Fasting...

jasmine's mom

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Does anyone fast their cat once in awhile? I have switched my kitty (Jasmine) over to raw in the last couple of months. I feed her Nature's Variety Raw frozen pucks. She's doing just great on it. But I'm going to be away this weekend, and I was wondering if it would cause any problems to feed her saturday, and then on monday when we get home. So she would miss Sunday's meal. I have heard that it's actually a good thing to fast your pet every once in awhile... but would like other opinions.
 

jen

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never heard of doing that unless there was a problem, like diarrhea or vomitting or something.
 

kisabre

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Yes… I have heard of fasting for cats. And I have heard it advised.

However, how will you ensure that your cat is taking in an adequate amount of water while you’re away. That may be a problem, I don’t know.

And if your cat doesn’t have any health problems… fasting for a day would be okay.

And yes I have actually fast my cat… once… but I put a little bit of tuna water in to encourage him to drink.
 

zissou'smom

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What is most concerning about this is the reason you are considering doing it. That is, a matter of convenience, and in a situation where presumably nobody will be around to supervise.

My gut says that fasting is is bad for cats, but I don't feed raw.

I will say it seems like a bad idea in the situation you're talking about.
 

kisabre

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And Jasmine, how old is your cat and is your cat at a normal weight. If your cat is obese or older it's not advisable to fast for even a day.
 

arlyn

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Originally Posted by Kisabre

Zissou, Animals often fast when they're ill, so it couldn't be bad for cats.
Animals may often fast when they are ill, but cats that go without food for more than 24 hours can very quickly succumb to hepatic lipidosis.
I would certainly not risk it without veterinary supervision.
 

kisabre

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If the cat is healthy, hepatic lipidosis, will not occur and especially not in a day time.s And for hepatic lipidosis to occur, I thought it takes almost about 2 weeks of not eating or barely eating.
 
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jasmine's mom

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Jasmine is perfectly healthy. I just had her teeth cleaned by our vet this year, who due to her age (11 years) had a full senior blood panel run, and he said all her levels were just terrific. He was actually impressed that her teeth were as clean as they were at her age... I'll say they didn't look that great to me. Guess some cats have really bad tooth decay at that age.

She was always on kibble up to this point. Since I have made the switch to raw I have noticed that she is no longer ravenous for her food, like she used to be. Sometimes she doesn't even ask for it, so I don't put any down. I believe in allowing the body to dictate it's own needs. Oh, and she's not fat, just a smidge plump. Wouldn't hurt her to lose a lb or two.

p.s. Kisabre... thanks for the tuna water idea... that sounds like a great idea that I will do.
 

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maybe leave a little dry so is she gets real hungry she can have a snack.
 

zissou'smom

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Originally Posted by Kisabre

Zissou, Animals often fast when they're ill, so it couldn't be bad for cats.
I think you mean animals quit eating because they're ill.
 

arlyn

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And a cat suddenly being left alone can stress them quite a bit, which can accellerate any illness, it is simply not safe in this instance.
 

kisabre

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Originally Posted by Zissou'sMom

I think you mean animals quit eating because they're ill.
Nope. I meant ill animals would fast. Ill Animals (and crap humans fast too) in the wild are know to fast on water. It is believed that the organs and glands get a much-needed rest, during which their tissues are purified and rejuvenated. Thatâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s why fasting is referred to as “the world's most ancient and natural healing mechanismâ€.


But the same people that advocate raw food are likely the same people that advocate fasting.

I donâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t see mainstream vets advocating the occasional fast.
 

zissou'smom

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Originally Posted by Kisabre

Thatâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s why fasting is referred to as “the world's most ancient and natural healing mechanismâ€.
By who? All fasting does for people is screw up your metabolism, unless there is a medical need for it.

Anyway, I never said I think fasting is always wrong. Just that in this instance, it isn't anything I would recommend. Put another way the question is "I'm leaving for a day can I just not feed my cat?"
 

kisabre

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Originally Posted by Zissou'sMom

By who? All fasting does for people is screw up your metabolism, unless there is a medical need for it.

Anyway, I never said I think fasting is always wrong. Just that in this instance, it isn't anything I would recommend. Put another way the question is "I'm leaving for a day can I just not feed my cat?"
Lol… Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]ve just always heard "Fasting is the world's most ancient and natural healing mechanismâ€. It's probably preached by Holistic Doc's. Itâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s the most quoted sentence in regards to fasting. Itâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s been around for thousands of years. (As every one probably knowâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s)

But I have involuntarily fast… it wasnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t a conscious decision…. And I felt absolutely AMAZING… And shockingly I wasnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t even hungry…
 

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My vet told me to NEVER with hold food for more than 12 hours. EVER. Whether the cat is healthy or not, they can still get fatty liver. Heck, I've syringe fed Twitch multiple times, almost on a weekly basis because sometimes she just does not want to eat.
 

kisabre

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Originally Posted by white cat lover

My vet told me to NEVER with hold food for more than 12 hours. EVER. Whether the cat is healthy or not, they can still get fatty liver. Heck, I've syringe fed Twitch multiple times, almost on a weekly basis because sometimes she just does not want to eat.
I knew that was coming… thatâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s why I mention in my earlier post… mainstream vets wouldnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t approve of fasting, many are skeptical of alternative approaches. But, itâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s good to have varied perspectives.
 

cococat

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Originally Posted by Zissou'sMom

Anyway, I never said I think fasting is always wrong. Just that in this instance, it isn't anything I would recommend. Put another way the question is "I'm leaving for a day can I just not feed my cat?"
Yeah, I think so too. Also, they can throw up yellow bile if their tummy is empty, which isn't good. One of my friendâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s left their cat and didnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t leave enough food (they thought they did, but the cat ate more than expected) and there was yellow bile on the floor and an unhappy kitty.
Also the stress of leaving would not be a peaceful fast. I would leave out something to munch on. I would think you would want to get the advice of a vet - holistic or traditional - before fasting your particular cat. You would also want to be around to supervise that fast and make sure adequate water is being consumed and the cat isn't overly stressed. I don't think it would be fair to the cat to fast it and leave for that long. Especially if the cat has never fasted and just recently switched over to raw. Have a friend come check on your cat and feed the cat if you cannot.
 

gothicangel69

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I know that zoo's have to fast their felines for one day out of every week because in the wild, they would usually go an average of one day out of every week without food. Its actually unhealthy for them to eat every day.
Now I'm not sure if domestic cats are the same way for just that reason, they are domesticated. If the cat was used to being fasted every once in a while since the time they were kittens, it would probably be just fine, but for an older cat it might cause a little too much stress since not only will it be fasting, it will also be alone.
I would think that the best option would be to feed the cat while you are away, and if you want to fast the cat, just make sure it is a time where you can be around to monitor it for the time few times you do it. After you know that the cat can tollerate fasting well, then I would say it'd be ok to do it while you are away.
I'm not sure if I completely believe this whole thing about the fatty liver disease if the cat doesn't eat in 24 hours. I've known of tons of cats that havn't eaten for day for some reason or another (usually because they are sick) and the stray I took in a while ago hadn't eaten in almost two weeks. I've never known of any of them to develop this disease.
And fasting does greatly benefit ill animals. It gives their digestive system a break and gives time for things to heal (especially if they have diarrhea).
 
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jasmine's mom

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Just want to let everyone know that my cat has been used to having me away for a night or two her whole life... it will not be an issue for her.

I have some Evo left and I can leave that out for her... just wasn't sure if her body would even recognize it as food anymore... or if it would just cause more harm than good.
 
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