Cat people

hoffse

Hi ladies,

FI and I rescued a beautiful 2 yr old kitty yesterday, and we haven't been able to get her to eat.  We bought some of the food the shelter had her on, and she's not taking it.  We have also tried some tuna fish, and she turned up her nose - she sniffed and backed away.  Any suggestions?  I know she's probably stressed by her move, but she's been very affectionate, sitting next to me all day, using her litter box correctly, and generally very mellow.  We are going out this afternoon to buy her something else to try, but we're sort of stumped about where to start, because we've never seen a cat that hates tuna.

TIA

RupertPenny

I'd try some wet food (like actual cat food, not tuna). And give her another day or two before you really freak out. Cats don't need three square meals a day like humans, she just might not be hungry yet.

RupertPenny

Also, you should probably post a picture.

SunriseAmber

I would try the wet food too. Some cats are picky eaters and are paticular about what type of dry food they want so you may have to try a few before you find the right brand.

adamar15

I would give her a little more time.  I'm sure she'll start eating once she settles in.

RupertPenny

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_cat-people-3?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:6e1da740-f557-4542-9f32-c25ebe5693d1Post:489f92e9-90fc-4485-ba9f-e0c49cd96c1c">Re: Cat people</a>:
[QUOTE]What about milk?  I know it's not food, per se.  Maybe she is still nervous and won't eat?  We give ours IAMs.
Posted by edielaura[/QUOTE]

Actually giving cats cow's milk is a bad idea. It can upset their tummy.

hoffse

OK we'll try Iams - any suggestions on wet food that won't smell?  We're in a small apartment.

Pic coming right up:

hoffse

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_cat-people-3?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:6e1da740-f557-4542-9f32-c25ebe5693d1Post:00f67f18-6739-4c1f-94e6-bbb8210260ab">Re: Cat people</a>:
[QUOTE]I would give her a little more time.  I'm sure she'll start eating once she settles in.
Posted by adamar15[/QUOTE]

<div>OK I'll try not to flip out - we're completely head over heels for her already.  She does seem to exhibit some prissy qualities - we named her Lady because it seemed to fit.</div>

laurenclaire1386

Unless she's acting like she feels bad (doesn't sound like it), I wouldn't worry. She'll eat when she gets hungry enough. My dog does this when we take him to a place that not home, like my parents' house for example. He won't eat for what seems like a really long time, but then he comes around. I know nothing about cats, though, so take this with a grain of salt. It's just something my dog has done a lot before. 

MyUserName1

I think I need to see a picture of this cat as well (:

Wet food is a good idea.  Also, just leave the dry food from the shelter out and if she's hungry, she'll likely eat it sooner or later

ETA: Typed too slow!  She's gorgeous!

beautifulvice

I had the same problem with my first cat.  One thing it turned out she loved was the Whiskas cat milk (so you don't have to worry about her stomach getting upset -- it's specially made so cats don't get sick from it).  The other thing is to microwave her food (and possibly add some baby food in with it) so that the scent of it is more pronounced.

baystateapple

OMG, she's so cute!

Have you tried Rescue Remedy?  I've never used it myself, but my parents used it on one of the cats they adopted, who was so stressed in the beginning he wouldn't eat. 

RupertPenny

Aw, she is precious!

I never really do wet food so I don't have any suggesitons, sorry. I'm sure you can find one that is less stinky than tuna though, haha.

adamar15

She is super cute!

becka717

Aaahh, she is beautiful! I would give her a bit more time.  If she is affectionate and using the litter and doesn't seem sick she probably just hasn't adjusted enough to want to eat. Many cats are actually lactose intolerant, so avoid the milk at first.  Keep the food she was eating at the shelter available even if you add some wet food.  Changing up her food too much can also upset a cat's tummy. 

hoffse

Thanks!  Ok we'll try some wet food - I'll google to see if there are non-stinky recs online.  Thanks for calming we down!  We love her so much, and we're obviously overreacting.

RamonaFlowers

We just rescued 3 kittens last week. They're currently staying at my mom's (She lives 10 minutes away and has the space to quarantine them until the vet clears them tomorrow night), and they are in desperate need of putting on weight (Whoever dumped them on the highway we found them on didn't bother feeding them).

