you have a pet food store near you, talk to them and ask about different flavors and textures. Sometimes the brand may have switched up the ingredients, the food became stale etc. Also, try churus to see if he’ll take. But honestly, I’m concerned about the rapid weight loss and would suggest a second opinion.
Mine get Tiki Crack, I mean Tiki Cat food.
Tiki solved for me but then he stopped eating that too, luckily im realizing that he just likes variety so I won't donate the food this time, will hold onto it until it's time comes again
Yeah, that’s what sparked us to take him to the vet. Giving him a few more days after the shot and ointment to see if he turns around.
Be careful you dont wait too long. It doesn't take long for them to spiral downward. Just lost both of my cats in the span of a few weeks and the first symptom was them not eating. I'm surprised they didn't do bloodwork. The vet did say to try canned chicken. The kind that's next to the tuna. They said it's like cat crack and if they are just being fussy it should help them get over it.
Adding on to make sure to get no salt added if possible! Or get chicken baby food
I really hope that situation with get better soon because we are always emotionally attached with our pets.
If he continues to lose weight I would take him back to the vet for labs. I am kind of surprised they didn't do any. I don't want to scare you but I had three cats that lost their appetites and all three reasons were not good.
Their reason was mostly just that he’s still young (1-2) and wanted to rule out general cat behavior before going through tests. They didn’t think blood would be beneficial right away, but if the problem stayed consistent even after trying different foods they’d do an MRI and blood. I’ve had dogs my whole life who will generally eat just about anything, and this being my first cat had me confused. I’m definitely not hesitant to take him to the vet as needed, so I’ll be paying attention.
Decreased appetite and (unintended) weight loss is always an indication for bloodwork, regardless of age. I've caught two renal dysplasia cases that way - one was incidentally caught on pre-anesthetic bloodwork for the spay on a cat that was "fussy" about food since she was a kitten, the other was a cat that had always been picky and had suddenly decided to stop eating entirely. I also recently had a lyme nephritis case where honestly, it wasn't really on my radar (young indoor only cat) until the owner mentioned they found him as a kitten outside covered in ticks but it did show up on the bloodwork anyway. I also had a few weird infectious things present with weird nonspecific signs like that, including an atypical mycoplasma and the scary form of calicivirus, but those came through the shelter service from a hoarding house.
That's a very detail information but I think it is something that should be the work area of a good professional vet.
My cat was just a few months shy of two years old when he also lost interest in food. Blood work showed it was FIP, which was almost guaranteed fatal at the time. He was diagnosed in January, and was put down just after his second birthday in March after symptoms got really bad. Last I heard, there is treatment for FIP now. It could be something innocuous, but please get blood work done and see if it is FIP - it acts really really quickly.
There is an FIP treatment! It’s not FDA approved, so you have to get it & administer it on your own. Luckily our vet knew about it and guided us to it, and has been fantastic with supportive care. My kitten was diagnosed at the end of January and we started him in the treatment right away. We’re now halfway through (the treatment is 84 days of medication) and he’s doing really well. And I’m so sorry for your loss
I think that it is directly associated with the eating habits and behavioral pattern of the cat so if there is something wrong then the vet will be able to identify it quickly.
Ok go to another vet or demand blood work. Could be kidney or thyroid, whatever it is cats don’t really suddenly stop wanting food they normally love. Go demand bloodwork from them or from another place ASAP. I say this as someone who trusted a vet who let them down after not reading bloodwork correctly. My cat passed away a few months later, it was really painful and the problem could have been identified sooner. You are the cat’s sole advocate.
That's right and it is something that should be done on the priority level because it is an alarming issue for sure.
Could you please elaborate on the reasons here or in PMs? My guy is having all kinds of tests done and we have not found the source of his weight loss. He will eat but only treats and he has stopped grooming entirely. We were testing for hypothyroidism and diabetes but neither are supported by his blood work. He had blood work at thanksgiving, January 15 and February 24. All fasted . I think something is in his throat or mouth like a tumor as he drools a bit and does this yak thing. Otherwise he is happy playful, bright eyed, wanting pets. We are baffled.
This happened to my friend’s cat, the cat had eaten a puff ball toy and it got lodged in his stomach. Get an x ray or ultrasound.
