Making sure she eats??

Ever since Milo died Nora hasn't been eating very well. Before she would eat about 1/2 of a 3oz can of wet food per day along with free feeding 1/2 cup of dry food. I don't know exactly how much of it she was eating since both she and Milo's bowls were next to each other and they often switched. I did hear her eat quite often (her tag would clink against the Corelle bowl she eats out of), though. Now I give her 1/2 cup per day and she'll eat MAYBE 1/2 of it, if that, and refuses to eat any wet food. She's never been a real big eater, and she is long and lean, but I don't want her to get sick.

I don't know if it is b/c I put her on 100% Wellness Core or what. They had been on 50/50 and had no problems, and they ate it perfectly fine. It has only been the past couple days that she has been on Wellness, and it seems she is refusing it now.

Is there anything I can do to make sure she eats well and stays healthy, short of forcing it down her throat?? All day long every time I go into the kitchen she comes running and throws herself on the floor which means she is hungry, but there is food in her dish. I try giving her wet food and she'll taste it but won't eat it. It is a flavor she used to love.

There are some appetite stimulants out there you could try... You can start by sprinkling catnip on the food, if your cat likes catnip... Make sure she eats though, because she can get liver problems pretty easily if she doesn't... I would talk to the vet sooner than later...

I would change her food back to make sure she eats.

Wellness Core is quite high in protein, so it is possible she is getting full without eating as much. But you said she's acting hungry... hmmmm, can you give her 50/50 again? Since she seemed to eat that?

I would go back to what you were feeding her before and I would sit with her while she eats. I know that when my kitties are "off" they eat better when I'm with them. I sit on the floor near them and pet them a little as they begin to eat and tell them what good kitties they are. Then, once they've started eating, I just sit there and read the mail or the newspaper or whatever. Cats are social eaters, so she should enjoy your company while she dines.

Originally Posted by stephanietx

I would go back to what you were feeding her before and I would sit with her while she eats. I know that when my kitties are "off" they eat better when I'm with them. I sit on the floor near them and pet them a little as they begin to eat and tell them what good kitties they are. Then, once they've started eating, I just sit there and read the mail or the newspaper or whatever. Cats are social eaters, so she should enjoy your company while she dines.

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.. I have to be present with two of the five to eat ...

Well, I think she was still just grieving loosing Milo, b/c she is eating just fine now. I give her 1/4 of a 3oz can of wet food in the am, and when she is finished with that I put 1/2c dry food in her bowl for her to free feed from during the day which she usually finishes by mid evening, and then I give her another 1/4 of a can of wet. I haven't been able to make it to Petco, so hubby picked her up some Iams wet carved filets at the grocery store, and she loves the gravy but not so much the actual food, so I add a tablespoon or two of water to the gravy before I give it to her. She'll lap it all up, eat a bit of the food and then leave it. As long as she is getting some liquid I don't care, and she still drinks plenty of water.

She also gets one or two cucumber skin peels a day, which she loves, and she is always begging for cucumber slices which she decided she likes now. She makes up tear it up into little bits though, b/c she can't figure out how to eat the slice whole. LOL Anytime we get the veggie tray out she comes running and begs for a cucumber like a dog begs for a steak. LOL Our weird Vegan cat.

I think its because Milo died.
Meeko would not eat at all after Stormy was pts.
She did the same thing when Yoshi was pts also but ended up very sick with a high fever the 2nd time.
I am glad your cat is drinking water.
That helps.

Originally Posted by kara_leigh

Well, I think she was still just grieving loosing Milo, b/c she is eating just fine now.

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I was just going to say that she was probably grieving. When we lost Nabu's litter mate last year he didn't eat well at all for a while. And all we could get him to eat were Fancy Feast Medleys. After a few weeks he went back to eating more normally. We were very worried because he's a picky eater to begin with.