Anyway, we've been giving them wet food, and they seem to prefer poultry-based flavors, like turkey and chicken. They will eat fish flavors if it's given to them, but it takes a while for them to come around to it. Put down some turkey, and it turns into freaking Thunder Dome.

[Deleted User]

I recently discovered that my cat likes chicken and turkey-flavored baby food, slightly heated up. When he refused to eat anything else, he ate that. He also likes the Whiskas cat milk. Other than that, I agree to try out various wet foods. And as long as you don't leave it out all day, it shouldn't smell that bad.

button6004

cuteness kitty! i've found the iams wet food isnt too smelly, and neither is science diet wet food (which is around the same price). the cat milk is good- when Cheyenne had her dental surgery, she was obsessed with it since it was easy to get down.

is she drinking water?

hoffse

Yep she's drinking water just fine - and her name is Lady.  We will get a couple cans of poultry-flavored iams and science diet and see what she'll take.  Thanks for the recs!

daubachsgirl23

You could try boiled chicken and rice--something bland to get her to start eating.  I would leave out some water and food and let her eat at her own pace.  If she isn't eating in a few days, a check-up at the vet could be in order (if you haven't done so already).

daubachsgirl23

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_cat-people-3?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:9Discussion:6e1da740-f557-4542-9f32-c25ebe5693d1Post:b3c53c19-0584-414f-94ef-16a0b799ca93">Re: Cat people</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Cat people : Actually giving cats cow's milk is a bad idea. It can upset their tummy.
Posted by RupertPenny[/QUOTE]

Agreed.  Most cats are (apaprently) naturally lactose intolerant.  I learned that the hard way when I gave my cat a little bit of cheese.  Not pretty.

kittiei

I've been told that heating up the wet food, just a little (maybe add a bit of water first) will bring out the smell and make it more appetizing...you might not like how smelly it is but once she gets comfortable and starts eating, you shouldn't have to heat it up all the time.  Good luck, she's adorable!

Kate61487

She's adorable :-)  We've been feeding our cats fancy feast for years.  I've never noticed it being particularly smelly (although it's usually gone within 2 minutes, so maybe there's just not time, haha). 

When I was young our cats (who were on a dry food only diet) always flipped out for tuna (or more frequently tuna water, my mom would drain the can into their bowl), but with our current cat I ran out of moist food the other day and gave him some tuna and he turned his nose up at it too.  I think he's been a little spoiled by the moist cat food. 

Just don't change her food too frequently or too quickly.  Trying several until she eats something is okay, but once she tries one stick with it for a bit and put the others away.

mari0225

Our youngest cat is a picky eater, she eats Fancy Feast with the greens and only that. I have noticed that the smell isn't too bad, we have a small kitchen and it doesn't stink it up.

Also i'd give it a day or so, our oldest cat just moved with me over to H's and Dakota (youngest cat) and it look her a day or so to really settle down enough to eat. New places are very scary for cats.

Also she's gorgeous! Love her coloring!!

Ramona-Those babies are ADORABLE

mari0225

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_cat-people-3?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:6e1da740-f557-4542-9f32-c25ebe5693d1Post:51000443-a997-4435-ab33-60d0d5c02f9d">Re: Cat people</a>:
[QUOTE]As long as she eats something within 48-72 hours you should be okay. Cats can get  life threatening illness if they don't eat within that time. Its kind of expensive per can, but Wellness is a good wet food that doesn't stink at all. <strong>You could also try giving her treats since something to eat is better than nothing. Rescue Remedy or a Feliway diffiuser are both great for stressed cats. I have Feliways for my cat. I know Petco sells their brand which is cheaper than the name brand. I'm not sure if Petsmart does</strong>. eta: and she's so cute!!
Posted by lovethebeach16[/QUOTE]

Threadjack sorry! LTB I love the diffuser! It seems like it is already working! There is still some growling, but no fighting, peeing or pooping. Sweetie seems so much more relaxed!

