Nugget

He did better yesterday. Ate pretty well. Explored his room more. Today it's back to not eating & watching out the window. He wouldn't even have his fave treat...chicken nuggets. Dad says ifhe doesn't start eating better soon he's going to let him outside . Of course if he does that he will probably run away. But he can't just starve. I know it's just been a few days but shouldn't his appetite be getting back to normal by now? Have you ever heard of a cat starving itself? Or grieving itself to death from missing a place or the outdoors? What should we do?

how long is he locked up? starving is not good at all .

They do get depressed when used to the outdoors and suddenly, for no reason, they are imprisoned. I had my Rascal locked inside for two weeks recently because he had an eye infection, and he got pretty mad. 

what have you tried to get him to eat?

He should be taken to the vet for a check up.  Perhaps he doesn't like the food you are giving him, in which case try coaxing with tuna or cooked chicken (or a little cooked chicken liver sends my lot crazy).

Also I would not feed a cat chicken nuggets if you are talking about fast food as it may have a lot of salt in there which can lead to complications. Cooked chicken is fine as part of a healthy wet food diet. I can recommend Weruva (Cats in the Kitchen) or Applaws if UK as even my pickiest kitty licks the plate clean.

Is this a feral you are talking about? "Missing a place or the outdoors?" might need clarification for people to respond better.

We brought him home Friday night. When I say missing I mean the outdoors & my dad's work place. He used to hang out in the office during the day & all the worker's would pet him when they came thru. We are going to make sure he's healthy before introducing him to the rest of our cat's.

There's good news to report...he ate really well tonight! We're starting to think maybe he's just going to be a night time eater.

Hi Lore39,

He sounds as if he is a stray or an abandoned pet rather than a feral cat. Didn't you say in one of your other posts that he was neutered already? And he let's you pet him , which true feral cats don't usually do.

He's probably taking a while to adjust to his new surroundings. Take him to the vet for a check-up, just in case he has parasites or some other stomach problems that could be affecting his appetite. You should get him checked over before you introduce him to your other cats, There are some infectious cat diseases that don't have any visible symptoms until they are in the later stages. A blood test will rule out feline AIDS and leukemia.

If a cat has been living outside and fending for himself for a while he won't be used to regular meals. They tend to gorge themselves on whatever is available, then don't eat at all for a day or two as they are so full. It will take a while before he gets used to regular meals.

As Amyrose said, plain cooked chicken is much better for him than junk food. Cats can't really tolerate a lot of salt.

You could try feliway spray or plug-ins to keep him calm. I hear composure cat treats are good too. My cats will eat anything if I sprinkle a little catnip powder over it. Check your local supermarket or pet store for the edible powdered catnip, that might work.

He hung around my dad's workplace for a month or 2 before he would let anyone pet him. At first he would run from people. Yes we're almost sure he has been fixed already.

Update: He's eating a lot better now finally. More at ease too. Even had some of his fave treat earlier...chicken nuggets.

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Nugget :heart4:

He is a beauty! So glad he's adjusting to his new home.

Please don't feed your cat chicken nuggets. His liking them doesn't mean they are actually good for him.

For treats I feed freeze dried chicken breast. You can buy it at most pet stores.

Thanks for the info. I'll look for some.