Very strange...Oliver suddenly difficult with food

[dolcetta46]

Thank you Hannah, Helen, Maddiesmum and Susanne!!    Indeed he has bounced back quickly, now it is as if nothing has happened, so much for the idea of "calming down after neutering", he is as hyper and frisky as ever, but it is fine with me, really, otherwise he wouldn't be Oliver
Yep Susanne, probably that was the case with Ollie, it is uncanny how they detect the sign of looming danger even if we try to act normal around them... sometimes I suspect they do understand human language!!

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

Glad he's fine!    Perhaps his not eating was just his way of trying to avoid going for the chop!

[Maddiesmum]

Great news that Oliver is back to his old self, they do bounce back quickly dont they?

[Tiggy's Mum]

Glad Oliver is OK, give him a gentle healing head kiss from me and the boys 

[hannah (weeny)]

 
adoring the thought that their voices get higher - that would be fantastic!!!

really glad the lad is ok 

[dolcetta46]

Thank you Helen and Hannah for thinking of Oliver!!  He was a very good boy and everything went very well!!   For the first couple of hours upon returning home he was still a bit under the influence of anesthesia and seemed subdued, but after a while he came around and now back to my normal purring playful cuddlebum all over again!!   He is also back to being the eating machine he always had been , however according to the vet a slight change of his diet is suggested, as he may become one of those high risk group for obesity after he fully grows up and if he still keeps up his eating.  When we explained that he usually inhales his food with vigour in a couple of seconds and then expects more, the vet went so far as to comment "well, he eats like a dog, rather than a cat"  oh dear how embarrassing, he should be ashamed of himself   So we will slowly and gently have to teach him how to eat like a real cat.

But all in all he has adjusted to "new Oliver" well, and I am pleased to discover his meowing has still the same tone, and doesn't sound like as if he had inhaled helium!!

[Tiggy's Mum]

How's Oliver today Licia? Hope he's recovering from being starved, catnapped and having body parts stolen 

[hannah (weeny)]

hope everything went well licia?  strokes to oliver 

[dolcetta46]

    Yes I know, I just couldn't resist I am so bad, no wonder Ollie got so spoiled 

However!!  Finally a turn for the better at his "last supper" before his neutering appointment at midday tomorrow, he started eating!!  
Well I was still dubious at the start, so first I gave him a small portion at around 18, he munched down all of it as usual!!   Then the second supply at 19:30, he finished it off quick too, then, just before the time limit at 21 he had another, he licked it clean and all in all within 3 hours he ate about a normal serving and a half!!  That's my boy!!

Now I have a little more peace of mind before his big day tomorrow, I am so relieved!!  Thanks again for everyone who helped me with advices and supports!!

  and headbutts from Oliver

[blackcat]

You could be right

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

Then a big blob of nutella oozed out on my finger, so I let him lick it and my god he loved it, he was about to eat my finger as well

Hmmmmmmmmm what happened to being really strict and not letting him eat anything but his proper food !!??

I think he's got his meowmy wrapped firmly around his little paw!

[blackcat]

Then a big blob of nutella oozed out on my finger, so I let him lick it and my god he loved it, he was about to eat my finger as well

Hmmmmmmmmm what happened to being really strict and not letting him eat anything but his proper food !!??

[dolcetta46]

Thank you Susanne and Lisa for your support and concern!   Well today's brekky report... again he ate very little of his regular food....   However he comes right over to OUR breakfast, starts pathetically picking up on the croissant crumbs fell on the floor     Then a big blob of nutella oozed out on my finger, so I let him lick it and my god he loved it, he was about to eat my finger as well

Late last night he was again his hyper self as well, I am starting to have a doubt I was indeed spoiling him too much, and now he sussed it all out, that if he doesn't eat his regular gob I will give him something more appealing...   I will have a talk with the vet about it, but at this point I am almost convinced this is the case... what a brat!!

[lisa77]

Hope his vet trip goes wel tomorrow... Its over & done with in a matter of .. well 20 mins ! 

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

Whichever way they go, I always know Mosi has a furball looming when he leaves half of his food.  He's normally a good eater and licks his dish clean, but when he has a furball he can't manage it all.  It was the same with Magpie. 

[dolcetta46]

Occasionally he has a fit of honking, apparently stemmed from a hairball, but  I have never seen him actually coughing it up.  I asked a vet about it and he suggested that he is probably let them go through the other route and gets rid of it from the other end, so I was assuming that was the case, and he hasn't honked lately.  Did Mosi was coughing when he had the problem the other day, trying to get it out?

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

Does he have a problem with furballs?  With both Magpie (bridge baby) and Mosi, the first sign of a furball was/is always a lack of eating.  They start to eat but seem to get full up half way through.

