Fat cat won't eat all of a sudden ???

My cat is 12 years old and was over weight. She was not obese but could go on a diet. We went on a vacation for 6 days and came home and she had lost 3-4 pounds and was looking pretty good.

Now - in a perfect world I would be happy but she is not eating BUT does not look like she is in any discomfort or pain. She purrs and likes belly rubs and acts normal except for the non-eating/losing weight thing. Eyes are good, ears good, hair is a little matty but that is normal.

Could it be stress? She will nibble on Fancy Feast but only a very small amount.

My other two cats are normal.

Opinions? comments?

due to her age it could be quite a few things incl. stress. Therefore I would have her checked out by your Vet. It's best to err on the side of safety.


Good luck.

Well - this happened to Snickers when we moved and she went from 9lbs to 5lbs. Went to the vet and she found nothing and said she would like to "open her up and look around". We said "NOT".

I suppose a vet is something but frankly I'm not to please with vets and cats except for injury. They have never impressed me with eating problems. But it IS better to check the not check.

It's tough with one fat cat, one normal and one skinny and a dog.
LOL

Maybe she just wasnt eating cuz you were gone??

How long has it been since you got back from vacation?

4 days - frankly - she is looking good!!! When she hears a can opening she comes right in and nibbles (rather then gulping like the other two). Then after about 1/4 of a tiny can stops and walks away.

I wonder if there could be some sort of blockage? I've pressed around her body and there are no pain points, acts pretty normal (well, she still just sits around LOL).

I do know how you feel about vets, it took me quite awhile to find one that was good enough. But with her age, she could develop some internal problems if she doesn't eat. Feline Hepatic Lipidosis comes to mind which can be fatal. I would take her in for a complete check up including bloodwork just to be safe.

i would get her to a good vet ASAP. My black kitty isadora was thin when we found her but acted normal. In a very short two weeks she kept dropping weight and passed away She had liver damange and they are still not sure what caused it. But it is better to be safe then sorry. Not eating and dropping that amount of weight is serious. One of my friends cats stopped eating and it turned out they had gotten into some bleach.

OK OK! LOL - I have an appointment for 3:00 Thursday!

My fat cat is eating less too now that it's hot where I live

Does your cat lick the lips after eating a little bit. Mine was sick a few weeks ago - symptons including fat cat not eating and a little diarrah and vomit. Another dead give away for her sickness is that she licks her lips after coming to the food bowl. According to my vet - when cat does that, s/he is too nauseous to eat.

I've been reading lately that it's a very good indicator of your cat not feeling well if they don't eat for more than a day or two. I'm happy you're going to the vet to have your purrbaby checked out. I was originally thinking it might've been stress from you're being gone, but just in case it's some illness, it'll be better to catch it early. I'm hoping all is well and your baby just missed you - and therefore didn't eat much.

Good Luck and please keep us posted.

My fiancee's mum's cat stopped eating due to kidney failure.
The high levels of urea make everything taste like urine, so they stop eating.

Check her teeth. It's hard to eat with a tooth ache! At her age it is a good idea to have the teeth checked anyway.

whatt did the Vet say????

I read this post with interest. I noticed someone recommended a vet visit. What did the vet say?

I am interested in this post because I had the same experience with my 17-pounder, neutered, 14-year old male. He stopped eating, became lethargic, and dropped weight like there was no tomorrow (down to 10 pounds).

A physical exam by the vet showed jaundice in the ears, mouth, and eyes. Blood tests further revealed abnormally high liver enzymes. The cat was diagnosed with Hepatic Lipidosis. I spent the next several weeks force feeding a prescription diet, subcutaneous water treatments, and worrying my head off about him. He was so sick I considered putting him to sleep.

He's much better now, eating on his own. He's still skinny as all get out, but I'm hoping he'll put on some more weight.

Hepatic lipidosis can be a fatal disease if not caught and treated properly. I am disappointed that I don't find more information on this disease and when I read of people with (obese) cats that suddenly stop eating and isolate themselves, I become concerned. No one hardly ever stops to consider this disease as a cause of the patient's illness.

Please post and let me know what your vet had to say.

Best wishes,

Joyce and Bleu (hepatic lipidosis survivor)

I'd like to thank you all talking me into going to the vet. sxzwang
was right on!!

We THINK that stress from us being on vacation caused her to stop eating. When a fat cat stops eating her liver continues to consume fat BUT does not give out any nutriants.

This causes liver problems and jaundice (yellow ears). The cure is basically to "reboot" the eating system!

Force feeding, if this does not work a feeding tube is inserted (cat does not mind . . . .I would!! LOL) and a special food "sauce" is syringed into the tube for a week or so. $$ - Worst case will be $586.

Most of the time this works without a hitch.

This special problem is never seen in humans, dogs or other animals and pretty much ONLY fat cats.

Gabby took the vet visit well and purred through out the ordeal and was generally happy for all the attention.

How is your cat doing today? Did the vet give you a specific diagnosis other than "liver problem?" Do you know what her liver enzymes are? How and what are you feeding her? Is she dehydrated? What is her treatment plan? LOL, I have so many questions. As I posted the other day, I am very interested in sharing information with others combating liver disease.

Gabby is do . . . .OK - Along with a couple of drugs for cutting ammonia and raising her appitite we have to force feed here 3 times a day and that is a lot of fun LOL.

Basically take this food goop and put it into a huge syrange. Then force here to eat it.

pretty freaking messy but our dog help cleaning up the mess. All we have to do is get her system working again, then she will start to eat naturally. So far so good, she's keeping it down most of the time.