Cat doesn't eat a lot

[peppermintplant]

Well, she's at the vet for her teeth cleaning. I'll know by 10:30 a.m. if anything showed up on the tests, and she'll be ready to come home around 3 p.m. She actually gained a tiny bit this week - the first time hasn't lost or remained flat at best since August - so I think it really is just a food issue. I was talking to the vet tech and remembered that the prescription dry they were on before, Hill's, changed the shape of their food around the same time she started picking at her food and losing weight. Wellness is almost the same shape as the Hill's used to be, so we're wondering if maybe Klio is just that picky, lol. I guess the vet tech said another woman had a cat on the i/d who flat out refused to eat the new shape (not even picking at it like Klio did) and she bought out every bag of the old shape and froze them.

So I'm hoping that everything will be clear on her tests, because then we know she's just a super picky eater.

 

[scubacat]

 
Well, she's at the vet for her teeth cleaning. I'll know by 10:30 a.m. if anything showed up on the tests, and she'll be ready to come home around 3 p.m. She actually gained a tiny bit this week - the first time hasn't lost or remained flat at best since August - so I think it really is just a food issue. I was talking to the vet tech and remembered that the prescription dry they were on before, Hill's, changed the shape of their food around the same time she started picking at her food and losing weight. Wellness is almost the same shape as the Hill's used to be, so we're wondering if maybe Klio is just that picky, lol. I guess the vet tech said another woman had a cat on the i/d who flat out refused to eat the new shape (not even picking at it like Klio did) and she bought out every bag of the old shape and froze them.

So I'm hoping that everything will be clear on her tests, because then we know she's just a super picky eater.

I hope her tests are fine!

So, I recently adopted a cat who, unlike EVERY other cat I have had, is not at all food obsessed. She is a small cat...especially for an adult...but the vet thinks she is healthy and fine. Her body shape does seem good, she is just not a big cat. I know she had some litters young and I have heard this can affect them a bit in terms of size.

Anyway, she DOES eat and even seems to get excited when it is time to eat, and she may even be enthusiastic for 3-4 bites, but then she does not really care so much? She'll walk away and not be interested. When we first got her I put her on some kibble as she was used to eating that (Orijen Cat & Kitten). At least the kibble was grain free, and sourced from up around here where I live, though still 18% carbs. I have been trying to get her to eat 100% grain free wet and raw. She does like her Nature's Variety raw (especially the duck) and I am going to try a couple other Canadian brands out with her, but the wet food has been a lot of up and down. She will like something one meal, then not so much the next.

I swear I am at a least one of the local pet stores in town once a day getting her new food to try! She also hated the Wellness grain-free/low carb stuff! Core and regular. I tried different flavours. She would sniff at it, back away and look at me or my husband like we had given her rotten roadkill. Some smell in it was not appealing to her. Would not even go for her favourite freeze-dried treats or kibble on top! Unlike your cat, she actually seems to NOT like pate much...not even the Fancy Feast Classics which I tried in a moment of desperation! So, she likes the chunky or minced kinds more but still not enough to eat it all at once. I am getting by on rotating Weruva Paw Lickin' Chicken, some BFF flavours (with fish, so I limit those), and some Merrick flavours. She had no interest in Nutro Natural Choice, etc. I think I have figured out she prefers to eat more like 5-6 times a day, about 30-35 calories worth at a time. So, when I first put out a serving of her food, she will lick the gravy, nibble a few bites then leave it to dry out a bit. Then come back a while later and eat some more. It will all be gone 3-4 hours before her next mealtime. Then it starts all over again. If she REALLY likes something, like the raw duck pellets, she will eat like ALL but 4-5 pellets.

You might think it was because she does not like wet food, but even if I put down a small amount of kibbles, like 1/4 of what she should get per day according to the feeding guidelines, she will quickly start eating them....but then I will look at the bowl and 1/2-2/3 of it will still be left! She will snack on it later, but will never eat ALL of it at one go and even then there are often some kibbles left before I feed her that she is not interested in.

She seems to eat it all if I DO put down smaller portions, like if I take a 3 oz can and only give her 1 oz...she will eat it all then and there and then walk away happily. If I give her 2-3 oz in one meal, she will leave 1-2 oz behind. I cannot do that every few though as I work! We have Cat Mates but I am not going to set up that many feeding times. So, for now I just make sure I SERVE her enough calories during the day, and then if she will eat at least MOST of it, I am happy enough. I watch her weight to make sure she does not lose and what else can I do?

We are going on a vacation in a week, and I feel so sorry for my pet sitter....the instructions she is going to get are going to be a little confusing!

 

[peppermintplant]

Aww, she sounds like a picky eater too! Cute, though.

Klio's tests all came back normal, she actually gained a little this week, and her teeth weren't nearly as bad (or nearly as expensive) as we thought they'd be, although she did have one badly broken tooth that they pulled. She's back home and a little loopy from the anesthesia, and being a total sweetheart - she's been walking around purring for like an hour now. At this point, we're fairly certain she is just a very picky eater, though I'm supposed to keep an eye on her weight and bring her back in if she starts losing so quickly again. The vet wants her on 1/4 cup of dry and 4 oz of wet per day, so that's what I'm going to aim for right now (although she's on soft foods only for a few days due to the extraction).

Thank you all so much for the well wishes. It was really reassuring to me, and I'm feeling very relieved right now! Now if I can just get my other cat's asthma controlled, we'll all be healthy and happy again.

 

[johnmcbobbers]

 
How old is she?

First, are you sure she should be 7.5 pounds (by which I mean, has a vet told you that?) Most domestic cats should weigh around 8-10 pounds though it can vary based on frame and breed. 7.5 pounds sounds low to me for most cats.  Now I am speaking only in very broad and general terms, so if this is something your vet has told you carry on and don't mind me.  

You think 7.5 is small for a domestic? Our cat who's been around 20 years  has averaged around 3.5 pounds  her whole life (she isn't a tall cat, but she is underweight.  Vet already told us, but we can already see that ).  She ate a lot as a kitten, but after that, she stopped eating a lot and only takes in a small amount a day, and is mainly  water drinker.  She even scarfs tuna or chicken breast (She really gets excited for those), or at times I am giving her Doritos because she loves those, but won't eat a big amount either (like a third of a can of tuna, and that's it for the rest of the day). Our other cats, on the other hand, one is average, and the other two are really pudgy.

 

[molldee]

3.5 pounds??!?! wowww!