# No Appetite, Lethargic, Depressed Cat



## Carbo (Dec 14, 2004)

Our cat is a 7 year old female Tuxedo, spayed. For the most part she is a healthy, happy and spoiled feline.
Last May she required the attention of our vet because she had completely stopped eating, she became mopey and lethargic, and she clearly was having some issues. This all occured after she vomited one day. I assumed she was eliminating a fur ball or she ate one of the local lizards. I didn't think twice about it.
The vet ran a battery of tests and exams and, $600 later, determined there was no physical ailment with the cat, but instead she had developed a food aversion, associating the food with the vomiting episode. She received an appetite stimulant injection and some Cyproheptadine pills to take home. The injection worked wonders because when we returned home the cat was eating again like old times. Never even needed to give her a pill.
In the intermim between last May and today she has had three more episodes where she has vomited and then refused to eat and becomes almost depressed. A half tab of the pill has always done the trick
This last time, however, the medicine has had no effect and she doesn't seem her old self. She vomited about four days ago and has eaten but a few nibbles since. She seems slow and sad. She approaches her food bowl with great trepidation. I can't afford another vet's bill and we are at wit's end trying to figure this feline out.
Any suggestions, ideas, insights? Thank you.


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## tigressbythetail (Dec 1, 2010)

That is puzzling! I've never heard of a food aversion in cats but I suppose there's a lot I haven't heard of. I guess my first question would be what type of food do you have her on? Perhaps a change is in order since she appears to have a sensitive tummy. Other than that, you wouldn't have to run the same tests so a visit to the Vet won't be as expensive and maybe the Vet can just give her another shot to stimulate her appetite again.


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## Carbo (Dec 14, 2004)

Puzzling, indeed. Just my luck to have a cat wtih emotional issues. 
When this first happened the I was trying all kinds of different foods. The vet told me this was a mistake as I was training the cat to train me, so to speak. At her recommendation I went with Hill's Prescription Diet dry food. The cat took to it well, and has eaten it ever since. I also feed another brand of dry food occasionally, just to break up the monotony.
I don't think it's her being tired of the food. Something in her head goes off every time she vomits. :crazy
If I take her to the shrink, how do I get her to sit on the couch for 50 minutes?


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## RachandNito (Nov 21, 2008)

If her appetite hasn't returned yet, you should try to get her some sort of yummy snack, even if it isn't her normal food she still needs to eat something. Try shaved turkey or tuna maybe? Maybe if she eats she'll realize it makes her feel better and will kick start her appetite again. 

I wish I had more tips for you! I know how frustrating it can be. When my Cindy Lou was younger, she stopped eating for almost two weeks. Took her to the vet on the fourth day of her hunger strike and found nothing wrong. I ended up having to force feed her for that two weeks and then one day she just decided she was ready to eat on her own.


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## cushman350 (Mar 16, 2011)

If this cat has the analytical ability to associate the vomiting with the recent intake of food and then decides to not eat in order to not vomit, wow. Can this cat be happy as a cat? It might be too smart. lol


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## laurief (Jun 22, 2008)

It is a dangerous risk to assume that she's suffering the same problem now that she has suffered before. She really needs to be diagnosed by a vet because the symptoms you noted could be indicative of many different illnesses - some minor, some life-threatening.

Take her temperature. Is she running a fever (over 103º)?
Check her litterbox. Has she been passing both stool and urine in the past 24 hrs? What does her stool look like (small, round, hard balls; firm but squishable tootsie rolls; diarrhea)?
What did her vomit look like (clear, white, or yellowish liquid; containing food; containing hair)?
How is her capillary refill (press your finger firmly against her gums for a couple of seconds, then remove it and see how long it takes for her gums to pink up again)?
Are her gums very pale?
Do the whites of her eyes have a yellowish tint?
Is she dehydrated (do her gums feel slimy, or do they feel tacky; is her coat shiny, soft, and smooth, or is it dull, coarse, and clumpy; does her skin rebound and flatten out immediately after you pinch it up into a tent and then release it)?
Could she have ingested anything toxic (plants, spiders, lizards, household or yard chemicals, medicines, rodenticide, antifreeze, etc.)?
Could she have ingested any toys (strings, yarn, parts of toys, etc.)?

The more of these sorts of observations that you can make and report to your veterinarian, the more likely (s)he will be able to provide an accurate diagnosis without breaking your bank.

