Gluttonous cat afraid of his brother, will no longer eat

Hello,

I have two Siamese cats about 7½ years old named Kodos and Kang. Kodos has
always been a finicky eater, his brother Kang has always been a bit of a
glutton. In fact, Kodos weighs about 8 pounds and Kang weighs in at 12.

Kodos developed an ear infection last week. There's a much longer story
there, but what's important for now is that he completely lost his balance
for a few days and Kang was absolutely terrified by this behavior. Kodos is
much better now, but Kang has refused to eat for the past 5 days.
Ordinarily I would say Kang could stand to lose a few pounds, so this diet
isn't so bad a thing, but it's gone on long enough now that I'm getting
worried. They would always eat together at meal times, but now Kang will
only stick his head out and look towards the kitchen but won't approach it.
I've tried taking Kang's dish to him in another room, but he won't go near
it. I've tried my best to reassure him and give him lots of extra
attention, but he still won't eat. Overall, he seems to be less frightened
of Kodos now than he was a couple of days ago. He's also just as
affectionate as ever, though perhaps a little quieter. And fortunately, he
still seems to be drinking plenty of water. But could anyone give me some
ideas on how to convince him to start eating again?

By the way, Kodos' appetite seems greater than ever.

Thanks for any advice.

Hi there,

This is a pretty serious problem, as you probably know. Dogs can fast
for a day or so, but it is much more dangerous with cats. They can
develop fatty liver disease in a day or two days without food. They are
one animal that cannot fast.

After five days, this is an emergency. He needs to get to the vet to see
if there is anything else wrong with him. Sometimes health problems pop
up along with something else (like the other cat scaring him) and you
think it's the obvious reason, but it's a new health problem.

Anyway, have you tried to force-feed him? Mix wet food and water
together and syringe it into his mouth (with him upright, not on his
back.) Is there anything at all he will eat? Maybe try baby food if
you've got an all-night grocery. A meat baby food without onions in the
ingredients. Any cat food, wet or dry, that he will eat. Try different
flavors, sometimes the stinkier flavors will tempt them.

If you can't get him to eat anything at all right now, I would get him
into an emergency vet tonight. If you can get some food into him, I
would not wait any longer than 1st thing tomorrow morning to get to the
vet.

Good luck. Let us know how it goes!

Rhonda

Kodos wrote:

Hello,

Kodos is
much better now, but Kang has refused to eat for the past 5 days.

Rhonda wrote in
:

Hi there,

This is a pretty serious problem, as you probably know. Dogs can fast
for a day or so, but it is much more dangerous with cats. They can
develop fatty liver disease in a day or two days without food. They
are one animal that cannot fast.

After five days, this is an emergency. He needs to get to the vet to
see if there is anything else wrong with him. Sometimes health
problems pop up along with something else (like the other cat scaring
him) and you think it's the obvious reason, but it's a new health
problem.

Anyway, have you tried to force-feed him? Mix wet food and water
together and syringe it into his mouth (with him upright, not on his
back.) Is there anything at all he will eat? Maybe try baby food if
you've got an all-night grocery. A meat baby food without onions in
the ingredients. Any cat food, wet or dry, that he will eat. Try
different flavors, sometimes the stinkier flavors will tempt them.

If you can't get him to eat anything at all right now, I would get him
into an emergency vet tonight. If you can get some food into him, I
would not wait any longer than 1st thing tomorrow morning to get to
the vet.

Good luck. Let us know how it goes!

Rhonda

Kodos wrote:

Hello,

Kodos is
much better now, but Kang has refused to eat for the past 5 days.


Okay, well, thanks for scaring the heck out of me.

The house was all quiet, so I snuck over to the kitchen and was able to
get him to eat a little bit of bacon. That's a snack I rarely give but
one I know he loves. Once I got him started with that, I was able to
give him a couple of morsels of dry cat food (I usually give them Nutro
canned food with a little Nutro dry mixed in). He was a little hesitant
with both the bacon and Nutro, but I do think he was hungry and that he
would have kept eating a little more. Unfortunately, Kodos woke up and
came to investigate and it scared him off.

The vet did look him over last week when I took Kodos in about his ear
infection. No blood work or anything, but maybe it's time to do that.
And I spoke to the vet yesterday and told him about all this. He
basically told me not to worry for now as long as he's drinking plenty
of water (which I've seen him do). I'll call him again in the morning
and see what he thinks. I'll try to give him a little more food later
after I make sure Kodos is nowhere around.