[dolcetta46]

Well, the supper time has come and gone again.  Still quite strange...   Ollie comes running into the kitchen as he always does as he hears the tinkling of the bowl and spoon.  I gave him about the half amount of the wet food he usually eats, as well as a handful of dried food.  He ate half of the wet food I gave him, then took a little nibble of the dried food, and he was done... that is stunningly small amount considering how he usually eat, and the way he eat... very slowly, looking about, pausing, just licking, pushing about the food... nothing like the hoovering action I am accustomed to see.
I was like holding my breath, and stayed still while he ate I didn't want to distract or agitate him unnecessarily, but I must say I was rather disappointed, and it was so very tempting to pop open a small tin of tuna!!
I must keep him on close observation still, this afternoon-evening he seemed to be quieter than usual but I am not sure whether I am simply being paranoid, as he sleeps a lot at this hour anyways.

He had really been eating a lot ever since he came to us, and grew big, not fat, mind, quite solid however, could it be possible that he just had enough for the time being, like arriving at a saturation point and thus taking a little hiatus with food?  Also with this strange "phase" going on, should I postpone our appointment for neutering this Saturday?  Or as he needs to be off his food anyway should we go ahead with the plan?

[Maddiesmum]

My cat Dragan has me completely wrapped around his paw so far as food is concerned.  He knows I am sure that I worry if he doesnt eat so it follows that if he turns his nose up at what is presented something else will be given.  Sometimes we go through several different ones until he decides on the one he fancies for that day.  Spoiled rotten yes but at 17 years of age and having been really ill this year who cares?

[Mark]

Maybe he's not a growing teen anymore 

[dolcetta46]

Thanks Lynn.  He doesn't seem at all off colour, aside from the food issue his behaviour as well as appearance is just as normal.  It could be a possibility that we (well, I  ) have been spoiling him too much, he gets little bits of people food almost every day and he gets his food almost on demand.  I may try your strategy for a few days and see what happens, if I can manage... I just get so worried and stricken with anxiety when I see him not eating!!

[CurlyCatz]

It could be he is slightly off colour but if you were wondering if you overfeed him and you've said he loves his food normally i wonder if that is the answer. Could you try sticking to the type of food you know he likes for a few days and do not give any sausages or treats, if he doesnt eat all that is in his plate then do not offer something else and be guided by his own food requirements for a week or so, i am sure in that time you will be able to work out if he is needing to see a vet or not.
Its highly unlikely he would change from eating any food to being picky in  a few days.

[dolcetta46]

Um, we were just going to settle for Le Chat (I think it is an Italian brand) as he seemed to like better than others, after the trial period of experimenting with different brands for him since his arrival.  We just bought a big supply of Le Chat!!  Perhaps even with the difference of flavours, maybe the same brand carry the same feel to the food and it is possible that he may be wanting a little more variety, as before this hoarding of Le Chat he was constantly fed something different.  So that maybe a part of the cause, but this sudden turnabout seems rather drastic!!

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

Aw bless    Maybe he's just a bit off his food or he has a furball or something?  If it continues I'd get him checked over by the vet.  He may just be becoming fussy in which case I don't know what to suggest really.  I tend to stick to my guns if mine show any reluctance to eat something (rare) and tell them they can eat it or go hungry    Occasionally they will act like they've gone off something a bit (although will still eat it - just a bit reluctantly) then after a break from that brand they tuck into it like it's the best thing ever when it comes back on the menu.  I do think that Jaffa is a teenier bit fussier now than when he just got the same thing every day (for years he had JWB dry and felix wet and that was it).  Maybe he's just gone off a particular brand or they've changed the recipe?

[dolcetta46]

Not exactly, but the last time he had his second vaccination a couple of weeks ago the vet looked at his teeth (as well as his ears, eyes and heartbeat) no comments were made.  His teeth and gum, from the sight of it looks very healthy....

[Maddiesmum]

Has he had a dental check?

[dolcetta46]

The impossible is happening and I really don't know what is the deal!!
Oliver has NEVER EVER been picky with food, he would ALWAYS gobble down whatever is served and often wants more.  Yesterday evening however, he decided not to touch his supper.  We were wondering if we left something food around by mistake and he had already enough to eat.  However just for curiosity we gave him some pieces of sausage we were eating for dinner, well he liked THAT and ate them all.  
Eventually after a couple of hours he ate about half of the supper left over, but the rest was still there this morning.
He was as always very loud for his breakfast this morning, but when it was served he wouldn't touch it.   The same food he was eating no problem previously, I was wondering if there was something wrong with that particular container so I opened another one, tuna flavour that he particularly likes, he nibbled a few bites and that was it.   I tried for the last resort gave him some dry food, which usually he likes less, he ate about a half portion, that was it.
He doesn't seem at all ill, he is playful, alert and full of spirit as ever, and he still bugs us all the same when we are eating. 
Did something cause him a change in his preference for food?  Or is it a sign of our over feeding him? (we were just wondering about that lately)  Or anything else is the matter?  What does this signify?  We have to take him to the vet Saturday for neutering so we could ask if this behaviour persist, but it is, especially for HIM very, very bizzare.  Does anyone have a possible answer or clue for this?  Any advice would be very appreciated!!