I adopted a 7 year old kitty from the Humane Society on Saturday. The volunteer told me she had been a housecat and her owner died, and she’d come to them underweight. They said she still wasn’t eating much and was underweight, and refused to eat until the tried wet food (they also gave me a huge case of wet food for free- nice people!)
I brought her home, and she still hasn’t eaten anything as of today! She has hidden the entire time- both when I put her in her own room with the food/water/litter and once I gave her free roam of the house (earlier than I would have liked- boneheaded roommate couldn’t be bothered to close the damn door behind him and she escaped from the spare bedroom into the rest of the house while I wasn’t home.) The few times I’ve found her I’ve brought her back to where the food is to show her, but she immediately runs away. This morning I was desperate and put her in the bathroom with the food for a few hours (we have another cat and I wondered if he was stealing her food before she could get to it, or if she was too scared of him to eat.) She didn’t touch it. She is currently hiding somewhere and I can’t find her. I know it’s normal for kitties to hide/not eat for a bit once they’re in a new environment, but I can’t help but be nervous, especially given her previous history of not eating. I’m terrified I’m going to find a little starved kitty body in a closet in a few days! Someone, please tell me I’m overreacting and need to calm down, or give me some advice. Thanks.
What a beauty! Thank you for adopting an older kitty.
Cats don’t tolerate going without food as well as dogs do. I would leave her in the bathroom by herself over night, with just a nightlight, and don’t disturb her. If she hasn’t eaten by tomorrow, you might want to call the Humane Society and ask their help.
Kudos for adopting an adult older cat. Many people only pay attention to the kittens and the older cats are at much lower chance of getting adopted.
I agree with St Germain. I would try keeping her in one location (whatever area can be kept quiet and secure for her the best) and let her stay there undisturbed overnight. Maybe try offering some tuna alongside the wet food.
I think part of the problem may be that every time she gets moved somewhere else (like the bathroom or getting out into the whole living area) it freaks her out all over again.
If she still hasn’t touched the food by morning, I’d call a vet and see if they can give her anything to stimulate her appetite.
It’s a good idea to bring a newly adopted pet in for a checkup to establish care with a vet anyway.
Hiding is normal behavior when a cat is adjusting to a new home, and can go as long as 15-20 days. It’s usually longer for older cats (like yours), and for those that have gone through traumatic moves (also like yours – she has moved at least twice – from previous home to humane society, and from there to you – and each time she lost the companionship of the person she knew). You can expect it to take her longer to adjust. Also, the presence of an existing cat, and another human complicate adjustment. Just give her time.
The not eating could be serious (not drinking would be even more serious). Do consider the idea of locking her in a small room, with her food & water (and litterbox) in there. Try offering different flavors of wet food, and some different flavors/brands of dry food. And check them (by weight) to see – she may be eating more than you think.
all of the above. she needs a space of peace and quiet to adjust to the new environment and it will take a few days minimum for that to happen.
do take her to the vet for an exam in the event she might have worms or mites - and equally importantly - to determine and benchmark her general state of health.
Yeah, pick a room - bathroom, probably - where she can remain totally undisturbed except for you coming in and out, talking softly to her, bringing her food, etc. This is a scary time for her, so the fewer additional changes the better. Give your boneheaded roommate a swat on the back of the skull for me.
The vet can prescribe a teensy tiny little pill that gives cats the munchies. I had to get it when we took in an adult cat who also quit eating out of stress after the move.
Thanky, everyone, and keep the suggestions coming! I put her in the bathroom overnight with food/water/blanket and litter in the opposite corner. As of this morning she still hasn’t eaten. I switched to tuna flavor this morning to see if maybe she just didn’t like the beef & gravy (it looked pretty gross to me, too.) I’m gonna call the Humane Society today and ask their opinion.
You might also try the ultimate in cat gourmet dining - baby food meat puree. I’ve had it stimulate the appetite of all but the most sick or stressed of cats. Chicken & ham seem to be the favored flavors. People tuna has also been a big hit.
Feliway has already been suggested - I’ve also had very good luck with Rescue Remedy - half a dozen drops in her water daily. Once she will eat, just leave her be as much as possible. I’ve had rescue cats take 2-3 weeks to come out of hiding and seek attention.
Good idea to change the food - my two cats both, for unknown reasons, have almost nothing to do with salmon. You’d think cats would be all over that, but they just don’t care for it. Maybe you’ve got a type of food she just doesn’t like.
I’ve heard other people on the boards here recommend baby food for cats who aren’t eating, too. It’s worth a try.
Also, my cats won’t eat canned food in the can, but if I put it out on a saucer, they’ll nibble at it. I think they lik eedges to start from, rather than tearing into a flat surface. I’ve heard, but never tried, the babyfood trick.
Don’t wait too much longer before getting a vet involved.
Beautiful cat and I hope you’re able to find something to tempt her.
I wonder what she’d do if you let loose a mouse or small bird in the room with her? Just joking, mostly… though the idea of having something that might get her attention is worth a thought.
Check with your vet, but honestly, if she doesn’t eat anything, not one little nibble, in another day or so, you may have to resort to force-feeding. Once a cat starts going into starvation mode, their liver totally shuts down … making them feel even crappier and even less like eating.
Try the baby food for sure. Also, just sit in the room with her for a while. Many cats are social eaters and if you give her food and leave that may keep her from feeling like she has companionship enough to eat. Take a book, stay a while.
Just curious why you didn’t choose your bedroom as her initial place? The resident house cat can be kicked out of the bedroom for a couple of weeks with no lasting ill effects. The former house cat that needs to socialize and get to know her new human would benefit greatly from the presence of you, even if you’re sleeping. She went from a secure home and human companion to a strange cage in a strange shelter with no consistent companionship, and now in your house with still no consistent companion. The familiarity of a bedroom and a warm, sleeping human would probably help her come around.
Also try hand-feeding the baby food. Dip your finger in it (warm it a tiny bit, too), offer it to her on your finger. Smear a tiny bit onto her upper lip and see if she licks it off her lip. Put a smear on a front paw and see if she cleans herself.
I can’t stress how much she needs companionship, though. She really needs to have someone spending time with her, even if you’re just reading or sleeping, your presence. The vast majority of cats that have appetite issues at our shelter are ones that came from a deceased owner’s home. (my personal suspicion is the deceased owner in most cases was elderly, and these cats are accustomed to having their own personal hooman with them all day, every day) We try having volunteers spend lots of time with them, but often need to do some force feeding and medically induce appetite for a while before they eat on their own. They often do fine once they’re re-adopted and get devoted attention in the new home.
This is a stressful time for you, too! I hope she gets happier soon.
Yes, absolutely! It’s expensive, but it’s extremely effective.
As far as assuaging your fears, all I can say is that it’s [del]very, very[/del] relatively unlikely that she is plotting to smother you in the nighttime.
I switched to tuna flavor this morning to see if maybe she just didn’t like the beef & gravy (it looked pretty gross to me, too.) I’m gonna call the Humane Society today and ask their opinion.