Cat with an ongoing cold any advice....he's eating but really picky about it.

My 15 year old Ricky has had an ongoing cold which I've posted about before. He's eating ok but really picky. He won't touch the science diet wet food anymore and insists on fancy feast. He won't touch the Purina One dry food anymore which he couldn't get enough of till a few days ago....I'm wondering if it's just the flavor I bought? It's driving me nuts because everytime I have him eating ok he gets picky and suddenly won't eat what I'm giving him. He's got the runny nose and acts a bit tired but otherwise he seems ok. He's drinking plenty of water and even plays with the other kitty Rasta a bit so he's not too sick. I've taken him to the vet twice and he's been on antibiotic twice but he's still got this darn cold and now the other one is sneezing. I guess I'm just frustrated. I've heard you can give them vitamin C. Do they make cat food with vitamin c?

Vitamin C won't do as much good as l-lysine. I buy the NOW powder from Amazon, or you can get tablets in pretty much any store in the vitamin section and crush them. You can mix the powder in canned food or put it in their water. 500-1000 mg per day each until everyone feels better, than you can cut it to 250 mg if you want.

It's normal for a cat with a cold to not each as much (because they can't smell it), but try to make him eat as much as possible. If he stops eating completely, call the vet right away.

Originally Posted by Willowy

Vitamin C won't do as much good as l-lysine. I buy the NOW powder from Amazon, or you can get tablets in pretty much any store in the vitamin section and crush them. You can mix the powder in canned food or put it in their water. 500-1000 mg per day each until everyone feels better, than you can cut it to 250 mg if you want.

It's normal for a cat with a cold to not each as much (because they can't smell it), but try to make him eat as much as possible. If he stops eating completely, call the vet right away.

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Thanks I may try that. I'll buy a different flavor of Purina 1 and see if that works too. He's always been a bit picky but not this picky.

I agree with the L-Lysine! My boy had a cold when I got him and it keeps coming back - UNLESS he is on the L-Lysine. I now give it to him every day as a preventative and it REALLY works for us. He was without it for 5 days (because I couldn't pop over to the vets for the gel ) and got the sniffles back.... started the L-Lysine up again and his sniffles are gone. It's great stuff.

I buy mine as a pre made GEL that has beef flavor in it - and I just squirt it on top of his blue buffalo wilderness kibbles and he gobbles it up without a problem.

I will never be without the L-Lysine again. It has shown me 3 times since October that it really does work.

A couple of weeks ago we got a new kitten who came with upper respitarory disease/infection. As was recommended at TCS, I put him and my resident kitten on L-lysine and that's been great. SO that's somthing you should probably start your kitty on.
Also he may be congested and so cannot smell his food. Fancy Feast is usually way more smelly (especially the fishy flavors) and perhaps that's why Ricky is gravitating towards that. Perhaps, till his cold clears up, it may not be a bad idea to give him only wet, it that's what he will eat. The higher moisture content will definitely help.
here's to a speedy recovery

My cat is still has the cold but he seems to be doing ok. Is interacting with the other cats plenty and responsive. He still has a runny nose at times but he's eating the Fancy Feast and Dry food and seems to be doing fine on that. I still have to rotate flavors frequently though...he can be a real pill about it I tell you...lol

I, too, would suggest the NOW L-Lysine. 500 mg. per day for a week or two then you can go to 250 mg maintenance. I bet this will help your cat. It helps my Pipsqueak who has some of these minor issues, as soon as I get him on the Lysine, he clears up.