Cat not a good eater?

So, our cat, Binka has never been a big eater. If I fill her food dish it's another 3 days (at least) before I have to fill it again. I always thought just doesn't have much of an appetite. We've tried different brands, always with the same result.

About a month ago I bought a case of canned food. Just to supplement the dry food and make sure she's getting enough nutrients. I've been giving her a can a week and she usually has eaten it by the end of the day.

Today, I gave her a little piece of ham- it's processed so pretty soft. I sat there and watched her trying to eat it for 10-15 minutes. She chewed and chewed and only got a little piece off in the end before giving up. This got me thinking...

I've mentioned before that we very strongly suspect that she was taken from her mother a couple weeks too early. Could that cause her to not be very skilled at eating? Maybe she isn't eating much dry food because it's hard for her?

What do you guys think? Should I switch to straight canned food? Mix it with the dry? Wet the dry so it's softer? Keep doing what I'm doing? Am I just over thinking things, as usual?

First thing that came to my mind is, she might have really sensitive teeth for some reason. if it took her a long time to eat the meat, she maybe in pain about something. i would continue the wet food and maybe just get a vet check up for her teeth!


mind you, i'm pretty dumb though!

Good luck :sweeet:

That's actually something that I didn't think of! Thanks, Tyree!

And also- I didn't mention in my OP that she is not underweight by any means. She has a small frame but fits it well.

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Originally Posted by Reediculous

First thing that came to my mind is, she might have really sensitive teeth for some reason. if it took her a long time to eat the meat, she maybe in pain about something. i would continue the wet food and maybe just get a vet check up for her teeth!


mind you, i'm pretty dumb though!

Good luck :sweeet:

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Hey not so dumb, since that was my thought as well. If you can, you might want to check her mouth and make sure she doesn't have any sores or abcessed teeth.

How old is she now? (your best guess) I'd go to the canned food if she eats it better, or try soaking her dry food in some water. You may want to consider a vet visit, if she doesn't perk up soon.

Her teeth/gums look good. Light pink all around. I'm thinking you guys may be on to something, though...

We got her April 10th. At that time I think she was MAYBE 6 weeks old. So that would make her a little over 5 months old now. When we got her, it was from a lady who had picked her up 2 weeks earlier, but found out her living situation would be changing and just couldn't keep her. So we showed up to get her and she definitely didn't look like she should even be completely weined yet. She's displayed some behaviors since that convince us that she was taken from mom too early. She's a needy little girl, but we love her!

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Originally Posted by python.princess

Her teeth/gums look good. Light pink all around. I'm thinking you guys may be on to something, though...

We got her April 10th. At that time I think she was MAYBE 6 weeks old. So that would make her a little over 5 months old now. When we got her, it was from a lady who had picked her up 2 weeks earlier, but found out her living situation would be changing and just couldn't keep her. So we showed up to get her and she definitely didn't look like she should even be completely weined yet. She's displayed some behaviors since that convince us that she was taken from mom too early. She's a needy little girl, but we love her!

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Poor little thing ........ at least shes not loosing weight over it. hope you figure it out. i would put money on something going on in the back of her mouth. good luck with her, keep us posted!

Here's the thread I posted when we first got her home- she was all head! Didn't weigh a thing! Now she's just barely at the 5lb mark and seems like she's done growing.
http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ad.php?t=64563

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Originally Posted by python.princess

Here's the thread I posted when we first got her home- she was all head! Didn't weigh a thing! Now she's just barely at the 5lb mark and seems like she's done growing.
http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ad.php?t=64563

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i remember that thread ........ i have confidence your figure it out! your the best!

Thanks, Tyree... Okay... I'll admit it... You're not too bad either! Don't even wanna B-slap ya! :D

Actually, canned (wet) food is better for them than dry. If she'll eat a full can in one day, I'd make that her primary food, and just leave dry out for her to nibble on.

