Cat refuses to eat or drink

by Heather
(Bay Area, California)

My cat was seen at the emergency vet for lethargy. She had a fever and a high white blood cell count. She was producing young white blood cells to fight infection. Doctor thinks it is very unlikely she has feline leukemia or else she would not produce white blood cells. The rest of her blood work looked fine. He suggested doing an X-ray..which I agreed to. Her X-ray was normal. He sent us home with Clovamox(antibiotic) and hydrated her. Monday came and she still wouldn't eat. I was worried so I took to the doctor closest to my house. He did an ultrasound...found nothing. He also did a barium test to look at her digestive system. He said there wasn't anything wrong with her digestive tract. He foung an inflamed red bump on her back...it was sore to the touch. He thought she had trauma. He gave her an antibiotic shot and an anti-inflammatory. He said she would be fine and would recover. She did not have internal bleeding or broken bones. He sent us home with an appetite stimulant and some recovery food and again she was hydrated by the doctor. When she arrived home she ate a small amount of the recovery food. Then she hid under my bed. On Tuesday I was still worried because the appetite stimulant didn't work, she has not eaten since Monday night. Tuesday I was still worried. I took to another doctor. She was hydrated again. Still I don't have a real diagnosis. I have spent $850.00 and my cat is still sick and I don't know what is wrong with her. Yesterday the doctor I saw in the emergency, agreed to see the cat again free of charge. He believes the bump on her back may be the source of the infection. He does not know if it is an abscess or a bug bite or the skins reaction

to something going on in that part of the body. He suggested doing heat packs. He thought she wasn't eating due to the pain. He gave me narcotics to take her pain away so she would eat. Today is THursday ...she still is not eating or drinking on her own....she only hides under my bed. I am trying to just leave her alone. One doctor told me to force feed her...I gave her nutri cal for 2 days. The doctor yesterday said not to force feed her because she will just get mad. Do you have any suggestions????I am desperate...


Answer by Kate
Yes I do have a suggestion but i'm not sure how you will feel about it.

My suggestion is leave your cat alone and try to stop worrying. Two hard things to do I know because you care so much about your cat, but you have more than many other owners may have done, and if she has been checked and checked by the vets and proded and poked she probably now wants some time to do what cats do when they are not feeling well and that is sleep. if she is being treated with anitbioctics for the infection that that will need time to work and sleep really is a good tonic for this.
All you can do is offer her some nice smelly food and plenty of water so that she can eat when she wants to.

You are doing and have done everything that you can for your cat, be patient, be there for her, give her her medicine and provide her with food etc. but don't try and force her to do anything you will only upset her.

I am not a vet and so could not say what is wrong , lets hope it is just a nasty infection which the antibiotics will sort out.

best wishes Kate

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