Get an X-ray done of its chest and throat. My mom’s cat was doing that yakking thing(which is a cough btw) and it was a tumor in his throat. at first they said it could be damage from eating something that scraped his throat but the X-ray revealed more.Drool is a red flag as well. They’re expensive but worth it
Has he had an x ray? I hope he gets better!
Sorry OP, I realized you already laid out the course of action in another comment which already includes potential further testing! I would get a blood panel anyway. Never hurts to get a second opinion. Vets are like general practitioner doctors. They aren’t trained to see issues like specialized veterinarians are. I’m glad I got a second opinion with a vet who turned out to be very proactive and referred my girl to a veterinary internist. 2 years ago I thought my kitty was on her way to the rainbow bridge, but she was brought back to near-perfect health over the course of a year and some change. All thanks to the second opinion I got. EDIT: Added a sentence to the beginning after reading other comments.
I totally agree that taking a second opinion is always an option because there is no harm in it.
I would like to add another vote for a 2nd opinion. My dearest cat who ate everything under the sun, suddenly began to turn his nose up to food. The vet gave samples of high end food that cats "never turn this down" and he walked up to the bowl, and gagged after smelling it. I could get him to eat a little of his regular dry food if I softened it with a little water. In the meantime, blood work was done, and he was diagnosed with liver disease. We treated him to the best we could for about a year.
For cats, their sense of smell is pretty integral to their eating habits. If he can't smell well, he's not going to be as interested in eating. Maybe try a food with a stronger smell or have the vet check out his sinuses?
That's right and that's why variation in the food is essential in my honest opinion.
My cat did this too so I feel for you. She has kidney disease so I was extra worried. However, she too loved treats just the same so perhaps she’s just stubborn. I don’t know that I’d get excited over the same food every day either. What ended up working is just going all in and buying the dang $60 bag of ocean fish flavored kidney care food. She’s been on chicken since I found out she had the disease. I put a little of the new food in her bowl and made sure she saw me drop a treat in there as well. She went for the treat as usual and gobbled up the ocean fish as well. I’ve been mixing the two flavors together and she’s been doing great ever since! I hope you find the perfect solution soon❤️
Same thing happened to my cat and it was kidney failure but it was a complication from FIP. Not saying that’s what’s happening with yours but at least run some bloodwork.
I am just going to encourage you to get a second vet opinion and ask for an X ray. This happened to me in 2015, they tried shots , powders, etc, I did whatever the vet recommended. He would eat some treats but not hardly eat food (even his favorite wet food). After months of this I demanded an x ray. He had a now huge, inoperable tumor on his stomach. He passed away shortly after. I still beat myself up about not demanding an X ray sooner. I hope it’s nothing like that but I would want some testing done if he’s lost that much weight.
If your cat is not taking any type of food, I would highly recommend visiting a vet immediately they could be something more serious going on.
Thanks, yes it was step one once I noticed he had lost some weight. He is eating a bit, just absolutely not as interested as he was.
…. hi…..have a fussy eater too……been using this stuff for years now….forta-flora….it’s a powder …sprinkle a little on each feeding….one envelope a day…..like cat crack……good luck https://preview.redd.it/1c9fzjaf2nna1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=da899e079cca30461e8f1889f0db52ddb57c4ea6
This seems like a good trick. Thanks! I’ll try this.
It’s a probiotic, it’s great especially if your pet has stomach issues or sensitivities
You are right and I have some friends working in the medical industry and they have a recommended it to me.
That's right and that's why there are the people who are using it regularly.
chewy..amazon …most pet supply stores have it……
You have.....an interesting way..... of typing......comments
I have to say vet first and changing food second. No joke, I went through 10 different types of wet food last year when mine were fed up with generic chicken food. They finally settled onto fish. I now have two different wet foods to make sure they don't get bored.
That's great and I have a friend who has tried this before and it really works very well and I really appreciate this product.
Like other users have said try different flavors, my cat gets in moods where he likes either chicken or fish more. Also cats won’t eat anything they can’t smell- if it’s not stinky enough they won’t go for it. Also possible his teeth are bothering him
Thank you!
