How my kitty survived anorexia: A pawsitive journey
- Rita Rose
- May 27
- 4 min read
Updated: May 30
Have you ever heard of an anorexic pet? I sure hadn’t. But I found out all about it when my kitty was diagnosed, and off we went on a stressful – but successful – journey.
In January 2025, I adopted two kitties from Grateful Rescue in Muncie, Indiana. I had just lost my sweet Tinkerbell and was searching for another cat that would return the feline energy to my house, and heart. When I saw a bonded pair on Grateful’s website, president/owner Pamela Terhune assured me they were wonderful cats that were perfect for me. And so Sterling, a gray male shorthair, and Patches, a fluffy female Tortie, came into my life.
Sterling is a strong, personable boy who loves to snuggle. Patches is a shy, sweet girl who, back in January, tended to hide a lot. Despite their differences, they had been together in a previous life and were bonded. They seemed to be eating, drinking and adjusting well.
In March, I noticed that there weren’t as many “deposits” into the litter box as normal. There was not enough poop for two cats. I started monitoring their habits and noticed that Patches wasn’t eating much and was hiding behind the bed. With all her fur, I couldn’t determine if my 10-pound cat had lost any weight.
Off we went to Dr. Karen Roach at Noah’s Caring Hands for a blood test and evaluation. The result: She was anorexic, weighed seven pounds, and had a fatty liver. The formal diagnosis is hepatic lipidosis, which occurs when triglycerides accumulate within the liver cells and obstruct the organ’s function. In an anorexic cat, excessive amounts of fat move to the liver from throughout the body to compensate for the lack of fat that would normally be consumed via its food. The liver is unable to process this excessive intake of fat, so it collects in the animal’s liver cells. Scary.
It was recommended that she be put on a feeding tube to encourage her to eat. So off we went to Noah’s Stop 11 Animal Hospital, where she spent the night getting
the tube inserted by their wonderful staff. A feeding tube. I’ve had many cats in my adult life with various ailments, but a feeding tube was a whole new ballgame. Noah’s assured me it wasn’t hard to use and explained the whole process. (A shout-out to Pet Pals TV health reporter Tom Dock, who is Noah’s director of communications, for his much appreciated encouragement!)
For the next six weeks, Patches tolerated four, then three, then two feedings a day, squirting a liquid called Jevity through the tube to give her the nutrients she needed. There were weekly visits to Dr. Roach to check her weight, which inched up a few ounces each week, check the insertion site and the collar that held the tube in place.
I tried everything to entice Patches, who only likes dry food, to eat. I gave her tuna, salmon, some brothy stuff poured over the kibble and some Hills digestive wet food. I even tried Fancy Feast – what normal cat turns THAT down? Patches did. (Sterling, of course, was the beneficiary of all the food rejects.) It was a frustrating process.
On the fourth week, she weighed over eight pounds and was starting to nibble at her dry cat food. I gave her an inexpensive but appealing brand to start with because she had had it in the past. Then I started mixing in the more healthy brand that I had been feeding both cats.
On the fifth week, she went down to one daily tube feeding, was eating more and was up to nine pounds. But I hadn’t seen her drinking water, so I gave it to her through the tube. By the sixth week, the tube came out and she was eating normally. Drinking was another issue. So I got a pet water fountain to see if that would help. Both cats sniffed it and walked away. But after about a week, they were both happily lapping away at the stream of water. Whew!
Right before her tube was removed, the coolest thing happened! Pamela Terhune and her fabulous Grateful Rescue, along with Patty Spitler from Pet Pals TV, organized a fundraiser to help with Patches’ mounting vet bills. It was a Pet Painting Party, where participants traced photos of their pets onto canvas and painted them! It was so much fun, and it raised enough money to cover most of Patches’ bills.
Wow! I am so Grateful.
So, why did my cat stop eating? There are several things that can cause inappetence, including a change in food, stress from changing environments, the
absence of a family member, dental issues or illness. My best guess is that both a food change and a new environment caused her stress. Her bloodwork doesn’t indicate any other illness.
Today she is a whole different kitty! She is openly affectionate, spends time looking out the window instead of hiding, and she started playing with toys. She likes to bring me her favorite, a purple hedgehog, and drop it on the bed. Maybe she’s paying me for sticking with her. Or maybe she just wants to play.
Good job, Patches!
If you find yourself facing an issue like this with your pet, know that it’s possible – with the help of a caring vet – to make it through the tunnel and into the sunshine. Pay attention to any behavior changes and act on them right away. Our pets are precious, and we owe them the same best life that they give us.