I have a very sick cat. Please help!

[TheCatsWhiskers]

Hello there,

I have recently had to have my darling cat of 18 years (Percival) put to sleep after he lost his long on-going battle with cancer, that was in April of this year. I was absolutely heartbroken.

I have another tom cat (Samurai) who is 10 years old and now very poorly, he hasn't eaten on his on accord for the past two weeks, when he first stopped eating I took him to the vet who said that he was in fine condition and probably just pinning for his brother. But as the days past so did his body weight, I noticed he'd stopped drinking water also which terrified me so I took to syringing water into his mouth and took him back to the vet who then took blood samples and cleaned his teeth but still insisted that nothing was wrong with Samurai.

That was a week ago now and he still isn't eating, he goes up to his bowl showing an interest and sometimes licks gravy from it but not getting any real substance into him at all. I went to the vet last week Wednesday and collected a couple of cans of A/D Hills pet nutrition (which I read on the internet to have helped other cats regain their appetite) and have been force feeding him with that by syringe. I am absolutely sick with worry as my once big, healthy, well nourished boy is now reduced to a weak bag of bones.

Please Help...

[Mitts & Tess]

I use baby food meats to some times jump start a cats appetitie. Cats do mourn the death of their companions. I would keep track of how much weight he is loosing and present the evidence to your vet. That helps indicate if there is something medical going on or just mourning.

[Pete]

I wish you all the best with your cat, it sounds like he is lonely and might need another friend to preoccupy his mind and get him back on the right track.

[Greenport ferals]

Getting another cat - a teenager, not a kitten - might perk your cat up if he is indeed suffering from depression. That is sad - his loss of appetite at this point may be life-threatening. It's worth a try.

[Smokey596]

I have the exact same thing going on with my cat who is 15, except there was no other cat death involved. But she just stopped eating. I have been trying to syringe feed her a supplement from the vet, but she's just getting weaker and more reclusive.

I called the vet today and am taking her in on Wednesday morning so they can look at her, but I think I've already made my decision that it is time to let her go. She is, as you describe yours, mostly skin and bones now. It is breaking my heart to see her hiding under the bed and barely moving.

Tonight I heard her come downstairs and when I went to see what she was doing she was having a bowel movement and got it on herself, then laid on her side and tried to clean herself but couldn't. I cleaned her as best I could, but she didn't want to be handled much.

I don't know what you will decide, but I can't stand seeing my beautiful girl this way anymore. I am ready for her to be set free of it all.

[Sinatra-Butters]

I think you need to take your cat to a different vet.

[Smokey596]

Originally Posted by Sinatra-Butters

I think you need to take your cat to a different vet.

It does sound strange that the vet did not have you syringe feeding on a schedule with enough nutrition to prevent/reverse Fatty Liver Disease. Cats will get this very quickly if they stop eating, and it will kill them.

I don't mean to sound harsh or scary, but it is a very serious situation when they don't eat. I'm not sure why your vet didn't counsel you on that. Mine even suggested using a feeding tube when I take her Wednesday, but I am not going to put her through that. We have no actual diagnosis of anything and I'm not going to let her suffer anymore.

[cooncatbob]

Originally Posted by Smokey596

I have the exact same thing going on with my cat who is 15, except there was no other cat death involved. But she just stopped eating. I have been trying to syringe feed her a supplement from the vet, but she's just getting weaker and more reclusive.

I called the vet today and am taking her in on Wednesday morning so they can look at her, but I think I've already made my decision that it is time to let her go. She is, as you describe yours, mostly skin and bones now. It is breaking my heart to see her hiding under the bed and barely moving.

Tonight I heard her come downstairs and when I went to see what she was doing she was having a bowel movement and got it on herself, then laid on her side and tried to clean herself but couldn't. I cleaned her as best I could, but she didn't want to be handled much.

I don't know what you will decide, but I can't stand seeing my beautiful girl this way anymore. I am ready for her to be set free of it all.

My Beloved Samantha was stricken 8 days after her 16th birthday,
she'd rarely been sick a day in her life and tests reveled cancer, tumors around her spleen and in her intestines. It was also determined that chemo wasn't an option only extensive surgery.
I made the extremely painful decision to not let my beautiful baby suffer further, she died in my arms.
It's bee almost 6 weeks and I'm still heartbroken, I don't know what I'd do without Little Chiquita to comfort me, they didn't get along so Chiquita likes being alpha kitty now, I don't hold that against her.
It's a terrible thing to have to make the decision, but you have to look dep into your heart and decide was best for the one you love no matter how badly it hurts.

[Smokey596]

Thanks, Bob. I read your story in another thread and I'm so sorry you're still having such a hard time dealing with the loss of Samantha. I only wish my decision for Ellie was more clear cut. If she had something definite where we could say it was time, it would be so much easier.

As it is, I'm starting to have the "she looks better today" and "maybe she's okay" doubts about my decision, but barring any miracle by the vet tomorrow....it's time.

TheCatWhiskers...sorry to derail your thread. Please keep us posted on your Samuri.

[TheCatsWhiskers]

Thank you for all of your feed back, concerns and advice.

I spoke with the vet over the telephone today and he suggested that I try Samurai with some steroids to see if that helps his appetite (I picked them up and have tried one already in one of his syringe fed meals) The vet then went on to say that if this doesn't work I should book him in for a Gastroscopy (Endoscopy) test and if he (the vet) cant find anything wrong with Samurai that it would be best to not wake him up after the procedure. This has had me in floods of tears. Samurai isn't ready to go yet; he doesn't hide under beds or in cupboards, he still follows me around and demands cuddles... Surely I shouldn't just give up on him because the vet cant find "anything wrong"!!? I am planning to try a different vet ASAP as this has left me with no confidence whatsoever in the one that I am currently with.