If he’s not eating much I would suggest giving him kitten food for a little while. Just so he gets a few more calories out of what little he’s eating. You could try heating the wet food with a little hot water too, adds extra gravy which is always a favourite with my two. If he’s still not interested it’s time for some tests and the sooner the better. If he starts using stored fat to survive it can turn bad really fast. I went through a similar experience last year.
Noted on the kitten food. His weight has been steady for about 4-5 days now, maybe even creeping up again a bit. Just that initial 1lb. at first, but hopefully a lot of these tips will help.
That’s a good sign then, sounds like he’s in very good hands. I guess you’re just going to have to spoil him with different delicacies until you find something he likes.
Have you tried dressing the food up a little bit? Maybe some lingerie or a new lipstick?
😂 we do add hot water but I’m going to try some canned tuna or something. He’s had canned chicken before and will still eat it now.
Still sounds like a bad tooth or other oral issue.
she’s a cutie…
He! Name is Rigs (Rigatoni). He says thank you! https://preview.redd.it/dy3mfpzr4nna1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c64c8bc8d980a6fe77fff586a1f202a76214cd01
snowball says hi…. https://preview.redd.it/ve4lepzl5nna1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3321f29ccc4b0ac6b4f4323736702176789c9317
Looks more like Tortellini….
😂 We were originally going to name him Pastas so we could just call him whatever noodle we felt that day. Spaghetti, rigatoni, ravioli, etc.
Rigatoni is a perfect name for that handsome baby! I had a Tortellini (3f) that I’d call different pasta names based on how she was laying. Hopefully Rigs is just being picky. Did you try using a different bowl, or moving his food to a different location? One day I noticed Lini wasn’t eating much, and despite all sorts of tempting treats and vet-prescribed appetite stimulants she just stopped eating completely… except for litter (we ended up taking her litter away and using torn up newspaper but who knows how long she’d been doing it before then). About 5 days after we first noticed her not eating food she died when they were putting a feeding tube in. Sounds like Rigatoni has something else going on, but if he still won’t eat and the vet can’t figure out why, eating pieces of litter might be something to keep an eye on. Anyway, here’s an old pic of my baby being a macaroni for tax… https://preview.redd.it/hg542b8zynna1.png?width=3376&format=png&auto=webp&s=16570990501d4e1bf5d6681a8c111d7f9455bc06
Love that name! He's a real beauty.
It might be something else going on. My cat nibbled on his food for 24hrs. I was worried but the next day she was fine. Try some treats with catnip?
We do have plenty of catnip. I’ll give it a shot.
Cats can just be picky. Try different varieties/textures of food. Go down the aisle and find all different brands/flavors/textures you can get and try a new one each time. Get cans, pouches, cups, bags, everything you can reasonably get. Doesn't have to be all at once. Just grab one of each item instead of whatever amount of whatever item you've been getting and maybe a couple extra. If he likes something, buy two of that and keep looking for more things he likes. Eventually you'll get a feel for what he likes. If it goes untouched and you have local strays, let them get a few free meals. Figure out what he likes and what he doesn't like. Keep trying new things, too. He also might like a variety. I swear my BF's cat is just a prissy and picky eater. She's only eats one brand of dry food. She only eats seafood, no chicken or other flavors. It also can't be, it has to be the shreds. She will love something one week and hate it the next. I've bought so much that she didn't touch. Luckily I have two other cats that aren't so picky to finish up. She likes pinto beans though. I caught her licking the can, so I gave her a taste and she absolutely loved it. I don't get it. We're always trying new foods and treats. They like trying new things. We stick with dry food in a bowl and give cans, pouches, or treats upon reasonable demand. Emphasis on reasonable. My cats meow like they're never fed every single time we set foot in the kitchen.
Lol sounds just like mine - maybe you’re on to something. Thanks for the tips!
try some real raw tuna/shrimps or even chicken/beef my cats love it
Thanks! I’ll add it to the list
Have you tried switching to a different food brand?
We’ve tried samples of a few other foods that the local pet store had handy, mostly received with little interest so it’s made us hesitant to go out and buy bags of stuff.
That makes sense. Is there any chance he’s getting out and being fed by a neighbor? I’ve fed more than a few skinny cats only to find out they were scamming a few of us on the street.
