Food for foster question

**jenluckenbach** · 05-29-2006, 06:50 PM

Could they do a blood test to check his thyroid? (to be sure) Cats with thyroid problems might need special diets as well (and I would hate to think we are telling you the wrong things to feed him)

If you buy the canned foods like friskies, 9-lives, you can almost always tell what consistancy they are. They may not be the BEST food around, but many cats prefer their taste over the so-called GOOD stuff. (don't we all??)

**kitten645** · 05-29-2006, 07:17 PM

HA!! I figured when I got him I'd give him whatever he needed regardless of cost foodwise. My boys eat the "good stuff"..low cal dry and I've never had a problem but now that the little one (not age wise but size wise

) is eating Smudges "leftovers" he's getting tubby not to mention bad breath and smelly poops!! Oh well. I can only do so much! LOL! But I also tried cheap stuff as I figured it was mushier and smellier than the good stuff so maybe he'd like it. I can't figure if the NuPet is the good stuff or the cheap stuff?? LOL
Smudgie had a full battery of tests though to tell the truth I don't like the "free" vet much. He acts like you are questioning his authority when you ask ANYTHING. I'm trying to budget to take Smudge to my regular vet but I'm not working at the moment and budget is tight.
Anyhow, the vet that saw him did a blood test and said his tyroid was borderline which is why they put him on meds. I only give him half a pill once a day so I guess that's a pretty low dose. Sometimes I think some kitties are just thin and some aren't...LOL...like people.
My boys are littermates and calvin is 9 lbs and Hobbes is 20! They are both healthy so there you go.
Smudgie is definately thin and needs to put on some pounds but if he's healthy by all accounts maybe I'm just a worrywart. I'm spoiled my guys are so easy. Freefeeding dry low cal and no problems healthwise whatsoever.
I've tried heating up his food and it makes no difference whatsoever.

I've even tried different bowls! Bowls, flat plates, ceramic, plastic, disposable...LOL..maybe I'm just neurotic!!!

I just want the best possible for him. I think the nurti cal paste might be just the ticket. Thanks again everyone and anything else you can suggest will be appreciated! I saw somewhere there was a "gravy" you could put on food that might make it more palatable? Anyone have any experience?
I've also tried treats and he doesn't like any of them. He does like eating catnip though he doesn't zone out on it like my guys do. He just eats it and sleeps wherever I put it!

Kitten

**Randy_K** · 05-30-2006, 02:51 AM

Many of the cats adopted by my family as I was growing up were cats whose owners had died and the family or whomever cleaned out the house left these older cats to fend for themselves. Like, "Sorry, kid. Your home is gone." It must be hard on them to loose everything all at once but they respond to the slightest kindness with true affection and become the best pets. They still have a lot of life left in them if someone cares.

**CultureJunky** · 05-30-2006, 03:08 AM

Oh I'm so glad you've adopted him though, fancy putting a cat down because of it's age, that's just so annoying

It's the same with old people, people think they're not worth anything anymore, grrrrrrrrrrrr.
Could we see a pictures of your new friend by any chance?

**kitten645** · 05-30-2006, 05:24 AM

His pic is posted above...too big I know but I couldn't figure out how to resize it

Bit of a cyber dummy here...LOL. Thanks all for your good wishes. He is a sweet guy.

Kitten

**emily_the_spoiled** · 05-30-2006, 09:39 AM

You might want to give the 9-lives tuna a try. It has a consistency that is rather mushy and the cats seem to just lick it rather than having to chew on anything.

**Lizzie** · 05-30-2006, 10:35 AM

Thank you for snatching Smudgie from the jaws of death and taking him home.

It's amazing how much cats will eat even when they are in extreme mouth pain, so I also think there are other issues. I adopted an elderly FIV+ cat recently that had a bloody mouth full of rotten teeth and it was nearly a week before they could remove them all. He was put on antibiotics for the mouth infection and that really helped after a few days. He ate from the start, but his mouth seemed to hurt less once the antibiotics kicked in. Can your vet prescribe Amoxi to use while you wait for surgery? I used Fancy Feast also, the gourmet selection so there are no pieces, and I mushed it up with plenty of hot water. A/D, which you will need to get from the vet, is very high calorie and most cats really like it. When I'm force feeding it to one of my cats, the other cats stand around trying to lick up the mess.

I tried the gravy, not one cat out of 9 liked it. It didn't look all that good either when I poured it over the food so I wasn't surprised.

Did the vet say there was thyroid enlargement? Sometimes even the T4 test won't show the true level of hyperthyroidism, but most of the time it's correct.

Smudgie is a flame point so has plenty of Siamese in him, which does mean that his feelings are very keen. I adopted a Siamese in her teens last year (fortunately the shelter removed most of her rotten teeth) and she was frighteningly thin. Even during the first week in my home, while she was in isolation, she ate only enough to keep herself alive. But once the shocks of losing her home, life in a shelter, moving to my home wore off, she really blossomed. Given time, care and attention (which you are already providing), I am sure that Smudge will blossom also.