Cat has stopped eating

Ia_Cat_Lover · Member Joined: 22 Mar 2004 Posts: 27 Location: Iowa

Just wondered if anyone else has had this problem. My cat has stopped eating. She was a very good eater (ahem...to the point of being a tad pudgy) and about a month ago, she just stopped. A few weeks ago, I took her to the Vet, he gave her a shot and some antibiotic pills, and she ate fine for almost 2 weeks, but has now stopped again. I took her back to the Vet who did bloodwork on her, and sees nothing alarming....all normal. So now all he is suggesting is a steroid shot to boost her appetite and to wait and see what happens. Has anyone ever had a cat do this and just go back to normal eating eventually?

nern · Moderator Joined: 14 Mar 2004 Posts: 5042 Location: NY

I've heard of cats with upper respiratory infections refusing to eat sometimes. They seem to lose their appetite when they can't smell their food.
Did your vet think something was wrong the first time you brought her in when they gave the antibiotics?

Chessmind · Posted: Wed Apr 19, 2006 4:30 am Post subject:

Hi. Your cat is indoor/outdoor, right? Does your cat look thin? If not, perhaps your cat is eating at the neighbor's house or even eating her own food (birds, mice and so on)? Also cats can sometimes eat things that take a long time to digest, such as lizards. Perhaps, you could try an experiment? Keep your cat indoors for a few days and see if she will then eat.

Ia_Cat_Lover · Member Joined: 22 Mar 2004 Posts: 27 Location: Iowa

Hi, thanks for your replies. Cat is getting very thin. She is only outside when I'm outside and does not stray very far. Now every time she goes outside, she goes directly to the grass to eat it....hmmm
On the first visit to the vet, he gave the antibiotics as a "just in case" thing...he saw nothing wrong with her. Actually, she did start eating right away, but has since stopped again.

Mary_NH · Posted: Wed Apr 19, 2006 1:10 pm Post subject:

the antibiotics may have masked what was ailing her at the time - a quick fix so to speak.
Did they check her thyroid? A blood test is required for that and sometimes vets won't include that test unless you specifically ask for it.
It can cause a cat's appetite to decrease and they lose weight quickly. Also there is sometimes fur loss involved.
I'd also have the cat checked for diabetes.
Ask the vet to check for everything they can check for in a bloodtest.