Is my cat sick or just being picky?

bomibomi

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My cat is almost 2 years old and recently she has stopped eating her cat food. About 2 days ago it was very hot , but the day after it was quite cold. she slept in the basement that night and in the morning i found throw up of pure catfood on the floor down there. After that she took a big poop in her litter box and i checked it for any health concerns (there were none, it was completely healthy in and out), but after that she was acting very lethargic and napped alot. I thought she had an upset stomach from sleeping in the cold basement or a fever. The next morning after a long sleep she was back to acting normal (playing, being active, being her usual self) , but she wasnt eating any of her food. I tried feeding her different flavors but she still would sniff it and turn away in disgust. However, she will eat human food i hand feed her (she will still beg for apple slices and boiled chicken and eat it like nothings wrong) so for now shes living off of human food (im defrosting salmon for her right now). I wanted to know if shes avoiding her cat food (wet and dry) because she associates it with being sick and throwing up? is she not eating it because she thinks it will make her sick? she will also not drink water from her bowl. i have to pour it into my hand for her to drink it. 

she hasnt eaten much in the past few days but she is still acting normal and pretty active. Should i just wait and let her behavior pass? im tight on money right now so im hesitant to take her to the vet (they will charge me hundreds to just poke at her and tell me nothings wrong) . 
Her cat food is grain free blue buffalo and she used to love it. She doesnt show any signs of pain or litterbox issues(she just goes less because she barely eats and drinks) , but her forehead seems a bit warmer then usual? could a fever cause her behavior? 
 

stephanietx

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In my opinion, this warrants a trip to the vet to rule out anything medical.  Any change in behavior, eating habits, or litter box habits is cause for concern and a red flag that something's not right. 
 
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bomibomi

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i wont be able to get to a vet till monday. what can i do till then? ive heard its dangerous for cats to go without proper food for 48 hours??
 

stephanietx

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Get some canned food such as the pate Fancy Feast.  Most of those are grain-free.  Offer her a little bit mixed with some water.  She must eat and drink. 
 

aoi chan

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I also highly recommend you take your cat to the vet. Something is obviously wrong. This isn't something that is behaviorally wrong with her. I personally wouldn't wait any longer if she hasn't eaten in a while.

Anyways, you can assist her by finger feeding her cat food mixed with baby food that doesn't have garlic or onions in it plus adding a bit of water in it. Or you can sprinkle some freeze dried treats on the cat food and see if she will eat it that way. I personally wouldn't be feeding her salmon though.

Yes, if a cat isn't consuming enough food, it can develop hepatic lipidosis aka fatty liver disease.
 
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bomibomi

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I tried force feeding her a bit by prying her mouth open and putting the food in her mouth. but she acts like a kid who refuses to eat veggies. When i sliced up salmon for her she ate it up ! could she be holding out on her cat food because she knows she will get better food if she waits? in this case should i wait for her to eat her cat food eventually or just start feeding her meat with taurine drops?
 

denice

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For now until you can get her to the vet on Monday I would feed her what she will eat.   The adage about she will eat when she is hungry enough won't work for cats, they will literally starve themselves to death.
 

aoi chan

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Is she at least drinking water on her own?
How many days has she been this way?

I don't think cats think that way, 'if I wait, I'll get better food.' It's a humans' way of think though.

If she's willing to eat human food then I would just give it to her. You should never have to pry open their mouth to feed them.
 

stephenq

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For now until you can get her to the vet on Monday I would feed her what she will eat.   The adage about she will eat when she is hungry enough won't work for cats, they will literally starve themselves to death.
Agreed, feed her whatever she will eat until you can see a vet.
 
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