How to force a cat to eat after illness - 4 ways to force-feed a pet

Any rehabilitation of a cat after intestinal surgery includes correction of daily nutrition. It is also often difficult for owners to feed a cat that has recently suffered from stomach and other diseases. If your pet does not eat for several days, while its general condition worsens and other pathological symptoms are recorded, then you should immediately contact a veterinarian for help. To maintain the normal condition of a cat during illness, it is possible to feed it liquid food from a syringe and give it water in the same way.

Why does my pet refuse to eat?

When a kitten or adult is sick, the protective mechanisms of the immune system are reduced and the pet often refuses to feed. This reaction is normal for a weakened cat’s body, and owners should not worry too much or force-feed a sick cat. Usually the problem occurs in the first few days after an infection enters the animal’s body and another disease develops. After 2-3 days, the cat may ask for food on its own, or you should try to force-feed it with a small amount of food.

Veterinarians do not recommend allowing prolonged fasting during and after a cat’s illness, since the pet’s strength rapidly decreases and it is more difficult for the sick body to recover.

In most cases, the problem is associated with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. The treatment process, during which the cat is given various drugs that reduce appetite, can affect impaired feeding. The reason may also be due to other factors:

A stressful state affects the animal's appetite.

• getting a foreign object into the throat or esophagus, which the pet cannot get rid of on its own;
• body bruise of varying severity;
• poisoning of the body;
• impact of stress.

Ready-made food for nursing cats

The advantage of ready-made feed is significant time savings for the owner and a balanced composition. There are few foods on the market designed specifically for lactating cats, but foods designed for kittens are suitable - they are high in calories, high in protein and nutrients. The benefits that a pet receives from eating ready-made food directly depend on the class of the product.

Economy class product overview

Economy class products are not the best choice for feeding a cat, especially a nursing one. It does not meet the needs of the animal and is of low quality. It contains only about 6% animal proteins (slaughterhouse waste), but a lot of plant proteins that are of no value to cats. The composition contains harmful additives - stabilizers, preservatives, flavors and attractants. Dry and wet food for kittens up to one year old, which manufacturers also recommend for pregnant and lactating individuals, is available from the brands “Whiskas”, “Friskies”, “Our Mark”, “Perfect Fit”, “Cat Chow”.

Premium food

Premium products contain about 30% animal protein. Usually its sources are chicken and beef (less often turkey and lamb), including offal and processed products. The plant component is represented by rice, corn or wheat (may cause allergies). Despite the low percentage of healthy protein and the content of preservatives, they can be used for daily feeding.

Premium products suitable for pregnant and lactating cats:

• "Eukanuba Kitten". Contains 43% animal protein, sugar beet pulp, which improves digestion, a complex of fatty acids and minerals.
• "Brit Care Crazy Kitten." The food is hypoallergenic, with a high meat content (47%). The composition contains sea buckthorn, which has a beneficial effect on the urinary system and has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects.
• "Winner". Contains 35% meat. It contains no wheat (a potential allergen), contains beet pulp, which is beneficial for digestion, and chicory, a natural source of antioxidants.

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Super premium and holistic products

For a cat's daily diet, super-premium and holistic foods are recommended. They are well balanced and contain natural quality ingredients. The content of animal proteins in them is 50–95%.

Super-premium dry food “Royal Canin Queen 34” is specially designed for cats during estrus, pregnancy and lactation. It is high in fat, fatty acids, L-carnitine, vitamins and taurine. Helps maintain normal hormonal levels. Hill's Science Plan Kitten wet and dry foods are very popular, containing antioxidants to support the immune system and having an optimal balance of sodium and phosphorus.

Holistic dry food suitable for lactating cats:

• Orijen Cat & Kitten. Contains 85% ingredients of animal origin. Sources of carbohydrates include non-allergenic lentils, chickpeas and peas.
• "Acana". Grain-free diet suitable for all categories of animals. Contains 75% meat and fish raw materials, low-glycemic fruit and vegetable additives.

• "Innova Cat and Kitten". It contains a lot of protein and cranberry, which prevents the development of urolithiasis. There are no potential allergens.
• NOW Natural holistic. Does not contain grains or by-products, has an optimal ratio of proteins and fats. The basis of the product is fresh boneless turkey and duck meat. Contains prebiotics, omega oils and taurine.

Why force people to eat food?

During and after illness, you need to know how to feed your pet properly. Owners should not allow a complete and prolonged refusal to eat, since there is a high probability of complications developing in the kitten and adult. With prolonged fasting, recovery from illness is delayed in a pet. For a weakened body, at least the daily minimum amount of vitamins and essential microelements is extremely important. If the pet is not fed on time and force feeding is not introduced, then there is a high probability of developing exhaustion, which can be recognized in a cat by the following symptoms:

• weight loss;
• frequent vomiting;
• broken stool;
• pain in the abdominal area;
• deterioration of the condition of the cat’s fur and skin;
• weakness in the limbs;
• impaired sense of smell;
• apathetic state;
• reduction or complete absence of physical activity.

