What's up with my boy?

[baby.lou44]

Hi everyone, this is my first post here. Wasn't sure whether to put this in cat health or cat behaviour.

I'm desperate for some some advice about my kitty, Alfie, so I'm hoping someone might have some idea what might be going on with him.

Alfie is a neutered 3 year old Silver Tabby. He's an indoor cat. He's always been a very happy, playful boy, and likes a fuss made of him.

Last Monday evening he suddenly stopped eating. I decided to give it 24 hours and see what happened. I took him to the vet as there was no change. They ran all the usual blood tests and everything is normal. He had a very slight temperature so was given something to bring it down. That seemed to help and he started eating again, but it didn't last and by the next morning he was off his food again and didn't seem himself. I took him back to the vet and he was given a thorough examination and the vet couldn't find anything of concern. He was then given something to stimulate his appetite and I was told to bring him back the next day if things didn't improve. They didn't and he was back at the vet again the following day. He was seen by a different vet who wanted to test for pancreatitis, and that test came back negative. His temperature was also now normal. They decided to keep him in for the rest of the day for observation. Whilst there he eat some chicken and the vet seemed to think he had perked up a bit so he was allowed home. He had been given a painkilling injection which made him totally spaced out for about 24 and really scared me. That was Friday and he's been eating pretty well ever since. However he's not "right". Alfie has always been a pretty vocal boy and makes all manner of adorable noises. But since Tuesday he has been silent. He purrs, but that's it. This is really bothering me because it's so unlike him. I've also noticed he's over grooming and I know this can be a sign of stress or anxiety in a cat. So why is he stressed?

This all started after myself and my neighbour spent a few hours in my back garden last Monday night. Alfie was sat in the window yowling at us and seemed to be distressed that he was inside and I was outside. This carried on for quite some time. When I went back inside I gave him lots of cuddles and didn't think anymore of it. But it was after this he began acting strangely. Surely he can't still be upset about this, can he?

I've bought 2 pheromone diffusers to try and help calm him a bit but I haven't noticed any improvement in the 3 days I've been using them.

I'm going to give him some time but if this carries on then I'll probably take him back to the vet. In the meantime, has anyone experienced anything similar? Anyone have any suggestions for things I could try? Any ideas as to what else could be causing this?

Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks so much.

 

[Alldara]

Stress might have exasperated something already going on. He might have been so stressed because he wasn't feeling well and wanted you close.

It's normal for there to be changes in how quiet or loud your cat is when sick. Did the vet give take home medication? Sometimes the quiet will continue during the course of medicine especially if it makes them drowsy.

Early in 2021, Magnus stopped eating and is was acute and we didn't find the cause. The same time, our friends cat did the same (humans had masked contact between households). Magnus's former foster had a cat do this the same weekend (no contact between households but same city). All different foods. I wondered if it could be some sort of virus. No humans tested for COVID during this time in any household mentioned. Calcifer did this a few months after being home and it was determined to be a bad batch of Wellness cat food, reported by myself and the vet -- no recalls issued.

Go with your instincts regarding seeing the vet again. If he's using the litter normally and energey levels start to return, he might need a few days of calm to bounce back.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. Is he back to eating/drinking now? Using the litter box normally? What test was run for pancreatitis? There is blood test called feline pancreatic lipase immunoreactivity, or fPLI, which is the most specific test. It's looking for inflammation markers, but it can still miss them in some cases. But it would be odd for him to have pancreatitis if he is eating fine now. Nonetheless, the next steps probably would be abdominal x-rays and/or an ultrasound to look for other indicators that could cause his behavior if they are health related.

What were you doing in the backyard - something that could have ended up with you bringing unusual/abnormal smells into the house, or left some smell/change in the yard that Alfie is picking up on?

Cat music, or just about any softer, soothing type music might help if he is stressed. And trying different diffusers could be something else to do - not all of them work on all cats.
Stress in Cats – The Ultimate Guide – TheCatSite Articles

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi, I'm just wondering, is this a cat only clinic?

Find a Veterinarian and Practice | The Cat Community

 

[silent meowlook]

Hi. This has nothing to do with your being outside and him inside. Cats don't think like this. They don't worry about tomorrow or think about yesterday.

Your cat sounds very ill. Is he the kind of cat that likes to play with hair ties or eat things he shouldn't? Is he using the litter box normally?

I would find a feline only vet if you don't already have one. Did they do any radiographs or imaging?

