Cat Chat Feline Forum

Hi everyone,

Last week my cat hurt himself and had to have stitches on his head. He has been doing great (though fed up of the cone!), and mostly himself, but this morning he did not eat all of his breakfast, and vomited up what he did eat! I was worried he may have chicken bones stuck in his stomach because he attacked my chicken yesterday while I was carving it (see, acting like himself...). So I took him to the vet this morning and he prodded him and said he couldn’t feel any bones in there. He gave him an anti-vomiting shot and also gave me some sensitive-tummy food to give him the next few days.

However now it is the evening and he won’t touch the food!! So now he hasn’t eaten breakfast (because he sicked up what he did eat) or dinner! And he is hiding in my bedroom away from me (I’m in the living room) curled up looking very sad. I also tried to see if he’d eat his normal food and he wasn’t interested in that either.

The vet said it was probably an upset tummy from the medication he had been on (the painkillers from the stitches), do you think he is just taking a while for his stomach to settle and he will eat later? I’ve never known him not to eat, I can’t bear it!!!

The cone came off today, so I thought he’d be a happy boy, but now he seems even sadder!

Any ideas, should I be worried? Or just let him be for a while and hope he eats later/tomorrow?

Thanks!!!

I wouldn't worry about not eating for 24 hours

did the vet check his temperature this morning though? if he had an infection from the wound that would put him off eating, and make him lethargic - a rough guide is to feel the cat's ears to see if they are warm, as that could be a sign of a raised temperature

if you do suspect he has a fever you will have to go back to the vet for abs, but meanwhile syringe water into him if you can

He did check it, it was ever so slightly high but he said that was probably just from the stress from being in the basket and at the vets. It’s 4am now and he is still just sitting in this ball not eating or drinking or sleeping. Think I will take him back in as soon as they open at 8:30.

Update, I managed to get him to drink about 2 teaspoons of water but still no food. I took him to the vet first thing this morning and pleased I did because he was already getting dehydrated. They are going to dehydrate him and run some tests to see what may be causing it - they felt around again and couldn’t feel any evidence of foreign bodies/bones etc. I guess now just wait and see. They are keeping him in overnight

it's a good job you trusted your instincts - a loving owner is the expert when it comes to knowing something is wrong with her cat, not the vet

Hi just after I got Bentley he didn’t come for his dinner. Very unusual. That afternoon I noticed his 3rd eye was up but thought he’d been asleep. I thought he’d escaped & panicked. Found him under my bed looking dismal. Took his temp & it was high. Put him in carrier with ice block wrapped in towel. Was up & down all night. He toileted next morning, ate a little but temp still high. Took him to vet. They thought FIP..I was devastated but tests were negative TG. He stayed there for 2 days on a drip, abs & bringing him home was on abs for 10 days & I had to watch his eyes. What he had ... no idea. Keep us posted on your little un. Thinking of you . so worrying when our fur babes are unwell. Vivian

Hi everyone, update - they did a scan and it turns out he had swallowed a small piece of string. Completely unrelated to the previous injury. He is just having a very unlucky week. It was stuck in his intestines and they had to open him up to remove it. They are doing surgery on him now, just waiting to hear

poor lad - and poor you when the bill comes in

but good news that it was something easily sorted, rather than an illness

Poor boy .. they get themselves into situations. Thankfully the vet found out what it was. I worry about smallish, stringy toys such as mice which can be chased & tossed around. Keep us updated on your fur babe. Vivian

I hope he feels a lot better now. It's great that you trust your gut and go to the vet.

Hi everyone, another update, Tiger is doing really well, I should be able to bring him home on Sunday. I can’t wait to have him home!!! The vet bills are pretty enormous, and I found out that my insurance only covers a small part of it. I’ve set up a GoFundMe page to try to help raise some funds, does anyone know of any charities or places that can help out with these costs?

Hi are you able to organise a payment plan with your vet. We have an organisation here Vetcare I think it’s like a credit plan but interest rates less than credit cards. Good news about Tiger & yes vets do cost but we do it for our fur babes. Vivian