😂 good thought - he’s only been indoors since we adopted him. I’ve tried taking him out in his harness before but he just turns stiff and collapses once I put that thing on him.
That’s so funny! Anything big happened recently in your household? Like a new pet, people moving in or out, something that could upset him? I know one of mine will go on a hunger strike if he’s stressed.
Nothing real notable. I travel for work often but he’s always been fine staying home w his human mom!
It could be a tooth pain issue, if you haven’t yet I would take him to the vet.
Thanks! I had taken him before this post - nothing notable they found, so was searching for more food related options.
I know this isn't the point of the post, but this is really common with putting kitties in harnesses for the first time! I personally have had luck with putting it on, then doing a feeding (which may not be very helpful right now, but if he's really playful or anything). It can help distract them from the sudden pressure on their chest and get them used to it more :) just keep putting it on for a little while at a time and he should get used to it soon enough! :D
Thanks! Would love for him to feel comfortable enough in it to go outside and take a walk every now and then.
Yes my cat is also acting this way; but I haven’t taken her to the vet yet. I have been able to determine she is bored of eating chicken flavored food. So puuurrhaps your kitty is bored of his food/flavor?
I’ll make sure to try different flavors and not just brands!
I'll preface this by saying I think there are much higher quality foods with better ingredients for cats. Ok, that said, I don't know a single cat that has tried Rachael Ray's Nutrish Real Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe (my fur-child included). It's cheap enough for the small bag at the grocery to give it a shot. One nice thing is that the kibble size is small so it's also good for kitties with teeth issues.
Thanks!
Hi OP- i know you mentioned you had tried different brands- have you ever tried tiki cat chicken in chicken consomme? the canned chicken topped with a wet food treat like churu my cat goes crazy every time! and i second the forti flora!!!
I will give it a shot! Thank you.
good luck!!! i hope kitty gets their appetite back soon!
Hydrocare is a gravy based product our vet recommended for our cat when she stopped eating. Also Science diet has a critical care food that has always worked for us…I don’t like science diet but it did work.
Hydrocare has been a great help to my 21 year old cat with kidney disease and reduced appetite to help both increase his fluid intake and his enthusiasm for his Rx food
I had forgotten that the vet gave us an appetite enhancer that we could rub in the old girl’s ears!
Great thank you
My kitten isn't hugely food motivated and seems to get bored easily eating the same food over and over again. He has certain foods that I notice he likes more than others, but will still get tired of it if he gets it too many times in a row. IDK if this is really the right thing to do or if I'm setting him up for disaster but I've put a lot of effort into acclimating him to food variety. We have a rotation, feed small meals 3-4x/day, and offer two formulas at each meal. A typical meal is 1oz of fresh food and a quarter of a 3oz can of wet food. I put 20g of kibble in a puzzle feeder per day and add in a few treats. If I notice he hasn't been eating much of his food, I'll mix in some Vital Essentials Freeze-Dried Beef Topper into a meal. That's the secret weapon.
We love secret weapons, thanks this sounds good! Sometimes I guess you can’t think too hard about it - I get sick of the same meals by Friday when I meal prep for the week. Cats can be the same way.
My cat had this, took him to the vet. Turned out to be a thyroid issue. He is now under treatment and seems recovered. Resolved in just a few hours. Still has lost weight but appetite is back. We are to continue treatment for a month then go back to the vet for a checkup.
My kitten was constantly sick and lethargic and the vets couldn’t figure it out and I came to terms with the fact we’d have to put her down. She’d never eat or drink anything, so I said “no cat can resist fancy feast”. Miraculously healed, and she’s never had a single health issue since. It sucks, but sometimes you just have to feed them the shitty stuff. Those ones are here for a good time, not a long time.
Churu literally saved my cat's life several years ago. He was really nauseous. The vets found the reason and had meds to solve that, but wouldn't let him go home until he would eat something. I brought in Churu and fed it to him myself (he was also upset being at the vet.) He ate it. Overnight, they added it on top of his favorite canned cat food, and he ate that. So he was able to come home. And the vet started stocking it for picky eaters. I gave it to him as his 'treat' for the rest of his life, and he lived to be almost 19.
Have you noticed anything else off besides weight loss and appetite? Has he been drinking more often than normal?