A cat who hasn't eaten adequately for four days is at high risk of developing potentially fatal hepatic lipidosis (fatty liver disease), so you MUST get food into her ASAP. The only exception to this is if she has some sort of GI obstruction (including severe constipation), in which case you must take her to the vet to have the obstruction removed before you feed her.

Obviously we can't diagnose your cat over the internet. It's important that you understand that her symptoms could be indicative of many different potential problems. The only thing that we can state with certainty is that if she continues not to eat, she will eventually die.

Please find a way to get her to your vet ASAP (now would be best).

Laurie


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## Carbo (Dec 14, 2004)

RachandNito said:


> If her appetite hasn't returned yet, you should try to get her some sort of yummy snack, even if it isn't her normal food she still needs to eat something. Try shaved turkey or tuna maybe? Maybe if she eats she'll realize it makes her feel better and will kick start her appetite again.
> 
> I wish I had more tips for you! I know how frustrating it can be. When my Cindy Lou was younger, she stopped eating for almost two weeks. Took her to the vet on the fourth day of her hunger strike and found nothing wrong. I ended up having to force feed her for that two weeks and then one day she just decided she was ready to eat on her own.


That's encouraging in an odd sort of way. Just hope I don't need to go to that extreme.
I went out today and bought her some fresh catnip and some catnip flavored treats. Much to my surprise she found the treats appetizing and ate a good number of them. Threw some catnip on the floor and she was rolling around in it, too. And a short time ago she came to the kitchen looking for some food so I gave her a small amount of the Science Diet dry, mixed with some of those catnip treats, and topped off with a sprinkling of fresh catnip. She ate almost all of it, then ambled off to sleep. Can't wait to see her behavior later on.



cushman350 said:


> If this cat has the analytical ability to associate the vomiting with the recent intake of food and then decides to not eat in order to not vomit, wow. Can this cat be happy as a cat? It might be too smart. lol


Hehe. Yeah, she just might be too smart for her own good.


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## tigressbythetail (Dec 1, 2010)

Well that's an encouraging sign! Maybe this is her way of telling you she wants something different to eat! We'll cross our fingers that she keeps eating!


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## Carbo (Dec 14, 2004)

She just asked me for some food. Gave her my proprietary blend again ;-) and this time she had the audacity to eat only the catnip treats. Now she's sitting in the middle of the living room looking smug.


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## RachandNito (Nov 21, 2008)

Heheh. That little scamp!


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## Nan (Oct 11, 2010)

You have my sympathies!

You do need to call your vet; your cat might be dehydrated if she's been vomiting & not eating. 

My former cat Sophie used to become anorexic. She would throw up and stop eating. I tried about every brand of catfood the store had (well it seemed that way). She was finally diagnosed with IBD and put on a low dose of prednisone. That stopped the not-eating episodes. Before the vet put her on the pred, I also tried the cyproheptadine & usually only gave her about 1/2 the dose recommended, but would have to give it to her a couple of times before she would start eating again. (The full dose seemed to make her dopey).

You could try some different foods. Sophie liked Evo. She was very picky eater.
Your cat could also have a food allergy. Try something like Evo Duck or Natural Balance Duck & Pea.


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## The Humble Servant (Mar 16, 2011)

I'm sort of curious as to what the work up your vet gave her was. 

She sounds like a pancreatitis or IBD cat to me (I've fostered a few of both) and that can't be caught on regular chemistry panels. Or it is possible she being exposed to something toxic on an intermittent basis (like eating spiders or houseplants).

Cats are amazing animals, they can be on death's doorstep and act like their usual sunny selves whenever someone else is around. I'd take her back to the vet's for re-evaluation, just to be safe. This is just one of those things that doesn't sound behavioral.


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## Jan Rebecca (Oct 14, 2010)

Aww - no answers for you but I hope you get it figured out. Poor kitty.


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## Carbo (Dec 14, 2004)

Just wanted to give a quick update. Tuxie is her old self once again. Eating food like it's her last meal; her behavior is back to normal. In short, it seems as if this latest Feline Bulimia episode has passed.
I appreciate everyone's advice and opionions and concern. Thank you.
Also, after doing some reading on the subject, I am going to begin introducing her to canned food. All signs point to this being a better diet for cats. Any personal preferences, or recommendations for a girl that is a bit, uh, chubby in the middle?


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## Susan (Mar 29, 2010)

Moving from dry to wet will help with the chubby middle. Also, I'd stick to a grain-free brand...there are a lot of good ones out there and the can will indicate whether it's grain free (EVO, Wellness, Weruva, Merrick BG, Nature's Instinct, etc.).


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