Urgent: Family cat has pretty much stopped eating or drinking.

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Urgent: Family cat has pretty much stopped eating or drinking.

Posted: 7/3/2015 10:41:23 PM EDT

Our family cat that is 15 years old is at my parents house in Nebraska and my father sent me a text this evening. He mentioned that he has noticed our cat, Patches, as pretty much stopped eating his food. He has also stopped drinking as much water. He also sleeps almost all of the time. Sometimes he leaves his kitty treats untouched or he doesn't finish all of them.

I asked my father how long this has been going on and he said for the last two days.

Like I said he is 15 years old so is this just signs that he is starting to pass or can something be done? He has no previous medical issues. Should he be taken to a Vet? He has always taken a long time to warm up around strangers and has always hated his cat carrier so I know that'll stress him out.

A friend of mine also thought it could be bad teeth.

Thoughts?

Thanks in advance.

Posted: 7/3/2015 10:42:22 PM EDT

[#1]

Take your cat to the vet. NOW!

When cats do something like this, it is usually very serious.

Tell you father to look in the Yellow pages for an Animal Hospital.

Posted: 7/3/2015 10:47:16 PM EDT

[#2]

Quote History

Quoted:
Take your cat to the vet. NOW!

When cats do something like this, it is usually very serious.

Tell you father to look in the Yellow pages for an Animal Hospital.

View Quote

Thanks for the quick response. I told him what you said and that he needs to find a vet immediately.

Posted: 7/3/2015 10:48:36 PM EDT

[#3]

Kidneys could be shutting down. Stopping drinking water is a bad sign in a cat.

Posted: 7/3/2015 11:01:10 PM EDT

[#4]

Happened to my parent's cat earlier this year. Eating very little. Started losing a lot of weight. Vet gave him two months but he died within one month. Dad said on his last day the cat had heavy breathing. He put him to sleep. Six months later, my parents are still not the same. It sucks...

Posted: 7/4/2015 1:42:06 PM EDT

[#5]

Update:

Some family friends of ours recommended a veterinarian that they take their dog to in emergencies. The veterinarian mentioned that Patches' vitals are all good for his age except for being dehydrated. The vet is going to keep him overnight for observations and to get him to start eating.

Posted: 7/6/2015 12:38:40 PM EDT

[#6]

Good job on getting him to a vet. Stopping eating and drinking are bad signs and require immediate attention.

Posted: 7/6/2015 12:57:50 PM EDT

[#7]

Patches is home.

The vet thought he probably had a urinary tract infection. He stayed overnight at the vets so she could keep an eye on him but he was able to go home yesterday. The vet gave my parents a disc of his x-rays and two medications. One is an antibiotic Amoxicillin and Sucralfate for his stomach irritation. The vet thinks he would probably feel more comfortable eating at home without all the noise from other cats and dogs at the hospital.

My parents had nothing but positive things to say about the animal hospital.

Posted: 7/6/2015 10:44:14 PM EDT

[#8]

Glad to hear it.

Posted: 7/7/2015 8:06:30 PM EDT

[#9]

Well I received some news from my parents, Patches still hasn't bounced back from his trip to the vet. My parents are still having to force feed him and they are going to meet with the vet again tomorrow. They said he doesn't look sick, ill or anything extremely out of the ordinary but he has been hiding in different spots around the house instead of greeting my parents like he usually does.

We are going to see what the vet says but she mentioned if it doesn't get better it might be best to put him to sleep instead of letting him suffer as his body continues to shut down.

Posted: 7/7/2015 9:52:21 PM EDT

[#10]

I wouldn't give up yet. If he is having serious problems, the bloodwork would likely show it.

Posted: 7/7/2015 11:06:11 PM EDT

[#11]

15 years is not a bad run for a cat. The "deal" I have with my pets is that while they are receiving whatever medical treatment is possible/practical I will feed them anything they want, but when they stop eating that's it. One of my cats lived for a month on his favorite forbidden treat, tapioca pudding, which was all he would eat as he struggled with a very serious cancer (much emotion as I write this).

