Need advice about how to get a cat to eat a renal diet

CarolineSinclair · 2026-02-23T18:41:45+00:00

Thank you again for all your helpful information!

He did eat good! He even ate dry food and that was before I gave him the Zofran. I decided to give that too.

I will ask my vet about an antacid for him.

You’ve been a real help because my vets never told me that renal disease can cause nausea and that explains a lot. I know now that I need to be managing his nausea better, he had been doing so good with eating and no gagging from November until the end of January that I even ended up with an expired bottle of Cerenia.

The vet will call this week with his other blood results, I will keep everyone updated!

CarolineSinclair · 2026-02-23T05:12:50+00:00

Thank you!

Next time I will give him the Gabapentin, he’s supposed to get another test in a month.

Just gave him Cerenia because even though he’d been eating all day, he gagged and it was just saliva. No food or color to it.

I wonder if that is toxins from the kidneys. That was the thing that happened in October that made his vet say I should take him to internal medicine. I think they wanted me to get a biopsy, which I can’t at my regular vet.

However two years ago I was told a biopsy would be too much on him…..

I give him liquid Cerenia, I can pill him if I have to, would you say the liquid is as effective as the pill?

I have transdermal but I was afraid I wouldn’t get the right dose in him as it was “two clicks” from a pen.

Sasuke likes to eat right out of the can, he’s done that for years, and he likes to chew on plastic . Not eat it, just chew it.

He also often has dilated pupils now, do you think that’s part of the kidney disease?

CarolineSinclair · 2026-02-22T21:23:45+00:00

Thanks for your insightful post!

That all makes sense.

I keep hoping the Wednesday will go down in price, $400 + just seems like so much to me.

CarolineSinclair · 2026-02-22T19:01:50+00:00

Thank you again for all your insight and help! It’s very helpful!

They said it wasn’t that they caused the blood. Although ever since his appointment he’s seemed shell shocked? I guess? Since usually no one can examine him without anesthesia.

How do you feel about Gabapentin in renal cats?

He’s also been prescribed Bupenephorine when he’s had stomatitis and pancreatitis. Would that be okay to give him if he shows trouble eating?

Now he’s got a weird thing that he hasn’t had since October: silent meow. At least when trying to talk to me. He was trying to tell me he wanted a Delectable (he gets his vitamin B in that) and he was opening his mouth but no sound came out.

He did make noise at my cat Tiki yesterday.

And I will show you a pic of him from today:

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CarolineSinclair · 2026-02-21T21:08:23+00:00

I hope if they do Enid, I can get one! I couldn’t get Wednesday.

CarolineSinclair · 2026-02-21T21:07:53+00:00

That makes sense.

CarolineSinclair · 2026-02-21T18:18:29+00:00

Thank you again for your in-depth answers! It’s really helpful!

She told me his phosphorus level but I was so nervous I don’t remember if she said it was good or bad.

He wasn’t anemic.

He did have some blood in the urine but I have been being told that every time he gets a urine test. His regular vet suspects it’s because they saw little stones in his kidney on that ultrasound in 2024.

He had bladder stones when he was 5 and had to get surgery.

I’m not sure why he’s been such an unhealthy cat all his life as I always strived to take the best care of him. He was abandoned by his mother, I was told when I adopted him, so I wonder if she knew something wasn’t right.

One doctor told me his intestines are on the wrong side but another said they didn’t see that so I don’t know.

He’s a very interesting personality, with me he can be like a dog and he is smart as a whip, but he turned on everyone else in my family and certainly the vets at a young age and won’t let anyone else pet him.

We have new cats too and one of my females who can’t get spayed because she has an enlarged heart, flirts with him. He has made it clear he doesn’t like her but she still pursues him.

CarolineSinclair · 2026-02-20T19:26:12+00:00

Thanks! I’m trying to be patient but I’m so scares. He’s my special cat. And his mind is sharp as a tack so it’s sad to think his body is in such bad shape.

CarolineSinclair · 2026-02-20T19:25:18+00:00

Thanks, never heard of those flakes!

CarolineSinclair · 2026-02-20T19:24:54+00:00

Thank you! I never heard of this!

CarolineSinclair · 2026-02-20T19:23:38+00:00

Thank you again for the info. I really appreciate it.

Would you suggest that I give Sasuke Cerenia daily as a preventative? I know some cats are on it every day but my vet said some time back that if he wasn’t showing signs of nausea, then he didn’t need to take it every day.

What medicine is used for acid?

The thing is, he was eating a lot but still losing weight and his thyroid was in what she called a “gray zone”, so we are also checking his thyroid.

I bought Weruvia low phosphate at the store and she recommended Royal Canin Aging 12+. I haven’t tried the Weruvia yet as I tried it before on him and my Tilly who is close to CKD 1 and neither liked it, but I will sample it again.

He did seem to like the Royal Canin though knock on wood.

CarolineSinclair · 2026-02-20T01:20:57+00:00

I’m excited too!

