Is my little Reggie upset with me??

hi

just wanted to get a few opinions on this one if that's ok...

a week ago my little cat reggie (who's 15 in a couple of weeks) decided to stop eating... no warning. this is very unusual for Reg as he has an overactive thyroid condition which we treat with neo mercazole. so i took him to the vets who kept him overnight with a drip as he was dehydrated... when i rang later in the day to check on him they said he was doing fine and had actually started eating quite soon after i took him in although only by hand. the vets ran a full bloodwork test and said that all his organs were functioning normally. the only thing that came up was a high white blood cell count which they said would indicate an infection so they started him on a course of antibiotics. when i rang the next day they said he was doing really well and now eating on his own from a bowl... fab i thought!! went to pick him up later that day... once home though he wouldn't eat again. i bought all his favourites to try and entice him but no luck... the next day i called the vet who gave me some tips and i even went back to the vet to buy some a/d specialist food which he'd been eating the day before... warmed it up etc... but still nothing so by 5pm i decided to take him back to the vets. we decided that it would be best to hospitalize him for a couple of nights to ensure he got all his meds and get him back eating again... plus the vet said that maybe because i was getting really stressed and upset trying to feed him and administer his tablets that he was maybe picking up on that too...

so two days later i went to pick him up and thankfully, touch wood, cross fingers etc he has been eating at home... the vet has put him on some appetite stimulants and we finished his course of antibiotics this morning. he's by no means back to himself yet... he's a little wobbly on his back legs which the vet thinks is down to muscle waste, he's still a little quiet although yesterday and this morning he was much more vocal and isn't sleeping as much as he was...

so my question is i guess... why was he able to eat at the vets but not at home for me?? i feel like a bad owner do you think he's upset with me about something?

we do have another cat at home (ronnie), they're brothers but not particularly friends although when reg was poorly ron laid with him the whole time!

any ideas, thoughts...?

thanks

sarah

It must be so upsetting for you!

I think your vet is probably right that with the stress and worry of trying to get Reggie to eat, he picked up on this! I notice that when I am stressed about something, my kitties pick up on it very quickly!

Have you thought about trying Feliway to help to keep Reggie calm? It might help hime feel more at ease!

Another way to encourage Reggie to eat is to sprinkle some dried catnip onto his meal!

I know it is hard to stay calm when our babies are poorly, but you'll have to try your best! Plus, you are certainly not a bad Mummy! We all would act exactly the same if it were our kitty!

I also think that his weakness and lethargy will ease, as he gets more food and energy into his body! Antibiotics can make us all feel a little off form too!

Hugs to you, Reggie and Ronnie from me and mine!

Originally Posted by Sar

It must be so upsetting for you!

I think your vet is probably right that with the stress and worry of trying to get Reggie to eat, he picked up on this!

I notice that when I am stressed about something, my kitties pick up on it very quickly!

Have you thought about trying Feliway to help to keep Reggie calm? It might help hime feel more at ease!

Another way to encourage Reggie to eat is to sprinkle some dried catnip onto his meal!

I know it is hard to stay calm when our babies are poorly, but you'll have to try your best! Plus, you are certainly not a bad Mummy!

We all would act exactly the same if it were our kitty!

I also think that his weakness and lethargy will ease, as he gets more food and energy into his body! Antibiotics can make us all feel a little off form too!

Hugs to you, Reggie and Ronnie from me and mine!

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thanks for your very supportive message think i'll definately give the feliway a try... can i buy dry catnip in any pet store?

thanks again

sarah

Originally Posted by sarahcunny

thanks for your very supportive message

think i'll definately give the feliway a try... can i buy dry catnip in any pet store?

thanks again

sarah

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You're welcome, I know how difficult it can all get sometimes!

Yeah, you can buy dried catnip in almost any pet shop! I think 'Good Girl' does it, but there are many different brands!

I really hope Reggie is feeling much better soon and you, too, will feel much better too!

Have you tried any speciality food? One of our cats lots his apetite when he was ill. Some H/D food (by Science Diet) did the trick and got him eating again. It's the kind of food that you should be able to get from your vet btw, not from the stores.

All the best to you and your kitty. Let us know how he's doing

Originally Posted by Anne

Have you tried any speciality food? One of our cats lots his apetite when he was ill. Some H/D food (by Science Diet) did the trick and got him eating again. It's the kind of food that you should be able to get from your vet btw, not from the stores.

All the best to you and your kitty. Let us know how he's doing

Click to expand...

thanks anne... yep i've got him on a/d prescription food which he is eating with a few prawns on the top my vet recommended it as they use it for convalescing cats and ones that have lost their appetite as it's very strong smelling.

i just don't understand why he ate at the vets but then wouldn't eat at home the first time he came back...