Thanks

in article , Kodos at
wrote on 7/2/05 2:32AM:

Rhonda wrote in
:

Hi there,

This is a pretty serious problem, as you probably know. Dogs can fast
for a day or so, but it is much more dangerous with cats. They can
develop fatty liver disease in a day or two days without food. They
are one animal that cannot fast.

After five days, this is an emergency. He needs to get to the vet to
see if there is anything else wrong with him. Sometimes health
problems pop up along with something else (like the other cat scaring
him) and you think it's the obvious reason, but it's a new health
problem.

Anyway, have you tried to force-feed him? Mix wet food and water
together and syringe it into his mouth (with him upright, not on his
back.) Is there anything at all he will eat? Maybe try baby food if
you've got an all-night grocery. A meat baby food without onions in
the ingredients. Any cat food, wet or dry, that he will eat. Try
different flavors, sometimes the stinkier flavors will tempt them.

If you can't get him to eat anything at all right now, I would get him
into an emergency vet tonight. If you can get some food into him, I
would not wait any longer than 1st thing tomorrow morning to get to
the vet.

Good luck. Let us know how it goes!

Rhonda

Kodos wrote:

Hello,

Kodos is
much better now, but Kang has refused to eat for the past 5 days.


Okay, well, thanks for scaring the heck out of me.

The house was all quiet, so I snuck over to the kitchen and was able to
get him to eat a little bit of bacon. That's a snack I rarely give but
one I know he loves. Once I got him started with that, I was able to
give him a couple of morsels of dry cat food (I usually give them Nutro
canned food with a little Nutro dry mixed in). He was a little hesitant
with both the bacon and Nutro, but I do think he was hungry and that he
would have kept eating a little more. Unfortunately, Kodos woke up and
came to investigate and it scared him off.

The vet did look him over last week when I took Kodos in about his ear
infection. No blood work or anything, but maybe it's time to do that.
And I spoke to the vet yesterday and told him about all this. He
basically told me not to worry for now as long as he's drinking plenty
of water (which I've seen him do). I'll call him again in the morning
and see what he thinks. I'll try to give him a little more food later
after I make sure Kodos is nowhere around.

Thanks
Man you need a different vet. Cats canNOT fast for that long and "be OK".
Cats that don't eat are in grave danger of getting hipatic lipidosis. YOu
NEED to get food into this cat. See if you can get a can of a/d and tempt
him. Even baby food (no onion). Feed him in a closed room where the other
cat cannot come into. This is serious.

Hi there,

Sorry to scare you, but this scares me!

I'm glad he ate a little, but he has to get more into him quickly. Did
you try force-feeding him?

I agree with Karen -- try a new vet! If he doesn't know about fasting
and fatty liver disease, you need another vet.

Did he eat more yet?

Rhonda

Kodos wrote:

Okay, well, thanks for scaring the heck out of me.

The house was all quiet, so I snuck over to the kitchen and was able to
get him to eat a little bit of bacon. That's a snack I rarely give but
one I know he loves. Once I got him started with that, I was able to
give him a couple of morsels of dry cat food (I usually give them Nutro
canned food with a little Nutro dry mixed in). He was a little hesitant
with both the bacon and Nutro, but I do think he was hungry and that he
would have kept eating a little more. Unfortunately, Kodos woke up and
came to investigate and it scared him off.

The vet did look him over last week when I took Kodos in about his ear
infection. No blood work or anything, but maybe it's time to do that.
And I spoke to the vet yesterday and told him about all this. He
basically told me not to worry for now as long as he's drinking plenty
of water (which I've seen him do). I'll call him again in the morning
and see what he thinks. I'll try to give him a little more food later
after I make sure Kodos is nowhere around.

Thanks

Rhonda wrote in news:42C6C6F9.4020506
@attremovethis.net:

Hi there,

Sorry to scare you, but this scares me!

I'm glad he ate a little, but he has to get more into him quickly. Did
you try force-feeding him?

I agree with Karen -- try a new vet! If he doesn't know about fasting
and fatty liver disease, you need another vet.

Did he eat more yet?

Okay, I will contact another vet asap. But on the good news front, yes he
has started eating a little bit. At regular meal time this morning he
showed up (which was good news in itself) and though a little timid he did
eat some even though his brother was right next to him. (His brother Kodos
is still a little dizzy but he's not falling over anymore, which was the
behavior that was scaring Kang.) Then a little later I was able to give him
four or five pieces of dry food. And at lunch time I gave him a little
piece of chicken that I had made for myself. Then a little while later he
came over to his dishes and ate a little bit more (I left some food out
just in case). Each session he has only eaten a very little bit, but I'm
sure he has eaten more today than he has during the past week. I don't want
to try force feeding because he's already scared and nervous enough and he
does seem to be making progress.

