45 votes

What are the signs of an old cat dying?

This is an emergency, so you need to get her to the vet. If a cat stops eating for more than 24 hours it can cause fatty liver syndrome; this might be fatal in itself. And the illness that is the ...
trond hansen's user avatar
  • 19.6k
43 votes
Accepted

Cat has bad tooth and won't eat but vet won't remove tooth if she isn't eating

As someone with 5 cats, one of whom recently lost a lower front tooth, I'd be inclined to get a 2nd opinion from a different vet. My reasoning is that she can't eat anything because of the pain in her ...
Jarl Axle's user avatar
  • 616
36 votes

My cat is not eating or drinking anything after the death of the fellow cat

If a cat isn't eating it's always time for the veterinarian! As Trond points out, make sure he is drinking water. And until you can see a vet keep the cat properly warm (not hot, but make sure he isn'...
Stig Tore's user avatar
  • 1,940
19 votes

My cat vomited a big piece of plastic

Immediate Advice: As @Cris says, you'll want to take your cat to the Vet right away. Right now, you don't know the scope of the problem and although a single piece of plastic has been vomited, there ...
Henders's user avatar
  • 5,125
19 votes

My cat is not eating or drinking anything after the death of the fellow cat

Not eating properly even for a few days is likely to cause the fatty liver syndrome for a cat, which is usually fatal if left untreated, but has a good recovery rate, if treated early. You should take ...
Steve's user avatar
  • 191
14 votes

My cat vomited a big piece of plastic

This isn't good. You need to see a veterinarian ASAP or his health could worsen.
Cris's user avatar
  • 419
13 votes

Cat has bad tooth and won't eat but vet won't remove tooth if she isn't eating

Go back to the vet and explain the problem or seek a different vet if you've lost faith in this one. It seems mostly likely that the vet has underestimated the severity of the situation. If you're ...
Jack Aidley's user avatar
11 votes

Cats eat each other's food (and dog's food), makes it hard to keep track of when they eat

Thank you for your question. You have a few different issues within your one question, but let's start with your main question regarding cats eating each other's food. I have the same problem with ...
KittyConsultant's user avatar
11 votes
Accepted

Should I be concerned if my dog swallowed a battery?

This is a medical emergency! A vet must make an x-ray of the stomach as soon as possible to verify whether or not the dog actually swallowed the battery. If he did indeed, the battery must be removed ...
Elmy's user avatar
  • 32.9k
9 votes

Cat has bad tooth and won't eat but vet won't remove tooth if she isn't eating

I don't know of force feeding being bad but I'm no expert. I'd assume your cat would like to have something in her belly. When my cat had teeth/gum issues and wouldn't eat, my vet recommended that I ...
superstar's user avatar
  • 191
9 votes
Accepted

My cat is not eating, will he starve to death?

If your cat is not eating because of his chronic kidney disease: He feels nauseous due to the azotemia (buildup of uremic toxins in the blood). He is unlikely to get better without aggressive fluid ...
Harry V.'s user avatar
  • 6,228
9 votes

My cat is not eating or drinking anything after the death of the fellow cat

Cats grieve. Like most if not all mammals, and many birds. When my cat lost his brother (hit by a car), he sat under the tree where they used to play all the time for 4 days, barely moving. It still ...
Nico C's user avatar
  • 91
9 votes

Should I add water to wet food to provide extra hydration?

To answer your questions one by one. Cats need to have clean water in addition to the water contained in their food. Adding water to the wet food is not something you need to do. It can reduce the ...
trond hansen's user avatar
  • 19.6k
9 votes
Accepted

My cat just drank one bowl full of water in an hour, is this normal?

One instance of a cat drinking 4oz of water in a sitting is not really alarming, but if you are noticing a pattern of your cat drinking more water than usual, repeatedly emptying the bowl in one ...
Meg's user avatar
  • 1,582
9 votes
Accepted

My dog ate a cricket, is that bad?

Don’t worry! Even humans eat crickets, so your dog will be totally fine. Dogs eat a lot of things worse than crickets (my parents’ dog regularly snacks on goose poop despite our best efforts to stop ...
Gwendolyn's user avatar
  • 2,723
8 votes
Accepted

How can I tell if my cat is bullying her sister and what can I do to combat the problem?

