Topic: unexplained aversion to food (Read 46557 times)

Kay and Penny · « **Reply #190 on:** February 24, 2013, 17:31:29 PM »

chopped beef? that should soon see him in fine fetlock again

do I, by the way, detect a smidgeon of an American accent in your posts?

jrichemont · « **Reply #189 on:** February 24, 2013, 17:21:25 PM »

Oh nos! Jonah has been redacted!
He actually ate chopped beef from his bowl this afternoon which is great to see. Not enough for him to live on but it's a start. He tries to sniff at everything we give him, smells nothing and turns away. I guess he ate from the bowl out of habit but it's still a nice bit of normalcy. Guinea fowl now in the oven. Snidge will have some of the skin I imagine. He loves chook skin; less so the cooked meat which I guess he finds a little hard. He's never been a fan of 'hard' food.
I should add that 'Snidge' is one of his many names - cat's have many many names of course - along with 'Smallweed', 'Captain Fluffles' and 'you little butter' reserved for when he's thrown a furball up on the duvet

Gill (sneakiefeline) · « **Reply #188 on:** February 24, 2013, 16:16:03 PM »

Suspect government has replaced a banned word lol

SamMewl · « **Reply #187 on:** February 24, 2013, 16:08:47 PM »

government Jonah would be so much better than our one

jrichemont · « **Reply #186 on:** February 24, 2013, 15:28:08 PM »

Effing spell auto crap. By 'government' I meant feed or give or something like that. Sometimes I think a tech free cat life sounds fantastic!

jrichemont · « **Reply #185 on:** February 24, 2013, 15:23:26 PM »

@Kay; we are sooo not morning folks, especially on a Sunday! We get up, government Jonah his meds and food and hightail it to our local to read the papers. After that we start cooking lunch with an eye to eating around 5. I'm sure it's bad for us but still...

jrichemont · « **Reply #184 on:** February 24, 2013, 15:18:26 PM »

Yes he is; Buprenorphine. He gets 2ml each morning taken with a vast amount of fuss. It has to be orally administered and he fights every step of the way. I hope he doesn't just let it dribble out into his face fur though.

Kay and Penny · « **Reply #183 on:** February 24, 2013, 15:17:52 PM »

guinea fowl for lunch? posted at 15.03pm? and I thought you Londoners were ahead of us country bumpkins

Gill (sneakiefeline) · « **Reply #182 on:** February 24, 2013, 15:09:33 PM »

Sorry I have forgotten but is he getting pain meds for his jaw?

jrichemont · « **Reply #181 on:** February 24, 2013, 15:03:36 PM »

Jonah really didn't want to get up today;.every time I fished him out of the duvet he'd sneeze, shake his head and burrow back under next to me. I got him up in the end and he ate a few steak bits but his jaw was obviously hurting him and I had to call it a day and feed him via the tube. Plus his drug cocktail. He slopped off to his box after that. I'd so like to take him out for a walk to remind him that life can be nice and not full of drugs and tubes but I don't dare. We're having Guinea fowl for lunch so he can eat some skin; with luck that'll restore his faith in life...

Skiddaw · « **Reply #180 on:** February 24, 2013, 10:36:03 AM »

Nice one!!

jrichemont · « **Reply #179 on:** February 23, 2013, 20:31:47 PM »

@skiddaw; fur and loathing in Shoreditch...

jrichemont · « **Reply #178 on:** February 23, 2013, 20:23:46 PM »

Cat's job, I agree. He's refusing steak again so I managed to get 40 ml of liquid food into him. I'll turn him into a sumo cat or die trying! No one suffers anorexia on my shift; no sir. He seems much better generally, nose clear, no sneezing, bright eyed. He's not 100% there yet but i have a lot of hope for him. I love him and want his quality of life to be as it was or better. I know he's not given up yet!

Sue P (Paddysmum) · « **Reply #177 on:** February 23, 2013, 14:23:45 PM »

Am all for furry feline subterfuge - it is, after all, all the very essence of "cat"

Gill (sneakiefeline) · « **Reply #176 on:** February 23, 2013, 13:48:26 PM »

Sounds like his not wanting to eat has a direct pain influence.

Sending strokes to Jonah

Kay and Penny · « **Reply #175 on:** February 23, 2013, 13:45:12 PM »

delighted to hear your training is progressing so well

jrichemont · « **Reply #174 on:** February 23, 2013, 13:15:05 PM »

I know! So... Today he tried to stay next to me under the duvet but i had to fish him out. He rode upstairs on my shoulders and got his drug cocktail via the tube. The painkiller must be administered orally though. He does *not* like people sticking syringes into his mouth at all! So, before doing that i gave him more steak. He only managed half before the discomfort became too much so in with the 2ml bupe.
Then he went to his bathroom box and i took a slice of steak to entice him. He was interested but no go so I left it on to of the box and went upstairs. When I went down to check on him later he was in his box, eyes like saucers, and the steak nowhere to be seen.
I do wonder sometimes if he plays to an audience; all bathos when I try to hand feed him and as soon as I am out of sight says "butter this for a game of soldiers", scoops the beef up with his paw and stuffs it in his mouth...
Long as he eats of couse I will forgive any amount of furry subterfuge...

