Help new cat wont eat

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mick - 22 Mar 2005 08:18 GMT

Ive been blessed with a lovely rag doll cat about a year and half old.
The family gave it to me one week ago, as one family member was
allergic. My cat does not want to eat now thats shes moved, she went 5
days with nothing! yesterday she ate 20 crunch bits, the first time.
Ive tempted her with soft food and treats and she just wont eat. She
was very attached to her former family and is probably not eating cus
of the move. But how long can this last? what should i do? she was
eating this one brand for quite a while, but her current owner
switched to a different brand as she did not want to buy the better
food as she was giving her away soon. all advise appreciated

thanks

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Mary - 22 Mar 2005 17:56 GMT

> Ive been blessed with a lovely rag doll cat about a year and half old.
> The family gave it to me one week ago, as one family member was
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> switched to a different brand as she did not want to buy the better
> food as she was giving her away soon. all advise appreciated

Do you know what the good brand was? Maybe if you get it she
will eat it. I have to say, it sounds like kitty is in much better hands
with you. If you are really worried about her not getting enough
food you might try something to get her appetite going again,
something fishy and stinky like people tuna--but be aware
that this is not something you would want to continue feeding
her as it lacks the amino acid taurine, which cats need and can
go blind without.

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cat herder - 24 Mar 2005 06:19 GMT

: Ive been blessed with a lovely rag doll cat about a year and half old.
: The family gave it to me one week ago, as one family member was
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
:
: thanks

Buy several different kinds of wet cat food and see which one
she likes. Is she drinking water? Maybe she might be getting
dehydrated which is scary. If she isn't ill then she will eat but
I wouldn't wait to long to take her to a vet. There may be an
unrelated problem which would be tragic. Good luck. Keep
posting.

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Melody - 24 Mar 2005 07:04 GMT

If she won't eat soon, I would take her to a vet. It is possible, as was
suggested, that it could be an unrelated problem, but given all the
separation issues here, it most likely is related to that.

When my female cat (recently joined her friend SweetPea in Heaven) refused
to eat after SweetPea passed away, my vet gave her a shot of valium, and she
ate like a little piggy. Vitamin B12 has also been known to have short-term
appetite stimulation. These are very short-term solutions that may help
your cat at least start to eat.

It would help if you had an article of clothing worn by the person that she
was most attached to, something familiar. It sounds as though she was
shuffled a bit in the last little while, and depending on her emotional
temperament, she may be very stressed.

I would feed her the food she is most familiar with, tempt her with whatever
goodies you can think of (some cats find sardines irresistable.......even
though they stink *s*). Water is a necessity. Dehydration is a real
concern. If she has not been drinking enough water, an immediate trip to
the vet.

I would call a vet anyway, discuss the issue with them so you get their
opinion. They will have a "heads-up" and you will feel more comfortable
about things.

Good luck, and keep us posted!

Mel

> : Ive been blessed with a lovely rag doll cat about a year and half old.
> : The family gave it to me one week ago, as one family member was
[quoted text clipped - 15 lines]
> unrelated problem which would be tragic. Good luck. Keep
> posting.

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M.C. Mullen - 24 Mar 2005 18:59 GMT

| I would feed her the food she is most familiar with, tempt her with whatever
| goodies you can think of (some cats find sardines irresistable.......even
| though they stink *s*). Water is a necessity. Dehydration is a real
| concern. If she has not been drinking enough water, an immediate trip to
| the vet.

My lot just cannot resist cooked ham and chicken!

Carola

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KLR - 24 Mar 2005 16:06 GMT

>Ive been blessed with a lovely rag doll cat about a year and half old.
>The family gave it to me one week ago, as one family member was
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
>
>thanks

you should find out the brand if possible, or you may have to go to
the trouble of finding out by trial and error. I would imagine that
fresh meat (liver?) or fish would be hard for the cat to resist.

mine seem very very fussy, once upon a time they would eat almost any
brand of dry food

Now they will only eat the "IGA DEGREE" brand. Nothing else I have
tried seems to satisfy them in the least and they will refuse it for
days.

Got to admit - I love the pic of the beautiful russian blue on the
pack :)

Same when they were boarded at my vets for 2 weeks when I was away -
one just refused to eat for the first 5 days - then would only eat if
he was cuddled for some time first !!

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cloudberry - 25 Mar 2005 23:51 GMT

Hi Mick,

yes, good idea to get any new cat checked out at a good vet. If the previous
owner didnt care enougha bout the cat to not give it its preferred food,
maybe they would neglect other aspects of pet care.

It'll probably sort itself out if you ensure no more stresses are
interfering with the new cat settling, i.e. no exposure to noisy kids of
boisterous dogs or other territorial cats which could just keep re-stressing
the cat.

Also feel the tips of her ears, if they are warm get her to a vet now, it
indicates a temperature. Cats ear tips should always be cool. A lot of
reasons cats dont eat (other than stress) are physical and most of these are
some problem with the digestive tract. Could be a broken tooth, down to
colon or bowel blockage. Best rule these things out for your peace of mind
and the cats general well being.

Good luck, do please let the group know how it goes and when she starts
eating!

Best wishes,
Samantha

PS mine all like bacon, especially smoked! I got a rescue cat to eat once
only by hiding food for it, it had been feral and was very timid. If I left
food out in the kitchen it was too shy to eat it. But food from behind the
bookcase - now that was acceptable! Same food, different location. Worth a
try!

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