8

My cat is a senior cat, and has lost most of his teeth. He really wants to eat, but the food just falls out, then he gets so frustrated that he just stops trying. I have to cook for this cat and give vitamin supplements all his life; he gets boiled chicken most days, with shrimp mixed in once in a while. He has never had a problem with eating until the last molar he had got infected. After 3 days of antibiotics the tooth fell out on its own, and now my cat cannot keep the food in his mouth!

Does anyone have ideas of how I can help him?

Improve this question
1

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
13

There are several problems here that need to be addressed.

  1. Can your cat drink water without problems? If yes, then your assumption that your cat cannot keep food in its mouth is wrong. The correct assumption is that your cat cannot chew food. The solution to this problem is to provide food that has the consistency of paste and can be licked up.
  2. If your cat cannot drink water or lick paste, then the teeth are probably not the cause. You need to let a vet check where exactly the problem comes from.
  3. The diet you provide is extremely monotonous. This can lead to malnutrition and deficits in certain vitamins and essential nutrients. The solution is:
    • Either you study the nutritional needs of cats and prepare the daily meals from a variety of different ingredients that provide your cat with everything it needs
    • Or trust companies who have studied the nutritional needs of cats and buy cat food that provides your cat with everything it needs from them.

Considering that buying and cooking chicken for your cat is not exactly cheap either, the best solution would be buying canned food. Mash the food with a fork before serving it to your cat so the content is soft and can be licked up without the need to chew.

If your cat has general problems keeping anything in its mouth, please consult a vet. If your cat has special nutritional needs, consult your vet for recommended food brands.

Improve this answer
5
  • 1
    even if a cat have lost all of the teeth it can still eat all of the common types of cat food,even dry food can and will be eaten so one do not need to give the cat food that is softened or cut in smaler bits,common dry food can be swallowed as it is and wet food too.
    – trond hansen
    Apr 9, 2019 at 13:47
  • @trondhansen I ... kind of doubt that. Sure, small rount kibbles can be swallowed without chewing, but kibbles come in many different forms. There are kibbles shaped like a cross (or x) that would be at least uncomfortable to swallow whole. But yourcomment made me realize that there could be other causes for the losing food.
    – Elmy ♦
    Apr 9, 2019 at 14:03
  • 1
    i had a toothless cat for a year and my vet did say giving the cat dry food is not a problem at all,and information on the net do suport this.i think the cat might have other types of problems in the mouth causing this trouble eating.and one need to use kibble that is small when the cat have trouble eating.
    – trond hansen
    Apr 9, 2019 at 14:39
  • Whenever my cats eat too fast and puke (thankfully rare), the contents of the vomit is mostly unchewed kibbles. At least for some brands of cat food, it appears that chewing is unnecessary.
    – Monica Apologists Get Out
    Apr 9, 2019 at 17:15
  • @Elmy at least according to my vet, dry cat food is not a problem for cats without teeth - it's designed to basically disintegrate. The obvious exception is some of the specifically formulated dental health foods, which are designed to help clean cats teeth
    – User1000547
    Apr 9, 2019 at 19:02

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge that you have read and understand our privacy policy and code of conduct.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.