something is wrong - cat is lethargic, not eating

my cat, toothless, is a five year old male american shorthair. he is generally very friendly and vocal - for the last couple of days he has been staying mostly in one spot (the floor in my bedroom), but i chalked it up to enjoying the sunlight. i feel absolutely terrible - i work a lot and i didn't notice until a couple of hours ago that he's been doing this for a little while.

i began to get worried today after noticing that the food level in his bowl hadn't changed since yesterday evening - i dumped out the food, washed the bowl, and replaced it with a can of the wet food i usually reserve for a treat. he meowed and followed me around the kitchen as i dumped the food in the bowl, but after that - nothing. eventually i got him to eat by dipping my finger in the food, letting him lick it off, repeat until i was close enough to the bowl that he would eat it by himself. he also drank some water, but i don't know how much. he also lifted one paw and sat it back down repeatedly repeatedly while he was laying down in front of his food bowl (loaf-style, not laying on his side). 

i'm also concerned because his personality seems to have changed - normally he's very affectionate (he's VERY cuddly), but he won't get up on the couch with me or get close to me on the floor for snuggles, and he won't rub his face on my hand when i stretch it out. 

i know something is wrong, but the closest emergency vet is more than two hours away - i live in a very rural area and i can't get him to see a vet for about twelve hours. can anyone help? how can i keep him comfortable until i can get him to the vet? 

Please do whatever you can to get your cat to eat. He has to have food in him, or he can get seriously ill. My cat Petey was acting similarly 2 weeks ago (except he also had a bit of sneezing and watery eyes). He was eating less than usual and hiding under the bed, and not snuggly like he normally is. I took him to the vet and they gave him an antibiotic shot, and he seemed a bit better. Then I had to leave town for 5 days and had a pet sitter coming every day. He was hiding under the bed from her, and she couldn't tell that he was losing weight. (His food bowl looked like it was being eaten from, but it turns out my other cat was just eating from both bowls.)

I took him to the vet asap (the next morning). They did blood work, and he was diagnosed with fatty liver disease, which is a result of him losing weight too fast. He's in the hospital now and struggling. I had no idea this could happen. I feel the same as you - terrible, and thinking I could have done something sooner.

I know you're far away from a vet, but whatever you can get him to eat will help until you can see someone. If he doesn't get food, his liver will have serious trouble. I learned that cats can't go without food for very long at all without getting really sick.

Just cuddle and comfort him, and keep trying to feed him until you can get him some help. I'll keep him in my prayers!

So sorry to hear your kitty isn't feeling well!  Definitely get him to the vet ASAP, and in the meantime keep him hydrated, even if you have to give him water with an oral syringe, and keep feeding him by hand if need be.  Cats can't go more than 24 hours without eating and shouldn't go longer than a few days with reduced food intake.  Vomiting, diarrhea, drooling, difficulty breathing (panting, wheezing, rapid breathing, forceful breathing), difficulty urinating: these should all be taken as signs that kitty needs to go to an emergency clinic immediately.  

Whatever you do, don't leave him unsupervised, and check on him frequently throughout the night.  Follow him to the litter box and make sure he's urinating normally and not in any distress.  Cats can deteriorate *very* quickly.  They work very hard to keep their discomfort hidden, so the fact that he's obviously ill means he could go critical at any time.

Best wishes to you both!

Edit: Forgot to mention, if he's in a crouched position he could be in severe pain.  Try palpating his abdominal area to see how he reacts.  Any negative reactions should be taken as another sign that he needs emergency care.

UPDATE - i spoke with my mom this evening and she reminded me that i accidentally switched litter types - i usually use one type but mistakenly grabbed "with glade" the last time i bought litter - when i sifted through his box a moment ago, it's all clean. the switch was around midnight of the 22nd - are there serious health problems that might result from this?! oh my god, i can't believe i didn't even notice - i feel like the WORST cat mom in the entire world. 

would this have anything to do with his strange behavior?? would that lead to not wanting to eat?

diamondchurchst said:

 
UPDATE - i spoke with my mom this evening and she reminded me that i accidentally switched litter types - i usually use one type but mistakenly grabbed "with glade" the last time i bought litter - when i sifted through his box a moment ago, it's all clean. the switch was around midnight of the 22nd - are there serious health problems that might result from this?! oh my god, i can't believe i didn't even notice - i feel like the WORST cat mom in the entire world. 

would this have anything to do with his strange behavior?? would that lead to not wanting to eat?

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Woah, hang on there.  He hasn't used the litter box in two days?  A cat in normal health will evacuate elsewhere in the house if he doesn't like your choice in litter.  He will *not* hold it in.  He could very well have a life-threatening urinary blockage and that cat needs to go to the emergency clinic NOW.  

Btw, no, the change in litter would not cause such severe symptoms.  A blockage sure could!  And it *will* kill him if it isn't treated ASAP.

You have to take him NOW to a vet. His life is in danger!

This sounds like a urinary blockage, it is very painful and can be fatal. Please don't wait, get him to the ER vet as soon as you can.

Edit: just read the last two posts and I concur. If at all possible, make the drive.

cocheezie said:

Can you call the emergency vet? They might be able to give you some advice to get your cat through the night. And if you have to make the trip, they will have some knowledge of your cat and the problem in advance.

Just in case, DUMP THE LITTER immediately. Glade makes air fresheners which are full of toxins. Is there an ingredient list on the container of litter? Is there a 1-800 number to call?

If it's the only litter you have, beg, borrow or steal some from a neighbour. Put some clean dirt in the litter box if you have to. No litter is better than a questionable litter.

Continue to finger feed so that the cat does not develop fatty liver diseases. Also, make sure the cat is hydrated. To check for hydration, lift a bit of skin from the between the shoulder blades. If the skin goes back down right away, your cat is currently hydrated. If the skin takes more than a second to fall back, your cat is dehydrated and you will need to administer fluids.

Do you have a syringe at home? Here is a link for how to syringe feed a cat. http://www.thecatsite.com/t/227858/syringe-feeding-lucky-video-if-your-cat-is-not-eating

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cocheezie, note that the cat hasn't used the litter box. He is most likely blocked. Food is not a priority right now if he is blocked.

@MosimomYou are right. Glad you caught it. Thank you. A twitchy finger hit the submit button while I was thinking things through. 

@diamondchurchst  please get your little one to the vet.

Actually the3redname caught it. I sure hope this kitty is alright!

Diamondchurchst, please let us know how Toothless is doing.

Dying of curiosity here, too.  I had trouble sleeping last night thinking about this poor kitty...I hope he's OK.