My cat won't drink anything.... at all

kllx

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This is a long story, so settle in. ^.^

I have a male, neutered rescue cat, named Scout. He's about four years old - and strictly indoors (I live in an apartment on a busy street and have no yard). Previously, I had a cat named Brandy, who lived to be 18. I always fed her Friskies wet food, and she never seemed to have any problems with it.

Initially, I fed Scout dry food, simply because it was cheaper (sadly, I am very poor). But he started having problems urinating; in fact, he couldn't urinate at all. I took him to the vet immediately (this was 3 years ago, and I can't remember exactly what they called it) but it had something to do with crystals in his urinary tract from the dry food.

My sister's male cat, Remmy, had the same problem, and sadly died from it. She told me that all I had to do was feed Scout wet food, and that it would have enough water to keep him healthy. I was doubtful at first, but I started feeding him the Friskies wet food that I fed Brandy, and he urinated just fine. So, problem solved.

But no. Within the past year he's gotten very, very finicky. He'll eat the Friskies, but no matter how much or how little I give him, he always leaves about half of it. Also, he'll only eat it fresh from the can; if it sits, even for just a few hours in the fridge, he pretty much won't touch it. I even tried warming it up instead of giving it to him cold after it being in the fridge - but no.

I tried other wet foods - Wegman's brand and Fancy Feast - and it was the same. Additionally, he has problems with vomiting - not very frequently, but definitely more than Brandy ever did.

My sister, since she lost poor Remmy, has since gotten two more male rescue cats, and has become something of an expert on cat food. She told me that store-bought food really isn't all that good for cats, because it's full of fillers like corn and wheat that have no nutritional value. She suggested that I try switching him to a dry food and buying him one of those cat drinking fountains. Because, after the incident with the crystals, he has refused to drink anything I give him. She also said that a salty cat food might encourage him to drink.

So. I did some research and settled on Castor & Pollux Ultramix indoor formula. Salt was pretty high on the ingredients list, and it's primarily chicken - Scout LOVES chicken. So I bought a small bag of that and a DrinkWell fountain. Scout has always preferred dry food, so he loves the Ultramix. Plus, it's about what I'm spending on wet food as far as price goes, so I'm not hurting in the money department at all.

But. He will not drink from the fountain. In fact, he won't drink ANYTHING. I've given him cold water from the fridge - no good. I've given him standing water - nope. I've given him milk (I know, you're not supposed to, but I was desperate). Won't touch it. I even tried giving him chicken broth, since he loves chicken, but no. My sister suggested putting a little tuna or salmon juice from a can in the water, but Scout HATES fish - he won't eat anything with fish in it. Le sigh.

So, I'm now researching wet foods that I can feed him, because there's no point in feeding him the Friskies anymore since he'll barely touch it. But my question, after all of this, is if anyone has ever had a cat who refuses to drink ANYTHING, and how the problem was solved, if at all. It's only been a day and a half, but he hasn't urinated at all, so I know he's not drinking. On the wet food, he urinated multiple times a day. I really can't afford to buy him more expensive wet food - especially if he won't eat most of it - but I'll do it if I have to.

Thank you for reading. ^.^
 

Willowy

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Wet food is generally better for cats. . .they really don't drink enough most of the time and obviously this causes problems. Even Friskies is higher protein and lower carb than almost all dry foods. Check out this vet's website: www.catinfo.org But of course if he won't eat it it can't do any good :tongue2:. Have you tried Fancy Feast (oops, I re-read and you did try it. What flavors?)? The "Classic" varieties are grain-free and not bad quality. Most cats will eat FF--it's like kitty crack :lol3:. Also, how much of the Friskies did he eat? Most neutered indoor adult cats only need about one can (5-6 ounces) a day, even though the feeding instructions say to feed much more.

Really, for a cat who won't drink at all I think your only viable option is an all-canned-food diet.
 
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otto

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Since Scout has not urinated in over 24 hours, this is an emergency. Please take him to the vet right away. Even on a dry diet, cats cannot go that long with urinating, his bladder will rupture.

Your sister is not correct about the dry food. Wet food, ANY wet food is better than a dry diet, especially for a cat with a history of urinary tract problems.

Once he is recovered from this emergency, we can help you get him back on a canned diet. There are plenty of good quality low cost foods to choose from, and we have many here who know a lot about feline nutrition.

But please, get Scout to the vet right now. He is in serious danger.

Later you can get started reading the info in this website, researched and written by a veterinarian

http://catinfo.org/
 
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