Cats are naturally finicky when it comes to food and missing an occasional meal is not unusual, but cats that stop eating completely even for a few days can develop a liver problem called Fatty Liver or Hepatic Lipidosis which is very serious. This liver disease perpetuates both the appetite loss and the cat’s illness.
CAUSES
* Viral Upper Respiratory infections – Feline Herpes Virus and Calici Virus
* Fatty Liver Disease can be caused by not eating. It also causes cats not to eat
* Obesity – overweight cats are more prone to develop Fatty Liver Disease
* Overaggressive weight reduction programs can cause appetite loss
* Chronic Kidney Disease
* Chronic Immune Diseases – Feline Leukemia, Feline Immuno Defiency Virus, FIP, Cancer
WHAT YOU AND YOUR VET CAN DO
Cats decide whether or not to eat based on the way a food smells.
Anything that interferes with a cats sense of smell, such as a runny nose or nasal congestion can result in appetite loss. Cat Flu caused by Herpes Virus and/or Calici Virus is a classic example.
TO STIMULATE YOUR CATS APPETITE
* Correct any underlying problems including those that interfere with the sense of smell. A nasal decongestant may help stimulate appetite in a cat with a runny nose.
* Certain foods with a very strong odor can be mixed into your cats food to enhance the flavor and may stimulate appetite.
Anita Frazier recommends these:
Bribery Foods:
* ½ jar baby food creamed corn
* Lightly cooked chicken liver
* A few drops Tamari soy sauce
* 1 tsp baby lamb food
Note: Warm all meals to room temperature because cooked food tends to have a stronger taste than raw food and canned food is generally preferable to dry food. Sometimes, sitting with your cat, hand feeding and petting them encourages eating.
WHAT YOU AND YOUR VET CAN DO
* Appetite stimulants may be necessary as a last resort. Low doses of these 3 anti-anxiety medications act as appetite stimulants and must be prescribed by your vet:
* Diazepam (Valium)
* Oxazepam (Serax)
* Flurazepam (Dalmane)
* Force feeding usually works best by inserting a stomach tube. This is surgically implanted into the stomach under anesthesia. The tube allows owners to easily feed their cats, and once the cats appetite returns, the tube is removed.
FEEDING FORMULA FOR CATS NOT EATING
* Gently mix in a blender at the lowest speed: Note: You can make up to a 1 week supply. Keep covered and refrigerated
* ¼ cup distilled water
* 1 TBSP Aloe Vera juice
* 1 TBSP Kelp
* 1 TBSP unprocessed yeast – source B vitamins
* 1 Tsp organic apple cider vinegar – detoxifies body
* ½ Tsp ground rosemary – a natural preservative
* 400 Iu Vitamin E – open capsule and mix in
Fresh Juices
½ Cup organic carrot juice
½ Cup raw organic calves liver – 2 raw organic egg whites (not yellow) may be substituted for the liver
1 TBSP Parsley Juice
Note: Juice must be made each day. Add 2-3 TBSP to above formula just before feeding 2-3 times a day.
You can offer small amounts, feed through a syringe or a stomach tube under veterinary advice.
This recipe is from Pat Lazarus’s Book “Keeping Cat Healthy: Natural Ways”
