Hi I am new on the block! I have a senior California Snowshoe Siamese named Zen.

He is almost 15 and he is the love and light of my life! He has been through a lot this year and he is currently inappetent. I am very worried and don"t want to lose him. Please, any words of comfort, support, encouragement or advice will be greatly appreciated! Thank you so much!

Welcome to TCS, KittyKatGurl777 

There are lots of lovely welcoming, supportive members here...

Zen looks like a gorgeous mature lady.

If you would like to talk to members about her health, try posting in http://www.thecatsite.com/f/4/cat-health  or for nutrition in http://www.thecatsite.com/f/64/cat-nutrition

 

He's truly flawless! Best wishes xx 

He is very beautiful.  Has he been checked out by the vet?  Had recent bloodwork done?  There are appetite stimulants that the vet can give him.  Welcome to the site!

Hi! Your boy is gorgeous. I'm sorry he's had a bad year. Hopefully he feels better soon. Do you know why he isn't eating? Have there been other problems? I had a 14 yr old and when he stopped eating, I warmed some Fancy Feast pate in the microwave for about 10 seconds. He started eating again the first time I tried it. And if he ever showed disinterest in food after that, I'd warm it up and then sprinkle some FortiFlora on top. That's a sort of probiotic that you can get from a vet fairly cheap. It's got stuff in it that entices them to eat. Worked like a charm every time I used it. I've also seen people here recommend sprinkling on some Bonito flakes - which you can get at pet food stores and one lady said at Walmart in the Asian food section. But more than anything, let a vet check him out (if you haven't already) to make sure it's not something serious. I hope he starts eating soon. Let us know

Hi!  Your Zen is a beautiful lady!  I  have a 10.5 year old girl Mia who the vet feels looks like a Snowshoe.  I hope you find comfort and maybe a few ideas here.   I did and I am fairly new myself.  Me and Mia that is and I have a new 3 mo old all black kitten who came to me with severe upper respiratory infection, spreading to my Mia who  is having a real struggle.  I am full time trying to work with getting her back on top.    Welcome and good luck to you and Zen......

Thank you all!!! Zen is a boy though... He is the SWEETEST cat EVER...I did post about his health issues in the health forum. He has been to his regular vet, and this morning he I took him to a new vet and got a second opinion, He also is being switched to a new appetite stimulant. I will also try bonito flakes and I have heard about dry nutritional yeast as well. I plan to pick both of those up tomorrow. I will also try to get him some fortiflora. I am currently doing syringe feeding with the Hills AD and nutirtional supplements in slurries and I am administering subq fluids as well. I hope to get him back on track soon! the new vet suggested an ultrasound to see whats going on with his bowels. I am sure hoping he starts eating soon. He has lost quite a bit of weight in a week. He had bloodwork done two weeks ago.It was all fine. He had either a UTI or a Bacterial infection. not sure which, but he is better from that now. Just not eating and we don't know why. I am doing my best as I cannot bear the idea of losing my precious love. I just lost my Dad before Christmas in a tragic and senseless accident. So...whatever it takes...Thank you all for your support and lovely compliments! I love this site!

Sorry KittyCatGurl777.  I think I started the girl idea, even though you had told us he's a he.  Maybe it's because he's so pretty..

Welcome Zen is a good looking boy.

If he's been to 2 vets I can only assume his teeth and gums are ok. Sometime vets over looks the gums and only see the teeth. I had a boy cat that I took care of while his owner was in the hospital that had an ulcer inside his mouth against the right side of his mouth wasn't even his gums or teeth. He never pawed against his mouth or cried out, he just stopped eating. He only ate dry/hard food so it was pretty obvious when he walked away from his food bowl at meal time. I moved him to soft food but after a couple licks he would walk away. Vet had no clue what caused the lesion sort of thought it could have been causes by a bacteria infection causes by licking butt and dirty feet. He needed to have surgery to cut the lesion out, stitch it back up and had to come home after 3 days with a tiny ng tube in this noise that went down to his belly. The ng tube was sown to his whiskers and for 2 weeks I had to feed him the cat version of Ensure. It was liquid food. Which was served at room temperature. It was some awesome food he actually put on weight with it and didn't make him diarrhea. The doctors said that he would eventually go back to his food once his mouth started to feel better. In 10 days he tried to eat some hard food so I took him back to U of P, University of Pennsylvania Veterinary Hospital and the ng tube was removed and his mouth had healed beautifully. It's is an excellent hospital with a vet specialist in every imaginable field, but just expect to pay a load of money. JR's ticket was $8,800. And lived 4 1/2 more years.

I'm so sorry you and Zen are going through this, especially after the loss of your Dad.  You have had a tough time of it. How is your beautiful Zen doing? Does the new appetite stimulant seem to be helping? 

Hi everyone! Ypu are all so kind and helpful. i love hearing stories about you kitties too! My baby did not respond to the mirtazapine other than to get pretty darned stoned! He actually had and ultrasound on thursday and does NOT have any lymphoma or tumors inside, so that's good news. However he does have IBD. So we started on Prednisolone tonight. I got him to gain weight doing the slurries and syringe feedings. He is still on subq fluids and famotidine and nutritional supplements. I pray so much that this works to get him to EAT! he does look so funny and cute with his shaved little belly! I hope he can live a long while longer! Thank you all for your support...it means so much to me!

