Mirtazapine side effects 🙄

[FriendofFerals]

My 14-year-old CKD Maine Coon mix is the epitome of picky, to the point of hunger strikes because he's still mourning the loss of dry food from his two-week Diabetes Type II adventure a few years back. Now it's wet food, low phosphorous kidney food mixed with some Blue Wilderness Adult Chicken Pate or a topper to get him to even touch it.

Recently he lost a little weight due to a virus and his own pickiness and I was given mirtazapine to give him any time he plays games with eating. The problem is, the stuff makes him ridiculously affectionate, meows constantly, purrs but seems agitated, and wants to lick my face all evening (and keep me up at night) but I could deal with all that if he would just EAT. The problem is, it just makes him go pick at the bowl more often but not really eat his food. I get that it's a serotonin boost and he gets the munchies and the feel-goods but the lack of sleep on my part, the yowling and restlessness from him versus what he actually eats after taking it really aren't worth the ordeal.

Has anyone had better results with something else? I like how quickly it works but wish more of the effects were actually appetite-based and not licking my arm raw for hours.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi, can you handfeed him?

 

[FriendofFerals]

Hi, can you handfeed him?

I wish...he won't even play that game either. He also doesn't like treats, tuna, chicken, any people food at all--just nasty carbohydrate-riddled dry food which he cannot have anymore. I waste so much expensive CKD low phosphorous food and whatever I mix it with trying to get him to eat. Also, he only eats pate, no shreds, no chunks. Seems he can't get pieces of anything in his mouth (oh, except dry kibble)....and even with pate he licks it a few times like ice cream and walks away. I have never seen him finish his meal (one 3.3 oz can) in a 6 hour period. I pick it up if he's sleeping and put it in the fridge but it takes most of the day to eat 50% of one meal. There has got to be a better way than this...

 

[LeiLatte]

When my cat was not eating enough and on mirtaz there was a point I would sit in a small room with him, add some water to the pate wet food, and use an oral syringe to feed him. He didn’t like it and avoided me but he was getting the calories.

 

[Kflowers]

Have you tried turning his wet food into kibbles? I've no idea if it will work, but reading your post made me think, why not put little dabs of the wet food on a cookie sheet and bake it? It could be the texture he wants -- since he doesn't like most forms of wet food -- more than anything else.

 

[FriendofFerals]

When my cat was not eating enough and on mirtaz there was a point I would sit in a small room with him, add some water to the pate wet food, and use an oral syringe to feed him. He didn’t like it and avoided me but he was getting the calories.

I’ve had to do that briefly with him in the past but luckily he snapped out of it… I may have to do it again if he keeps this up…

 

[FriendofFerals]

Have you tried turning his wet food into kibbles? I've no idea if it will work, but reading your post made me think, why not put little dabs of the wet food on a cookie sheet and bake it? It could be the texture he wants -- since he doesn't like most forms of wet food -- more than anything else.

That’s an idea… but then I’m just imagining the house reeking of baked cat food every day… and it wouldn’t work when we have to travel to my parents’ house for holidays and whenever. I’m sure mom wouldn’t tolerate the smell of baking wet Blue Wilderness in her oven

 

[stephanietx]

Have you tried plain meat baby food? That usually does the trick when I'm dealing with a picky eater. I get BeechNut brand, plain chicken or turkey with no added veggies or anything.

 

[silent meowlook]

My 14-year-old CKD Maine Coon mix is the epitome of picky, to the point of hunger strikes because he's still mourning the loss of dry food from his two-week Diabetes Type II adventure a few years back. Now it's wet food, low phosphorous kidney food mixed with some Blue Wilderness Adult Chicken Pate or a topper to get him to even touch it.

Recently he lost a little weight due to a virus and his own pickiness and I was given mirtazapine to give him any time he plays games with eating. The problem is, the stuff makes him ridiculously affectionate, meows constantly, purrs but seems agitated, and wants to lick my face all evening (and keep me up at night) but I could deal with all that if he would just EAT. The problem is, it just makes him go pick at the bowl more often but not really eat his food. I get that it's a serotonin boost and he gets the munchies and the feel-goods but the lack of sleep on my part, the yowling and restlessness from him versus what he actually eats after taking it really aren't worth the ordeal.

Has anyone had better results with something else? I like how quickly it works but wish more of the effects were actually appetite-based and not licking my arm raw for hours.

Is there an underlying reason for the lack of appetite or do you think it’s just him?
Has his thyroid been checked? Although they usually eat more with hyperthyroidism.
I am sure you know they have a tendency to get heart disease. Just something to keep in mind.
If the Mirtazipine doesn’t help, there is no point in giving it. In my opinion anyway. Maybe discuss with your vet giving a half dose to see if that helps.
There is another appetite stimulant called Elura but I haven’t had luck with it.
Next time you are at the vet, check with them about checking his blood pressure because high blood pressure can be present with kidney disease.

 

[FriendofFerals]

I’ve tried all kinds of baby food and he won’t have it. This morning, after mirtazapine last night and him keeping me up all night licking and walking over me, again he refused to eat. Got out the old 600ml syringe and filled it with his breakfast and managed to get it in him over the course of 2-3 sessions but it’s such a pain—messy, it’s all over his fur even with a paper towel “bib”, it’s all over the floor and the wall…. I wish he’d just eat his food. He agreed to lick some of it coming out of syringe at one point without me having to force his mouth open but it’s like—it’s the same food in the dish as the syringe… why he prefers to lick it out of a tube or have it shoved down his throat is beyond me but if that’s what it’s going to take, then I guess that’s where we’re at. I just wish there was a true appetite stimulant out there, not just a serotonin booster with a possible side effect of appetite. This cat doesn’t fit the profile for anything it seems. Doesn’t like treats, wet food, can’t smell catnip, prefers to eat balls of lint and fur in the corners than his actual food…

 

[Furballsmom]

Try using a Popsicle stick. I have never liked syringes, and my vet suggested using tongue depressors. It's better all around, less messy and more food gets into the cat more easily.