cats not eating

Hi

In UK

I have two cats - both about 12 yrs old. I give them a varied diet day to
day, but suddenly both of them have almost stopped eating. For the past 3
days now, neither of them have done more than pick at what's on offer
(ranging from fresh fish, tinned food, dried food). They both look healthy
enough.

Any ideas why they would both stop eating?

Are they drinking water?
Yes - have seen them drinking

They haven't stopped eating, just picking at it and eating far less.

Have you tried yogurt
Have never ever given them yogurt, but have just put some down to see.

or going back to their favorite?
That's the fresh fish they get each day.

Has anything happened in the house?
not that I know of

or since you are in the UK could they have gotten into something?
No idea what you mean by this

"wasted" wrote :in the house?
not that I know of

or since you are in the UK could they have gotten into something?
No idea what you mean by this


You let them out, right?

Sorry to be so slow replying Matthew - something called life keeps getting
in the way!

Anyway, thanks for all your comments/suggestions. The strange thing for us
was that both cats seemed to be reacting similarly, and yet there was
nothing in the immediate environment that had changed. The cat who is
dominant most of the time (the undercat occasionally lets him know he's not
a pushover!!) is the one who had almost stopped eating altogether, whilst
the other one was nibbling a touch more.

We seem to be progressing now, but I'll respond to a couple of your points
first

Have you tried yogurt
Tried that at your suggestion and they both ignored it big time!

What type of fish?
I buy Coley quite often because it's cheap - and in the past they've loved
it - they've been having this for some years with no sign of a problem, and
devour it most nights.

Canned fish or processed fish has the highest levels.
That's interesting - when I've given canned fish they have had it the first
time, and then refused it.

Cats can be very sensitive to enviroment change. It could be as simple as
you not cleaning the litter box
These cats are free to roam in a big area (big for the UK anyway!) - no
litterbox!

or since you are in the UK could they have gotten into something?
No idea what you mean by this
Did not mean anything by it. Explained in the other post ;-)
Not being funny about this - I just don't know what you meant by "since you
are in the UK"

Anyway - I decided apart from anything else to offer a variation of treats -
appropriate stuff but "different" to what they are used to, and they have
both started eating more again. In fact number one cat has started coming to
see what we're up to in the kitchen again in case it might mean unexpected
food.

Both cats are around 14 years old, and as I understand it, 15 is the
average, so I'm going to start investigating issues for "geriatrics"

Thanks again for your time and ideas.

JP

Matthew - may be a UK/USA language thing here - when I asked what you "meant
by that", it wasn't an accusitorial or aggressive question - I was just
asking you to clarify because I didn't understand. Apologies if you heard it
as negative.

Interesting what you say about inside/outside - I hadn't realised there was
so much debate. My personal view is that no animal should be made to live
inside a human habitation, but it can if it chooses to, unless it's
dangerous!. So, 14 or so years ago, after a time of refusing to give in to
my childrens' begging to have "pets", which I equate with the term
"Prisoners Enforced To Stay", I eventually agreed we would have a cat from
the rescue center on the basis that he was already alive and would be caged
or killed if we didn't rescue him, and he would be free to roam in a
neighbourhood with lots of open space and an abundance of prey in the form
of mice, birds, hedgehogs (if the cat dares try!), occasional rats, and so
on. A year later, this cat, having made it clear to all neighbouring cats
that this was HIS turf, suddenly allowed another male of the same age to
enter. We realised this was either a feral or an abandoned and much abused
animal because he was so wary of humans, but he was starving and tugged at
the heart strings enough to get his own food bowl. Cat 1 makes it clear to
Cat 2 that he is boss, but they are always together, share the same basket
overnight in the winter, groom each other, and still just manage to see off
any newcomers on the block. 14 years on, Cat 2 is still wary with us, allows
us to stroke him on good days but watches our every move the rest of the
time.

I can see that other issues arise if there are predators, but we do have
foxes and birds of prey here that will take cats if they can, and I don't
see that this means we can imprison cats against their nature.

