I need some help - Puking cat

[Melrai]

Hi there. I am in desperate need of some help. My male cat, Hooligan, 6 years old, had been fed kibble for most of his life. When I began reading and learning about raw, I was convinced that it was the best thing to do for my beloved and I began the process of getting him off kibble and on to a raw fed diet.

Although a very long process, he has been thriving and striving...until today. He completely stopped eating his raw food today - he had no interest in it. What worries me, is that lately I have noticed a few odd things about him.

1- He has been puking GIANT hairballs. I would 2-3x a week. He cleans himself and cleans my other kitty, so I understand why he is passing through such huge hairballs. But, of course, this is not normal. He also passes them through his stool...which confuses me. I also find, what seems like, regurgitated food every now and then. Which makes me wonder whether he is puking up his food or simply trying to get another hairball out.

2- His hair seems to be thinning near his eyebrows (that spot in between his ears and his eyes). Not only is it thinning, he seems to be forming some scabs in that area too. Now, I am unsure whether this is something very serious or stress-related. As I haven't been home AS OFTEN as I usually am with the holidays and such...

3- Finally, he altogether stopped eating his raw last night. I tried with catnip, freeze-dried treats, canned food on it, next to it, you name it I tried it. I even resorted to crushing ONE kibble and placing it over his raw...still no dice. I finally caved and gave him Instinct Variety's Rabbit flavored canned food...because I was worried he hadn't eaten. He seemed interested in the canned food and ate it, maybe like a quarter of his intake for the day. So, not all....

My question is, can this be something more serious? Is there a blockage that might be causing him not to eat and lose his hair above his ears? Please help, I am so very worried about this...

[angeldogs]

Sorry to hear your having issues with your cat.hopefully one of the other members with cat experence will have some info for you.
A vet visit might be needed.or a trip to an ER vet.

[Melrai]

Originally Posted by angeldogs

Sorry to hear your having issues with your cat.hopefully one of the other members with cat experence will have some info for you.
A vet visit might be needed.or a trip to an ER vet.

I will be definitely going to the vet. My only problem is that he will only be in the office as of the 2nd of January - what with the holidays going on. I will be keeping my fingers crossed.

He ate a very good portion of his canned tonight, hopefully he'll keep it down.

[angeldogs]

Originally Posted by Melrai

I will be definitely going to the vet. My only problem is that he will only be in the office as of the 2nd of January - what with the holidays going on. I will be keeping my fingers crossed.

He ate a very good portion of his canned tonight, hopefully he'll keep it down.

he keeps it down.

[thradia]

Does he scratch at the scabby area above his eyes? Like it's itchy? That could be something as simple as Folliculitis.. which is like a infection of the hair follicles. But a lot of things could cause it, thyroid issues.. maybe just a nutrition thing because of his not eating.
But hyperthyroidism in cats can cause all those symptoms as well.. I'm not a vet though! lol But I imagine he will run some blood tests.

Good that he kept some food down! As long as he's getting some nutrition you should be find until vet day

[marko]

Hi Melrai

A couple of additional pieces of info might be useful.
- Does this cat goes outdoors
- How long has the cat been eating Raw, and exactly what is the cat getting? (There are a bunch of smart Raw food feeders on our forum)
- Is the cat pooping and peeing normally?
- How long has it been since you noticed the thinning and scabbing?


Some cats can be food-fussy one day and normal the next. My rule of thumb is 24 hours. After that the vet gets a call and a likely visit.

It IS a good sign that your cat ate a bit last night...

In terms of the thinning hair and scabs - that is concerning (it could be stress related but it could also be related to something else) and if this were my cat, a vet would be examining this at the next available opportunity.

[Hazmat]

What raw food? Perhaps he is allergic to it.