Help with a cat too stubborn to eat

[jenluckenbach]

I have a new foster. She has lived on our shelter building from the time she was captured at about 3 months of age and is now 6 1/2 years old and knows no other life. She was adopted and returned twice because she could not adjust to life outside the shelter. I took her home to give her a chance to know family life in a REAL house. She is adjusting but refuses to eat. I will begin to force feed today but any suggestions on item she might not be able to resist would be helpful.
Tried different dry food, different canned food, tuna, can salmon, mealtoaf (this is what finally got Calvin to eat after 5 days with me), milk, cat milk, velveeta cheese, a canned catfood with whole sardines in it.........sheesh.........what else is there?? I've given her some nutri-cal as a suppliment, but not nearly enough. She doesn't prefer to be held so the force feeding will not be easy.
Today is the 4th day and she has only eaten tiny amounts of the meatloaf and dry cat food. She has drunk some water and she has used the litter box to do both things (so something must have been inside her).
Pray for her to have the courage to start to eat soon or she will have to go back to the shelter for her own well being. (And I do not want to give up on her)

[K & L]

Jen
Has she been checked for any illnesses such as a URI where she can’t smell or taste, diabetes etc.? Does she have any teeth or gum problems preventing her to eat? Also have you tried baby food?

[catcrazylady]

I have no idea!! Poor baby. I don't blame you for not wanting to give up on her. Living her whole life in a shelter is really sad. She must be a very emotional kitty.
I have heard others here on PT talk about baby food and yogurt. They act like the cats really like it. With everything you have already tried I doubt her reaction woud be any different. Does she respond at all to nip? I know most of my cats eat the heck out of it. Maybe if she does like to eat it then you could sprinkle some on her food. Other than that I would be at a loss too.
I know one time when one of mine was sick the doctor gave me some kind of liquid vitamins and he said it would also encourage my guy to eat. I don't have any idea what it was because it was some years ago. Maybe there is something that the vets have that could help.
I know one thing that works wonders...PT PRAYERS!! She will be getting prayers from me. Don't give up yet Jen. If anybody can do it it will be you! Please keep us posted.
What is her name?

[jenluckenbach]

She has not been to a vet. No symptoms AND she ate at the shelter. She has quite the full figure (OK, slightly round ;) )

And sorry........Sally is her name.

I am home sick from work today and Charlie is picking up baby food on his way home tonight. So I'll be trying that tonight.

I'm going to go find the catnip right now!!!!!!!

[slick]

Poor Sally, I know just how you feel. We had a kitty at our shelter that was a feral and brought in at the age of 2 months. Pixie lived her whole life at the shelter just huddled up against the ceiling and absolutely no one could touch her at all. Finally when she was taken in for spaying, she was a he. After neutering he came back to the shelter for about 3 yrs. The whole time we tried and tried so socialize him. Then he was sent to a foster home and the same thing happened. Finally he was sent out to a farm to be an outside kitty and is thriving.

Prayers on the way for Sally. I sure hope the baby food help. Prayers to you too Jen. Hope you're not down with that ugly flu that's going around.

[K & L]

Originally posted by jenluckenbach
She has not been to a vet. No symptoms AND she ate at the shelter. She has quite the full figure (OK, slightly round ;) )

And sorry........Sally is her name.

I am home sick from work today and Charlie is picking up baby food on his way home tonight. So I'll be trying that tonight.

I'm going to go find the catnip right now!!!!!!!

A vet check never hurts (except the pocket book). We had NO clue Spike had such a teeth/gum problem until we were giving him meds for fleas and his mouth started bleeding. Before giving up on her I would have her checked out to make sure there is nothing wrong medically! Just like us, one day they can be fine and the next day sick. Good luck and keep us posted on Sally.

[sirrahbed]

Hey Jen - Sorry to hear you are sick and also about Sally. Let's hope that the baby food will tempt her. The people at the cat show tell me it is irresistable - I noticed mostly veal for some reason?? - and I did try it with mine and they all went crazy for it - even Eliot who refuses all treats. Please let us know!!

[jenluckenbach]

Hopefull Charlie will remember that I asked for veal ;).

