Skinny girl

mani · Nov 9, 2014

I'm wondering whether anyone can help me with Nilah.. She is an absolute primadonna who will only eat certain things, in very small amounts, and will often vomit everything back up. At the moment she will eat chicken Wellness (but Turkey just gets vomited) as long as I mix in a bit of Fancy Feast Florentine Chicken in Delicate Sauce - yep, she's that specific. She loves baked chicken but won't touch anything raw. I can feed her other things (turkey, the occasional fish) but she will often vomit it up - anything too 'rich'. She's very fond of treats, but will love one (they're usually Australian, so brands won't help) and then ignore it. I only give her ones with 'good credentials'

She is just so skinny... Not according to the vet though (I go to a cat only clinic and do think they know what they're talking about) who says she's thin, probably could be described as underweight, but in good health.

The boy will eat most things so I have to feed her separately and leave her locked in the room so she can graze a little.

She was OK before I got Sundar two years ago and they do chase each other relentlessly. I have a friend who reckons it's because her tail never stops 'wagging'

(she's not annoyed.. it's just her).

Should I just accept her the way she is or try to get some weight on her? Any ideas to spark her appetite without giving her rich food?

bonepicker · Nov 9, 2014

Mani said:
I'm wondering whether anyone can help me with Nilah.. She is an absolute primadonna who will only eat certain things, in very small amounts, and will often vomit everything back up. At the moment she will eat chicken Wellness (but Turkey just gets vomited) as long as I mix in a bit of Fancy Feast Florentine Chicken in Delicate Sauce - yep, she's that specific. She loves baked chicken but won't touch anything raw. I can feed her other things (turkey, the occasional fish) but she will often vomit it up - anything too 'rich'. She's very fond of treats, but will love one (they're usually Australian, so brands won't help) and then ignore it. I only give her ones with 'good credentials'

She is just so skinny... Not according to the vet though (I go to a cat only clinic and do think they know what they're talking about) who says she's thin, probably could be described as underweight, but in good health.

The boy will eat most things so I have to feed her separately and leave her locked in the room so she can graze a little.

She was OK before I got Sundar two years ago and they do chase each other relentlessly. I have a friend who reckons it's because her tail never stops 'wagging' :lol3: (she's not annoyed.. it's just her).r

Should I just accept her the way she is or try to get some weight on her? Any ideas to spark her appetite without giving her rich food?

I give my girl a room to chil from the boy I shut the door when she goes to get away, she can only take so much. She is also very fussy. She loves pride by instinct rabbit (contains pork), she also likes merrick duck pate and nutro natural choice chunky chicken loaf. She used to vomit daily and she used to go outside. I now keep her in, I dewormed her and put her on revolution drops, I removed dry food totally and removed any canned food with grain. I also gave her vets best hairball relief tabs which contain slippery elm and psyllium to aid in digestion. She no longer needs them, she only eats grain free canned food, she no longer goes out and best of all she NO LONGER vomits. The vomiting might be keeping your girl thin. It did mine when she vomited daily, your girl could have food sensitivities or IBS, I suspect mine had both. Those FF with gravy(wheat gluten) made it worse for my girl, it is a grain.

mservant · Nov 9, 2014

I've seen a lot of small, skinny-looking Russian Blue females. They always look so fragile and boney next to the boys! I originally went to look for a girl kitten but on seeing how different the males and females were I was stragely relieved that the only available one was male. Much more of a substantial cuddle. It could have a lot to do with Nilah simply being a small female who does not naturally carry a lot of weight. That said I would be concerned about her bringing food back up on a regular basis.

I am presuming your vet was not concerned, or could not find a reason for her being sick? Like Bonepicker says it might be food sensitivities, but the other things I wonder are if she finds it hard to keep food down - some cats like people seem to have a weaker sphincter at the top of their stomach. Have you tried feeding her from a bowl which is raised a little from the ground so she doesn't need to dip her head down? Sometimes that helps along with that little and often strategy. Does she bold her food if Sundar is about, because that might not help either; one of my tabbies used to bolt her food then regurgitate. She was the 'boss cat' so I have no idea why she did this.

If you can get Thrive Complete food that seems fairly straight forward without lots of aditives or grain and there are single falvours like chicken, and white fish.

mani · Nov 9, 2014

MServant said:
I've seen a lot of small, skinny-looking Russian Blue females. They always look so fragile and boney next to the boys! I originally went to look for a girl kitten but on seeing how different the males and females were I was stragely relieved that the only available one was male. Much more of a substantial cuddle. It could have a lot to do with Nilah simply being a small female who does not naturally carry a lot of weight. That said I would be concerned about her bringing food back up on a regular basis.

I am presuming your vet was not concerned, or could not find a reason for her being sick? Like Bonepicker says it might be food sensitivities, but the other things I wonder are if she finds it hard to keep food down - some cats like people seem to have a weaker sphincter at the top of their stomach. Have you tried feeding her from a bowl which is raised a little from the ground so she doesn't need to dip her head down? Sometimes that helps along with that little and often strategy. Does she bold her food if Sundar is about, because that might not help either; one of my tabbies used to bolt her food then regurgitate. She was the 'boss cat' so I have no idea why she did this.

If you can get Thrive Complete food that seems fairly straight forward without lots of aditives or grain and there are single falvours like chicken, and white fish.

