cat traumatized from vet visit

My 9-year old Maine Coon cat went to the vet 6 days ago for a check-up. He was a shelter cat that I adopted several months ago. He was so scared the whole way, meowing pathetically. He loves most people but hated the vet. Since that visit, his health is declining. He won't eat or drink and just sits listlessly in a corner. Do you think it is just stress, or could he have picked up an illness at the vet? Any suggestions?

If after 6 days he is still that stressed, I would be very surprised. He should have calmed down by now which leads me to believe there is more going on here and that he has an underlying health problem. I would call your vet to see if they make house calls, but if not I would let them know what is going on with your kitty because it sounds to me like he may need to be seen again if he isn't eating or drinking. Good luck.

Some cats can get very ill from stress. Or, he might have picked something up. Either way it sounds like your kitty is pretty bad off, and probably needs to be seen again to find out what's going on. I would call the vet, explain what has happened since the last visit, and ask if they will make a house call, or know of a vet who will.

In the meantime, have you tried tempting him with wet food, canned fish, treats, anything extra good? It's very dangerous for a cat to go very long without eating. They can develop fatty liver disease, which is tough to treat and can be fatal. Not to scare you, but you need to be aware of the possibility and make sure he eats at least a little to prevent it.

You have to get food down him, some really bad issues can pop up if they down eat for 2 days. I would take him back, it sounds like something is wrong. He could have caught something, anything. Has he been sneezing? Peeing? Alot or a little? Pooping? Does he seem warm?

Check his skin color, hold him in a sunny window (natural light works best for this) and look at the skin in his ear, is it yellow? If he is yellow, RUN to the vet even if it is an emergency vet!

I would get him to a vet asap anyways, with most cat illness the longer you wait, the worse they get.