When I got Sammy and Lexi, I got obsessive about cat nutrition and had my eyes really opened. When I do feed dry, I like to feed a very high quality dry (like Innova Evo brand). In males, too much dry can lead to urinary crystals. I also obsessively read the labels. I don't want any corn or corn products in my dry. I want real meat and chicken meal as the first five ingredients in the list.

This site has been very helpful: http://www.thecatsite.com (where I met Isis and lured her here from! LOL) and

http://www.catinfo.org/zorans_article.pdf

http://www.catinfo.org

Thanks for those links, Robin! Very informative!

After agreeing that checking out her mouth and teeth for abnormalities and possible bad teeth or absesses..
Try feeding her meals, instead of free-feeding. It might give her time to build a appetite, getting her to eat a bit more.
I actually only feed dry food, no wet, ever. High quality kitten styled food would be best(canned or dry). But, that's what I've done with all my cats, and other people have other opinions. As long as it's a High Quality food, that's a main thing.
Checking to be sure she doesn't have any parasites, and has a healthy mouth and teeth would be first on my list of things to check.

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Originally Posted by wolfy-hound

After agreeing that checking out her mouth and teeth for abnormalities and possible bad teeth or absesses..
Try feeding her meals, instead of free-feeding. It might give her time to build a appetite, getting her to eat a bit more.
I actually only feed dry food, no wet, ever. High quality kitten styled food would be best(canned or dry). But, that's what I've done with all my cats, and other people have other opinions. As long as it's a High Quality food, that's a main thing.
Checking to be sure she doesn't have any parasites, and has a healthy mouth and teeth would be first on my list of things to check.

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Her mouth looks clean and healthy. I haven't had a fecal done on her but, if she had parasites, wouldn't she eat more than normal cats would?

The canned food I have for her (which I think I'm going to make her main food source now) is all mainly meat products with a bunch of vitamins and minerals added in. We'll see how she does with a can a day. If she still doesn't start eating more, I'll start dividing it into separate meals. Thanks for the advice!

I would NOT feed her only canned.. There is not enough protein in a can of cat food (it's only about 10% max) to sustain a cat. A high quality dry food such as Innova, Wellness, Felidae, etc is all she needs, plus plenty of fresh water. On a high quality diet, adult cats rarely need more than 1/2 to 3/4 C of food per day. Some adult males prone to obesity do fine on 1/3 C per day.

I definitely agree with feeding her meals. They have something to look forward to and it gives them a routine.

If you can get her an appointment to have a fecal done and possibly have a dental done on her, it would help shed some light on her fussiness. Cats are very prone to dental disease, so having dentals done regularly is key. Some parasites can also make them anorexic, not wanting to eat.

She is due for a booster shot pretty soon, so if there's no improvement, I'll ask Dr. Bender about it.

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Originally Posted by SatanicIntention

I would NOT feed her only canned.. There is not enough protein in a can of cat food (it's only about 10% max) to sustain a cat. A high quality dry food such as Innova, Wellness, Felidae, etc is all she needs, plus plenty of fresh water. On a high quality diet, adult cats rarely need more than 1/2 to 3/4 C of food per day. Some adult males prone to obesity do fine on 1/3 C per day.

I definitely agree with feeding her meals. They have something to look forward to and it gives them a routine.

If you can get her an appointment to have a fecal done and possibly have a dental done on her, it would help shed some light on her fussiness. Cats are very prone to dental disease, so having dentals done regularly is key. Some parasites can also make them anorexic, not wanting to eat.

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Becky, did you read the catinfo.org site? I'm wondering what your thoughts are on it, and the vet who recommends NO dry and only canned or raw? Most of the folks I talk to on cat related forums and are students of cat nutrition all agree that wet diets are far superior to dry.

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Originally Posted by python.princess

She is due for a booster shot pretty soon, so if there's no improvement, I'll ask Dr. Bender about it.

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this is a real touchy subject. i am by no means trying to force anything on you, but ..............well just check this out!

my dog has no vaccines and eats a raw diet ............... the only shot she will receive will be a rabies shot and thats not until she's a year old!


http://www.doglogic.com/vaccineinfo.htm

I'll believe what I've been taught from experienced veterinarians and vet techs, not what someone put up on a website.