I hadn't thought about the raised bowl thing.. I'll give it a go, @MServant Also, when I saw her today I though she probably just is a very slender girl.. I'm glad you mentioned that about Russians. Sundar is such a big boofy boy and she looks so delicate around him.

Yes, she does bolt her food when Sundar is about.. that's why I put her in a separate room. Perhaps she still does it out of habit, although she does vomit more when I haven't locked her away.

The vomiting really is about 'richness'. .. or a change of diet. If I keep her on what I know she'll keep down, no vomiting.. so maybe that's the way to go, and just accept that she's a little 'precious' in what she eats and how much. She adores Fancy Feast and doesn't throw it up, so it isn't the cereal content (which I normally avoid). I'll just keep going with a bit of that mixed with the Wellness for the time being.

One of my problems is that so many of the foods mentioned aren't available here.

So it's a case of trying new stuff and hoping for the best.

mservant · Nov 9, 2014

I don't like to say but one of my tabbies was a real diva: she could throw up on cue any time/ place she wanted. I always knew I'd get up to find sick at my bedroom door when I gave her food she didn't like at night time, or if she was in a bad mood with me for any reason it would be on the rug next to my bed.... If I'd given her something she didn't like before I went out I'd find it just inside the front door and always on the nice rug I had there. My reasoning brain tells me cats don't do that but knowing that diva like I did, in my bones I have no doubt she meant every morsel of it.

Tuna flakes always stayed in her belly.

I hope you manage to find a few different alternatives that Nilah can tolerate.

mani · Nov 9, 2014

MServant said:
I don't like to say but one of my tabbies was a real diva: she could throw up on cue any time/ place she wanted. I always knew I'd get up to find sick at my bedroom door when I gave her food she didn't like at night time, or if she was in a bad mood with me for any reason it would be on the rug next to my bed.... If I'd given her something she didn't like before I went out I'd find it just inside the front door and always on the nice rug I had there. My reasoning brain tells me cats don't do that but knowing that diva like I did, in my bones I have no doubt she meant every morsel of it.

Tuna flakes always stayed in her belly.

I hope you manage to find a few different alternatives that Nilah can tolerate.

'Diva' is probably the word I was looking for to describe Nilah..

catman513 · Nov 10, 2014

I was puzzled by this until I saw Jack's esophagus on the MRI. As a skinny, long cat, his esophagus was about the diameter of a pencil and as long. No wonder he was vomiting his food. Had nothing to do with the food. Now, he eats 12-15 times a day, courtesy of the food machine that gives him about a dozen mixed EVO and Blue Buffalo kibbles. He gets a tea spoon of wet food whenever possible. Usually about 5 times a day.

Gained 30% weight and no vomiting.

mani · Nov 10, 2014

Yes, catman513... I'm thinking little and often is a good idea.

It's not that she vomits every meal.. But not vomiting at all is preferable.

It has also occurred to me, in terms of her thinness, that I go through this weight fretting business every year in Spring as she loses her winter coat. You'd think I'd catch on to that, wouldn't you?!

kagami · Nov 11, 2014

Having the same problem over here with one of my girls - she only eats a little and then one of her fat brothers will scarf down the rest; ugh, so frustrating. Some great advice in this thread though!

mservant · Nov 11, 2014

Mani said:
Yes, catman513... I'm thinking little and often is a good idea.

It's not that she vomits every meal.. But not vomiting at all is preferable.

It has also occurred to me, in terms of her thinness, that I go through this weight fretting business every year in Spring as she loses her winter coat. You'd think I'd catch on to that, wouldn't you?!

I'd like to think it's the oposite with Mouse and the reason I think he's looking chubbier is he's just getting his.

Sadly I think not...

Could it be that Nilah gets bothered with fur balls this time of year too so her eating becomes more problematic?

mani · Nov 11, 2014

MServant said:
Mani said:

Yes, catman513... I'm thinking little and often is a good idea.

It's not that she vomits every meal.. But not vomiting at all is preferable.

It has also occurred to me, in terms of her thinness, that I go through this weight fretting business every year in Spring as she loses her winter coat. You'd think I'd catch on to that, wouldn't you?!

Click to expand...

I'd like to think it's the oposite with Mouse and the reason I think he's looking chubbier is he's just getting his.

Sadly I think not...

Could it be that Nilah gets bothered with fur balls this time of year too so her eating becomes more problematic?

It actually was that, abut a month ago @MServant.. I brushed and wiped and gave her things to make the passage through her system easier but she still managed to vomit them up. The trouble with Nilah is that she will lick fur off anywhere! If I brush it out of her she will try to eat whatever is lying around. She is a very interesting cat.

But that's not the case now as the main shedding is done (with quite a bit of help from me).

Skinny girl

mani

Moderator and fervent feline fan

Thread starter

bonepicker

Animal Lover Extraordinare

mservant

The Mouse servant

mani

Moderator and fervent feline fan

Thread starter

mservant

The Mouse servant

mani

Moderator and fervent feline fan

Thread starter

catman513

TCS Member

mani

Moderator and fervent feline fan

Thread starter

kagami

TCS Member

mservant

The Mouse servant

mani

Moderator and fervent feline fan

Thread starter

Latest Posts

Connect with us