Starving Cat..had to start force feeding..

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David - 18 Feb 2005 14:52 GMT

Hi,

My 13 year old cat stopped eating about a week and a half ago..Did trips to
the vet - she has a mass on her liver 1cm. in diameter. Having bloodwork
done this weekend...

Problem was feeding her..She has to be force fed. I found something that
works fairly well...A cake decorator. The nozzles needed to be cut back to
a wider opening...I put the food in, add some warm water..and it worked.
It's been an hour and she hasn't "whoopsed" at all...

Just wonder - since the cat is not eating on her own, it's her way of
saying her digestive system has shut down. Isn't force-feeding going
against that instinct...Forcing food through a system that doesn't want to
digest it..

I managed to get in more than she's eaten in a few days. I've read in many
places about cats suddenly stopping eating and drinking..and then resuming
later on.

Question is.......how long can this go on? How long do these not
eating/drinking (although she has been drinking) periods go on??

She's not eating on her own...I can't force feed her every night.

Although I guess from now on, I'll have to.

Reply to this Message

Phil P. - 18 Feb 2005 17:26 GMT

> Hi,
>
> My 13 year old cat stopped eating about a week and a half ago..

Is you cat overweight? Did you make any changes in her diets - change her
food, feeding schedule, feeding bowls or location? Any changes in your
household: members - humans or pets, schedules, furniture, anything?

Sometimes petfood manufacturers change the formulas or ingredients of their
diets without noting the changes on the labels or advertisments. A change
in formula could have the same affect as a change of food. You might want
to try offering her a smorgasbord of 5 or 6 different foods and flavors to
see if she'll eat a different food. Its the best investment you could make
with $6! If she's a dry food eater, you can return all the bags of foods
she doesn't like for a 100% refund. You can buy the smallest size for the
feeding trial.

Did trips to

> the vet - she has a mass on her liver 1cm. in diameter. Having bloodwork
> done this weekend...
>
> Problem was feeding her..She has to be force fed. I found something that
> works fairly well...A cake decorator. The nozzles needed to be cut back

Be sure to feed her slowly and not to obstruct her nostrils - otherwise she
could choke or inhale some food into her lungs which could (will) result in
aspiration pneumonia.

to

> a wider opening...I put the food in, add some warm water..and it worked.
> It's been an hour and she hasn't "whoopsed" at all...
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> against that instinct...Forcing food through a system that doesn't want to
> digest it..

Not really. She's ill and doesn't want to eat. When humans are sick, we
don't feel like eating either. Her body and vital organs need nutrients to
function properly, and its imperative to keep up her strength to sustain her
through this ordeal. Sometimes anorexia is the cause of a disease but most
of the time anorexia is the result of a disease.

> I managed to get in more than she's eaten in a few days.

Try as hard as you can to get her daily caloric requirement into her - which
is at least 40 kcals/kg (20 kcals/lb). This usually requires several small
feedings a day.

You should ask your vet about Nutri-Cal - its a high density dietary
supplement in gel form - comes in a tube like a hairball remedy. Nutri-Cal
contains about 25 kcal/6 grams (1 tsp) which will help help her meet her
daily caloric requirement since she's not eating enough. Some cats lick it
right out of the tube, but you may have to smear some on her paw or lower
belly where she'll can lick it off. You can also buy Nutri-Cal online
probably for a lot less than from your vet. Here's a link:

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=3378&inm=1&N=2002+
113617+2035

I've read in many

> places about cats suddenly stopping eating and drinking..and then resuming
> later on.

Yup. Sometimes you'll never find out what caused her to stop eating in the
first place. When there's no medical reason, I always suspect a change in
formula or ingredients. Many times an anorexic cat will chow-down a new
food.

> Question is.......how long can this go on? How long do these not
> eating/drinking (although she has been drinking) periods go on??

Impossible to guess until you find out what caused her anorexia.

> She's not eating on her own...I can't force feed her every night.
>
> Although I guess from now on, I'll have to.

Its not that bad. Plus you'll get a real thrill when she starts eating on
her own again. Nursing a cat through an illness strengthens the bond
between the both of you , *immeasurably*. When I home a cat I've nursed
back to health, I have the same mixed emotions as a father on his daughter's
wedding day.

Try the different foods and Nutri-Cal.

Keep the faith.

Phil

Reply to this Message

Phil P. - 18 Feb 2005 17:48 GMT

P.S. Try offering her kitten food. Not many adut cats can resist kitten
food and it might jump start her appetite. The additional nutrition in
kitten food will also help her recoup some of losses.

Phil

> > Hi,
> >
[quoted text clipped - 52 lines]
> belly where she'll can lick it off. You can also buy Nutri-Cal online
> probably for a lot less than from your vet. Here's a link:

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=3378&inm=1&N=2002+
113617+2035

> I've read in many
> > places about cats suddenly stopping eating and drinking..and then resuming
[quoted text clipped - 25 lines]
>
> Phil

Reply to this Message

Mary - 18 Feb 2005 18:04 GMT

> Hi,
>
[quoted text clipped - 22 lines]
>
> Although I guess from now on, I'll have to.

David, I'm so sorry to hear your cat is so ill. What does the vet say about
her prognosis? Can she recover? Can he do surgery? All of these things will
factor in to what you decide to do.

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