Indoor Feral Cat Has Completely Stopped Eating

[Southerner1]

I have two cats. I took them both in as strays. One of my cats is now 17. She is the sweetest, most affectionate pet I've ever had. My other cat is now 15 and I think it's accurate to describe him as feral.

My feral cat has never allowed me to pet him. (However, he is bonded to me somewhat. Everyday he will come up to me and sniff my hand and he will sit down close to me.) He becomes very aggressive when he is touched. He will both bite and scratch. He is also very fearful of everyone except for me. For these reasons, I've never taken him to the vet.

A few weeks ago, I noticed that he was drinking a lot more water than usual and using the litter box 2-3 times normal. In the past week, his appetite first decreased significantly and then he stopped eating altogether. (I suspect, but don't know for sure, that he has kidney disease.) He hasn't eaten anything in two days now.

He strongly prefers dry food. He also has always eaten a little canned cat food each day. This week, I've offered him different kinds of dry food along with canned cat food, tuna, canned chicken and two different types of baby food (Gerber chicken and chicken broth and turkey and turkey broth). He won't touch any of it.

He is continuing to drink water. He's still alert. He's up and around although moving slowly. He doesn't appear to be in any pain.

I don't know what to do. I'd have taken my other cat to vet before now. I'm afraid if I take this cat to the vet, he may injure the staff fighting being touched and it will be very traumatic for him. I'm afraid after terrifying my cat, they'll tell me there is nothing that they can do to help him and he needs to be put down. So, I will have put him through an awful experience right before he died for no good reason.

Part of me wants to just wait until he becomes sicker and lethargic enough that I can put him in a carrier and take him to be euthanized without him having the energy to put up a fight and be so afraid. But, it's so hard to stand by and do nothing when he's not eating.

Any advice? What would you do?

[Lilith]

I've only 2 words to begin with, and those are, vet. Asap.

I really feel for you and your lad - I had a similar guy though he was a bit more approachable, but if you leave this boy any longer he may be in great pain and misery (sorry to sound so dramatic but I don't think I'm exaggerating) as the disease progresses. You're seeing this very clearly and you're very aware, and yes, it may well be that you will have to let him go. Don't worry about the vet staff - they know very well how to restrain an aggressive/distressed cat.

I wish I could give you more hope but if it comes to having him put to sleep you will be doing the kindest thing. I once took a cat in with similar symptoms and was told, euthanasia or dialysis. I said,she'd hate that, separated from me and hooked up to a drip, and the vet said, it'll only keep her going for a short while - it's more for the owner's sake than the cat's. So I let her go.

I do hope against hope that they might manage to pull your little guy round but yes, vet asap, I'll be thinking of you and do please update x

[booktigger]

I think you need to bite the bullet and take him to the vet, I appreciate you don't want to put him through a traumatic experience if they can't do anything but equally he could end up suffering if you don't.

[Crewella]

As has been said, you really do need to get him to a vet pronto, the longer you leave it the less likely he is to come back from this. Dodgy kidneys make them feel fluey and nauseous, which is why he's not eating, and the vets can give him medication to help with that. They will be well used to dealing with cats just like him, and hard as it is I agree you need to bite the bullet and take him. He certainly won't get any better if you leave him, and will be feeling worse every day.

It's a really tough call, I know, I had to have my old Rottie first treated and then PTS when his kidneys failed on him a few years ago, and though he was friendly to us he HATED strangers or being restrained in any way. It wasn't easy, or particularly pleasant, but I've never regretted taking him in. Good luck, I feel for you. xx