Expert: Jessica - 7/14/2009

Question
We just adopted a cat from the Humane Society, she is two years old, and when we picked her out she was very very loving and playful but a bit skinny.  Before we could take her home she had to be spayed and get up to date on shots, so we picked her up from the vet and brought her home.  We just brought her home yesterday so she might still be drugged.  They gave her an extra pain shot to keep her out of pain, as well as fluids, rabies vax and feline distemper vax.  We do have another cat as well as a bunny but we are keeping the new kitty in her own room.  I have tried to fee her everything, wet food, dry food, ham, turkey, chicken, tuna, tuna juice, she just won't eat.  I put the juice and wet food on her nose and she licks it off but won't eat on her own.  I know she is probably scared out of her mind being in a new place and still a bit drugged up.  I really just need to know if she will be okay and what is typical for new older cats.  I have brought home new kittens a lot and I know their temperament I just don't know about older new cats.  Any help would be great thank you!

Answer
Hi Eryn.  She certainly has a lot going on!  It can take older cats a couple of days before they'll gain their appetite back, and certainly, with her just being spayed, I can see this exacerbating any reluctance she may have had to eat in the first place.  I would hope that she'd be starting to pick at some food by about the 48 hour mark.  I would also try offering her some stage one chicken baby food if she'll eat it.  Sometimes this is easy because they can lap it up without much effort.  And if she won't eat anything voluntarily at the end of 48 hours, you can squirt baby food into her mouth using a needleless syringe.  Pharmacies carry 3 ml syringes and pet stores carry 10 ml syringes for feeding baby birds and small animals.  You may need to force feed her the baby food for a couple of meals, but I think that once she begins to get the taste in her mouth again, her appetite should come back.  But if she's not eating on her own again by the end of day 3, she really needs to get back to the vet for sure.  She will certainly need more fluids by this time, and you should discuss a prescription food with the vet that has an aromatic flavor that may tempt her to eat or may be force fed.  Appetite stimulants may also be helpful, and if deemed necessary, a continuation of pain relievers.

Hope she settles in soon!

Jessica