Cat With Nasal Congestion Won't Eat

Hi,

So my cat has a recurring sinus infection. She's on antibiotics, and it will probably clear up in a few days, but in the meantime she isn't eating much.

She is drinking and her behavior is pretty normal otherwise. She still begs for food and treats, but when I give them to her, she examines them and rejects them. I've heard that cats' appetites are closely tied to their sense of smell. Is it the nasal congestion that is discouraging her from eating?

If so, is there anything I can do while I wait for the antibiotics to kill the infection?

I would suggest getting a food syringe and putting wet food with a little more water in it in a blender and try tube feeding her. I am going through a tough time with my cat right now and when a cat does not eat even for a day or two they can start getting sick. Hopefully though by tommorrow morning the antibiotic will have started working a little and your kitty will want its food again. 

nugan said:

I've heard that cats' appetites are closely tied to their sense of smell. Is it the nasal congestion that is discouraging her from eating?

If so, is there anything I can do while I wait for the antibiotics to kill the infection?

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Start with some steam therapy: run a really hot shower for 10-15 mins while you hang out with her in the bathroom. Hopefully the warm steam will help loosen the gunk in her nasal passages. Then feed her the stinkiest food you can (some of the fish-based canned Fancy Feast flavours fit the bill, but even just some sardines or lower sodium canned tuna or salmon might work). Plain chicken baby food is another option.

Good luck! 

If you are going to try syringe feeding, a tin of A/D is useful.  It turns into a slurry very easily with no need for a blender, and contains a lot more calories than normal cat food so you don't need to feed as much.

OrientalSlave said:

If you are going to try syringe feeding, a tin of A/D is useful.  It turns into a slurry very easily with no need for a blender, and contains a lot more calories than normal cat food so you don't need to feed as much.

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A/D can be highly palatable to many cats so it's definitely worth trying when appetite is an issue. I'm not sure how the myth started that it's higher in calories than other foods though, cause it isn't. Has a very average 180 cal per 5.5oz can, where as something like chicken Wellness has 220 cal per 5.5oz can. So if you wanted more bang-for-your-buck so to speak, there are better options. One food that is probably the most calorie dense of all is Eukanuba Maximum Calorie Veterinary Diet. That one's got a whopping 340 cal/can.

I would be concerned about the recurring infections.  Has your kitty been tested for herpes?  That might explain the chronic condition.

In addition to steaming and getting smelly food, raise the food dish so that when you put the food down, she doesn't have to bend all the way over to eat.  The snot starts running out their nose, so they raise their head to stop it which means that they don't bend down to eat.  Also, warming up the food in the microwave for a few seconds or in a warm water bath will help.  You can put saline drops (Little Noses is the brand name) in the nostrils to help with clearing out nasal passages.