Yes, it sounds like you could have a little bit of a dominance issue. Unlike dogs, who tend to be all dominate or all submissive, cats tend to be dominate over certain things. For example: In a two ...
KittyConsultant's user avatar
8 votes

My sons 12 week old kitten will eat only human food

This is problem in learned behavior that can occur in young animals, whether cats or human children. In humans these foods are referred to as "comfort foods"; I, for example, learned as a ...
Mark Ripley's user avatar
8 votes
Accepted

Star Trek cookbook pet food question

Addressing the recipe part only: Cats in the future must have undergone significant changes in their digestion and hungriness. ;) Cats can't really use the bran or oats, so they're essentially just ...
Mario's user avatar
  • 5,383
8 votes
Accepted

Food anxiety in former stray cat?

Time is the key really, if she spent long enough on the streets struggling for food that her weight had dropped substantially below "normal" for her then it's going to take some time for her to relax ...
motosubatsu's user avatar
  • 5,470
7 votes

New cat only licks sauce / gravy from wet food and ignores the chunks, but eats dry food without issues

Some cats don't like chunks and gravy. In fact, some cats don't like wet food at all! If chunks and gravy isn't working try the paté version. Only give out small portions at a time, as wet food tends ...
Rebecca RVT's user avatar
  • 12.6k
7 votes

How do I get my cat to stop waking me up at 5:45am?

This happens to my mom and her cats, because she feeds them wet food in the morning. I did some reading and found that feeding them in the morning will make them want to wake you up for food in the ...
ggiaquin16's user avatar
7 votes

Cat has bad tooth and won't eat but vet won't remove tooth if she isn't eating

I don't think forcefeeding is an option here. Forcefeeding a cat with no mouth problems is already dicey as it is naturally stressful for them, which can lead to a further aversion to the food. You ...
user10966's user avatar
7 votes
Accepted

How dangerous are lemons for a cat?

From what I've read, lemon is poisonous, but it requires excessive amounts before it is really harmful. A single lick isn't going to do anything noticeable. Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, and ...
Kai's user avatar
  • 16.2k
7 votes
Accepted

Why doesn't my kitten hunt like others?

Long ago, I had a kitten with similar behavior. I had gotten it particularly to catch mice. It just had no interest in chasing things. I even put the kitten in a large area with a live mouse and the ...
James Jenkins's user avatar
7 votes

My cat is not eating or drinking anything after the death of the fellow cat

As the others have said, do involve your veterinarian. However, any animal that can make a friendship bond, and cats are certainly included, can feel some degree of sadness and grief at the loss of a ...
chrylis -cautiouslyoptimistic-'s user avatar
7 votes
Accepted

Should I add water to wet food to provide extra hydration?

While you've listed off three questions about adding hydration, the first question you should be asking is: Is my cat dehydrated? It's very easy to check this yourself at home by using a pinch test. ...
Allison C's user avatar
  • 6,477
7 votes

My previously gobbling cat only licks her food dry now

It is important you go to a vet to work out what is wrong. When a cat who usually has a great appetite stops eating, something is very wrong. Particularly so when this is a young cat. This may be ...
Harry V.'s user avatar
  • 6,228
6 votes

What happens if cats drink coffee?

Websearch says that LD50 (the overdose that will kill half the animals in the study) for caffeine is around 70 mg per 1 lb body weight (150 mg / kg body weight). As an example, instant coffee ...
keshlam's user avatar
  • 11.5k
6 votes
Accepted

How can I feed this baby hedgehog?

Hedgehogs are omnivorous (they eat plants and meat) to feed them use cat food and water. Wild hedgehogs do always have parasites (internal and external) I suggest you get it dewormed if it is ...
trond hansen's user avatar
  • 19.6k
6 votes

Is there a safe dose of vitamin D to give a cat?

I don't like answering my own question, but because I came across this article below and it's slightly different than the answers above, I thought I'd post it as an alternative answer. I also ...
userLTK's user avatar
  • 305

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