Changed Eating Habits !

fenya7

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My 8 y.o. indoors lady changed her eating behavior. She eats very little! She declines Dr Hill's Digestive (wet food) completely. This is the only healthy food available in Uruguay where we moved 18 months ago. I shipped a ton of her Fancy feast here, but the supply is very low now. Impossible to receive anything here.
I can only buy Dr Hill's digestive (a can here is about 8 US dollars!) I give her small portions, but she never finishes her portion. She also eats DRY food Dr Hill's that I alternate with good Brazilian Dry food. Only feeding her with dry food is not good for her.
She is very picky and her digestive is very sensitive. We tried EVERYTHING through the years. She ONLY EATS CAT food. Lately, she eats very little. She did not lose any weight, her behavior is normal though a little slower than before. Our relocation here is not very good for her, it is not very QUIET in our new location, she cannot get used to it. She is not as LIVELY as she was in Los Angeles (in a very quiet apartment) She hides a lot, and she startles a lot. And it's been 18 months since we moved. Other than showing these signs, she is OK. She poops every day, peeps OK, normal stuff.
She had a Vet exam here a few months ago, her lab tests were OK.
What I feed her is --- 1/6 of the 5.5 oz CAN (divided for 6 days, the rest of the portion I keep in plastic can in the fridge.) Also - two small portions of DRY food - about 2 table spoons each. Three meals total. She barely eats her wet food. It takes her many trips to the bowl to eat all of her dry food, her DRY food she eventually eats all. She drinks normally.
Any suggestions/opinions? I am worried and at a loss... Thanks to all.
 

Furballsmom

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Hi! Can you try supplementing with goat milk, or a cooked egg now and then?

Any Good Tips To Get Your Cats To Eat? Share Them Here!

Try setting up a room and insulate the windows, and add some white noise with a fan (with the air flow directed so it's not blowing onto her). Alternate the fan with low volume cat music for an hour or two, or whatever length of time she might seem comfortable with - there's classical harp music, Spotify, Youtube, RelaxMyCat and MusicForCats.
 
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AmyFluffyMom

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Oh my! I’m not sure on the eating As long as she is peeing/ pooping and not losing weight she’s getting food in her body. It’s great her labs are all normal. I’m more concerned with the emotional aspects of her behavior. Are you able to get a product like Feliway?
 
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fenya7

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Hi! Can you try supplementing with goat milk, or a cooked egg now and then?

Any Good Tips To Get Your Cats To Eat? Share Them Here!

Try setting up a room and insulate the windows, and add some white noise with a fan (with the air flow directed so it's not blowing onto her). Alternate the fan with low volume cat music for an hour or two - there's classical harp music, Spotify, Youtube, RelaxMyCat and MusicForCats.
Hi THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
Yes,music, I do play CAT music for her, softly. No fan, it will scare her forever! The rooms are insulated, but at times there are unexpected noises from the MAIN Avenue, though we are on 8th floor. At night, all is closed, day time have to open my double panel insulated windows.
I don't think I could find goat milk for her. She does not eat eggs, chicken meat, hearts, liver, fish - nothing!... poor undernourished Fenya...
 
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fenya7

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Oh my! I’m not sure on the eating As long as she is peeing/ pooping and not losing weight she’s getting food in her body. It’s great her labs are all normal. I’m more concerned with the emotional aspects of her behavior. Are you able to get a product like Feliway?
Hi and Thank you so much. Fellyway - I have a little of it, brought from the States. I don't think I could give it to her permanently. I had to do a lot of repairs/improvements. All was supposed to be done PRIOR to our moving in, but no... so she had to tolerate workers for weeks on end. But it all is over, it's been routine for entire year now. No repairs. Occasional noise from the street. She is very scared of thunders which we barely had in L.A.....
 

Furballsmom

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I don't think I could find goat milk for her.
Fenya needs you to hang in there for her, and give it a try, and definitely take a look at that link - there are quite a few things in there that aren't dependent on being stateside.

I have a little of it, brought from the States. I don't think I could give it to her permanently.
This is used as either a spray, or a diffuser. Try using it for her when you have a storm coming through next time, and give her a safe space that's just for her, where you're not needing to open a window. Try a fan where it's not sitting right next to her but some distance away. If it's been a year and she's still startling that much, she needs more help from you.
 
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fenya7

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Fenya needs you to hang in there for her, and give it a try, and definitely take a look at that link - there are quite a few things in there that aren't dependent on being stateside.


This is used as either a spray, or a diffuser. Try using it for her when you have a storm coming through next time, and give her a safe space that's just for her, where you're not needing to open a window. Try a fan where it's not sitting right next to her but some distance away. If it's been a year and she's still startling that much, she needs more help from you.
She has a lot of her own spaces, in closets, her own little home, under the sofa, etc. She hides there a lot. Yes, I use Fellyway for thunderstorms, but other occasional noise is unavoidable... She is not very affectionate, only tolerates my rubs and petting for a couple of minutes and walks away. She sleeps far from me on my bed. Never under my blanket or near me. She is a little autistic like many calicos are...
 

Furballsmom

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Also, start weighing her every couple of weeks and keep a log. If she loses weight and continues hiding she may need to see a vet again, and possibly have an appetite stimulant. However, you can handfeed her, and don't let her dictate what she will and won't eat. Pate style foods work well for finger or tongue depressor feeding.

 
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fenya7

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Thank you very much for great advise. Will check her weight and buy her appetite stimulant. Cheers
 
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fenya7

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Thank you. I hope nothing serious... at times she scares me, she is NOT totally like she was before our relocation. Best,
Fenya and mum
 

maggie101

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Since cats have very sharp hearing, my cats ,especially maggie,get easily spooked. Feeding her is hard so I take her to a quieter room
 
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fenya7

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thank you. Her feeding place is quiet...
 
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