My cat Yoshi is not eating like he normally does. I was assuming it was a combination of weather and fleas (which I'm treating and grooming out of him everyday)

I'm getting worried now though because he seems to have lost quite a bit of weight too.
He is still very active and still loves his treats but he just only nibbles on his biscuits and wet food.

I am very much considering getting him a vet appointment this week just in case. I'm hoping however that it isn't anything to worry about as I have am Jobseekers and don't have a lot of money put aside if the vet bill costs a lot.

Plus I still owe a vet money for PDSA treatment of my dog who passed away last year.

Try him with fish - tinned tuna or cook up some cheapo frozen white fish.
Chicken pate is also supposed to be good for cats off their grub.

You might want to consider changing the flea treatment if its not working.

We had a problem with our cat refusing food from his bowl, which we solved by washing the bowl (or using a new one).

We assume that after eating normally there would be small traces of food left here and there in the bowl. Then when left in the hot weather these might smell off, which put him off the new food served in the saem bowl.

Whether that is the case, or just rubbish, washing the bowl clean each and every time he fed seemed to solve his issue.

I'm gobsmacked that you wouldn't have been doing that already.

Bowls should be clean and free from detritus before adding more food.
There should be no flies or ants
Some cats won't eat if they have an upset tummy.
Some cats won't eat if they have a sore throat/ obstruction in throat
Some cats won't eat if they have sore gums/ bad teeth
Some cats won't eat if the food is too hot and not placed in the shade.
Some cats won't eat if the quality goes down hill.
Some cats won't eat if there is something above their bowl such as a tea towel.

Any abnormality in behaviour should mean a trip to the vets.

It realy could be the fleas. Did you treat the house too. It could be his teeth as well. I think he does need too see a vet though just too be on the safe side.

I am trying new flea treatments and cleaning the place out.

Got some tinned salmon that I'll try him with. Got some chicken stock I mixed his biscuits with too.

Going to try the new foods route for the next couple of days. If still no change I'll make the vet appointment for Wednesday/Thursday.

Worms? Hairball? Teeth? It could be a number of causes. Warm cooked chicken has always worked for me. Also tuna, rinsed to remove any salt.
If he`s lost weight then a vet visit is important.

My cat went off her grub when she had a blocked nose - they are creatures of smell more than taste. There maybe a smell near his bowl he doesn't like so try moving the bowl?
Salmon might work - my cat isn't overly keen on it, nor mackeral which was a pity as strong smelly fish is usually a good one to try them on. I would give tuna a go.
Does Yoshi like Dreamies? If so maybe crush some up & sprinkle over the food.

Washing the bowl out every single time they eat, three or four times a day? No I don't do that, never have done in 20+ years of pet owning, or for that matter did I see it done in the 20 years before that when I was the son of pet owners.

Yoshi loves Dreamies.
In fact eating treats like that is not an issue at all. He hoovers those up pretty readily.

I'm thinking that if you crush Dreamies and mix them into the normal food then he may scoff down the whole lot. Think of it like a flavour enhancer

I've always used a clean bowl per meal as we did with the family cat back in the day.
However I can see your point as my cat drinks from the pond, licks her feet clean after tramping through God-knows-what and will eat any flies she catches.

What are you using to treat the fleas? How old/big is your cat?

Indeed, they are also not adverse to the old one-day dead baby bird or ripping open a rubbish sack for a feast of left over food (in the days before recycling).

And as for dogs, you have to consider that any animal that is happy to eat sick off the road or another animals poo will probably not be too concerned about having some of this mornings breakast still in his bowl at lunchtime.

You and I obviously have different views on this. But how hard can it be to stick an extra bowl or two in with the washing up?

Not hard at all, but then I don't wash up three or four times a day.

Unless we've had guests for dinner then the dishwasher only goes on once a day.

Well, if you have a dishwasher you could stick them all in at the same time. Even simpler. I just don't see your logic.

I keep the cats washing up strictly seperate from the rest with her own bowl and washing up sponge. I recall that we were advised back in the '80s to have seperate tin openers and forks to use on cat food. Perhaps hygiene standards have improved over the years but I still don't fancy cat slaver in with my dishes.

You mean have four different bowls for the cat which are used throughout the day?

You're right, we obviously have different views on this.

To each their own.

I've got flea spray. flea powder a flea bomb, drop on flea treatment a flea comb and a flea shampoo.

Not used the flea shampoo as I don't want to get him wet and make him worse. Can't use the flea bomb as I am keeping him at the moment so I can keep a closer eye on him and his bowl movements and reduce the amount of exercise he normally gets from going out. But I have been hoovering and cleaning the place and grooming him 4-10 a day


My cat is almost 7 years old. He was a fairly chunky muscular cat, at the moment though he is more lean athlete.

He is pooing and peeing normally. Purring. Wanting to go out. Able to jump on windowsills and run about. Basically he does everything he normally does just instead of wolfing down food he's being more finicky and eating very small portions.

Which flea drop treatment is it? If its a cheapo bob Martin-esque type of drop you're wasting your money and prolonging the cats suffering. Frontline/advantage and regular vacuuming is all it should really take to keep fleas at bay.

a lot of cats have been getting ill after using the bob martins stuff...might be more expensive to get the stuff from a vet but its safer and usually stronger and will last longer.

I used Baephor I think.

I think I will make an appointment for him at vets regardless of cost. I'm actually really worried.

i hope your cats better soon CBFreak, good luck at the vets x