Since Saturday 1st May, I've noticed that my 10-year-old cat has stopped eating (though he was drinking without any issues). I decided to take him to the vet on Monday (3rd May). Apart from a bit of dehydration, they didn't find anything abnormal. She prescribed Mirtazapine (half a tablet over 5 days). I managed to give it to him and he started eating a few minutes later. I was so happy, but not for long, as he started meowing loudly 30 minutes later and brought everything back up. I think he reacted that way because he was on an empty stomach. The vet should have told me to syringe-feed him before giving him a tablet... I thought of it too late. Now he won't let me stroke him anymore and I've noticed he's stopped drinking water too. As I was panicking, I took him back on Wednesday and she suggested hospitalising him for a drip, antibiotics, and further tests (biochemistry, FIV, etc.). When I picked him up today, she told me that everything was fine, he's hydrated and managed to eat a tiny, tiny amount. However, his white blood cell count is very low (neutrophils). He's been prescribed Kesium for 10 days, morning and night, and Mirtazapine again, but this time one whole tablet every 3 days. I'm starting the full tablet on Friday. She gave me some syringes and advised me to feed him Hill’s a/d wet food—something she didn't think to tell me at the first appointment on Monday, so my cat had an empty stomach for several days. Today, Sunday 9th May—a week later—my cat still refuses to eat by himself, although he did go for a drink on his own. I'm syringe-feeding him the a/d wet food... I just don't know what to do anymore! Especially since he's only having wet food, he's using the litter tray but it's diarrhoea. I should mention that I was on holiday at my parents' house; I often go there for the weekend with my cat without any problems, but after a week there he suddenly stopped eating. I had to cut my trip short and come home, thinking he’d been unsettled by the environment. But there’s been no improvement and he has no interest in food. I’m back at work on Monday and I’m so worried that he won’t eat all day. Thank you for reading and for your help.
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Hi,
I know this is an old thread but my cat is currently going through exactly the same thing.
Did you find a solution or work out what was wrong with him?
Thanks, I hope your kitty is doing better now.
Fortol is even better than Nutri-plus gel, but it’s really hard to come by, unfortunately. If you do manage to find some, to help it keep, you can put it in an ice cube tray and just defrost a cube whenever you need to use it.
You can get in touch with me by looking under my avatar and clicking 'send a message'. As for how long it took my kitty to start eating on her own again, it was a good week to 10 days—it felt like a long time. She didn't have diarrhoea, though. You should definitely mention that to the vet, because if she isn't eating or drinking properly, she’ll get dehydrated very quickly. You should try blending her dry food very finely with some warm water to make a kind of soup, then give it to her using a syringe. You'll need to syringe-feed her, and the same goes for water; she absolutely must drink. Give her the Nutrigel morning and night to keep her strength up. Of course, you need to click on my username first to find the 'send a message' option.
I had the same problem last year with my kitty who, out of the blue, just stopped eating. We never found out why because all her tests came back perfect. Like you, I syringe-fed her because it’s absolutely vital that your cat eats something. But what probably saved her life, and had already saved one of my other cats before, was Nutri-plus Gel. It’s a paste you give morning and evening—you just put about 2 cm on your fingertip and pop it into the cat’s mouth. It’s very palatable, it gives them a real boost by kickstarting their appetite, and most importantly, it provides all the nutrients and vitamins they need. It supplements their intake, though of course, the cat still needs to eat actual food as well. Make sure you give her water via a syringe too. They hate being syringe-fed, but it’s often what’s needed for them to pull through. Best of luck! You can get Nutri-plus Gel from the vet, often by order from the chemist, or on various pet supply websites.
Hi @Ulalie, I’ve replied to your message and thank you so much. I’m not sure how to send you a private message directly? I’d really like to talk to you, I’m so desperate for help, please.
Hi,
First of all, I’m sorry for the late reply. Thank you for your help.
It's been ten days now and the only thing he’ll accept are those liquid treat sticks; he’s refusing anything solid, even wet food that I’ve mashed down to make it softer. I’ve ordered the Nutrigel you recommended and I’m really hoping it makes a difference. However, my cat has constant diarrhoea—did yours have that problem too? How many days was it before yours started eating on his own again? I won't lie, I’m starting to feel quite desperate and I’m worried there might be another underlying issue (intestinal or something else). I’m waiting to try him with the Nutrigel to see if there's any improvement. How long was it after you started giving him the gel that he began to eat by himself? Sorry for so many questions, but your help is so much appreciated, thank you so much.
I had the same problem last year with my kitty, who stopped eating out of the blue. We never found out why because all her bloodwork and tests came back clear. Like you, I had to syringe-feed her because it’s absolutely vital that your cat gets some food down. But what likely saved her—and had already saved one of my other cats previously—was Nutri-plus Gel. It’s a paste you give morning and night; you just put about an inch of it on your fingertip and pop it into the cat's mouth. It's very palatable, gives them a real boost to help get their appetite back, and most importantly, provides all the nutrients and vitamins they need. It’s a great supplement, though of course, the cat still needs to try and eat properly too. Make sure to give her water by syringe as well.
They don’t like being syringe-fed, but it’s often the only way for them to pull through.
Best of luck! You can get Nutri-plus Gel from the vet, often at the chemist (though they usually have to order it in), or from online pet stores.
