My adult son still lives with me, 5 weeks ago he bought a beautiful Maine coon kitten (now 6 months old). His previous owner said he was eating kitten iams and wet meat ( no specific brand). Ralph barely eats anything and he had loose stools, 2 weeks ago we took him to the vets as he was being sick. He had an anti sickness injection and was put on pro kolin. Bloods were also taken and sent off. The vet said he was definitely underweight for his breed.Bloods came back fine apart from low glucose levels and he has corona virus which the vet said the low glucose was probably due to the lack of eating. On the Prokolin his stools firm up but if we stop giving him it they become loose again. He runs around the house, plays and is full of energy but we just can’t get him to eat barely anything.He will eat a few biscuits and walk away, wet meat only a couple of mouthfuls. My son has spent a fortune on different foods trying to encourage him to eat more, obviously we know swapping and changing his food isn’t ideal as that won’t help his stools.Has anyone any suggestions?
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HELP, cat won’t eat
- Thread starter Joeysmum
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Given the situation, I’d be consulting with the vet, tbh. Perhaps get a second opinion at a different practice. It’s highly unusual for a young cat of a slow growing breed to be so apathetic to food at this early an age.
Something to try in the short term is having a really intense play session prior to offering food. Some kittens want to play so much they forget about eating, though it’s not a common issue.
Have parasites and dental issues been ruled out?
ETA: actually has the vet assessed his body score? That he doesn’t weigh as much as other MCO kittens of his age doesn’t mean he’s underweight. He seems to have okay body condition in the photo.
Something to try in the short term is having a really intense play session prior to offering food. Some kittens want to play so much they forget about eating, though it’s not a common issue.
Have parasites and dental issues been ruled out?
ETA: actually has the vet assessed his body score? That he doesn’t weigh as much as other MCO kittens of his age doesn’t mean he’s underweight. He seems to have okay body condition in the photo.
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The vet did say he has some gingivitis, we are back at the vets on Friday for another glucose test and it will be a different vet we see as the one we have been seeing doesn’t work on a Friday. There’s no other vets nearby to where we live. The vet we have been seeing has actually called a couple of times to see how Ralph is doing. He’s up to date with worming . He will also be weighed so we can see if he’s lost or gained any weight.He’s obviously getting by on the little he’s eating as he’s extremely playful but it definitely isn’t enough.
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Has he had trouble eating the entire time he’s lived with you? He’s probably growing in his adult teeth, so his mouth is sore, which would explain the gingivitis. Have you tried diluting pate in water so that it has more of a mousse consistency that’s easy to lick up? If he doesn’t show interest, try taking a couple of his kibbles, smashing them, and sprinkling the dust on top of the mousse 
Have you tried using the Internet to search for appetite stimulants? I dont know about young cats but my older cat gets into spells where she wont eat. I had mentioned it to my vet a few years ago and she gave me a RX for ” mirtazapine” it’s a very small tablet and I only needed to give her 1/4…instructions were to give every other day but I didn’t need to give it more than once. I would check with the vet to see if it would be okay for your cat. I think it comes in a gel too. Another thing I do is if she doesn’t seem interested in eating, I give her the small jar of baby food, no onions.
Have you tried the pouches? Did his lost of appetite just start a couple weeks ago or was it right after your son got him?
what has the vet said about the real cause of soft stools? I don’t believe in having to keep giving a med, there’s got to be a hidden cause which should be addressed.. Hope the different vet can help…
By the way, he’s very beautiful! I hope you find a solution.
Have you tried the pouches? Did his lost of appetite just start a couple weeks ago or was it right after your son got him?
what has the vet said about the real cause of soft stools? I don’t believe in having to keep giving a med, there’s got to be a hidden cause which should be addressed.. Hope the different vet can help…
By the way, he’s very beautiful! I hope you find a solution.
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- #7
The vet said it was him having corona virus which caused the loose stools.He’s been like this since getting him, we’ve literally tried so many different foods varying in consistency. I messaged the man my son bought him from and he said he didn’t seem keen on wet food but he didn’t know how much dry he actually ate as he was at work all day and he had Ralph’s sister as well. I did message him again asking about his stools but he didn’t reply.
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Have you tried a probiotic? I know when food has upset my girls' stomachs I use Fortiflora mixed into a wet food I know doesn't trigger. Also it supposedly works on getting them to eat. If he's only eating dry, you might mix the fortiflora with some water and let him lap it up.
One of the problems is, aside from the virus, there are so many other things that can cause loose stools. I know fish for my girls, as well as the Wellness brand (I don't know why but every time I fed it to Delilah, before I adopted my 2nd cat, she had loose smelly stool).
One of the problems is, aside from the virus, there are so many other things that can cause loose stools. I know fish for my girls, as well as the Wellness brand (I don't know why but every time I fed it to Delilah, before I adopted my 2nd cat, she had loose smelly stool).
Fortiflora helps improve my cats appetite and an appetite stimulant. Also cerinia if she's nauseous