Yeah for you for getting some weight back on him! Is he eating anything on his own? That is great on the negative tumors, keep that wonderful news in mind as you struggle through this. There are a lot of people with IBD kitties on here, as I'm sure you've already discovered, so lots of support and advice is at hand. Is loss of appetite and acid reflux (hence the famotidine) symptoms of IBD? In other words, would the IBD account for all of his problems? Best wishes to you and Zen that he is "ALL BETTER" soon! 

I am so happy for you and for Zen.    Hope things work out.  My Mia is doing better.  She is a Snowshoe look-like 10.5 year old.  Ferral and scared though I've had her all her life and I love her and she loves and trusts me.   She is just starting to pull out of her URI.  Also, I was so worried about her eyes as they were swollen near closed and runny and ucky and the Neomycin/Bacitracin ointment which she is on five days today (week total) for treatment seems to really be clearing up those eyes terrific.   So anyway, good luck ahead for you and for Zen!   whatever........

Hi all. i am feeling so sad tonight. he is still not eating on his own. he is now on prednisolone, famotidine, reglan, subq fluids and vitamin b injections as well as syringe feeding. I am exhausted from worrying about him. I miss my cat, the way he was. He is not himself anymore he is just a shell of the beautiful creature he once was. I am devastated and at my wits end. i do NOT want to put him down. I need help and encouragement. has anyone else gone through this? please help me kind cat people.

I'm really sorry Zen still isn't doing well. So, there haven't been any other ideas as to why he won't eat? I honestly hate to say it, but maybe he's trying to tell you it's time for him to go. I know you don't want to put him down, we never ever do. But you love him and have to keep him in mind. If his days just consist of you forcing pills and meds and food into him, and he doesn't feel good anyway, what kind of life is that for him? I'm not trying to sway you. I can't tell you what to do because I've never met you or Zen. And I hate to sound harsh. I promise I'm not trying to be. I do, however, know from experience what you're going through. I waited until I had no other choice with my 14 yr old Krash kitty. Looking back now, I think I waited a couple of weeks too long. I thought I was thinking of him, I really did. But now I see I was looking for reasons to justify keeping him around. I couldn't stand to lose him. And then I had no choice anymore. He let me know without a doubt it was time.
I hope so much that this isn't your situation. But if it is, please consider your baby first. No matter how much it will hurt you. I'm so sorry you have to go through any of this.

Oh my I'm truly sorry but what the person before me just said is so true.  I had this happen sweetie with a dog and a cat.  My heart broke.   My cat had suffered a stroke and I watched her writhe in pain when she shot an embolism.  The vet told me to take her home for a day or two, spend precious special time with her, and when I was ready (which you feel you never are) to bring her back and let her go to sleep in comfort.   OMG it was hard but I was not sorry dear.   I'll always remember her and I have her ashes too.   Whatever you decide with Zen sweetie, please keep us posted as we all do care.........whatever........

Hello All,

My precious is gone. I put him to sleep today at 2:30 pm. The vet said it was time. He could not even stand up anymore, he would not eat at all, he didn't even want to cuddle. She believes it was a very aggressive cancer that had spread very quickly. He was also starting to yellow and was breathing very shallow. I couldn't bear another moment of his suffering. He was the most excellent kitty in the world. I have fought for him and done my best for him. I was lucky to have him and he was a blessing to me every day of my life. People have said, including the vet, that he was lucky to have me too. I guess we were lucky to have each other. I guess now he is with his Grandpa in heaven...he is crossing the rainbow bridge. I hope they find each other...I am heartbroken and devastated... i miss him already. It was so weird...I could feel his little kitty spirit as he passed on lift out of him...I know he is at peace, but I am now even more lost than I was...so sad and hurting. Tears and love for my little kitty angel Zen. Thank you all for your help and support...you are truly kind souls.

Gosh I'm so sorry sweetie.   It is the hardest ever but yours was a great friendship with your Zen.  You loved Zen right to the end with gentle kindness.   No more sick for Zen who is resting in peace now...........whatever.........

So sorry for your loss. It's one of the toughest decisions we have to make but our little babies reply on us for everything even when it's time to give them back to their maker. It used to be one of the most difficult things I ever had to do until my Dad got sick with lung cancer and I had to watch him in agony and so much pain for way too long that after knowing I can make my buddies, my love of my life, my babies out of pain I found comfort in that fact that I didn't have to watch them suffer too. If I could have put my Dad down, get him out of that pain, I would have but I could not, so I am glad that I am not as helpless with my little babies and that I can ease their pain. I still love each and everyone that I have lost, I still talk to them when I dust my mantle off where all their ashes are sitting but most important I seek the comfort of the others I have now and even sometimes tell them stories of their predecessors. When I lost my first, his name was Casper, he was a giant 21 lb black cat who was so friendly and loving I thought the name fit him good. And when I lost him, I didn't get another for 3 awful lonely years. I will never deny myself the pleasure and love I get out of my kitties again and now within a week a new little shoulder for me to cry on, nice fur to cry into is welcomed into my home, my life and my heart. We unfortunately know your grief. God Bless. RIP Zen! Say hello to Casper, Frankie, Samantha, Pookie and my Archibald for me.

Oh no. I'm so sorry. It sounds so much like what happened with my Krash...my heart breaks for you. It's never easy, and I know what you mean about feeling his spirit leave. I felt it too. It was heart wrenching. I also felt like part of mine went with him. Everything felt so empty as soon as it happened. I hope you find the strength to give another kitty all the love you have again someday.