What to feed my sick cat?

by Pat Avstreih
(United Kingdom)

I've just been told by the vet that my cat aged about 16 ish probably has a tumor in her mouth, under her tongue. She has started drooling, and obviously can't eat properly. I used to feed her Whiskas pouches, which she loved and has been able to eat up till last Sunday, but now she can't seem to eat them. I'm feeding her on tinned tuna, which she loves, and it takes her a long time to get it down her, but she does. What else would you recommend please?

RESPONSE:

You must be doing a lot right to have your cat doing so well up to the age of 16. However, it is now the years ahead that will present a challenge with the normal aging process that cats, just like humans, face.

You didn't say if your vet thought the possible tumor under your cat's tongue could be removed or if he thought it might heal on its own. Assuming that it's a temporary condition, you can help your cat with the eating task by making the diet more liquid.

You said your cat loves Whiskas pouches...you could try to empty the package into a blender and add a small amount of chicken broth or warm water. I have a small 1 cup blender for such situations but you can use a regular blender and do perhaps two pouches at the same time and refrigerate part of it for the next day (to be heated).

If she doesn't respond to eating it that way, then try to repeat the process with her tinned tuna. The whole point is to make it liquid enough for her to lick up enough to keep her healthy while she heals. Start with it not too runny but in the consistency of porridge and then add liquid until she can handle it.

Another option is baby food. However you have to be careful about them containing onion powder, garlic, etc. Check the ingredient label because those are harmful to cats. In the USA it is mandatory to have ingredients listed on the package but I'm not sure if you have the same requirements in the UK. There are some good baby foods that cats enjoy and the link to that page is below.

I have a list of ingredients to be wary about with cat food on the page Cat Nutrition Please read that page and you will also find a selection of liquid cat foods that have the right nutritional balance for cats (and suggested baby food flavors). You can read the product details and see if those (or something similar) are available in the UK.

I wish you well with your quest to make life easier for your cat by making her eating problems less of an issue.

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