For a split second I thought the catnip was going to work. She licked some off the top of a "slurry" I made, but stopped after 3 to 4 licks. :(

As for Sally's personality, all the people who feed at the shelter say she is very people friendly. And she has already started to come out to me for pets. Even so close to bump heads together. So she IS relaxing.

[catlover4ever]

I have had success with Purina's Kitten Chow, mixed with a little milk to make it soft. I have also found that Fancy Feast's flaked trout and the one that has the mini shrimp in it (sorry I don't remember the exact name of it). I have done the baby food thing as well.

What about calling the shelter and asking what Sally's eating habits were like when she was there....like did she prefer to eat alone or in a box, hiding somewhere etc....


I have to agree with K&L about the teeth thing, even though she may have eaten at the shelter mayber here teeth are bothering her. My mom's Cucumber and Ma-Gee both have gum problems which causes them at times to not eat for a while. Ma-Gee actually has lost almost all of her teeth (she is only 6 or 7 years old) and momma Cucumber has 4 infected teeth that have their good days and their bad days.

I will keep both you and Sally in my prayers, and please keep us posted. --- Meg

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

Jen, sorry you're not feeling well, but at least it's giving you more time with Sally. Maybe just spending more time with her and getting her more comfortable with be the breakthrough she needs in the eating department - along with veal baby food. ;)

Good luck and please let us know how things go and hope you fell better too! :)

[Ally Cat's Mommy]

Hi Jen,

Bless you for trying to work with YET ANOTHER "problem child".

I have no experience with this at all, but I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers.

PS when Ally is off her food she can always be tempted with some ham!

Good luck and keep us posted!

[CatDad]

I wish I had another suggestion, but I don't.:(

There are some pretty good ones that have been made however, hopefully one will work.

I just wanted to write and say keep up the good work and sally will be in my prayers. I hope she eats and doesn't have to go back.

Let us know what happens.

Also, I am sorry to hear that you are not feeling well. I hope you feel better soon also.

[kimlovescats]

I'd say that once Sally is really hungry, she will start digging in ... but I would try all the tempting things everyone has suggested as well! I think it is definitely a good sign that she is coming around for your love .... she'd be crazy not too!!! :D

Jen, you are doing an incredible job, and I KNOW in time Sally will be fine in your care. You get feeling better yourself, and thank you for helping sweet Sally!

Oh, and ummmmm.... just as soon as YOU are feeling better, how about some Sally pics???:D

[Felicia's Mom]

Once in a while Beau won't eat. When that happens, (and I know he isn't sick) I sit on the floor and hand feed him.

[jenluckenbach]

http://www.petfinder.org/fotos/PA02/PA02.1154-1-pn.jpg

Still nothing. Waiting on the baby food. I did get a few syringes of "slurry" in her, so that's something.

[Fox-Gal]

Chicken Liver! When my Tiger had his "sex change oper." he wouldn't eat at all for days and the vet was really worried about him. They even put him on tube feeding. He spend all day at the vets and then I'd get off work bring him home and try to feed him there. So I finally bought him chicken livers and got him to eat, slowly but he ate it.

I hope you find something soon. Fingers crossed.

[jenluckenbach]

Chicken Liver
would I boil them?

Looks like I got to go out shopping anyway.....

the menu:
Chicken liver
deli ham
honey roast turkey
sardines

***DRATS*** the cat will eat better than me!!!

[catlady1945]

One of our cats loved sliced deli meats. I wouldn't recommend as a steady diet, though.

[Barbara]

I've never experienced this. How old is she?

Some time ago I was telling about Bodo, a sixteen year old female cat. She was a country indoor/outdoor kitty and her owners divorced. They tried to give her to a person in the city -only indoors and she didn't eat for 4 days. The owners had moved and this city person brought her back to her old home where my friend Eckhard ( a neighbor) started to take care of her: she ate immediately.

Since then I have the impression that not eating is a kind of depression symptom at cats which could mean there are just too many changes in Sally's life. But I think it is a very good sign that she comes for love and for headbumpies with the other cats. As long as she drinks and pees and poops nothing might be too wrong.

Bodo's story continues: Eckhard had asked me because she wouldn't use the litterbox inside. Pettalk gave good advise and it worked out.

