So - the food revolt has begun!

Hello peeps,

I've had my cat for ~ 7 months now and I think I made a grave mistake not in my favor.

I have one of those toys that you insert dry food and then he kicks it around to get the snacks out.

I used it 2 nights in a row as a play toy, being generous with the snack quantity.  He loved it.

Side note: when I first got him from the shelter,he was a kibble addict, I weaned him off to 100% wet within 2.5 weeks.

Now he won't touch his wet food this morning or tonight. Or very little anyway.

(1) I always add water to the wet food and microwave it: he drank the liquid but left the solid.

(2) I've tried Evo - Venison, Evo - Beef, Fancy Feast - Liver & Chicken, Fancy Feast - Chicken Feast. 

(3) I then put 2 pieces of Orijen kibble down and he ate them...oh dear.

(4) I then used a blender to grind up a very small amount of Orijen kibble and mixed it in the Beef pate.  He sniffed it and walked away.

(5) I just put some Parmesan cheese in the FF-Chicken Feast.  We'll see what happens.

I may have inadvertently created a kibble crack addict.

Oh, and he walked up to me, did some begging by the kitchen counter and meowed while I pulled out some kibble for the blender.

He's obviously feeling well enough to eat. 

My plan is, by midnight tonight - if he's not eating the chicken pate or beef pate (with mixed ground and whole kibble) that are currently sitting out, I'm going to give him a serving of kibble?

I can go the can of tuna route I suppose, but that might create a whole new problem.

Suggestions?

Edit - little bugger, I just tried hand feeding him the FF-Chicken Feast with Parmesan cheese. He ate it.

Ah those kibble addicts. You're doing all the right stuff. I would give it til tomorrow morning.

Well, I ended up going to the Vet. today.

My cat's behavior was lethargic and he was eating ~ 1/2 the normal caloric intake per day, for the last 48 hrs. or so.

(1) He has an elevated temperature (41 vs. 38 norm.) = fever.

(2) They gave him SQ Fluids (to rehydrate)

(3) Appetite stimulant (Mirtazapine) in pill form. Give orally every 3 days.

(4) Anti-biotic (Doxycycline in a fish flavored solution). Give orally for 2 weeks.

(5) Blood test results = low red blood cell count = Anemic.  Yet, he's negative for FeLV and FIV - so that's good.  Could be something else, which the name escapes me, but is much less serious.

Essentially, the fever is of 'unknown origin'.

As soon as I brought him home, he went right to the food station Also, witnessed him drinking some water.  So he's making an effort to rehydrate.

Could I have let him ride it out and avoided a typically Canadian big-arse Vet. bill? Maybe, but better safe than sorry I suppose.

Hopefully he launches right back to eating full meals.  Will see if the FF-Chicken Feast food dish is empty by tomorrow morning.

Hi forum Moderator(s),

Could you please move this post to 'Health', since it's turned into a health issue, rather than merely nutrition.   Thanks.

Oh no! So sorry to hear your kitty is not well. How is he today?

He's not great - still lethargic, not eating much.  Very little in fact.  I tried various cheeses as toppers to the wet food: low-sodium varieties such as goat cheese,emmantal,cream cheese.  Yet he didn't take to it.  The only cheese that worked is the Parmesan, but even then he only at very little canned food.

I've been giving him electrolytes via syringe orally.

Sounds like fluid in lungs (like you or I would sound if we had the flu).  That started yesterday.

His eye issue took a turn for the worse - due to his compromised immune system.  Even 3-4 drops per day of Prednisolone isn't cutting it. Whereas, prior to his 'fever of unknown origin', 1 drop in the eye was keeping the Uveitis at bay.

He gets his Mirtzapine 1/4 pill tomorrow, so we'll see if he temporarily get's his appetite back.

I'm to administer Doxycline for 2 weeks. 

His pee quantity is vastly reduced so obviously he's dehydrated.  Poop was there this morning, so he did have a bowel movement last night which is good.

1 day at a time - No, I'm not rushing back to the Vet's.  The expenditure in my neck of the woods is obscene.

Fluid in lungs? Like, gurgly? I'd at least call the vet. Getting sub fluids one day and sounding as if there's fluid in the lungs can be a serious problem.

I hope he gets better soon. I'd also ask if Hill's A/D would be good to feed right now.

Good point, @peaches08.

I'm sure you know how important it is to keep him eating enough. For a topper, my super fussy / sickly Boo likes his wet food with Orijen freeze-dried treats crumbled on top, even better than the kibble powder I made with a coffee grinder. My local pet store sells the dog treats, but they're just 100% freeze-dried meat, so there's nothing in them that would harm a cat. Orijen does have cat treats, but for whatever reason they are not sold in my area. I'll give Boo the Alberta Lamb, Free Run Duck, and Wild Boar since he is on a food trial. I also have the Black Angus Beef. All three of my cats go nuts over these treats, which is shocking. They do crumble nicely. And they're not cheap, but worth it to me if everybody likes them.