If you read the label on canned cat food, the % of protein is only around 10-11% max. Cats need around 30-35% protein a day to thrive. They would have to eat a couple cans of cat food to get what they needed, and by then the calories would be outrageous. Feeding only canned food will greatly speed up dental disease, and dentals will have to be done alot more often. Feeding canned also reduces the cat's need for water, so they drink less, urinate less, which then sets up the bladder for an infection or uroliths. Feeding them kibbled food cleans their teeth, encourages saliva production which also cleans their teeth and mouth preventing excess bacteria build-up, and increases their need for water. Drink more, equals urinate more, equals more dilute urine which doesn't cause problems as often as concentrated urine does.

I do not like raw diets for cats or dogs as they are rarely supplemented or fed correctly. The majority of owners think that just muscle meat is sufficient(hence why zoos have problems with their big cats not breeding, because the diet wasn't sufficient).Cats need the entire animal to get anything out of it. Muscle, organ meat, intestines, digest, bones, brain, eyes, whatever, they need it all to get all of the necessary nutrients. There have been studies done on cats who have been fed raw diets and they ended up with HCM(hypertrophic cardiomyopathy) and blindness from the lack of taurine.

Also, bone fragments. Ever done surgery to remove bone pieces lodged in throats, stomach lining or intestines? Perforations are common, as are problems with the teeth(breaking of teeth, bleeding gingiva, teeth worn down quicker, cuts in the mouth and tongue).

You're going to be hard-pressed to find a vet or vet tech that thinks feeding raw is the best thing for them. Feed a high quality food that is free from by-products/artificial preservatives, useless grains such as corn/wheat/soy, and is meat-based, and you'll be good to go. Innova Evo, Solid Gold, Wellness, Felidae, Canidae, Blue Buffalo, Flint River Ranch, whatever else is out on the market now, will work fine. If the dog or cat has a protein allergy or is unable to process certain proteins(or any at all), then special diets need to be considered such as Hills Rx brand.

This is coming from a medical point of view. I want to prevent problems before they are allowed to happen, not increase the likelihood. I, as well as all of the vets and vet techs that I know, do not agree with raw feeding for dogs and cats. I can try to educate, but people will do what they want.

http://leerburg.com/vaccinosis.htm

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Originally Posted by SatanicIntention

I'll believe what I've been taught from experienced veterinarians and vet techs, not what someone put up on a website.

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That is the biggest contradiction that i have ever heard! How often in this hobby alone are vets wrong?

anyway, i hope your not assuming that i have not done any research on this matter.

**back on topic** these were just suggestions Mel, i hope everything works out for you, and like i said before keep us updated!

Right.. And letting dogs die from parvo and distemper is a good thing? There's a dog dying or already dead from distemper at my vet's office because she wasn't vaccinated soon enough and didn't receive immunity. Do you even KNOW what parvo or distemper smells like? I'd bet not. I DO. Explosive bloody, tarry diarrhea and vomit that smells like death warmed over, constant dehydration... Yes, I really want to wish that upon every animal.

Get your dog vaccinated. I wish there were laws for people like you.

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Originally Posted by SatanicIntention

Right.. And letting dogs die from parvo and distemper is a good thing? There's a dog dying or already dead from distemper at my vet's office because she wasn't vaccinated soon enough and didn't receive immunity. Do you even KNOW what parvo or distemper smells like? I'd bet not. I DO. Explosive bloody, tarry diarrhea and vomit that smells like death warmed over, constant dehydration... Yes, I really want to wish that upon every animal.

Get your dog vaccinated. I wish there were laws for people like you.

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Actually i do! i worked at the humane society in tinton falls NJ jersey for 4 years, and i was a vet tech.... i seen both sides of the fence....And i have seen that place kill perfectly healthy dogs because of over vaccinating!


anything else you'd like to tell i don't know!

If you would like to try hard food again along with the soft, try soaking it in water or tuna juice a bit. let us know how just the splitting up the meals and just soft food thing goes for now though. It's always nice getting updates.