3 months after her traumatic move, Bodo moved with Eckhard and his family to a new place. After that she decided that at her age she can be an indoor kitty now. Eckhard never was a special cat person (his dad was a vet- but for cows etc.) but now he tells stories about the character of his cat and what it means when she talks to him:D

So I hope Sally's depression will go and she will feel at ease. There is no better place than yours, Jen to learn that:)

[Fox-Gal]

Originally posted by jenluckenbach
would I boil them?

Looks like I got to go out shopping anyway.....

the menu:
Chicken liver
deli ham
honey roast turkey
sardines

***DRATS*** the cat will eat better than me!!!

No Tiger just ate them raw, I just sliced it up for him. I assumed it was fine for him, the vet never stoped me from doing it. Slowly I added some can tuna jucie with some cat food to it.

[ChrisH]

Oh, Jen, Sally is lovely.

Sorry, but I don't have any new suggestions on what may tempt her to eat. I hope something out of what your getting today does the trick.

Will be including Sally, and you, in my prayers tonight.

[jenluckenbach]

She ate some of the baby food! :) Thank goodness. It's not much, but it is a start!
Keep her in your prayers, my sweet little Sally.

[slick]

Jen that's great news!!!! You must be so relieved. Sweet Sally will definately stay in my prayers.

[gini]

Jen, thank goodness Sally ate for you. I can just imagine how it made you feel - success!!

I have been there with a sick kitty and a cupboard filled with all kinds of food including baby food. Also had the fridge filled with all kinds of tempting treats that I kept trying.

Oddly enough - it was the raw liver that tempted my boy.

[CatDad]

I was wondering how it was going. I knew that it was about 7 where you are and that Charlie should be home from work.

I am so happy to hear that the baby food worked.:D

I will keep little Sally in my prayers and hope that this is the start of an eating trend.

Keep us updated.

[jenluckenbach]

Well, Sally ate a little more of the baby food. About 3 tablespoonsful now. Doesn't sound like much, but it's wonderful!
I will definitely keep the raw liver in my head, though, for next time. (And always have baby food in the house)

[kitten645]

I read somewhere that nuking the food so its slightly warm makes it stinkier. Cats hunger is driven by smell so that might help. Good luck. She's a beauty.
Claudia

[Steffi N]

Sweet Sally, I am so happy you are starting to eat. Jen, I know that she will start to thrive under your care.
Gentle pets for you, Sally.

[ChrisH]

I am so happy Sally is eating something at last. :D Hoping she eats even more today.

Will keep her in my prayers.

[Barbara]

I have heard that warming the food is good because cats eat life-warm prey.

On the othre hand they want it fresh, so stinkier might not be good.

Glad to hear Sally started:) :D

[slick]

How is Sally doing today???

[NoahsMommy]

I'm a little late..but I'm glad she's starting to eat for you now.

Phoebe refused to eat when she was a baby. I had to feed her by dripping KMR down my finger into her mouth (and teeth) or on my knee and she'd lick it off that way. But...she was four weeks old...your Sally is 3 mos old.

The heating up the food is a trick our vet tells people too. Make sure you stir the food, making sure there aren't any pockets of heat.

Sally is so pretty, Jen! :)

[jenluckenbach]

I took Sally back to the shelter today. :( She would simply not eat enough food to sustain a small bird. I was told she would be difficult. All she knows is THE SHELTER To her it is home. And both times she was adopted she did the same thing. Refuse to eat. I did not wish to see her starve herself so I returned her to her "home"

BUT!!!!!!

Little does she know, that I have not given up on her. I will give her a few weeks to settle and I believe I will try again. She deserves a real home, not just the shelter.

I have 2 new kitties to keep me busy in the mean time ;)

[CatDad]

Well, I am sorry to hear that it did not work out this time.:(

I was happy to hear that you are going to try again.:) Give her a little time to settle down and then try. Who knows maybe she just needs to get used to being away from the shelter a little at a time. I hope that is it.

When you go to try again let us know, and I will be pulling for you.:)

Good luck with the two new ones.:)

[kimlovescats]

Good job Jen! Just give her a few days to catch up before she starts her next "fast"!!! :D