How do I increase my cat's appetite?

haley

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I need him to eat more and I tried every brand of food  I can find he just doesn't like to eat!

The vet said his weight is not low but I want him to eat more 
 

vball91

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Have you tried toppers? Things like bonito flakes of freeze-dried meats crushed on top of his food. Depending on what he likes crushed kibble or Fortiflora may work as well.

One thing that I have noticed with my food ADD, slowest eating, pickiest cat ever, is to put her right back in front of her bowl after she walks away the first time. I don't know. It's like she gets bored of eating and walks away but when I put her back in front of her bowl, it like she thinks, "oh look, food" and starts eating again. Sometimes I mix it back up and put a topper on it so it seems different, and then she'll eat some more.

One question, is this new behavior? My Aria has always been like this, so I know it's normal for her, but if it's new, a vet check might be in order as loss of appetite can be an indication that something's wrong.
 
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haley

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Thanks! I will try [color= rgb(24, 24, 24)]toppers hope he eats more. No he's been like this since he was a kitten and the vet used to give him a shot of vitamin b complex to make him eat more and that worked but I don't want to keep him on vitamins shots every now and then [/color]
 

vball91

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Hmm, Vitamin B12 is known to be a gentle appetite stimulant, so you might want to look into/talk to your vet about the proper dosage for a B daily vitamin.
 
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haley

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Thanks, looks like vitamin b is my only option 

Do you happen to know a good brand of capsules? 
 

vball91

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B vitamins can be hard on a cat's digestive system which is why the injectable form is often used. I would ask your vet what he gave her that helped. Injections of B12 are known to help with appetite but I believe they require a prescription in the US. I would have no idea on dosage either, so really it's best to talk to your vet. You should be able to get a prescription for a bottle to use at home that won't be as expensive or stressful as going to the vet's.

I'm curious why you say that B vitamins are your only option. Are toppers not working at all?
 

jclark

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Exercise the cat prior to dropping the food? Don't free feed?
 

maggie101

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If all else fails,give him/her appetite stimulants.My 2 yr old is only 7.4 pds.She is very slender.She will only eat one kind of canned food-nothing else! I am afraid she will get anorexic if she only eats a few bites a day so I paid $160 for pills that have worked.Last year I had the same problem and she end up having a very high white blood count so I hope this hasn't happened again.I also have my old cat with ibd to take care of so I am not excited to take my 2 yr old to the vet.I have been there so many times I might as well live there!

Laura
 

raintyger

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Here is a list that I made for a feline support group. Some of them like mirtazapine and food bribes might not be appropriate for your situation since it would have to be a long-term solution.

Toppers:

Fortiflora

Halo Dinner Party (order from Amazon or Swanson; does have garlic in it, which I heard the jury is still out on)

Wysong's Add Life (note this has urine acidifier in it, dl-methionine, which is not suitable for kidney disease kitties)

Catnip

Crushed freeze-dried meat (liver, chicken)

Crushed kibble (use only a few since dry food is bad, bad, bad!)

Food Bribes:

Tuna (only for emergencies; do not feed fish often due to mercury levels and addiction potential)

Tuna/Clam juice (see above note on fish)

Smelly cat food like Friskies, use pate style foods--less carbs

At/from the vet:

Appetite enhancers (Mirtazapine can have some scary side effects, but is commonly used)

B12 injections

Sub-Q hydration

Actions:

Heat the food

Raise the dish

Feed in smaller, more frequent meals

Change food brand/change flavor of food

Use Feliway or other stress reducers
 

chwx

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As a user of Mirtazapine myself, I do have to say it's worth a shot. If it works as well for cats as it does people, he wouldn't care what's put in front of him, he'd inhale it anyways. LOL! The tablets are also small and easy to break/crush which would be a little less stressful than injections.

Though if his weight is good, why does he NEED to eat more? What does he average for intake?
 

maggie101

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My cat likes Fresh Digest(probiotic) that I bought at Petco.I was surprised because of the smell.I have tried freeze dried chicken and plain yogurt which don't work.Fresh Digest is only given once a day and I try to feed her at least 3x a day.Since this morning she has had 1/4 of a 5.5 oz can.It is now 10:30 pm.My vet would not give her yearly shots because she is a pound under weight.Where can you get salmon oil?

Laura
 
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