"I would NOT feed her only canned.. There is not enough protein in a can of cat food (it's only about 10% max) to sustain a cat. A high quality dry food such as Innova, Wellness, Felidae, etc is all she needs, plus plenty of fresh water. "


Actually, that's an inaccurate reading of the label. You cannot compare the protein content straight from the canned label to the dry kibble label. You need to compare it on a dry matter basis. The labels calculate the final protein content, INCLUDING water, so, of course everything in the analysis is going to look entirely too low in canned.
http://www.thepetcenter.com/imtop/dm.html

Also, scientists have found that cats do not have proper thirst drive. They will not drink enough water to keep themselves healthy if they are fed a dry food. In fact, cats with UTI problems can be "cured" completely simply by adding a regular canned food to the diet. Yes, dry kibble should be fed to help keep their teeth clean, but, canned food should be added to the diet to prevent health issues.



As far as vaccines go, some states still require annual rabies vaccinations, my state being one of them. Unfortunately, it's been proven that a rabies vaccine can actually be effective for three years, and over-vaccination can cause ill-effect. Other than this particular vaccine, I haven't done much research on vaccines and vaccinate according to vet recommendations.

I've already talked at length with my vet, and after Lexi and Sammy get their second year rabies booster shots, the only shots that they will receive will be their rabies once every three years. I lost a cat to fibro sarcoma caused by vaccines and will not lose another one to it.

And my vet also advocates a mostly/all wet diet over dry.

That wasn't just some person who posted on the web, that was a well respected veterinarian who specializes in cat care and nutrition.

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Actually, that's an inaccurate reading of the label. You cannot compare the protein content straight from the canned label to the dry kibble label. You need to compare it on a dry matter basis. The labels calculate the final protein content, INCLUDING water, so, of course everything in the analysis is going to look entirely too low in canned.
http://www.thepetcenter.com/imtop/dm.html

Also, scientists have found that cats do not have proper thirst drive. They will not drink enough water to keep themselves healthy if they are fed a dry food. In fact, cats with UTI problems can be "cured" completely simply by adding a regular canned food to the diet. Yes, dry kibble should be fed to help keep their teeth clean, but, canned food should be added to the diet to prevent health issues.

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I was also aware of that. Thanks for posting that, so that I don't have to go look for that myself! :)

Additionally, I had a diabetic kitty who's diabetes was brought under control by switching her to an all wet diet and she was able to come off of insulin completely!

Regarding Protein in canned vs. dry from http://www.catinfo.org

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Another important issue with regard to the protein contained in a dry food is that it has been cooked at very high temperatures for a long period of time. This extensive cooking required to dry the product significantly decreases the biological value of the protein sources.

With regard to the overall protein amounts contained in a food, do not be confused by the listing of the protein percentages in dry food compared to canned food. At first glance, it might appear that the dry food has a higher amount of protein than the canned food—but this is not true on a dry matter basis which is the accurate way to compare the two foods. Most canned foods, when figured on a dry matter basis, have more protein than dry food. And remember, even if this were not the case, the percentage numbers do not tell the whole story. It is the protein’s biological value that is critical.

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In the wild, your cat would be eating a high protein, high-moisture content, meat-based diet, with a moderate level of fat and with only approximately 3-5 percent of her diet consisting of carbohydrates. The average dry food contains 35-50 percent carbohydrates. Some of the cheaper dry foods contain even higher levels.

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Cats have a physiological decrease in the ability to utilize carbohydrates due to the lack of specific enzymatic pathways that are present in other mammals, and the lack a salivary enzyme called amylase. Cats have no dietary need for carbohydrates and, more worrisome is the fact that too many carbohydrates can be highly detrimental to their health, as I explain below.

