Wretched , thankless Kat!

[Ratface]

Aforementioned Wretched Kat has surpassed himself this morning. Having been diagnosed with Feline Irritable Bowel Syndrome and flatly refusing to eat any of the meds/special vet prescribed cat food and driving me mad by Yoooowling that he was/still is Staaarved, I set out in Ancient Car over the rain and windswept motorway bridge and motorway to Pets@Home. Got expensive branded appropriate wet food, and a lovely igloo bed so he could hide from the fireworks which upset him last time.
Result: Kat isn't eating expensive cat food. Is totally ignoring the lovely cosy igloo bed.
Little Treasure has stalked off to the draughty wheelhouse and is staring moodily through the rain-streaked wheelhouse windows. Gave me a hard stare and went back to being on watch.
Thankless Kat. And I lightly sprayed the igloo bed with Feliway as well.
Onwards!

 

[Barton Bounty]

Oh he must have the manipaws ?

 

[meesha]

You are most definitely a cat servant, they really have got us sussed lol.

 

[Rumtytum]

Sorry Ratface, whilst I sympathise (almost) totally with your woes, your tales of Kat make me laugh ?

 

[poiuytrewq]

Oh he must have the manipaws ?

Winner ??

 

[Barton Bounty]

Winner ??

That is my dry sense of humour ?

 

[poiuytrewq]

That is my dry sense of humour ?

?‍ must have the same

 

[FinnishLapphund]

You have my sympathies. I've had cats who in general ate whatever they've been served, but I've also had other cats, refusing to eat something the veterinarian suggested, or perhaps even better/worse, eats up the first small bag/cans I bought, but soon stops once I've bought a bigger bag/a whole bunch of cans.

Oh, and as it happens, I'm sitting next to a new, warm, cosy, triangular shaped igloo cat bed, which is completely empty.

 

[Ratface]

And a Happy New Feline Year to us all!
Dratted Kat is currently sitting over his full wet and dry food dishes yoooowling.
Slave must now get out of warm bunk, throw away expensive new cat food and see if His Imperial Katness would care to try a little something else? What, I'm not entirely sure.
He'll be back on Felix if he's not careful . . .

 

[HashRouge]

We have been through very similar with our elderly cat Stan and his kidney support food (he has kidney disease). My mum bought umpteen varieties of expensive food for him to try and he turned his nose up at all but one, in chicken flavour. She bought an industrial supply of this food, in chicken flavour, and Stan decided that he only likes it in turkey flavour. So the parents have crates of expensive chicken cat food that he won't eat!

 

[Sandstone1]

Dont know if it will work but could you try mixing some of his normal food in with the new food and if he eats it slowly reduce the old food. Cats are a law unto themselves!

 

[DabDab]

And a Happy New Feline Year to us all!
Dratted Kat is currently sitting over his full wet and dry food dishes yoooowling.
Slave must now get out of warm bunk, throw away expensive new cat food and see if His Imperial Katness would care to try a little something else? What, I'm not entirely sure.
He'll be back on Felix if he's not careful . . .

What kind of cat slave are you if you can't even mind read what food his lordship has changed to liking on any given day?! It's little wonder that the poor creature is wretched.

 

[Ratface]

Either The Wretched Kat is on borrowed time or I am. Probably the latter.
Got a vet apt earlier in the week, but couldn't go, being unable to safely get off the boat, due to violent weather. TWK was deigning to eat another Feline Irritable Bowel Syndrome wet cat food, having refused the other three, which he had, for a short time (?4-5 days) been willing to eat. Phoned vet to explain why I couldn't get off the boat again. Made another appointment for early next week. TWK refusing wet IBS cat food, but eating IBS dry food and observed drinking fresh water. Now refusing dry IBS food. Now going to get cooked slices of chicken from local Co-op. I predict TWK will snarf it down x 2 servings and then refuse.
TWK now sitting in the wheelhouse, it's favourite sulking place.
I predict the necessity of stretching the credit card to it's maximum, requesting an overdraft from the bank, or semi-starving myself even more. Or sitting in the aisle of the local church and begging alms: "Wretched Fussy Kat and Imperious Old Arabian Horse to Support".
Oh well. Onwards and Upwards.
Kat is now asleep, on his special warm dog mat, wrapped up in his tail.

 

[FinnishLapphund]

Sorry to hear you still have trouble with his eating. Warm food smells more, and can thereby become more tasty for picky cats, so if you have a microwave, you could try to heat up the food that way. Otherwise, if you heat up water, you can pour it on a thermos, and use the warm water to warm up his food portions during the day.

Is it just the IBS food he doesn't want to eat, or have he lost appetite in general? If it's the later, have your veterinarian checked his B12 levels?

My late Cornish Rex cat Berta got sick, and struggled with her appetite in 2019, and when the veterinarian couldn't find anything else wrong with her, she suggested sending a blood sample from Sweden to a laboratory in Germany to check her B12 levels. We agreed, and after around a week the result came back that her levels was too low.
So we got a prescription on B12 pills, and although her appetite wasn't quite the same as it used to be, it got a lot better. Then she died of cancer in the later half of 2020, but that's another matter.

