Eating Behavior since Death

Feeb is our cat of two years and was the the most loving cat we have ever had till his companion Ginger.. a ten year old orange tabby fell dead at our feet. I think because of obeasity. We changed the food and got two 10 week old Bengals to entertain the Feeb. Things did'nt turn out for the best. The Feeb stoped eating and we finally figured he would rather dwindel and die than eat the holostic blend that we thought would be better for him. So we gave him back the Purina One and he nibbles from time to time. But he really does'ny eat like we would like to see. Another problen is the kittens rush in and undercut the feeb at his dish and he just gives up. He has a slight interest in the raw rabbit untill the kitens discourage him. Tonight I resorted to hand feeding him some rabbit and he ate a little. Is this cat grieving? Or maybe he's disgusted about the new roomates. Or Both. He's lost weight but I think he's trying to turn around now. I miss the frolicing Feeb we once had and we want him back. Any ideas?
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...rma/ab0012.jpg

Hi Sailfish,

Poor Feeb! Sounds to me like he is in grieving. The two kittens probably aren't helping as it became a total change in his environment.
Although I'm sure you are from the sounds of it, make sure you just give him lots of Extra attention. When you feed him, try keeping the kittens away from him, such as taking the food into your bedroom or a room that he likes, close the door and just stay with him, pet him, etc.
Has he been like this for long? If its been 2 or 3 weeks and he's not showing improvement you may want to check with the vet.

Oh, yes, I'm sure Feeb IS grieving! He misses his companion, and he's lost interest in his usual pleasures. We humans do the same thing.

How is his weight, though? If Ginger died from obesity (maybe undiagnosed diabetes?), are you sure Feeb really NEEDS to eat any more than he does?

A vet visit would be a good idea. You could make sure that his weight is appropriate and that he hasn't picked up some kind of parasite that's causing weight loss. If his weight really is low, the vet could give him a prescription supplement to get his weight on the upswing.

Also like a human, Feeb probably could have used some time to grieve before being given new companions. As long as he's still depressed and missing Ginger, he probably won't feel much like welcoming the kittens into his life.

If I were you, I'd give Feeb peace and quiet and TLC for awhile, and I'd be careful never to let him feel the kittens have taken precedence over him in your affections. I think time will heal his hurt.

Watch Feeb's weight carefully to make sure he isn't losing weight too fast. Is he obese, too? Losing weight too rapidly, especially for obese cats, is even more dangerous than for humans. It can be death threatening. Hopefully your indication that things may have turned around means that he is starting to eat better. If he stops eating, get him to a vet.

Feeb is grieving - cats will do this and you will need to be extra careful and attentive of him during this time. Getting two new kittens, while I understand your good intentions, probably hasn't helped him as his territory is now being impinged upon by a couple of raucous babies - especially Bengals goodness me!!

What Feeb needs now is quiet time, alone time, and he MUST be fed what he likes to eat, on his own where the others can't get at it.

Also, it might help to take him to the vet and make sure that everything is physically ok, too.

Good luck!

Have you considered just trying him on some proper cat food (apart from the dry stuff)? It is formulated with everything they (supposedly) need, including taurine, which holistic food or rabbit(?) may not have in there. See if he'll eat some e.g. Fancy Feast pate, or whatever... he might not appreciate your good intentions with non-regular food.

so sorry about your loss

The first thing you should do when a cat loses interest in eating is to take him to the vet, just to make sure he isn't sick and that you are facing a psychological problem, you will also get alot of advice from the vet that might be very helpful.

Feebs seems depressed and grieving the loss of his buddy, you can probably help him by separating him from the other kitties when its feeding time.
Keep him in a room with his dish and water, that way he has some peace when its time to eat.
If you aren't happy with how much he's eating right now maybe try buying different brands to see which one he ends up liking.

You meant the best by giving Feebs some new friends, some cats responds well to it while others don't. I think Feeb just needs a while to mourn and then will pay more attention to the new kitties at home.

Give him lots and lots of affection, he must feel lonely now that his companion has gone

Thanks for all the replys. I sure do make special time for the Feeb. I bring him into the computer room and hand feed him with brushing and belly rub sessions till I get him to purr. He went from not eating... to eating some. The midnight chanting sessions he was going through have slowed. He walks around with his pet beaver and cries loudly untill the kittens come running. Then He'll pin one down with the beaver and neckhold the kitten. I have seen this so many times I have deemed it safe for the kittens. I can pick him up and bring him over to his kibble and he eats several pellets. He love chicken cutlets so I let him eat as much as he wants. He ate some raw Totaug... "Blackfish" raw fish has been his favorite in the past till I found out it's not really good food for cats. He's only two years old and hasn't fell into the obease catagory. I'm just concerned and wish he'd snap out of it a little faster. I understand that this can take up to eight months. I feel for body mass and I always think I feel too many bones. He's probably just a bit lighter than he should be. Here's a shot of the Feeb with his beaver.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...0_0034copy.jpg

He looks beautiful - I got a little teary, actually, picturing him with his beaver wandering around and crying. Poor baby. I hope for his sake that he can get over his grief soon, and that the kittens find a place in his heart. Sounds like he's having a bit of fun with them anyway!

Aww, Feeb is beautiful! With that lilac-ish undercoat, he looks like a larger version of my little Pearl!

I'm concerned about what you're feeding him, though. Does he ALSO get actual cat food? He really needs a good premium cat food, or he won't get the balance of nutrients he absolutely has to have. Someone else mentioned taurine, which is critical. Without enough taurine, a cat can go blind!

Here's what works for me when my kitties are ill and reluctant to eat:

1. Although I normally give them a nice variety of Fancy Feast in pate-style, chopped, grilled, etc., I find they prefer the pates when they're feeling ill.

2. They love it when I warm the wet food a little bit...I often do this for them even when they're perfectly well.

3. If they still won't eat, I take a bit of kitty milk-substitute and stir it into the warmed food to give it a milkshake consistency.

4. If worse comes to worst, I get them some baby food. They like unseasoned chicken puree, warmed and served in a shallow dish.

5. Finally, you can sometimes encourage them to eat by offering the food on the tip of your finger. In desperation, you can dab the food on their mouths -- they'll lick it off just to get clean.

By the way, though -- if a kitty is still refusing food at #3, I'll take him straight to the vet. They cannot be allowed to go 48 hours without food or their internal systems start shutting down! They're so small... it doesn't take long for things to go severely awry.

Good luck...and please give Feeb a nose-nuzzle for me!