Syringe Feeding: Maine Coon Cat

[OurMiracle]

My 18-year-old Maine Coon cat has squamous cell carcinoma. We have been syringe feeding him and he has been responding well. All of the sudden he has been lifting his paw up when we feed him. Why is he doing this all of the sudden? He has never done this before. Thank you in advance!

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. Sorry to hear about the carcinoma. Is he raising his paw to try to push away your hand? Since he has been taking the feedings well, it might just be that he either doesn't like that particular food, or the positioning of the syringe on those occasions. It could be too that he is feeling better and has a little bit more 'fight' in him about being syringe fed. Some cats when they are sick can be 'more acquiescing' than when they are feeling a bit better.

Feeby puts her paw up when I have to syringe feed her meds - for her, it is in 'protest'. If she is particularly feisty, I will burrito her so that she cannot use her paws to try to stop me.

On the other side of the coin, if he is not trying to bat away your hand, it might mean he is asking for more. Feeby started putting her paw up in the air when I was giving her some human food on a plate. I would give her a bite, she would eat it, and I would go get another bite for her - each time I did this, she was raising one of her paws up as if she were directing me where to place that next bite!