That is great news! I'm glad he's starting to eat again. I'm also glad
you're contacting another vet.

Keep tempting him with food. Maybe try some new, wet food too. There was
one type with sardines (I think it was Pro Plan) that would usually work
when our cat stopped eating.

Good luck!

Rhonda

Kodos wrote:

Okay, I will contact another vet asap. But on the good news front, yes he
has started eating a little bit.

Rhonda wrote:

Okay, I will contact another vet asap. But on the good news front, yes he
has started eating a little bit.

ah, whadda you know!

in article , Kodos at
wrote on 7/2/05 3:04 PM:

Rhonda wrote in news:42C6C6F9.4020506
@attremovethis.net:

Hi there,

Sorry to scare you, but this scares me!

I'm glad he ate a little, but he has to get more into him quickly. Did
you try force-feeding him?

I agree with Karen -- try a new vet! If he doesn't know about fasting
and fatty liver disease, you need another vet.

Did he eat more yet?

Okay, I will contact another vet asap. But on the good news front, yes he
has started eating a little bit. At regular meal time this morning he
showed up (which was good news in itself) and though a little timid he did
eat some even though his brother was right next to him. (His brother Kodos
is still a little dizzy but he's not falling over anymore, which was the
behavior that was scaring Kang.) Then a little later I was able to give him
four or five pieces of dry food. And at lunch time I gave him a little
piece of chicken that I had made for myself. Then a little while later he
came over to his dishes and ate a little bit more (I left some food out
just in case). Each session he has only eaten a very little bit, but I'm
sure he has eaten more today than he has during the past week. I don't want
to try force feeding because he's already scared and nervous enough and he
does seem to be making progress.

Try and get some a/d (Hills) for him from your vet. Highly palatable and if
he is only eating a little packs more calories. I'd try feeding him separate
for security.

Karen wrote:
in article , Kodos at
wrote on 7/2/05 2:32AM:

Rhonda wrote in
:

Hi there,

This is a pretty serious problem, as you probably know. Dogs can fast
for a day or so, but it is much more dangerous with cats. They can
develop fatty liver disease in a day or two days without food. They
are one animal that cannot fast.

After five days, this is an emergency. He needs to get to the vet to
see if there is anything else wrong with him. Sometimes health
problems pop up along with something else (like the other cat scaring
him) and you think it's the obvious reason, but it's a new health
problem.

Anyway, have you tried to force-feed him? Mix wet food and water
together and syringe it into his mouth (with him upright, not on his
back.) Is there anything at all he will eat? Maybe try baby food if
you've got an all-night grocery. A meat baby food without onions in
the ingredients. Any cat food, wet or dry, that he will eat. Try
different flavors, sometimes the stinkier flavors will tempt them.

If you can't get him to eat anything at all right now, I would get
him into an emergency vet tonight. If you can get some food into
him, I would not wait any longer than 1st thing tomorrow morning to
get to the vet.

Good luck. Let us know how it goes!

Rhonda

Kodos wrote:

Hello,

Kodos is
much better now, but Kang has refused to eat for the past 5 days.


Okay, well, thanks for scaring the heck out of me.

The house was all quiet, so I snuck over to the kitchen and was able
to get him to eat a little bit of bacon. That's a snack I rarely give
but one I know he loves. Once I got him started with that, I was able
to give him a couple of morsels of dry cat food (I usually give them
Nutro canned food with a little Nutro dry mixed in). He was a little
hesitant with both the bacon and Nutro, but I do think he was hungry
and that he would have kept eating a little more. Unfortunately,
Kodos woke up and came to investigate and it scared him off.

The vet did look him over last week when I took Kodos in about his ear
infection. No blood work or anything, but maybe it's time to do that.
And I spoke to the vet yesterday and told him about all this. He
basically told me not to worry for now as long as he's drinking plenty
of water (which I've seen him do). I'll call him again in the morning
and see what he thinks. I'll try to give him a little more food later
after I make sure Kodos is nowhere around.

Thanks
Man you need a different vet. Cats canNOT fast for that long and "be
OK". Cats that don't eat are in grave danger of getting hipatic
lipidosis. YOu NEED to get food into this cat. See if you can get a
can of a/d and tempt him. Even baby food (no onion). Feed him in a
closed room where the other cat cannot come into. This is serious.


Another very tempting cat food .... more so than Hill's A/D is .... Whiskas
"ground kitty stew." Conan would take this over moistened A/D via syringe.