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Cat won't eat, drink, go to the bathroom

8 years ago

2016 February 10th

My 8 year old cat Molly had not been eating, drinking, or going to the bathroom for almost two weeks now. She seems weak and just sits in one spot. She is also skinnier and more bony. We took her to the vet they gave her vitamins and fluids and took a blood test only showing she has low red blood cells. They also rubbed some medicine on her incase she had some type of parasite in her. They do not know what is wrong. Recently after taking her to the vet we thought about maybe she has been drinking the toilet water which has blue toilet bowl cleaner in it called scrubbing bubbles drop ins. She is going back to the vet tomorrow but was wanting to know if anyone thinks this might be the problem? And what might have to be done to make her back to normal again?

Featured Answer

nannygoat18

8 years ago

Tomorrow you should alert the vet to your suspicions and await his/her guidance. Two weeks is a long time to wait before seeking medical attention. I wish your cat a good outcome.

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Comments (16)

ourhighlandhome
8 years ago
If you have a child, and they experienced these same symptoms, would you have waited two weeks before demanding a diagnosis or treatment plan? Find a "real" vet, have them stabilize your cat, and then adopt her out to a caring home. That's my advice.
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What anguish I read these comments with. My beloved Maine Coon Cat at age ten gradually stopped eating after his requisite vaccinations. He gradually lost a third of his weight. I took him to the vet. Blood work was done. Palpations were done. He stopped eating, or, as far as I could tell, drinking. I was distraught, and, finally, on a weekend took him to the Pet hospital, where he is now. After reading many of these comments, I am very afraid. He is ten years old and we have had him since he was three weeks old. He is laid-back, thoughtful, and has command of much vocabulary. How can we get along without our beloved cat? He is to have an ultrasound tomorrow, and I shudder at what the news might be. . .
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What everyone else said - this is serious, cats not eating for extended periods are at risk of fatty liver, a life threatening situation, so please keep him going on some food, whatever you can get into him - meat babyfood is good, seems to appeal to cats who are nauseous.. . Not sure what you mean by "big" cat - if you mean overweight, then diabetes comes to mind. Now, diabetic cats typically consume tons of water and flood the literbox - did you ever notice that happening? However when ketoacidosis, a complication of diabetes, kicks in a cat can become extremely nauseous and lethargic & go off food and water. Can you at least get a simple exam & bloodwork that could rule out some of the more obvious things (such as diabetes)? A good vet should understand about income limitations and offer you some options. Wishing you and your kitty well
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Many thanks for your comments. I should have made clear that liver and kidney function were checked satisfactorily - no lipidosis. Our very senior Vet (he is Cruft's Chief Veterinary Officer - yes, dogs, I know) saw Sam again today. He was not in favour of either an Xray or ultrasound - he reckons that there is no evidence that anything they might reveal is amiss. However, he did force-feed Sam some Hills A/D by syringe, then Sam licked more off his fingers. Having got Sam home, he ate a treat stick by himself and we've syringe-fed him twice more - he wouldn't eat off our fingers (maybe after 14 years he's trying to tell us something). He is still unwilling to feed himself from a dish (you wouldn't believe all the stuff we've bought to try to tempt him - liver, chicken, haddock, beef, tuna, etc, besides a variety of cat-food) but has drunk a fair amount of water. We're happier that he has got some food and drink inside him now but will be much happier when he's back to feeding himself. We will be even happier if we ever discover what stopped him eating/drinking in the first place. For the benefit of anyone else who reads this with a similar problem, we had read elsewhere about putting honey on a cat's gums - some people had apparently had success with this as a starter to get their cat eating normally again. We tried it last night and syringed about 4ml of watered-down honey directly into Sam's mouth. He licked around and swallowed all of it but, sadly, I can't report that he restarted eating.
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I'm sorry this is happening, but at 17 years old, your cat's problems probably have nothing to do with the new kitten, but are most likely old age related. Have you taken the older cat to the Vet?
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trancegemini_wa
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Two weeks is a long time for an animal to go without food and water, and going to the bathroom. I would get a copy of the test results and see another vet asap. Did they mention anything like non regenerative anemia? My cat developed this and it took her fairly quickly, although she had other problems and was much older than yours.
Paisley Morton thanked trancegemini_wa
elpaso1
8 years ago
Histoplasmosis, if cat has access to where birds or poultry poop.

Foreign object impaction.
Paisley Morton
Original Author
8 years ago
I took her to the vet before 2 weeks I'm saying it's been 2 weeks and she hasn't gotten better. She's been at the vet with iv fluids. We are planning on doing a blood transfusion now because her red blood cells are so low.
User
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Has the vet suggested an ultrasound? This is too long without improvement. Please go to a different vet if this one hasn't suggested more aggressive diagnostic tools. Two weeks in without using the litterbox or drinking is crazy...

I guarantee that your cat needs an ultrasound to help determine what's going on. Giving her a transfusion is merely treating a symptom, not discovering the underlying cause.
User
8 years ago
I also believe you should seek out a different vet. There are many clinics now that specialize in just feline care. That would be a good option if one is available in your area.
Vertise
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Could she have gotten into any people food? Onions can cause problems with low red cells. I think garlic does also, as they are in the same family.
weathy
8 years ago
MAKE SURE vet treating cause not symptoms!
Paisley Morton
Original Author
8 years ago
Mildly ended up having a cancer tumor in her abdomen and had to be put to sleep.
Paisley Morton
Original Author
8 years ago
Molly *
ourhighlandhome
8 years ago
Very sorry for your loss, Paisley. I've put 9 to sleep. Of my four left, one is deaf and blind in one eye and it won't be long; one of the others has oral cancer that is being treated by cauterization and antibiotics (of all things); another has had benign tumors removed from his ears, and the oldest is in the best health of all!

I hope you get over your grief soon. We'll all be thinking of you...

Nelson
User
8 years ago
I'm sorry for your loss.
KIRRA LAND
3 years ago
My cat got a scratch on her nose she won't eat any food she won't drink water or milk and she won't go to the bathroom I don't know what to do we want to take her to the vet but we don't have any money to do that so I'm wondering if anybody on here knows we can do at home it's been about a week now and she just sits in one side
artemis_ma
3 years ago
KIRRA LAND, get her to the vet whether you can afford it or not. Work out a payment plan. This does not sound like something you can take care of at home.
lands miao
3 years ago
Your cat may have a digestive problem. You can give your baby a try of cat grass to get rid of the fur bag or, best of all, see the doctor

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