JP

On Nov 22, 1:07�pm, "wasted" wrote:
Hi

In UK

I have two cats - both about 12 yrs old. �I give them a varied diet day to
day, but suddenly both of them have almost stopped eating. For the past 3
days now, neither of them have done more than pick at what's on offer
(ranging from fresh fish, tinned food, dried food). They both look healthy
enough.

Any ideas why they would both stop eating?

What are you doing to them that would make them shy away from eating?
Have they been suddenly thrust into a situation that causes a great
deal of stress? Grandkids coming over? New lap-dog in the house?
Something like that? It's usually something that the cat owner is
doing different. They just don't stop eating by themselves. Not two of
them.


IBen Getiner

"wasted" wrote in message
...
Hi

In UK

I have two cats - both about 12 yrs old. I give them a varied diet day to
day, but suddenly both of them have almost stopped eating. For the past 3
days now, neither of them have done more than pick at what's on offer
(ranging from fresh fish, tinned food, dried food). They both look healthy
enough.

Any ideas why they would both stop eating?




A few years ago I had an indoor semi feral that dropped a substantial amount
of weight in a very short time. The vet tested him for about everything and
announced he had a cold.

He couldn't smell food so he didn't eat it even though he was starving.

A week days of antibiotices, appitite stimulants, and confined to a room
with plenty of food to graze on took care of it.

I would never have thought a cat could die from a common cold but my vet had
seen it before.

ron

On Nov 25, 9:33 pm, "wasted" wrote:
Matthew - may be a UK/USA language thing here - when I asked what you "meant
by that", it wasn't an accusitorial or aggressive question - I was just
asking you to clarify because I didn't understand. Apologies if you heard it
as negative.

Interesting what you say about inside/outside - I hadn't realised there was
so much debate. My personal view is that no animal should be made to live
inside a human habitation, but it can if it chooses to, unless it's
dangerous!. So, 14 or so years ago, after a time of refusing to give in to
my childrens' begging to have "pets", which I equate with the term
"Prisoners Enforced To Stay", I eventually agreed we would have a cat from
the rescue center on the basis that he was already alive and would be caged
or killed if we didn't rescue him, and he would be free to roam in a
neighbourhood with lots of open space and an abundance of prey in the form
of mice, birds, hedgehogs (if the cat dares try!), occasional rats, and so
on. A year later, this cat, having made it clear to all neighbouring cats
that this was HIS turf, suddenly allowed another male of the same age to
enter. We realised this was either a feral or an abandoned and much abused
animal because he was so wary of humans, but he was starving and tugged at
the heart strings enough to get his own food bowl. Cat 1 makes it clear to
Cat 2 that he is boss, but they are always together, share the same basket
overnight in the winter, groom each other, and still just manage to see off
any newcomers on the block. 14 years on, Cat 2 is still wary with us, allows
us to stroke him on good days but watches our every move the rest of the
time.

I can see that other issues arise if there are predators, but we do have
foxes and birds of prey here that will take cats if they can, and I don't
see that this means we can imprison cats against their nature.

JP

hear hear!!! i agree with your interpretation of PETS, mine can go out
when i am there to open the door and i do not restrict their
movements, in fact i have been trying to get one of them to indulge in
more 'movements' around the place in order to drop a bit of weight as
he is rather portly. another one (terri, female, unknown age,
abandoned by previous family) rarely goes out and prefers to be
indoors and i also do not force her out if she does not feel like it,
she would obviously rather be curled up in her bed next to the
radiator, particularly now it is getting colder. jessie comes and
goes, but is mostly asleep on my bed, i have no worries about her. I
feel it would not be fair to confine them indoors so the few times
they want to go out, even if it is just for a brief trot round the
garden, I let them get on with it, I feel it would be unfair to stop
them despite all these apparant predators just waiting to make off
with them (it would take one seriously big and muscular fox who could
kill and drag off mr mcg, he is about 7kg of fur-covered wobble).

anyway back to your cats, i they have been checked by the vet and
nothing is apparantly wrong, have you asked around your neighbours to
see if anyone else is feeding them? it is a possibility that they are
preferring to dine at the little old lady's place up the road from you
without you realising.

anyway at least they are eating normally again, bless em

bookie