I hope Patches bounces back. But if he does not then may he have many vanquished to serve him in the afterlife when his time comes! And may he peacefully pass at home (I'm a big believer in having the vet come to my home when the time comes).

Posted: 7/8/2015 7:59:38 PM EDT

[#12]

Thanks for the replies.

My parents took him to the vet today and she believes it is intestinal cancer that isn't showing up under X-ray. The vet checked his gums out and mentioned that they were red which was an indicating that he was dehydrated so she gave him an fluid injection. My parents also mentioned that it's a struggle to try to feed him, he will move away from his food or his treats that he usually always gobbled down. My mother placed a piece in his mouth and he spit it back out. They continue finding him sleeping in areas that aren't areas that they usually find him sleeping at and that his is breathing harder today. We FaceTimed and it looks like his whole body moves back and forth while trying to breathe.

Right now the plan is to take him in Friday to have him put to sleep and cremated. It's just so strange that is looks completely fine (other than his heavy breathing.)

Posted: 7/8/2015 9:14:24 PM EDT

[#13]

My cat had a similar issue it was a urinary blockage. Fairly common in cats. He had a surgery and is still going strong.
Hopefully its something that simple. Good luck.

Posted: 7/8/2015 9:26:03 PM EDT

[#14]

Glad to see he's doing ok.

Posted: 7/8/2015 9:32:01 PM EDT

[#15]

Sorry to read that you are going to lose your buddy. He sure is a beautiful kitty.

Posted: 7/8/2015 9:39:13 PM EDT

[#16]

I wouldn't be too quick to put him to sleep until you are really sure.

Posted: 7/8/2015 9:47:01 PM EDT

[#17]

My very pragmatic vet has been with me in these situations before. IF there isn't an evident reason for it, then once they stop eating and drinking, it means they've lost the will to go on. It sucks, but they know when it's time.

Sorry brother.

Posted: 7/8/2015 9:55:18 PM EDT

[#18]

I have a young kitteh who caught a respiratory infection with sneezing symptoms? she didn't eat either for a couple days.

good luck

eta: I had an angoran mix? like yours as a child who fetched and returned the red paddle balls like a dog...only he would drop it all the time at your feet or hand

Posted: 7/8/2015 10:03:46 PM EDT

[#19]

Sorry to hear, Andrew. It's like losing a family member.

Posted: 7/8/2015 11:48:36 PM EDT

[#20]

Thank you all for the responses.

Quote History

Quoted:
I wouldn't be too quick to put him to sleep until you are really sure.

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Quoted:
I wouldn't be too quick to put him to sleep until you are really sure.

I will converse with my parents tomorrow but it just seems so baffling that he looks completely fine except for his issues with eating/drinking and various habit changes (which I had a friend tell me who has been around dogs all of her life, that they will start hiding from their owners when they know they're dying)

How long should we wait?

Quoted:
My very pragmatic vet has been with me in these situations before. IF there isn't an evident reason for it, then once they stop eating and drinking, it means they've lost the will to go on. It sucks, but they know when it's time.

Sorry brother.

Like I mentioned above it's strange to me and I just wish he would give us more signs to what is wrong, unless there isn't anything wrong and it's just his way of saying it's time to move on with his habit changes.

Posted: 7/8/2015 11:52:14 PM EDT

[#21]

My vet said if they check out otherwise and then don't (voluntarily) eat or drink for 48 hours, it's time

Posted: 7/8/2015 11:57:59 PM EDT

[#22]

Quote History

Quoted:
Thank you all for the responses.

I will converse with my parents tomorrow but it just seems so baffling that he looks completely fine except for his issues with eating/drinking and various habit changes (which I had a friend tell me who has been around dogs all of her life, that they will start hiding from their owners when they know they're dying)

How long should we wait?