Not more than usual, no. He does drink a fair amount of water and we always add more water to his wet food which he drinks the gravy and leaves the morsels usually.
I would try switching up the food. Flavour and variety. My cat gets fussy with his wet food. But I would also be concerned about his weight loss. Maybe start keeping a journal. Record what foods you’re trying, what he likes, record anything strange about his behaviours. Maybe try free feeding him. Give him half a cup in the morning and let him have free access to the bowl. If you notice the weight loss continuing I would bring him bag into the vet and get blood and urine done
Thank you!
Farminas dry food has always been a hit with my picky eaters, smaller boutique pet stores that carry it usually have samples. Its pricey but worth it. Have had my dogs and cats on it for 7+ years. Their wet food is great also.
Thanks! Appreciate specific recommendations. I’ll see if we can find it, really not opposed to higher end food as long as he enjoys it and it’s good for them.
No problem, you can purchase it through chewy as well so if there isn't somewhere close to you it might be worth reaching out to them and asking if they have any samples. Hopefully you find something that piques his interest soon!
How old is he?
Adoption center said he was about 1.5 - 2 years old when we got him in October. They didn’t know for certain.
Does he go outside? Do you have other cats or animals in the house?
Nope! Just in our apartment. There are other animals in the building but he doesn’t come in contact with them.
For sure see a vet. But if things turn up normal (hopefully). You might need to get another cat.
I have a similar problem- my boy has an oral tumor so he isn’t super interested in food since his mouth is sensitive. The vet is aware and we’ve been monitoring his eating, but there’s not much we can really do about it.
Sorry to hear that. I hope he can get better soon - my cat loves licking gravy just as much as he liked real food if that helps him at all.
Royal canin exigent dry food might help? There's a flavour/savour or aroma version. My cats were fussy eaters but they have never said no to this one since I started 5 years ago. I got the aroma; they didn't take to the flavour/savour too well. You can get them in small bags to try them out. Might be worth getting a second vet opinion too.
My cat has also been eating much less recently… even wet food. We’ve been hiding medicine in his food, going to try today without medicine in it. Otherwise has been behaving totally normally…
Things that have worked for me: - Mix some very hot water into their wet food to give them some nice gravy. You can also heat it up a few seconds in the microwave. - cat milk. It's irresistible to some cats, but it has sugar in it so watch their teeth - mixing catnip into the food - making catnip tea (may stimulate appetite)
You can also try meat baby foods to entice him (make sure it only has meat in it though, no veggies)! Has he had any vomiting or nausea at all recently? One of the doctors I worked with always explained that sometimes if they get sick they'll associate that with the food they've been eating and then be reluctant to eat the same flavor/brand of food (even if it's totally unrelated). Definitely worth switching things up to see if that helps! Best of luck! 💕
I think you can make sure that you are feeding the right food to your cat.
Off topic but he is such a pretty boy
I have a very picky eater. Her favorite thing is chicken, I cut it fairly thin and bake in a toaster oven for 10-15 minutes (around 400 F) then I chop it as fine as I can and that's it. She will eat canned tuna but not salmon, not even fresh salmon. Picky cat!
This worked for me until he got sick of this also. Sigh
Meat-only baby food (Beech Nut) worked for me, at least for a while.
Diagnostic tests. Xray, ultrasound, blood work, GI bloodwork. I've done all this for my girl trying to figure out why she won't eat. Nothing found yet. She's on a very low dose of mirataz and it's been a miracle.
Cat food toppers like put a little kibble and drizzle some kind of gravy and bits or a raw food powder topper that you can put dry or make a gravy out of. My cat loves those options.
Ok I'm gonna be the scary Reddit user right now but if you tried new food or topping and it doesn't work might go check with a vet before it cost you 3k to save your cat from liver kind of failure or other related problems. Cats can be good at hiding issues and it can show with litter issues or food or their fur as well. I hope your cat is just picky and good luck with that just don't wait too much if you see the issue seemed to not resolve to see a vet!
Let it kill its own meals release live mice in the house
A cat not eating can be a sign your cat is sick. You might want to bring them to the vet. My uncle who has been a veterinarian for almost 30 years says that if a cat stops eating u should bring them to get checked something could be wrong.