 

[maggie101]

Hi everyone, this is my first post here. Wasn't sure whether to put this in cat health or cat behaviour.

I'm desperate for some some advice about my kitty, Alfie, so I'm hoping someone might have some idea what might be going on with him.

Alfie is a neutered 3 year old Silver Tabby. He's an indoor cat. He's always been a very happy, playful boy, and likes a fuss made of him.

Last Monday evening he suddenly stopped eating. I decided to give it 24 hours and see what happened. I took him to the vet as there was no change. They ran all the usual blood tests and everything is normal. He had a very slight temperature so was given something to bring it down. That seemed to help and he started eating again, but it didn't last and by the next morning he was off his food again and didn't seem himself. I took him back to the vet and he was given a thorough examination and the vet couldn't find anything of concern. He was then given something to stimulate his appetite and I was told to bring him back the next day if things didn't improve. They didn't and he was back at the vet again the following day. He was seen by a different vet who wanted to test for pancreatitis, and that test came back negative. His temperature was also now normal. They decided to keep him in for the rest of the day for observation. Whilst there he eat some chicken and the vet seemed to think he had perked up a bit so he was allowed home. He had been given a painkilling injection which made him totally spaced out for about 24 and really scared me. That was Friday and he's been eating pretty well ever since. However he's not "right". Alfie has always been a pretty vocal boy and makes all manner of adorable noises. But since Tuesday he has been silent. He purrs, but that's it. This is really bothering me because it's so unlike him. I've also noticed he's over grooming and I know this can be a sign of stress or anxiety in a cat. So why is he stressed?

This all started after myself and my neighbour spent a few hours in my back garden last Monday night. Alfie was sat in the window yowling at us and seemed to be distressed that he was inside and I was outside. This carried on for quite some time. When I went back inside I gave him lots of cuddles and didn't think anymore of it. But it was after this he began acting strangely. Surely he can't still be upset about this, can he?

I've bought 2 pheromone diffusers to try and help calm him a bit but I haven't noticed any improvement in the 3 days I've been using them.

I'm going to give him some time but if this carries on then I'll probably take him back to the vet. In the meantime, has anyone experienced anything similar? Anyone have any suggestions for things I could try? Any ideas as to what else could be causing this?

Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks so much.

Like everyone else said,checking the litterbox can help determine if it's medical. If your vet cannot find what's wrong by xray and blood testing,it is time to see an internal medacine doctor and get an ultrasound. Is he hiding? Have you switched his food suddenly?

 

[stephanietx]

Did the vet do an x-ray to check for an obstruction or gas in his gastric system?

 

[mysterylover]

I hope all is going better for your baby. One of my cats started walking away from her food that she had been eating for years (Lotus Just Juicy Chicken as well as Lotus pates). I started experimenting with the food, and even though the first food she walked away from was the Just Juicy Chicken (shreds), it turned out that the pates were causing her digestive issues. The more pate I fed, the more her tummy rumbled and the softer, smellier her stool was. Like, she was eating it fine for 6 months or more, and then, suddenly, either she became intolerant of the ingredients or, maybe due to COVID, the ingredients were being sourced from a different place or something.

I just wanted to put that out there. Like, when you mentioned he ate chicken at the vet and that he had eaten food and stopped, it made me wonder if the food might be upsetting his stomach (maybe even just bloating or gas and not diarrhea or constipation), even if it was the same food he did well on months before. I have even heard of kibble going rancid when someone bought a big bag to save money and it took longer to get to the last half of the bag, at which point the cat walked away - they bought a new bag and all was well.

--I wish I could say my female cat is totally over this. I switched to the Just Juicy Venison, but because she preferred pate, I have been spending time cutting it and mushing it up, and yet, the smell is no longer as great to her, so I add some treats. Many foods that smell great to her have given her diarrhea (Weruva) or severe constipation (Ziwipeak) - not sure if I am going too fast because I want to expand her diet before she gets bored, or if her system just got used to only agar agar with being on Lotus shreds and pate for so many years.

Anyway, please let us know how he is doing. When a kitty does not eat, it is stressful. My three cats are on all wet food, and I have even been considering buying kibble because my girl is eating basically the same food at every meal right now. I have even thought about trying Weruva again and adding a bunch of probiotic like Fortiflora (it actually constipated her when I tried it as a food topper) to let her have foods she likes.

 

[misty8723]

I agree with those who said find a cat only vet. One of the scariest things in my opinion is when your cat won't eat. Good luck and I hope the situation has cleared up by now and all is well.