Like I mentioned above it's strange to me and I just wish he would give us more signs to what is wrong, unless there isn't anything wrong and it's just his way of saying it's time to move on with his habit changes.

View Quote View All Quotes

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Quote History

Quoted:
Thank you all for the responses.

Quoted:
I wouldn't be too quick to put him to sleep until you are really sure.

I will converse with my parents tomorrow but it just seems so baffling that he looks completely fine except for his issues with eating/drinking and various habit changes (which I had a friend tell me who has been around dogs all of her life, that they will start hiding from their owners when they know they're dying)

How long should we wait?

Quoted:
My very pragmatic vet has been with me in these situations before. IF there isn't an evident reason for it, then once they stop eating and drinking, it means they've lost the will to go on. It sucks, but they know when it's time.

Sorry brother.

Like I mentioned above it's strange to me and I just wish he would give us more signs to what is wrong, unless there isn't anything wrong and it's just his way of saying it's time to move on with his habit changes.

I'd let the vet make the call. I would hate to kill my cat because it just had a lingering infection.

Let the vet exhaust all options first.

Posted: 7/9/2015 12:38:28 AM EDT

[#23]

Quote History

Quoted:

I'd let the vet make the call. I would hate to kill my cat because it just had a lingering infection.

Let the vet exhaust all options first.

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Quote History

Quoted:

I'd let the vet make the call. I would hate to kill my cat because it just had a lingering infection.

Let the vet exhaust all options first.

I'll inquire again tomorrow because neither would I.

Quoted:
My vet said if they check out otherwise and then don't (voluntarily) eat or drink for 48 hours, it's time

He hasn't been eating on his own for almost a week.

Posted: 7/9/2015 1:19:50 PM EDT

[#24]

Sorry to hear. It's never a good sign when a dog/cat stops eating.

Good Lord the paint in the Vets office is horrible!!!!

Posted: 7/9/2015 2:23:02 PM EDT

[#25]

Many moons ago one of my cats had a urinary problem of some sort. A trip to the vet and a couple medications later, she stopped eating/drinking completely and generally became lethargic. A couple trips to the vet, some different medication, and a couple boluses later the vet told us to stop any and all medication. His thought at the time was that both drugs were known to reduce appetite and together they completely suppressed it.

Now, she's 17, deaf, and still tries to steal the food off my plate.

Posted: 7/10/2015 12:17:38 AM EDT

[#26]

I force feed my cat baby food with a medicTion syringe for a month or so when he stopped eating… he started eating on his own after that for another two years but then it happened again and he just would not eat anything and threw up everything back out… had to put him down

I hope the best works out for your kitteh op

Prayers sent

Posted: 7/14/2015 12:36:33 PM EDT

[#27]

Did the vet do any bloodwork or an urinalysis? I see you mention x-rays but no labs.

Posted: 7/14/2015 10:58:18 PM EDT

[#28]

My dog did the same thing a month ago.

Found out he was anemic, red blood cells eye down in the 15% range, and he had a hole in his heart, crushing his longs, and rounding out his heart. Fucking found out too late.

Posted: 8/26/2015 2:34:02 PM EDT

[#29]

I didn't realize anyone else had posted in this thread. Well Patches was put to sleep back in July, not long after the start of this thread. It was sad to have him go and I think it effected my parents the most since he actually lived with them. We had Patched cremated so when our family was all together again we could have closure.

My mother took the time and put some photos together via iBook (whatever Apple program makes books for you) from when we first adopted him to the his last day.

Posted: 8/26/2015 7:57:06 PM EDT

[#30]

Bummer man. Sorry to hear that. 15 years is a good life.

Posted: 8/28/2015 12:25:47 PM EDT

[#31]

I hope for the best for you and the beautiful cat.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Urgent: Family cat has pretty much stopped eating or drinking.

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