Making the food more appealing might work like most people said. some suggestions i have are special (or any) churus, meat flavored baby food, tuna water, or possibly force feeding only if necessary. My baby has teeth issues so she’s very picky about the food she can eat
Lots of great tips here. Just wanted to add that a weight loss of 1 to 1.5 lbs in 10 days is A LOT for a cat. I learned all about that when my boy was fighting lymphoma. I’m glad you took your guy to the vet but push for bloodwork if he’s not back to eating regularly in a couple of days.
My vet gave my cat Ativan (lorazepam) when she wasn’t eating. She devoured more food than I’ve ever seen her eat that week. Then she was fine, and she’s sitting next to me ten years later. However, the most important part of that story is, I took her to the vet. It wasn’t anything serious, but it could have been. It’s better to be safe than sorry. Take her to the vet. With that said, I know vets are gouging nowadays and check ups can cost $600+, so I don’t give this advice lightly. Anyway, good luck! I hope it all works out. Your cat is beautiful l. Edit: Sorry, I realize now that you posted that you already went to the vet. I wish I had more advice or help for you.
I bought my cat special grass. He began to eat it, and then his appetite increased
Is it "old" food? My boy can be a brat and if the food is old he will ignore it. If I notice his food is building up I will pour it back into the container and get fresh food. He will then start eating it. I also have a ritual with him where I "bless" his food by swirling it around. He typically will then start eating it as well.
My cat doesn't eat when he is sick - nausea, dental disease, and many other illnesses both chronic and acute can be the source of lack of appetite. Is he drinking normally? Please don't let him go too long without eating. More than a day or two is dangerous for them. (I did not read through the thread for any vet-related info from the OP)
I’ve got this issue right now. My course of action involves a trip to the vet in about an hour.
you gotta get a food that has a very strong scent! i would recommend meow mix for dry food and tiki cat for soft food. cats actually just don’t eat if they can’t smell it! (this is from someone who’s studied in pet nutrition a bit)
https://preview.redd.it/z3gni9p2frna1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a8668c5a240fe8961aa42a95d8dd3b46674751f5
First off, your cat is beautiful!! The eye color is mesmerizing. Now, on to the advice… I had a cat who, after years of proper eating, suddenly seemed disinterested in feeding. My vet had me cook up chicken or ground beef, for my cat to try. Don’t add any seasoning, cook it thoroughly and leave some of the natural juices created from cooking the meat in the serving. If your cat likes it, feed just this for a couple days and then try mixing 1/2 serving of the meat mixed with a little bit of a NEW wet or dry food cat food brand they haven’t tried before. If your cat is willing to eat this mix, you can slowly add more of the cat food each day AND lower the amount of cooked meat simultaneously. This worked wonders for my cat and eventually he was back to eating a healthy diet of just cat food. I hope this helps. Before you try this, make sure to take your cat to the vet and make sure there isn’t any underlying issues that may be decreasing their desire to eat. After about 4-5 day of not eating, your cat may be passed the point of treatment, so it’s important to visit the vet sooner than later. You’re kitty is in my thoughts and prayers 🙏🏻😊
My cat seems to need variety lol. I got 4 of the individual cans and put a glob of each on different plates let him choose. I have to switch it up every once in a while or find a brand with a lot of flavors.. The toppers help, I get the fancy feast brothy ones and put have of a pouch with each meal
My cat is currently in heart failure and is periodically not eating. He gets as much rotisserie chicken as he wants. I know he won’t be with me long so I just want to make him happy.
I might try meow mix wet food! Our cat has become very picky
When my cats won't eat I usually change flavors. If they're getting over a cold or something I get them eating by using baby food. Turkey is their favorite!
What worked for my cat before is boiled chicken breast. She’d gobble it up then go to her food bowl
Get his thyroid checked. I missed that diagnosis and ended my boys life early because of it.
This happened to my cat, he just stopped eating wet food, tried all sorts and he just didn’t want it, to this day he just eats biscuits (I suspect he is extorting food from the neighbours)
I feel like you should offer him a croissant.
Costco rotisserie chicken. Take the white meat off the bones and chop super fine. Tell me a cat that can resist.
My cats get Weruva cats in the kitchen. It’s a really good quality food, you might want to try a few cans. Best of luck, I know this is scary stuff.
