I'm so frustrated and upset right now.

[carolina]

Originally Posted by zoeysmom

Anyone know if it's normal for a cat who hasn't eaten in a while to grind their teeth while eating...she seems to be working extra hard to "chew" her food. The vet did look in her mouth and at her teeth. I seem to recall Zoey doing this to her food too.

Yes, Bugsy did exactly the same thing after every bite for a couple of days after he stopped eating last week for some reason... After he started eating normally he stopped and went back to normal... I checked his gums as I thought it was a signed maybe his stomatitis had flared, but they were ok...

 

[ldg]

She's eating! I do remember when Tuxie was so anemic we had trouble getting him to eat. He was on steroids and an appetite stimulant, and we still struggled. For him, the food that got him going was jumbo shrimp, boiled, served warm shredded up with some of the juice. Almost the worst food in the world for him (crystal problems), but at the time, eating was more important.

Continued

 

[zoeysmom]

Originally Posted by LDG

She's eating! I do remember when Tuxie was so anemic we had trouble getting him to eat. He was on steroids and an appetite stimulant, and we still struggled. For him, the food that got him going was jumbo shrimp, boiled, served warm shredded up with some of the juice. Almost the worst food in the world for him (crystal problems), but at the time, eating was more important.

Continued

These cats don't have us wrapped around their little paws, do they? Right now I'm typing one-handed because Belle has decided that she wants to cuddle in my arms!

Thanks for the tip...I'll look for some shrimp when I'm out tomorrow. It seems all I've done on my holidays is visit the vet, shop for cat food, and care for Belle!

She's lucky I love her!

 

[ldg]

Yeah, well the problem with shrimp is that now we can no longer eat it.

5 years later, if we make shrimp for ourselves, Tuxie MEOWS and MEOWS for it - and whether or not we give him a little taste (because it isn't good for him!), he begs multiple times a day for up to a month after it's been in the house. So we just don't eat it anymore.

If she's eating any particular flavor of fancy feast, I'd stick with that!

And yes, she IS lucky you love her!

 

[ldg]

And yes, initially, it was the JUMBO shrimp (as opposed to other size of shrimp) that he would eat the most of!

 

[farleyv]

keei it up Belle!!

Mom needs a break!!!

 

[bastetservant]

Yay Belle! And Double Yay to Belle's Mom!!!

Hope you're over the hump now.



Robin

 

[zoeysmom]

Just wanted everyone who has been sending vibes that so far, they have been working. Belle did well today and keeps nibbling away on her chicken and Fancy Feast. She acts more and more like her normal obnoxious self by the hour. She's currently playing with a catnip caterpillar she got for Christmas but wasn't feeling well enough to play with.

I notice a difference in Delilah as well. She's still no where near friends with Belle, but I really think she was picking up on Belle not feeling well. She was downright snarly before to everyone, and now she just seems much more relax and less on-edge all the time. When I went to buy more of the tuna Fancy Feast, I picked up a Cat Dancer toy just for her. I've made them for her before, but she's never had a real one. I think she enjoyed just spending some playtime with mom.

I will be terrified when it comes time to begin tapering Belle off of the prednisolone. I'm trying not to think about that, as we are nowhere near that point where it is even an option. I'm just trying to think day by day at the moment.

 

[ldg]

Keeping up the vibes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That's really great news - bet you'll sleep a bit better tonight!

 

[GoldyCat]

Keep it up, Belle. Don't worry your meowmy so much.

 

[zoeysmom]

She ate some treats!

I've always used Medical Feline Gastro dry food as treats for the girls. I had some leftover from when Zoey was sick (they gave me a baggy full to try, but she never ate it), and they went nuts over it when I gave them some of it. Delilah would never eat any commercial treats, and it really wasn't anymore expensive to buy a small bag of food than little packages of treats, so that's what they got.

I'd been trying when Belle was sick and although she seemed to want treats and would sniff them, she would not eat them. This morning I was headed out to pick up a couple things and Belle clearly wanted some treats. I gave some to her fully expecting her to sniff and walk away, which she seemed to do at first, but she actually at them! I gave her a few more, and she ate those too!

I'm trying not to be too optimistic, but I'm REALLY hoping that we're over their hump, and Belle is on her way back to normal. So, I want to thank everyone who helped out by sending vibes, suggestions, or just keeping Belle in your thoughts. When I get my camera back, I'll take some pictures and videos of Belle being her normal, annoying self, so you can see how improved she is!

 

[carolina]

How is Belle doing?

 

[zoeysmom]

Originally Posted by Carolina

How is Belle doing?

Carolina....so sorry....life started again after holidays, and I didn't even notice your asking about Belle.

She's doing well - back to her normal, obnoxious self. She's still on 0.2ml of prednisolone every day for another week, and then we'll go to every other day for 14 days and then she'll be weaned off.

It bothers me a bit that we don't know what caused her problems in the first place, but I'm glad she's feeling better. I think she's eating more now than she did before she was sick...not doubt helped along by the prednisolone. She begs us for food constantly when we're eating...she used to do that when she was a kitten, but had really begun behaving as she grew older.

For now, I have both my girls on dry i/d, which they eat like candy....including Delilah, who is already chubby, so I'm not sure if it's a long term solution. Still trying to figure out a wet food for them....they'll eat the Friskies they were on before again, as well as Fancy Feast. They won't touch the wet i/d, nor do I really plan on paying $2.40/can for the long term. I really don't like feeding them a junky dry food and a junky wet food, but that might have to be the way it stays for now if they continue to do well.

Thanks for checking up, Carolina....sorry it took me so long to respond.

 

[carolina]

Oh, I was so afraid to open this.... then... yey! Whew!
No problem hun, I am just delighted at the good news! That's awesome!

We got some scary moments there, didn't we?

 

[farleyv]

So glad to see Belle is doing well!!!!