Need more cat help!

[skimomma]

We had to euthanize our 20yo cat about four weeks ago.  She likely had cancer but we never got an official diagnosis.  Basic blood work showed everything as normal so without going into extensive testing and treatment (other than trying antibiotics) that would not be appropriate or comfortable for a 20yo cat, that was the best guess our vet could give.  We have a single cat remaining in the household.  She was a stray before we took her in so we are not certain of her age but the vet estimate when we took her in 12 years ago was that she was 2-4 years old at that time.  So she is in her mid-teens.

This cat has never been super friendly and mostly ignored our older cat.  She has always been overweight and eager to eat.  So eager that as our older cat declined and gradually started eating less and less, this cat would take advantage of leftovers when no one was looking.  She actually put on a bit of weight over the last 6 months as a result.  She is fed a commercial raw food twice a day.  We do sometimes feed her grain-free canned food for something different or when we have cat sitter.  This cat has never been picky.  She has always gobbled up whatever is put in front of her.

About two weeks after older kitty passed, we noticed this cat was not finishing her meals, which is very odd.  She started eating less and even refusing some meals altogether as time went on.  We have been offering a variety of foods at each meal with little luck.  She is eating something each day but I would estimate her total intake is about 25% what it was one month ago.  Absolutely nothing else is remiss.  Her behavior has not changed at all.  She will eat crunchy treats with no trouble chewing.  Her belly can be massaged without complaint.  Litter box habits are normal with reduced output but still regular.  She is not drinking excessively.  Her eyes are bright and fur soft. She is the same level of social and does not seem any crankier or needier than she was a month ago.  She "complains" about being hungry at all the predictable times and even excited as I prepare the food but then sometimes does not even approach the plate to see what is on it once I put it down.

I have a vet appointment next week.   We do not have multiple options for vets in our area and I am not super happy with the one option we have.  So, in tandem, I am hoping people may have any ideas I can try and/or research while we are waiting.  We are concerned about her health but since she is eating at least something daily and could stand to lose a few pounds anyway, we don't feel this is an emergency situation yet.

We figure there are two possibilities.  Legitimate illness or psychological.  We will be exploring the illness possibility with the vet.  Anyone have experience with cat hunger strikes after a change in the household.....as in the absence of another cat?  Could this be in response to our older kitty's passing even if it seemed they had zero relationship?  In her 12 years with us, there has never been any big changes.  No new pets, no new children, no one moving in our out, same house, even the same furniture (wow, we are boring...).  Could this have rocked her world that much?  And if this is possible, is there anything we can do other than wait it out?  We have contemplated adding another cat or two to the household.  That may make things better.....or worse?  I am really just wondering if anyone has had or seen an issue like this that did not turn out to have a medical cause.

[TechWife]

I’m glad you’re going to the vet, it’s a good idea to rule out physical causes of a decreased appetite. There may be thyroid issues in play, which are easily treatable. 

Off the top of my head, though, I wonder if her previous eating habits were ingrained in her as a stray when she had to search for and possibly compete with other cats for food. Sometimes they may gorge themselves because they don’t know when their next meal is coming. She may have felt threatened by the other cat and eaten everything she could, when she could. Now that she’s the only one in the house, she may not feel her food supply is threatened and is slowing down for that reason. It’s just an idea, anyway. 

[skimomma]

11 minutes ago, TechWife said:

I’m glad you’re going to the vet, it’s a good idea to rule out physical causes of a decreased appetite. There may be thyroid issues in play, which are easily treatable. 

Off the top of my head, though, I wonder if her previous eating habits were ingrained in her as a stray when she had to search for and possibly compete with other cats for food. Sometimes they may gorge themselves because they don’t know when their next meal is coming. She may have felt threatened by the other cat and eaten everything she could, when she could. Now that she’s the only one in the house, she may not feel her food supply is threatened and is slowing down for that reason. It’s just an idea, anyway. 

That is an interesting possibility for sure.

[Pawz4me]

I think it's certainly possible that it's a psychological issue that will improve with a little more time. I think many pets are very sensitive to changes in the home (and others are oblivious). But at her age it would be a very good idea to have thorough blood work done. Just in case this is physical, and so you'll have a good baseline for any future health issues.

[stephanier.1765]

I wonder if animals grieve. A few days ago we lost out dog and since then the 3 cats have been eating less. Maybe the dog was eating cat food and I just didn't realize it, but the decrease in cat food eaten is significant. The cat that slept in the bedroom with the dog and me has also been clingy, following me from room to room and staying wherever I am.

I hope there is nothing physically wrong with your kitty. Keep us updated.