Reptile & Amphibian Forums

She is complicated, sturburn, 16 years old girl cat. Stop eating (but still drinking and using litter box) since last Sunday. We took her to the vet last Tuesday. X-ray, urine, blood and ultrasound results are normal. The vet agreed that she is relative healthy cat for her age (except she is 5.3 pounds). The teeth are Ok although there are some tartars. I have forced her eating using syringe with baby food (meat flavor without onion) since the Tuesday night. She swollen well just not actively ate the food. I notice she changed her personality a little bit. She is always sleeping now. Till today, we cannot let her actively eat by herself.
The week before last week, we took a vocation and one of the relatives took care of her in her house, and she said she ate normally but picky. When we took her back last Saturday, I noticed she ate a little bit,and since then she stopped.
Is this cat sick psychologically? She doesnot like us anymore? Does somebody have any idea can help her and us?
Thank you very much

If she still hasn't really eaten on her own the last few days, please get her back to the vet ASAP. Cats can develop liver problems if they stop eating over a short period of time, although it sounds like you are syringe feeding her regularly to keep food in her. Keep doing that.

Did your vet give you an appetite stimulant? That sometimes helps perk up the appetite quite a bit. Generally they prescribe Cyproheptadine (inexpensive). Your vet will have to help solve the underlying problem, but something like Cypro will cause the cats to eat in the mean time. Sometimes, just a couple solid meals will cause them to start eating on their own again.

At her age, she is prone to Senior ailments (kidney, tyroid, etc.) that hopefully the vet has tested for so you can treat her.
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Tammy and Pookey
(Stanley 8/91 - 8/07)