If your cat isn’t eating, it’s your responsibility to ensure she’s healthy.
If she’s losing weight and behaving strangely, consult a veterinarian. It may be time to try a new feeding regimen.
So, should I force feed my dying cat?
Your cat is dying. You know this because she won’t eat anything and she’s losing weight. Your veterinarian suggests that you force feed her a feeding tube.
This will make you feel guilty, but you’ll do it anyway because your cat needs to eat to live.
Force feeding a cat is controversial because some people believe that it is a form of abuse.
However, force feeding a cat is a necessary act in order to save your cat from dying a slow and painful death.
Should I Force Feed My Dying Cat?
You should never try to force the food or water down the throat of a sick or weak animal, especially one that’s already showing signs of discomfort or distress when you attempt to feed them.
Because her organs are already compromised due to her illness, forcing her to eat something when she doesn’t want to will only make the situation worse and cause more stress to her body than is necessary.
It may also cause complications such as aspiration pneumonia or even vomiting up the food or water itself.
A dying cat is more susceptible to infections and stress than a healthy one, so it’s important that you allow your feline friend to die peacefully on her own terms and not on yours.
Kitty will refuse to eat or drink on her own because she is scared and feels vulnerable.
Your compulsion may separate her from her mother during a critical stage of kitten development.
Force-feeding is not a smart thing to do because it may cause vomiting in cats that already have compromised digestive systems.
How to Help a Dying Cat Eat?
Keep Track of Everything
Tracking what your cat eats, when and how much is a good way to monitor how healthy she is.
This information should come in handy when speaking with your veterinarian about how well she is doing and what treatment she needs to get better.
You will find it much simpler to talk about past symptoms if you know how long they’ve been going on and how frequently they occur.
Otherwise, you’ll constantly be asking your veterinarian some of the same questions over and over, which will only make your vet annoyed.
Collect as much information about what your cat eats as you can.
Weigh Your Cat Regularly
You should weigh your cat regularly, keeping track of how much she weighs both wet and dry. You should be weighing her every 2 weeks or so depending on her age and size, (kittens grow quickly).
Give Them What They Want
This is a basic rule of thumb for all animals but especially cats; give them what they want when they want it.
When your cat isn’t receiving the correct nutrients, she will look for food elsewhere – like on your couch or in the trash can – which is not good for her at all.
This is all about getting her the nutrition she needs in order to stay strong and healthy.
You want to be well-prepared in the event that she has a medical emergency and requires medical attention right away.
Some cats, for example, may refuse to eat due to illness or fear; if this is the case with your kitty, then you’ll need to figure out what you can do to help her get the nourishment she needs to get better as soon as possible.
Portion Sizes Should Be Reduced
When it comes to feeding your kitty, one thing you should always keep in mind is that smaller portions are better for your feline friend than larger ones.
Often, your cat may want to eat more than what she needs to stay healthy; because of this, you may want to cut her portions in half, if possible.
When this occurs, it is necessary to stretch the total amount of calories she’s getting throughout the day out over more meals instead of just one large meal.
Smaller serving amounts spread out across the day are much better for the health of a cat than eating the same amount of food all at once.
Only Use Wet Cat Food
Dry cat food will make things harder on your cat because it takes a lot more energy for her to break down the food into nutrients than it is for wet cat food.
You must concentrate on using moist cat food because it will help to keep your cat healthier for a longer period of time.
This is important because cats are natural carnivores and need the meat in their diet to stay healthy and strong.
They will not want to chew on dry food all day long because they just do not have the energy to do it.
This is why you must stick to moist food because it is easier for them to digest and gives them more energy to do the things they need to do each day.
Dry cat food will be difficult for a kitten to eat which is why you must focus on wet food for kittens as well.
Utilize Cat Supplements
The purpose of taking a supplement is to give your feline friend extra nutrients that they might not receive in the food that they typically eat.
In general, you will want to avoid giving supplements to cats younger than 12 months old. Because their bodies are still developing and they might not need all of the extra nutrients that additional supplementation contains.
You should take a look at your cat’s diet on a regular basis and see what additional supplements you need to feed to her in order to maintain her health.
Because your cat will not be eating for herself, you want to make sure she is receiving the proper nutrients she needs to stay healthy and strong.
Check with Your Vet About Supplements
The supplements that you feed your cat should be safe for your feline friend and approved by your veterinarian first.
Ask your vet to recommend some supplements that are safe for her to take in doses that she can consume.
It is easy for a cat to become dehydrated or experience malnutrition just due to her being sick or injured for an extended period of time.
Also Read: What Leads To A Cat Dying Twitching?
Final Words
Whether your cat is healthy or not, you need to make sure that she is receiving the right amount of nutrition each and every day to keep her healthy.
This is the incorrect strategy to take when it comes to feeding your dying cat because she does not need the extra nutrients and is not strong enough to digest them anyway.
Instead, use the advice in this guide to best care for your feline friend as you face the sad reality that she is nearing the end of her life.
This is a critical period in which you need to provide your kitty with everything that she needs in order to get her through this period and make her as comfortable as possible as she prepares to leave this world for good.
It’s all about concentrating on what works best for you and your pet’s needs as you make your way through this tough time in your life together.