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And here is a great table for those interested in the dry matter percentages in many canned foods, already calculated for you. I keep a copy of this in my purse when shopping for canned food.

http://www.geocities.com/jmpeerson/CanFoodNew.html

An Open Letter to Veterinary Professionals

An excerpt

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Have you ever seen a barn cat barbecue and dehydrate its mouse dinner and top it off with a dessert of corn gluten meal soufflé? Or heard of a cat that went hunting for rice grains or oatmeal for breakfast? No? It would be illogical to feed an obligate carnivore a steady diet of meat-flavored cereal, right? Then why are we continuing to feed cats like they're herbivores? Hopefully, many of you read the "Timely Topics in Nutrition" article in the December 1st 2002 Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (JAVMA) titled "The Carnivore Connection to Nutrition in Cats". After reading this, I wonder why anyone advocates feeding grain-packed commercially prepared dry food to a cat.

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I had read there was supposed to be a mixture of wet food worked into the diet if you were to feed a mainly dry diet to help the cats with digestion, but that was just something I read in cat fancy or something. I know the dry food I feed my cats comes in a wet formula as well.

I start nutrition for large/small animals in my animal science class this week, so I'm sure I'll learn more about that soon.

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Originally Posted by rabernet

Actually, canned (wet) food is better for them than dry. If she'll eat a full can in one day, I'd make that her primary food, and just leave dry out for her to nibble on.

When I got Sammy and Lexi, I got obsessive about cat nutrition and had my eyes really opened. When I do feed dry, I like to feed a very high quality dry (like Innova Evo brand). In males, too much dry can lead to urinary crystals. I also obsessively read the labels. I don't want any corn or corn products in my dry. I want real meat and chicken meal as the first five ingredients in the list.

This site has been very helpful: http://www.thecatsite.com (where I met Isis and lured her here from! LOL) and

http://www.catinfo.org/zorans_article.pdf

http://www.catinfo.org

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This is a HUGE thing!

I fed primarily dry, while occasionally adding wet when i got it at the store. one of my cats ( ive got two), Hobbes got a UTI and had to be on Antibiotics for a few weeks before he looked like he was improving. I moved them both over to an entire wetfood diet ( the REAL good stuff), and havent looked back. They seem happier for it too.

Dry food sucks. IMHO. And i also think it makes cats overweight too. ( i only feed them both a half can a day of food, sometimes a whole can *spread out over two feedings during the day* if i wont be there the next morning to feed them straightway) Both maintain good weight, and both are in great health according to my vet. :) Not too fat, not too thin :gj:

Hobbes is doing great now, and hopefully we wont have another occurrence EVER. Man did i feel bad for him.

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Originally Posted by mooingtricycle

Dry food sucks. IMHO. And i also think it makes cats overweight too.

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I completely agree - Sammy is a dry food junkie - I've never had a cat go through so much dry food as him. I'm weaning him off of dry and trying to get them both on primarily wet with dry just to nibble on through the day.

I adopted him at 10 months old and 15 lbs - and the rescue organization told me "but we LOVE our cats to be fat!". And to think he came from being the runt of the litter to the size he is now.

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Originally Posted by rabernet

I completely agree - Sammy is a dry food junkie - I've never had a cat go through so much dry food as him. I'm weaning him off of dry and trying to get them both on primarily wet with dry just to nibble on through the day.

I adopted him at 10 months old and 15 lbs - and the rescue organization told me "but we LOVE our cats to be fat!". And to think he came from being the runt of the litter to the size he is now.

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How big is he now?

i dont mind.... Plump so much, but im one of those ridiculously strict " I DONT WANT MY CATS FAT" cat moms.... Muta is a small boy * to me * and he weighs in at... 10 lbs, at three years old.

I would free feed him when i had dry. Hes one of those lucky "self maintaining" cats, and really has not fluctuated much weight wise. Hobbes is a bit bigger, size and weight. But i think proportionally, hes the same as Muta. Little flab on his belly, but that has always been there and i think ive pretty much been defeated on getting rid of it. Hes at 12.5 lbs

Dont take my opinions too seriously though, its just how i look at my cats. I dont really care how other people care for their cats, so long as they are happy and thriving! :D

Sammy has no waist line at all. I haven't weighed him recently, but he's a solid chunk of cat, and when he's due for his first year booster next month, I'll have a better idea.

