First Time Cat Owner What is Normal?? Help!

[Troy98]

:sad: I recently adopted a cat from a shelter. He was left there becuase his previous owners had a baby(that was all they said). He was in the shelter for about 8 days and then I took him home. He is 8 years old and has a little bit of tartar build up, so we went to a pet store to get him food and they suggested mixing oral care food with regular food. He was at first a very timid cat but would come out at night and sleep with us and purr the entire night(he is a huge attention seeker...loves to cuddle) However my problem is the other night I woke up to him trying to throw up(I never heard a cat have a hairball so it freaked me out) but he never did throw up. Now he doesn't want to eat, I have tried switching his food to see if he just didn't like that food, but that doesn't work. Also when we first got him he wasn't a fan of cat treats so I can't even bribe him with that. His personality is still the same, still wants attention purrs all the time. Many people around me that have cats say that because he is in a new environment that he might be scared and not want to eat that he will eat when he wants to. However I feel like the first time mom, that no matter what people tell you it doesn't seem normal to you. Am I just over reacting? Has anyone else had this problem after adopting a cat? Please help me before I go crazy!

[jawert1]

Congrats on adopting this kitty and welcome to the forums First and foremost, kitty needs to be seen by a vet for a complete once over and health assessment. Sadly, most shelter vets have such an abundance of patients that in spite of their best efforts, things can get overlooked. He may very well have a hairball issue that's keeping him from wanting to eat, but you really need to have him seen since cat's can perish very quickly from lack of food/water. Something to try in the interim before getting him into the vet would be some canned tuna in water, tuna being really smelly and enticing to kitties, it sometimes helps them dive right in. Also too, remember he's in an adjustment period. Dumped in a shelter, 8 days in a very loud, tense environment, and now the quiet love of your home and he may not know what to do with himself. Other cat owners may be by to give more advice, but good luck and please keep us posted on how he fares

[Winston]

Awesome advice! I would most definately agree...Thank you for saving this little ones life!

Cindy

[Troy98]

Thanks a lot for the advise. I tried the tuna and he sniffed it and walked away, just like he does for everything, treats, wet food, dry food, and he has even done the same with kat nip not a huge fan of it. I made an appointment for him to see the vet but they earliest I could get was Tuesday(and that was calling all of the vets that know of) However if he doesn't start eating soon and his personality changes(which he is still the attention seeker cuddler I love) I am going to bring him to the animal hospital. If anyone has any ideas about this let me know! Thanks:love:

[Maya]

Excellent advice from jawert1. Also wanted to add that when cats are sick they can get extra clingy and want more attention than usual, i've known them to purr even when deathly ill.:sad: Not meaning to scare you but wanted to stress that sometimes it is really difficult to tell how sick they are. Hospital is a good idea if this has been going on for a while or if you see that he's getting worse. Also make sure he's still drinking because they can become dehydrated quickly. Good luck.

[chico2]

You say he has a lot of tartar,he could have gingivitis or an infected tooth,if it's painful to eat,he won't:sad:
Cats purr because they are contented,but they also purr if in pain and not eating or drinking can cause a lot of problems.
I would try to get him to a vet ASAP if he is still not eating,I doubt it's from a hairballproblem..
Thank's for not bringing him back to the shelter and good luck with your new kitty!!

[dustybird]

Great advice from everyone and thank's again for adopting him.

I agree with everyone, just wanted to add that if you know or can find out what the shelter was feeding him even if it's crap to try offering that food. Since he has had so many changes in a short time it may be something familiar to him and if he eat's it at least he would be eating something. Then once the vet gives the hopefully clean bill of health you can slowly switch him over to a better food. I would ask the vet what to look for in choosing a food especially since he is he and male cat's are suseptible(spelling) to getting crystal's in their urine which if not caught right away can be fatal as they can be come blocked(unable to urinate). So you need to be carefull in what food you choose. There are a lot of high quality foods out there but some aren't so good for male urinary tract health. Hopefully the vet can recomend one or someone on here can or at least tell you what to look for in a food.

Best wished for a clean bill of health and I am sure once he realizes he's in his forever home he will come out of his shell. Smooches and hugs to the new fur baby.

[chico2]

Just a word of caution,most vets will sell either Hills or Medical not very good food and that is of course what they recommend.
I have yet to hear a vet recommend,good food I can get at my pet-supply store,vets are not usually all that up on nutrition.
Dustybird,please do not take this as criticism,but vets are not the best for advice on foods,unless the animal need a special food for health-reasons.
I've 3 male cats and many other males before these ones,I believe a good mixture of canned food+a hollistic dry food and plenty of fresh water will keep the cats healthy.
But first this little guy needs some medical attention

[Sweetgrass]

Hello and congrats on your new furry!