Skiddaw · « **Reply #173 on:** February 23, 2013, 11:19:32 AM »

That IS sounding more hopeful!

Poor little soul. No wonder he didn't want to eat. There's nothing worse than trying to force something down when it hurts. Like trying to eat when you have a really sore throat and swollen glands, or a bad tooth or something.

I will continue to keep everything crossed.

(PS: like the Hunter S Thompson reference

)

Sue P (Paddysmum) · « **Reply #172 on:** February 23, 2013, 07:36:58 AM »

This seems like a very different Jonah, and if he curled up on you after his steak dinner, he must be feeling more comfortable.

Each day as it comes, but room for cautious optimism.

jrichemont · « **Reply #171 on:** February 23, 2013, 00:45:19 AM »

Well, here we are again, Jonah gently snoring in his box and me in the bath. He managed to eat an entire feather steak tonight - around 80g - and said miow six times! That's more than he's said for weeks. I also gave him the steroid and antibiotic pills crushed up plus 20ml liquid food. No painkiller for now as he doesn't seem in any discomfort. He spent the rest of the evening dozing on my lap and occasionally creeping onto my tummy and shoulder to curl up completely.
Now we see how well the drugs work...

CatGirl · « **Reply #170 on:** February 22, 2013, 20:23:12 PM »

Hello again,none of us really feels like eating,if we are in pain do we? It sounds to me as if you are patience personified.

Kay and Penny · « **Reply #169 on:** February 22, 2013, 20:09:06 PM »

I have a feeling there are going to be some really good photo opportunities coming your way

Gill (sneakiefeline) · « **Reply #168 on:** February 22, 2013, 18:51:46 PM »

Good luck

jrichemont · « **Reply #167 on:** February 22, 2013, 17:29:58 PM »

Hi everyone. More news:

He is starting steroids tonight - I mentioned that already - but he also has bisolvon to dry the mucus and vetagesic to help with the pain. He's to become the Hunter S Thompson of the cat world. Apparently the opioid will make him euphoric for a while and may cause drowsiness - not sure how that's going to work as he sleeps 29 hours a day as it is but there you go. I guess there's little point in administering it late at night as it's supposed to make him pain free while awake so he eats. But he may just fall asleep in his bowl, or try to make love to it if the euphoria kicks in I suppose

We will be living in interesting times I suspect!

jrichemont · « **Reply #166 on:** February 22, 2013, 14:42:14 PM »

Me too, though by now I am convinced it's a mechanical defect in his head somewhere - turbinates again like he had as a kitten or maybe something else but not an illness. If the steroids work for him the consensus seems to be to keep him on those. If not then an operation to try and fix whatever it is will be considered but this carries significant risks. I do hope they work; if I press my ear to his tummy in the morning I can hear it gurgling with hunger but he just can't overcome the pain in his jaw and nose to eat - though it does seem to get a little better in the evenings hence the fish, spinach and pasta of recent days.
Plus he loves the pasta because it wiggles in my fingers. I think that overrides jaw problems and kicks in hunting instincts so he just snaps at the pasta without thinking about anything else. Sadly catfood does not wiggle.

Dawn F · « **Reply #165 on:** February 22, 2013, 14:09:37 PM »

I hope that his appetite continues to improve - although of course it would be nice to know what is at the bottom of it all

jrichemont · « **Reply #164 on:** February 22, 2013, 14:08:13 PM »

Well, people do say he looks like a lion

. Just had the fungus culture results from his nose: negative. By now I am not at all surprised by this. So... we start him on steroids this evening. Perhaps he will bulk up and become a body building cat

Sue P (Paddysmum) · « **Reply #163 on:** February 22, 2013, 13:15:16 PM »

Tiger balm - just the thing for a feline spa, I'd say

So good that he's showing more interest in food.

jrichemont · « **Reply #162 on:** February 22, 2013, 12:41:48 PM »

And he had a spar treatment last night too; 10 mins under a towel with a bowl of steam and tiger balm and a face clean after. He smells very fragrant I must say

Tigerlily (Allison) · « **Reply #161 on:** February 22, 2013, 12:36:46 PM »

So happy to hear he ate some steamed fish, and not only that, straight from the bowl!

Well done Jonah. Keep it up

Gill (sneakiefeline) · « **Reply #160 on:** February 22, 2013, 11:57:05 AM »

It often helps cats to eat if you put the bowl on something raised, I used to use a 6 pack of coke which was just the right height for my little moggie, Ducha my birman didnt understand..............so much for clever birmans lol.

I suspect for a Maine Coon this will not be high enough bit worth giving a go?