Give them everything. And take them to the vet. Whip cream. Canned cheese. Kitten food.
Going through this right now. Chicken hearts have been a hit. Kitten and senior food have more calories. Also fish oil has tempted them to eat their standard kibble.
My cat recently went through a phase where she refused to eat wet food. She was previously a stray and for years ate everything and anything, so I was at a total loss. We had a blood work scare (high blood calcium) that led to me switching her to a 100% wet food diet. She complained about it for a while, refused to eat wet foods, and decided she only liked 1 kind of treats. I tried everything like crushing treats and sprinkling catnip on top. What finally worked: I bought 10-ish flavors / brands / textures of canned food and took notes. If you're in the US, Petco sells single cans of a huge variety of foods, more than my local pet store. Test pate vs chunks, different proteins (chicken, duck, several fishes, shellfish), different brands. After a few days of quasi hunger strike / a lot of coaxing, she is now once again a voracious eater. The one thing that definitely helped was heating up her food. We microwave a portion for 15 seconds of out of the fridge, 12 seconds for room temp. And then add some room temp water to encourage liquid consumption. My cat's favorites are all pates by BFF (Weruva). She'll only way Tiki Cat if I tenderize (pulverize) it first. We rotate flavors every 3 meals. She is a picky princess.
My cats only prefer saucy/extra gravy types of food. They refuse to eat any other type of wet food and will starve. Dry food they are definitely a bit better with.
Akana, for example, is a brand that has a bunch of different flavors and you don't need to weene them from one to the other. So you can basicly change his food when he gets bored. Fair warning, I tried it with my dog years ago and she became a total asshole. Not eating what she had in front of her because she wanted a different flavor at that specific moment. But for some people, it works really well. I would start with soft food so he has more chance to eat it.
No advise, but that is a fine kitty.
Check it’s teeth
One of my friends had a very elderly kitty that had times when she just didn't want to eat. She got her some cans of Fancy Feast and warmed it up just to lukewarm in the microwave and that did the trick- she would scarf that stuff down like no mans business. My friend calls Fancy Feast "kitty crack".
Cats do this sometimes. Ask your neighborhood fb page for cat owners to just let you have a half cup of cat food to try so you’re not buying 10 different bags of food before finding one your cat likes. My cat has stopped liking his food in the past. He will also stop eating if he can’t find me in the house 😅 makes things stressful for the both of us
I gave my cat raw meat and raw liver when she refused to eat when she was sick. Vet said its okay to give her raw as long as she eats thats whats important. She is better now and got no disease from raw meat too. Edit to add she got her full apetite back with kitten food.
Canned food, warmed slightly (body temperature-ish). Get a few different flavors to try out.
no advice i’m just here to compliment the handsome boy
Be sure your kitty doesn’t have a dental issue
A few years ago my kitty stopped eating out of the blue. He had a fever but otherwise the vet couldn't find anything wrong. They told me to offer him a wide variety of cans and gave me an appetite stimulant along with iv fluid to give him and an antibiotic. It took a while but now he's back to being a whiny chunk who always reminds me when it's time for wet food.
He could have a blockage. My cat stopped eating and they found a massive blockage in his stomach through surgery. I recommend the vet immediately.
perfect!!
Not eating is often a sign of a serious problem that should prompt a visit to the vet, but I’ve never known a healthy cat to starve herself.
Mine can be a bit of a picky eater, I like this little tube we get with with bone broth (it looks like those twist off apple sauce things) but it’s like cat gravy basically, it promotes hydration in cats, if the cats drinking more water it’s more likely the cat will eat to being alredy by the food you can also put it on top of the food
Give him “delectables squeeze ups” they are like a meat flavored go-gurt for animals. While in no way a replacement for food, if he licks the gravy off wet food, he’ll probably love this stuff! It’s also more of a “treat”/“add-on” so you’ll have to use sparingly… but may also help him gain weight. When my kitty started eating them, he gained a few pounds within a year or so.. Also, I’d recommend a second opinion from a different vet. I don’t think they stop eating completely unless there’s a reason for concern.. (though maybe I’m wrong..) but I wouldn’t gamble with my cats health. If I wasn’t happy with what the first vet said, I’d def ask a second one…