 

[Ratface]

Update on Wretched Fussy Kat! Went to the village and got aforementioned feline some plain cooked chicken. Served up, and WFK chewed briskly until all gone. He then picked up every last thread with an elegant claw and stuffed that down as well. Swigged fresh H2O, swaggered back to wheelhouse and now having a full wash and brush-up.
Now: have an appointment with Vet Clinic 2, where Kizzy Kat was pts. Held it together until outside, so OK for her.
Have an appointment with Vet Clinic 2 on Tuesday next week. Whatever they do, they say they want full payment upfront. This could be ££££? Which, even with already somewhat stretched credit card, might be difficult. They're down the road - 20/60 to get there. Vet clinic 1 is one I used for 15 years (dogs/cats/horses) until it changed hands. The vet who looked after horses left. My horse is now seen by specialist equine clinic who sees all his herd mates. Excellent service - no complaints.
Vet Clinic 1 still has the vet who looked after the late beloved Burmese cat and my two much-loved now deceased dogs. I can pay in instalments if I clear it with them first. I have always immediately paid in full before.
I'll keep going with the fresh cooked chicken and see how it goes. Wish me and WFK good luck and calm digestion!

 

[FinnishLapphund]

Glad to hear that he ate, fingers crossed his digestion agrees with his taste buds.
In these tighter times, it seems dangerous to risk stretching your credit to the limit if you know another good vet clinic that can give your Kat the same quality treatment, but allow you to pay in installments.

 

[Highmileagecob]

Just a thought, but do you think he is being fed elsewhere? When one of my rescue cats died a few years ago, four local neighbours knocked on my door to commiserate, and it transpired they had all been 'looking out for her' as they thought she was a stray! If no one else is feeding yours, he has probably succeeded in training you to feed him chicken.

 

[Ratface]

Hi all, thanks for your support.
Wretched, Fussy Kat has certainly trained me to provide him with whatever he wants.
It's 03:44hrs. Torrential rain, some of which is pouring into a bucket near my right ear. And splashing onto my face. May need to retreat to the other end of the bunk.
WFK, having demanded and eaten the last of the chicken and performed his necessary ablutions, is now cuddled up in the bunk, looking smug. Kats Rule!

 

[Ratface]

Glad to hear that he ate, fingers crossed his digestion agrees with his taste buds.
In these tighter times, it seems dangerous to risk stretching your credit to the limit if you know another good vet clinic that can give your Kat the same quality treatment, but allow you to pay in installments.

FinnishLapphund, thank you for your suggestion re the Kat feeding routine. I'm using the credit card to cope with an unexpected dental problem, so needs must! All will be well come the end of the month, though.
Kat is functioning well, as usual. Fooood at 03:15hrs, wash and brush-up, sleep until 09:00hrs, more food, back to the collective bunk, w&bu, sleep. Icy ++ here. Duvet day!

 

[Birker2020]

And a Happy New Feline Year to us all!
Dratted Kat is currently sitting over his full wet and dry food dishes yoooowling.
Slave must now get out of warm bunk, throw away expensive new cat food and see if His Imperial Katness would care to try a little something else? What, I'm not entirely sure.
He'll be back on Felix if he's not careful . . .

Having a dog that won't eat any dog food out of a tin and turns her nose up at dry food of any type or flavour, I totally feel your pain. She only eats one type of treat as well (which obviously is the most expensive type) and expensive packets of ham/beef/chicken and turkey chopped up twice a day.

They have us wrapped round their fingers don't they??

 

[Ratface]

Having a dog that won't eat any dog food out of a tin and turns her nose up at dry food of any type or flavour, I totally feel your pain. She only eats one type of treat as well (which obviously is the most expensive type) and expensive packets of ham/beef/chicken and turkey chopped up twice a day.

They have us wrapped round their fingers don't they??

Birker, they certainly do, don't they! WFK is currently stuffing down the fresh cooked chicken, and has decided that the frost-covered sloping pontoon isn't worth treading on.
He's now in a routine of four meals a day, standing the occasional watch in the wheelhouse and curling up on the bunk next to his covered hot water bottle.
He's put on a bit of weight (he'd got a bit ribby and backbone more prominent than previously) and is now strutting and swaggering about, sneering at seagulls and the pontoon dog as usual.

 

[Highmileagecob]

Really glad he is picking up.

 

[Ratface]

Just a thought, but do you think he is being fed elsewhere? When one of my rescue cats died a few years ago, four local neighbours knocked on my door to commiserate, and it transpired they had all been 'looking out for her' as they thought she was a stray! If no one else is feeding yours, he has probably succeeded in training you to feed him chicken.

Thank you for your prescient comment. Kat doesn't bother visiting anyone on the pontoon now. We're in the middle. Facing land, to starboard (R) is Rude, Snappy Dog Territory. To port, (L) are people Kat used to visit but doesn't now. They borrow above dog when it's owners go out/go on holiday. RSD is walked on an extendable lead, so is uncontrolled. Also, they feed The Swans. Kat and The Swans are sworn enemies. Father Swan and Kat had a run-in early on in Kat's riverine residence. Both withdrew, offended. They now prefer to ignore each other's existence.
Chicken continues to be served four times a day to His Katness . . .