Ken Albin at albink@aug.com wrote on2/14/05 3:12 PM:

Hi, Ken.  A couple of days with little or no food intake should not harm
him.  A week would be very worrisome.  There are no certain parameters, as
it's the rapidity of weight loss that damages the liver.

According to conventional wisdom, you're doing the right thing to have him
in a separate room.  I can't help but wonder, though, whether this is wrong
for Freddie.  Obviously *something* isn't working.  If the room is really
small, the food dish might be too close to the litter box -- a problem for
some cats.  Is he using the litter box, btw?

I know that cats who haven't been around people much often do quite well
with cats, and are in fact much more "at home" with them because they
understand feline behavior a lot better than they understand human behavior.
Personally, I would try leaving the door of his room open whenever I am home
to supervise, and then permanently if none of them are at each others'
throats.  I would keep the food he is used to out, both in "his" room and
wherever the others eat.  And I would then leave him alone completely, with
the exception of intervening only if a serious fight breaks out.  Freddie
might to a better job of figuring out his own way to acclimate.  I would
also let him approach me when he is ready, rather than approaching him to
pet him.

Hope this helps.  Other posters will have ideas for you as well.  Good luck!

       

The most important thing is that Freddie's drinking.  He can go a couple of
days without food but make sure he has access to water (not just the cat
milk).  If he becomes dehydrated it'll make him feel worse and even less
inclined to eat.  If he goes longer than two or three days I'd take him to
the vet.  Has he used his litter tray?

As for stimulating his appetite, try him on some roast chicken.  Whenever my
cat Theo is off his food I order a pizza and share my chicken wings with
him.  It usually works.  Failing that, try Freddie on something nice and
smelly like tinned oily fish (for humans).  Theo won't touch fish if it's
been in brine, but tomato's okay if I wash most of it off.

I wouldn't confine your cat to one room.  Build up his confidence by letting
him explore the house in his own time (although I wouldn't let him outside
just yet).

Thanks for the assistance and advice. I got several "smelly" foods to try
him on, moved the litter pan further away, and have opened the door to let
him have limited access to the house when we are here. I'm probably worrying
needlessly. Hopefully Freddie will acclimate soon and start eating. He has
used the litter pan twice, so he may be at least drinking a little. He has
fresh water all the time, along with the milk and around four different
foods, wet and dry.

We tamed a completely feral cat and two other semi-feral ones, but have
never had trouble with their eating while acclimating them. I guess we have
been lucky until now.

Thanks again for the help,
Ken Albin

Great advice from the other posters!  I too would stress allowing him to
socialize with the other pets to develop his own relationships and
confidence.  God only knows, it sure helped me :-)

I'm sure that he'll more than compensate once he gets comfortable, and most
likely eat everything in sight.  Good luck on a tough project and thanks for
taking him in!

Ken, the cat might not be eating due to a medical problem. Check the
cats teeth and gums. He might have an impacted tooth or an injured gum.
There might be other causes for the problem, but for a cat who isn't
eating, a trip to the vet is in order. Good luck.