He is eating so much more now, its great

jrichemont · « **Reply #159 on:** February 22, 2013, 10:48:52 AM »

Me too. Well, not literally like me of course! but the world would be a better place if people had cat companions to look after rather than finding reasons to hate each other.
Anyway, quick update; he managed to eat around 100g of steamed fish from a bowl last night! Admittedly a bowl held in a hand rather than on the floor but still, a step in the right direction. Unfortunately we had spicy meatballs and rice for supper which is not suitable for him (though watching him trying to eat rice is quite funny; he tries but ends up spitting it everywhere and sneezing) but he did have some thing courgette slices that were in the sauce. And a little more of the fish.
Increasing interest in food too; our sofa has a cover on its arm which is not really attached. He can sit on it fine if he sticks to the middle but he leant towards me to see what I was eating and it came off. He rode it down like a surfer until both cover and cat ended up pressed against my left side and there he stood, following every mouthful I took. This would have been classed as somewhat naughty behaviour before but now it's just good to see. I somehow doubt Jonah will ever do anything naughty again, the bar has been raised so high.
We also changed his dressing and he looks very smart with a blue wrap accessorised with a green outer wrap to tuck the tube into.

Tigerlily (Allison) · « **Reply #158 on:** February 22, 2013, 08:28:17 AM »

Jeremy, your dedication to Jonah is just wonderful to read about. I wish there were more people like you in the world

Sending lots ear scratches to Jonah this morning.

jrichemont · « **Reply #157 on:** February 21, 2013, 18:51:00 PM »

He dotes on me (when he's not feeling ill anyway). My wife is a bit jealous but she did buy him for me as a present! He tends to just follow me around the flat - and outside when we go for walks. Not at heel exactly (undignified for a cat!) but not far behind and if I kneel down to cat height he will run towards me with his tail in the air making little trills. Not that he says a lot these days but perhaps that'll come back when the tube is removed...

Sue P (Paddysmum) · « **Reply #156 on:** February 21, 2013, 18:10:21 PM »

Oh Jeremy. What a lovely thing to read.

Jonah is such a special boy, boy and you're simply the best!

jrichemont · « **Reply #155 on:** February 21, 2013, 17:18:33 PM »

It's true of course; he's a lot better than he was. Basically the silly lump was starving himself to death! Now we're pumping (literally) full of nutrients he's getting back to his old self. There's even been less of the gagging now. And it's lovely to have my old cat back again, at least in part. He can't go for a walk with me while he has his tube in for example but I was really pleased to see him excited when I got home. He's not been bothered for weeks now.

Gill (sneakiefeline) · « **Reply #154 on:** February 21, 2013, 16:57:31 PM »

Compared to how he wss he is doing so well and agree with Kay he must be getting stronger in case he needs that op

Kay and Penny · « **Reply #153 on:** February 21, 2013, 14:58:35 PM »

he sure does have exotic tastes - it'll be that blue blood, no doubt

everything crossed a more longterm solution can be found for his problems - but meanwhile it has to be good that the tube feeding is giving him strength for whatever lies ahead, and that you are enjoying some quality time with him

jrichemont · « **Reply #152 on:** February 21, 2013, 14:36:53 PM »

Sorry for not keeping up to date; His Majesty is getting me up early for first feed and pill before work and keeping me up late for last feed and pill before bed. So I'm basically working feeding Jonah or sleeping!

Anyway... he is a lot stronger now he's getting regular feeding again. Still shows no interest in his bowl but we haven't started him on steroids yet. He got a vapour treatment yesterday and came out with his face covered on mucus! Better out than in of course and he showed interest in a shrimp or two when his face was cleaned up.

When I got back from work last night he actually jumped off the sofa and came to meet me; something he hasn't done since he got ill. We are starting to organise our dinner around what he might like to eat - not everything of course but we try and have something to excite him - so he sat on my lap and ate copious amounts of spinach and tagliatelle. He liked the spinach best; it was slightly salted with a Crème fraîche sauce. Perhaps he's lacking salt? Anyway he got quite excited and ate so much - like half my portion! - that we skipped the next syringe feed and only gave him one at midnight with his pill.

His improvement is great but also means he's a lot less patient with the syringe business, especially in the mornings. I had to grip him quite hard today to stop him crawling onto my shoulders and away. He's immensely strong too; thin and wiry, but super strong.
We can't keep the tube in for that much longer either; the vet said the flap of skin it is sutured to has started to die and won't be able to hold the tube in . This will become more of a problem as he gets better of course; he's not tried scratching at it yet...

This is all great of course but the elephant in the room is: if he won't feed himself he can't carry on. So I guess we will start the steroids - the vet also suggested a painkiller for him as his jaw clearly hurts though she'll need to check with RVC first; he's their baby now - and, if we see a good improvement in eating for himself (please!) we get the tube removed and take it from there.

Kay and Penny · « **Reply #151 on:** February 21, 2013, 14:10:27 PM »

so how is His Majesty doing today?

Author Topic: unexplained aversion to food (Read 46557 times)