SpartanCat

Yayy new kitty! Thank you for rescuing your little baby : ) It's nice to see an older cat find a forever home.

Heating wet food is a great idea just make sure you stir it so there aren't hot spots.

Try parmesan cheese.

A good grain free food like wellness mentioned above or Merrick BG (I used to feed this one) or Nature's Variety Instinct will actually make your kitty's poos less smelly. Grain free wet is more expensive but the benefits are worth it, in my opinion. Cats are obligate carnivores so if you're feeding them all the extra filler, it doesn't get digested and can make them more smelly. Plus I don't really like the idea of feeding my cats the beaks, talons and all the other shiiity ingredients that go into "chicken meal" and other vague ingredients. But again, personal preference. Sorry, mini lecture.

I can always tell when mine got into something they shouldn't. I made the mistake of leaving a baggie of treats out once. My boys tore into the bag and ate them all. Once digested, my apartment reeked for hours.

rlavach

Aww, she’s beautiful! I have 3 also. I concur with everyone else saying to not give her milk & to give her time to eat. This is all new to her. When we moved my 3 cats into my new apartment, it took them 2 days to eat. The same cats that devour their food without even chewing…wouldn’t eat. And I’ve known them since birth. So just imagine the poor kitty is in a new place and with new people. She’ll come around. 

RamonaFlowers

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_cat-people-3?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:9Discussion:6e1da740-f557-4542-9f32-c25ebe5693d1Post:8dcb593e-0c8f-43d7-aaaf-2473020b04a1">Re: Cat people</a>:
[QUOTE] Ramona-Those babies are ADORABLE
Posted by mari0225[/QUOTE]

Thanks! I can't wait for the vet tomorrow just so we can finally name them! They're currently completely identical, and every time we try to check if they're boys or girls, they all wriggle away (Meanwhile, we can do pretty much anything else to them, and they're fine, they LOVE being snuggled), so ... they've just been "Red Kitty", "Blue Kitty" and "Black Kitty" for the collars we have on them, lol.

hoffse

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_cat-people-3?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:6e1da740-f557-4542-9f32-c25ebe5693d1Post:f26d9aca-58e2-487f-ab5a-5558230a5b08">Re: Cat people</a>:
[QUOTE]Yayy new kitty! Thank you for rescuing your little baby : ) It's nice to see an older cat find a forever home. Heating wet food is a great idea just make sure you stir it so there aren't hot spots. Try parmesan cheese. A good grain free food like wellness mentioned above or <strong>Merrick BG (I used to feed this one) or Nature's Variety Instinct will actually make your kitty's poos less smelly. Grain free wet is more expensive </strong>but the benefits are worth it, in my opinion. Cats are obligate carnivores so if you're feeding them all the extra filler, it doesn't get digested and can make them more smelly. Plus I don't really like the idea of feeding my cats the beaks, talons and all the other shiiity ingredients that go into "chicken meal" and other vague ingredients. But again, personal preference. Sorry, mini lecture. I can always tell when mine got into something they shouldn't. I made the mistake of leaving a baggie of treats out once. My boys tore into the bag and ate them all. Once digested, my apartment reeked for hours.
Posted by SpartanCat[/QUOTE]<div>
</div><div>Thanks for this tip - we bought arm and hammer litter and she seems to like it - it's doing a pretty good job, but anything to help is great because our apartment is small.  Do you know if petsmart sells any of these brands off the top of your head?  We live a mile away from one.

</div>

mari0225

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_cat-people-3?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:6e1da740-f557-4542-9f32-c25ebe5693d1Post:9e108514-2d33-4a37-992f-2fdd796e75e0">Re: Cat people</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Cat people : Thanks! I can't wait for the vet tomorrow just so we can finally name them! They're currently completely identical, and every time we try to check if they're boys or girls, they all wriggle away (Meanwhile, we can do pretty much anything else to them, and they're fine, they LOVE being snuggled), so ... they've just been "Red Kitty", "Blue Kitty" and "Black Kitty" for the collars we have on them, lol.
Posted by RamonaFlowers[/QUOTE]

LOL! That's probably what I would end up doing as well.