Apologies if this is the wrong place to put this, if so can anyone direct me to the proper subreddit? Thanks!
I want to pretext this by saying this is not my cat, he belongs to my neighbour. He spends a good chunk of his day over here and even stays the night. I’ve already been advised by a local vet that I can’t legally take him to see a vet myself without the approval of the owner, and I’ve offered many times to do so. My neighbours care for their cats, usually take them for vet care, and have an appointment with one later this month for annuals iirc. The cat in question is Leo : adult male cat, neutered, I’d guess 2-3 years old, indoor/outdoor cat, occasional fleas, a bit anxious but otherwise healthy afaik. Only issues is other cats in the neighbourhood and bickering between them.
Some context: My information on this is by no means complete, so bare with me. A month or two ago my neighbour found Leo laying on the floor, not moving. He wouldn’t eat or drink, and she had to syringe fed him for at least a day or two, possibly longer. I heard from another neighbour that previous to this Leo had been at their house and they had to help him “cough up a huge and long hair ball”, described as at least a foot long. I had seen Leo in the days leading up to this, and he seemed rather lethargic, but I chalked it up to him having a collar on for the first time. My neighbours kept Leo inside for weeks while he “recovered”, when he started coming over again he was a totally different cat. He lost weight, a LOT of weight. He wouldn’t lay down or sleep, and would always sit in that uncomfortable “ready to run” stance. He would stare off at nothing, or sit facing the wall or back of the couch. He had very little response to noises or movement in terms of moving his ears or head or showing interest beyond being startled. It was like seeing a shell of a cat, honestly the most heartbreaking thing I’ve ever seen. He was also drinking way more water than usual. He was terrified to go outside, when previously it was impossible to keep him in. Over the weeks he has improved dramatically, his personality is back, he’s put on weight (even more so than before). He’s more comfortable and less anxious by the day (I make a point to work on this with him when he visits). He spends a lot of time under our couch, he still comes and naps with me and will come out to play and eat and go outside sometimes, but it’s an unusual behaviour for him. The real issue I’m looking to get advice on, since he has starting seeming more “normal” Leo wants to eat ALL THE FOOD, ALL THE TIME. There’s dry kibble (and fresh water) out for him here to snack on all the time, one he has always enjoyed, but he is almost always begging for food. Off my plate, canned wet food, or treats. No matter how much he eats he still acts like he is starved, and will rush to his feeding place any time I get up. I don’t let him gorge himself to death, but I’m sure I’m feeding him more than I should be.
TLDR ; neighbours cat was (is?) sick, and since he’s started returning to normal his appetite is insatiable. He won’t snack on usual kibble endlessly, but constantly begs for treats, canned food, and people food. I’m looking for advice on how I can help him manage his hunger, get him playing more frequently and for longer periods of time, to help him lose weight/distract him, and further work on his confidence. Id also be interested to know if anyone have any idea what could have caused this? TIA!
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from Pets https://www.reddit.com/r/Pets/comments/iucpns/cat_was_sick_and_now_has_an_insatiable_appetite/
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