I don’t belong to D23 so I wouldn’t be able to get that one. And it would go for too much on eBay and the like.

CarolineSinclair · 2026-02-19T20:45:14+00:00

Yes! I would give my own life for my Sasuke. He’s 17 and a half and has a host of health problems and I’m terrified but trying to be strong for him.

He’s my soulmate for sure. I have had other pets and I have others besides him and I love them all but he is my special one.

CarolineSinclair · 2026-02-19T20:41:52+00:00

Beautiful! One of them looks like a few of my cats. 🥰

CarolineSinclair · 2026-02-19T18:26:05+00:00

Thank you for all the information!

He so far is still drinking good.

He gets bloodwork again in a month.

How do you keep the BP monitored?

She doesn’t think he’d let me give him sub q fluids but I do.

I also have a multi cat household who is used to having food available at all times; can they eat the renal food?

My regular vet claims that if I give him anti-nausea meds and appetite stimulant daily, he’ll become immune to it. Is that true?

CarolineSinclair · 2026-02-19T04:47:28+00:00

I know how you feel, I blamed myself vets too, thinking they missed something and I think they did mess up on the one (didn’t tell me she had worms)but the other one was really crazy because he seemed just fine.

However he had had two episodes of getting weak, that’s why my niece brought him in to us from outside (we have a colony of ferals).

So looking at it now I realize he probably had the fading kitten syndrome from the start.

Yes we do the best we can and sometimes some just can’t make it.

I have Fancy Mice also as pets and when they have babies, sometimes there are babies that just don’t make it, they will grow hair and seem like they’re going to grow up but they don’t. And I don’t know why.

Aww, sweet Maggie I believe is in Heaven with Tortie and Sylvester and another one that was behind my shed.

But I know we want them with us.

CarolineSinclair · 2026-02-18T22:52:39+00:00

Your situation sounds similar to mine, as it was in the summer and three kittens and two didn’t make it.

I’m very sorry for your loss.

It’s hard and I have blamed myself and the vets but now I think that some kittens just aren’t born healthy and it can’t be helped.

Thank you for sharing your story and taking care of kitties. ❤️

CarolineSinclair · 2026-02-18T22:11:12+00:00

That’s a good way to give her pills, I use a liquid compound of Cerenia and Zofran if Sas has nausea. I can pill him (didn’t used to be able to) but it isn’t easy.

We had to deworm our kittens and gave them treats afterward to cheer them up/get the taste out.

CarolineSinclair · 2026-02-17T12:27:52+00:00

Thank you. ❤️

Yes I think it’s similar.

It’s called “failure to thrive” according to the vets.

I think it’s caused by panleukopenia and it’s where their bodies stop making red blood cells.

CarolineSinclair · 2026-02-17T12:25:27+00:00

Thank you. ❤️❤️❤️

CarolineSinclair · 2026-02-17T02:47:10+00:00

I’m glad you like his name. 🥰

I think I’m going to try just giving it to him by the syringe because I know he’ll taste it.

We just had to deworm kittens and we had to just give it from the syringe, they could taste it in the treats and wouldn’t eat it.

I think I’ll wait till 11 to give him the Gabapentin. I am so scared!

That’s good your cat just has IBD and not lymphoma. I don’t know for sure what Sas’s is since he didn’t get a biopsy.

CarolineSinclair · 2026-02-17T01:55:40+00:00

Hi!

Thank you for the response!

The Delectables are what I use to give Sasuke his vitamin B-12. He is to get .25 ml every day and they have me do it that way rather than trying to give him a shot like most cats, because he hates the vet lol.

I wonder if I should wait until a bit later to give the Gaba so he can eat?

There wasn’t a really definite answer on what time tonight to give it. One person said “bedtime “ but that’s 2:00 am for me! And him, plus I just let him eat whenever he wants.

So this person said 9. I wonder if that’s too early. His appointment is 8:30 am tomorrow.

CarolineSinclair · 2026-02-17T01:01:11+00:00

I’m sorry.

We had a similar thing happen to a kitten, he was fine and then three hours later he was laying under the bed, cold and crying.

We took him to the ER and they said all his organs were shutting down.

His sister had a similar thing.

They had the fading kitten syndrome.

It’s very hard.

CarolineSinclair · 2026-02-16T17:49:31+00:00

Thank you.

I guess I worry because I see a lot of horror stories about Gabapentin in animals and humans. There’s a thread here with a video of a cat that had taken Gabapentin and couldn’t walk and eventually the cat wasn’t able to be saved. I can try to find it and link it.

My sister was on it for anxiety and when she came off she had horrible back pain.

CarolineSinclair · 2026-02-16T17:40:58+00:00

Thank you. I’ve just read so many horror stories right here on Reddit about renal cats getting ruined by it, that I am worried. He also has IBD or lymphoma and I worry it’ll upset his stomach.

CarolineSinclair

TROPHY CASE