Expert: Dear Tabbi - 7/14/2009

Question
QUESTION: Dear Tabbi,    Coco is instinct deprived & neurotic
Coco will not eat unless you are petting her and will stare at her bowl, then cry when you approch until she is pet. Recently she is staring at the water bowl for the same attention. Through the yrs we have tired to ignore her so she will eat on her own but she just does not eat and loses weight. Now she is going in our bedrooms and not the potty box. We keep 3 HUGE special made litter trays for our now 7 indoor cats (another story)and there is no smell. History is important: 7 yrs ago we adopted this found "sewer kitten" that was abandoned by her mother one winter. We bottle fed her and there was one other cat in the house. She is cross eyed (black) and looks beside you when you talk to her & cannot see well. She has no smell. (Important for wanting to eat)therefore does not like any people food. She is instinct deprived due to her limitations but loving. Two months ago she was playing with everyone, now she is hiding and hissing. I have been home 5 weeks from surgery and don't see anyone picking on her. I would love to have her eat normal, but can't cope with her going outside the box. Do you have any suggestions for us?

ANSWER: Karen,

You might try giving her tuna or tinned sardines in oil. They have a strong odor and sometimes that will get them to eat.

A cat may have scared her or jumped her when she was using the litterbox so she is scared to go in it. Have you tried a small litterbox for her in your bedroom?

There are a number of reasons it could be for her behavior, and since I cannot put all the information into this reply, I am including some links to good articles about improper elimination.  They will have good information that you should find helpful in dealing with your cat's potty problem:
(copy and paste or type the whole links into your address bar)

http://cats.about.com/cs/behavioralissues/a/outsidebox_two.htm

http://www.geocities.com/heartland/pointe/9352/litterboxhelp.html

http://www.apbc.org.uk/article10.htm


Tabbi


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you! But, she cannot smell Tuna or any fish.  The vet said he has never seen a cat that cannot smell like Coco.  I have read that a cat needs to smell to eat. That is why we have been stumped and out of ideas. Sincerely-K

Answer
Anosmia is the medical term for the lack of the sense of smell. Have you had the cat tested for herpes, Feline Leukemia, etc.? It sounds like she has or had something that caused the anosmia. A severe enough upper respiratory infection could cause it too. If you haven't had her tested for the various feline diseases, I would do it.

Also, cats have a pair of vomeronasal organs (also called Jacobson's Organs) on the roof of the mouth. When the cat wants to thoroughly investigate a particular scent, it will inhale through it's mouth. The vomeronasal organs will then analyze the scent molecule by molecule -- almost as if the cat is tasting the smell.

Tabbi