He's probably quite healthy right now, but seeing what a dry food junkie he is, I want to nip it in the bud now, and not be fighting severe obesity later on when he's older.

I'm glad that some vets are intelligent enough to look into nutrition. My tomcat was run in for a UTI problem (no blockage luckily, but he was inflammed), and the vet "prescribed" dry UTI Purina food. Unfortunately, vets aren't always taught about nutrition and overall health of the pets they treat, and they only look at it from the medical side (you'd think nutrition would be a big part). Anyways, I was fortunate enough to be a nutrition junky, and refused to feed purina, so, I did a few hours of research. This tomcat is no longer with us (he lives with my husband's grandmother), however, our female is with us, and she is still on the same diet of canned food with dry Castor and Pollux Adult Ultramix (top four ingredients are meat, no by-products, etc), and she's in great health. :)
Unfortunately, some people follow the vets' word blindly. I have a friend with 7 rescued feral cats. Darwin (one of the ferals) has diabetes. I checked into it, and, yes, you can wean cats off medical care simply with proper nutrition. However, my friend refused to even look into it and feeds Science Diet and gives insulin. :/


Back to the rabies vaccinations, my cat is not vaccinated at all. She's an indoor cat, and we (unfortunately) live in a city, where the risk of rabies is unheard of. My mother has three cats. They were all vaccinated to the law's requirements, but one cat started having seisures about once a month (a few times a month right after vaccination). They have since stopped rabies vaccinations and the cat is now fine. I think vaccinations are a personal opinion, and really shouldn't be forced upon someone. People criticize me because my son is not vaccinated for the flu virus, but, I do not want my son vaccinated for it for various reasons, and that is my (and my husband's) choice.

I vaccinate ALL my dogs and cats. Anyone remember when entire kennels of hundreds of dogs used to be wiped out by distemper? Anyone ever had to have their dog put down after a bout of parvo?

Everyone can do what they think best with their animals. I personally think the law requiring rabies vaccine is a good one. I don't get a flu shot myself, because there's just too many strains of flu virus out there. I rarely catch it to begin with, and when I do catch a flu or cold bug, I almsot never go on antibiotics, unless it progresses to pnuemonia.
Just my opnion.

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Originally Posted by wolfy-hound

I vaccinate ALL my dogs and cats. Anyone remember when entire kennels of hundreds of dogs used to be wiped out by distemper? Anyone ever had to have their dog put down after a bout of parvo?

Everyone can do what they think best with their animals. I personally think the law requiring rabies vaccine is a good one. I don't get a flu shot myself, because there's just too many strains of flu virus out there. I rarely catch it to begin with, and when I do catch a flu or cold bug, I almsot never go on antibiotics, unless it progresses to pnuemonia.
Just my opnion.

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Rabies laws are ok, however, some states need to update their information. If I remember correctly, there were under 10 states in the US that kept the annual vaccination law. If evidence rises that a vaccine is still effective in lesser amounts and actually less harmful to the pets, then the state governments need to step up and change the laws to suit current research.
For the flu, I've personally never had the flu (knock on wood), though I did catch bronchitis (sp?) that lasted for two weeks before I decided it was time to hit the doctor up for some antibiotics (took two different courses of antibiotics to work, yay). I grew up in a family where if you weren't bleeding to death or dying in some other way, it simply wasn't necessary to rush to the doctor. Part of this was because when I was younger, I had problems that the doctors all claimed were being faked to get attention, so, when I had a problem, it was usually ignored thanks to the doctors. I still have some problems that are undiagnosed (mainly joint problems, which were originally diagnosed as "growing pains" when I was around 7 years old, then later "diagnosed" as attention seeking behavior, then even later diagnosed by yet another doctor as a problem due to my weight, though I had been underweight most of my life, yet living with the same problems). Anyways... Lol. I just think that people and animals should be vaccinated and medicated for the least amount possible, as the vaccines and medications do have side-effects and if there's .001% chance of developing/catching something, why vaccinate for it?

Thank you all for your input! Everybody's advice is being considered and researched! :D