I encourage you to try anything to get puss to eat....a question for you...is he eating anything? How long has it been if it is not eating anything?
How is his litter antics...peeing okay? Bowel movements regularly???

Cats unlike dogs or other furries, can't go long without food , they can develop something called hepatic lipidosis....gosh, hope that is spelled right....

I have found a couple of things that always get my gang at least licking the food...

-add parmesan cheese to the canned..
-warm it up with some hot water and make a total mash of canned food ...
-add a smidge of olive oil to food in case a hairball is causing issues...
If no food goes in for over 24 hours please get to an emergency clinic...
-avoderm tuna and crab always gets my gang interested, I make a mash of it with warm water....

I have a diet controlled diabetic cat, and have to make sure she eats regularly...I have learned a lot about diet and felines...they are obligate carnivores and really need wet/meat food...dry can cause a variety of issues....
Please feel free to check out cat diets on the web......some good key words that helped me.....cat nutrition...diet for obligate carnivores...etc....

Please keep us posted..they are so good at hiding their symptoms.,...I really hope it is just adjustment issues and that things settle for you all soon...

Kimmee

[dustybird]

Chico I don't take any offense and I agree most vets are not up to date on foods that they don't sell. I have been fortunate enough though to know two vets that do keep up to date on foods that are sold elsewhere and only recomend vet diets when there is a medical reason. Unfortunately it's only been two vets out of 12. Proper nutrition is so important and its a shame more vets don't pay enough attention to it. Don't mean to be a thread stealer just wanted you to know I was not offended, and yes a vet visit is in order.

[Inisfad]

You don't say whether when you first got the cat if he was eating normally or not, nor how long you have him. It's true that cats do not accept change well at all, and for this cat to have gone through 3 homes in a matter of 2 weeks is very traumatic, which can affect their eating habits. Also, you don't say whether this cat goes outside or not. I find that my cats (who do go outside) sometimes eat grass and then throw up - this is apparently a natural thing that they do to clean out their innards. If he grooms himself a lot he will have a tendency for hairballs, which often they cannot throw up, although they try to. Sometimes something like liquid paraffin can help move along their digestive system, sometimes these things are so large that they have to be surgically removed. It is always a very good idea to get a new pet examined by a vet, particularly if it comes from a shelter where there can be tons of infectious health issues going around. However, cats do have a tendency for occasional 'hacking' occasionally, which, if the cat has been checked out by a vet and given a good bill of health, is not a cause for alarm. But definitely bring him to a vet to get checked out. And Sweetgrass' tips on getting the cat to eat in the interim are good tips.

[chico2]

Thank's DB,I certainly did not want to offend..I have yet to meet a vet like yours
Sweetgrass hit the nail on the head,I think cats in general lick there food up more than chew,adding more liquid always works better to get them to eat,the mushier the better.
A bit of warm water also brings out the smell of the food.
Troy98 please give us an update on your kitty,hopefully he's ok

[Troy98]

Update on Troy

We took him to the hospital this morning becuase he still wasn't eating and when he would go to his water he would just hit it with his paw and not eat it. When we got to the hospital the checked him out and he had a temperature of 40C but other than that they said he looked in great condition. The decided to give him some fluids and a perscription, becuase they think he might have got a cold at the shelter. The minute we got home we let him out of the cage and he ran to some tuna I had on the floor for him and ate it so quickly it was amazing. So we gave him a little more and he just sat there eating it happy as can be. Now my only trouble is getting him to eat his hard food that we have for him...but that can wait in my mind! Thanks everyone for your concerns and opinions on how to help him it means a lot to me! :love:

[dustybird]

Thank you for the update and glad to hear that he's eating something and that it wasn't anything too searious. You could try offering him some canned tuna flavoured cat food or mix some of the dry food with wet food. A good quality wet food is good to encorperate into a male cat's diet as it encourages them to urinate more which helps in preventing urinary problems as a lot of male cat's seem to be prone to.

[Maya]

Thanks for the update. Keep an eye on him and don't be afraid to be an over protective cat mommy. I think it's always better to be safe than sorry. I don't know which foods to suggest but I agree prevention of crystals is something you will want to look into. The better foods can seem expensive but it's worth it because kitty will need less (because it's not all filler) and be healthier in the long run. Best of luck with your new fur baby Troy.

[Sweetgrass]

Paws crossed that you are over the hurdle and have many wonderful times ahead!

Thanks for the update.
Kimmee