How to feed and what?

The cat's diet should be varied. It is advisable to feed your pet with natural ingredients, that is, make the food yourself, which, unfortunately, there is often not enough time for. Therefore, you have to choose one or another type of store food. As you know, pet food is divided into several types: dry food, wet food and canned food. Which one to choose?

For a sick cat, wet food and canned food are the best choice. After all, as you know, a sick animal spends most of its time lying down, sleeping. Therefore, you need food that contains moisture: the cat will both drink and eat.

There is also this important advantage: if the pet does not eat on its own, you can feed it from a syringe, which cannot be done with dry food. Also, wet food is better absorbed by the body and does not cause problems with digestion and urination.

If the owner chooses dry products, then he needs to know a few details so as not to harm the sick cat. Firstly, natural ingredients are important components for such food. Secondly: dosage. Overfeeding your pet with dry food means adding stomach or intestinal complications to her illness.

Dry food does not contain water, so you need to strictly ensure that a sick cat consumes as much water as the food. Dry products are not recommended for animals with diseases of the genitourinary system.

Looking at cat food in more detail, we can distinguish four classes:

1. Economy
   (the cheapest and most consumer-grade food, which contains “all chemicals”: ​​they contain no meat, no nutrients or useful substances. These foods include the most famous “screen stars”
2. Premium
   (Food containing meat: in small quantities, with additives and flavor enhancers, but still meat. They cost more, but are not as dangerous for the cat as economy class.
3. Super Premium
   (The composition of these foods is completely natural and beneficial for your pet.
4. Holistic
   (little known food; only purebred cats in the most expensive catteries feed on it. Holistic food is produced exclusively by professionals.

Some recommendations for feeding a sick cat:

1. Meals 2 times a day - morning and evening
2. High consumption of clean water
3. Choosing the right brand of food that your cat will like.
4. There is no need to constantly change brands of food.

In order not to harm the animal through special feeds, you must first consult with a specialist. And the most important thing is to love your pet and take care of it, because love and attention heal!

Ways to force a kitten to eat

Sometimes it is more convenient to inject food into the animal with a syringe.
If your pet refuses to eat for several days after illness, then it is necessary to forcefully feed the sick cat. It is worth contacting a veterinary clinic, where they will conduct laboratory and instrumental examinations, assess the condition of the animal and select the necessary food or other food products. There are several ways to feed a cat after illness:

• On the gums. You should spread a tasty treat that may give the kitten an appetite.
• Through a pipette or syringe. In this way, it is possible to feed a weakened cat liquid food. The corner of the feeding aid is directed towards the molars. For the first time, 30 grams of milk or chicken broth is enough. If after taking liquid food there is no vomiting, then the procedure is repeated, increasing the dosage of food.
• At the root of the tongue. Calm the cat and place it on the left hand, as if holding a child. A small piece of meat, fish or liver is placed on the tongue and the cat’s mouth is closed, tightly fixing the jaw. It is recommended to pat your pet's throat to help him swallow food faster.
• Warming up food before eating. If, after an illness, a cat refuses to eat due to a runny nose, this may be due to a lack of sense of smell. To eliminate the problem, you need to reheat the food before serving so that it releases pleasant aromas. In this case, the pet is more likely to smell the food and eat it.

Recommendations for owners

A pipette can be useful if the animal does not want to drink on its own.
Owners should be patient, since during and after an illness it is often necessary to force-feed the cat for a long time until complete recovery and recovery. It is equally important to provide your pet with 24-hour access to water, and you can also give him liquid on an empty stomach to increase his appetite. If you refuse to drink, use a pipette and forcefully pour liquid into the cat’s body after illness.

Rules for artificial feeding

In addition to properly selected food, the baby requires strict adherence to the feeding method and schedule. To artificially feed a kitten at the age of 1 week, you must follow the recommendations of specialists:

1. The break between feedings during the day should be 2 hours. The night break should not exceed 5 hours. At the age of 2 weeks, the kitten is fed at 3-hour intervals.
2. The nutritional mixture is given from a special cat bottle with a narrow nipple or from a pipette. Some owners drip into their mouths directly from a syringe with a previously removed needle. In weakened kittens, a catheter is inserted directly into the stomach, but its placement requires appropriate experience.
3. During feeding, the bottle is held at an angle of 45°, and the kitten lies on its tummy at this time. Feeding on your back poses a risk of choking.
4. The hole in the nipple should not be too large, and “drip feeding” from a syringe should not be too fast so that the mixture does not enter the respiratory tract.
5. You can tell that a baby is hungry by the way it squeaks loudly and crawls restlessly in search of food, and when it finds human fingers, it tries to suck them.
6. Feeding time for a kitten is about 5 minutes. As the baby becomes full, he stops sucking and soon pushes out the pacifier or turns away from the syringe and eventually falls asleep.
7. After eating, the baby should be stroked on the tummy with gentle circular movements, stimulating peristalsis.
8. Bottles, syringes and nipples are thoroughly washed and dried after each feeding.

