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My cat has FIV. He recently had an upset respitory infection which he took like 3 different antibiotics. Now he is looking much better and feeling better. But still will not eat. We have tried over 5 brands of dry and wet food and have tried human food as well. Tuna, chicken, sardines, ham, even yogurt... The dry food he smells and rubs against it... But he still won't eat it. Any suggestions as to helping me get my cat to eat would be appreciated.
All good ideas above. I also use Fancy Feast fish flavors when I can't get a cat to eat.
You can also ask your vet about using cypropheptadine (sp). This is an antihistamine with a side effect of increasing appetite. I've used it and it works well.
Nothing pulls at me like someone saying they can't get their cat to eat. That was absolutely the hardest thing I ever went through with a cat, harder than meds even I'd say, even though that is hard too.
Talk to vet, always a good idea. Especially if it's been more than 48 hours, although my vet was not yet worried (or at least put on a calm and unworried demeanor on the phone) and at about 60-70 hours is when she finally ate one time.
Baby food. Someone said Beechnut which I never found I don't think, but Gerber 2nds in the glass jars have some meat-only varieties. At that 60-70 hour point this is what I got Amber to eat. Chicken baby food, I went to where she was sitting with the jar and a spoon, and she finally ate through about half that jar in one sitting by licking off the spoon. It was a start and a great relief. Some cats might like the beef or ham better, for a while I had some good luck with the ham. Obviously this is not ideal for more than a jump start but I can't help but remember the relief I had that day. The food I was feeding could well have been a coincidence, but I'll always associate a return to eating with the baby food.
Things that will make a cat not eat include inability to smell and breathing issues. Make sure the latter is not among your problems. Trouble breathing certainly turned out to be part of the problem for Amber.
If it has been 3 days and you can't get him to eat anything something is probably up more than just finding the perfect food. I had so many cans of so many different kinds of food hanging around over that first period then for weeks after and I now know it was never really the type of food that was the problem. Maybe a small part of the problem, but only a small part.
FWIW, it was not on the Gerber label when I bought it last year. If they actually don't have to label it, well, that's just another reason why our food labeling sucks.
FWIW, it was not on the Gerber label when I bought it last year. If they actually don't have to label it, well, that's just another reason why our food labeling sucks.
I did not see it listed on the jar of Gerber's either. I think they only had 2 ingredients listed, chicken and chicken broth. I'll have to check a jar next time I go food shopping. Years ago, my vet told me to use the baby food for an appetite kick start. She told me to get the lamb, meat only kind. She said lamb was easiest for digestion. I don't even think they make the lamb baby food any more.
Have you tried smearing some food on his paws? He would hopefully eat some when he tries to clean it off.
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