• what to feed kittens at two weeks;
• what to feed kittens at three weeks;
• how to raise a kitten.

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Syringe feeding

If the pet is severely weakened due to a protracted illness, then it is possible to feed the cat in this way. You should first contact a veterinary clinic, where a specialist will tell the owner how to feed the animal correctly and which syringe to use. In most cases, a 2 mm medical device is suitable. The tip of the feeding agent is first cut off so as not to damage the cat’s mucous membranes or cause other damage. Rough edges are sanded until they become smooth. The food that needs to be fed to the cat after illness must be liquid so that it can be filled into a syringe. Using a piston, food is drawn into a tube and brought to the pet’s nose so that it can taste the food.

If the animal refuses to lick the food, it is introduced forcibly. It is recommended to wait until the cat opens his mouth slightly, after which he slowly squeezes the food onto his tongue. Do not suddenly introduce all the food at once, as the cat may vomit it soon. When a pet refuses to open its mouth on its own, the owner should slightly unclench the jaws with the help of his fingers. After the manipulation, the cat is consoled, petted and praised so that he does not have fear before the next feeding.

Feed quantity

The portion is determined depending on how much the pet weighs and what age it is. Now, for every 100 g of weight, a kitten aged 1-4 days should consume about 30 ml of the mixture. Every 9-10 days the amount of food must be increased by 8-9 ml.

Fattening consists of 2 parts, since during a small meal the pet usually wants to go to the toilet. After this, you need to stop continuing feeding.

During the first stage, the kitten eats more actively. And at the second stage he will eat much less. When he gets full, he starts sucking the syringe all wrong, and then starts to fall asleep.

If the kitten is completely healthy and usually eats normally, then leftover food should not be forced into it. If he no longer wants to be treated, he should be left.

Drug release form

It is worth noting that medications are available in various forms: tablets, powders, suspensions, etc. The easiest way to properly administer medicine to a cat is by giving it the suspension through a syringe. However, the strength of the suspension is often lower than that of dry tablets.

Before giving your cat medicine for worms, read the instructions and information on the topic, weigh the cat so as not to make a mistake with the dosage. Have a complete understanding of the process to avoid unpleasant surprises.

Source

Reasons for refusing water

To restore your cat's interest in water, change the bowl first.
If your cat won't drink water from his bowl, he may not like the dishes, or he may be drinking from a toilet, dripping faucet, bucket, or other kitchen container.

Psychological reasons for refusing water:

• uncomfortable bowl;
• there is stagnant water in the drinking bowl;
• food from a nearby bowl got into the liquid;
• after playing with water she became dirty.

Having identified the reason for refusing water, it is important to eliminate it.

Be careful - antibiotics!

Cat owners do not have any difficulties with vitamins and anthelmintic drugs: the names are known. Although a doctor's advice is still necessary.

But you don’t need to decide anything on your own with antibiotics: only a specialist should decide which antibiotics can be given to cats. Choosing the right drug and dose is extremely difficult, even for a veterinarian.

Treatment by a specialist

There are two types of antibiotics: bactericidal and bacteriostatic. The former kill pathogenic flora, the latter only stop its development. The advantage of bacteriostatics is that they do not destroy the natural microflora; however, in case of severe infection they will not give any results. Bactericidal drugs will destroy all microflora - and the result will be dysbacteriosis.

The type of antibiotic also depends on the nature of the infection: different types of drugs have been developed for each type of bacteria.

Antibiotics of the penicillin and streptomycin group are used for very severe infections: purulent wounds, prolonged severe respiratory tract infections. Both types of drugs are very toxic, so veterinarians try not to prescribe them orally unless absolutely necessary.

Tetracycline group - mainly forms for external use (ointments, drops), effective for skin infections.

Cephalosporins and gentamicin are indicated for serious internal infections.

Griseofulvin is used primarily for fungal infections.

The most effective way to administer antibiotics is by injection. They are practically not used orally in the form of solutions, since this method causes a lot of negative side effects. The exceptions are infections of the oral cavity and stomach, as well as lesions of the pharynx.

It should be remembered that antibiotics of any kind are strong allergens - this is another reason to entrust the administration of bactericidal drugs to doctors. In addition, different medications are made for people and cats: the active substance may be the same, but the components may be different. Therefore, it is not always worth running to a regular pharmacy for an antibiotic, unless the doctor has specified that the drug is also suitable for humans.

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weight stages

An animal’s weight can tell you a lot: health status, rate of development, etc.

There are 5 stages of physical fitness in a cat:

If your pet is at the stage of exhaustion, overweight or obesity, urgent consultation with a veterinarian and nutritional correction is necessary!

Advice! To find out your pet's weight, weigh yourself on a bathroom scale. Then weigh yourself. Subtract your own from the total weight and find out how much your pet weighs.

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