My cat is lethargic and stares at walls. Is it too much catnip/tuna?

Feeding tuna alone is not a balanced diet for Muffin, and could result in a variety of health problems from vitamin and mineral deficiencies. In order to get Muffin to eat cat food, you can try mixing the canned tuna with cat food. Then gradually decrease the amount of tuna being offered while increasing the amount of cat food over the course of a week. Canned cat food may be easier to mix with the canned tuna since Muffin is more likely to be able to pick the tuna pieces out of dry food. Since he seems to have a preference for tuna, try to find seafood based foods. I hope this helps and that all goes well!

Listlessness and lethargy in an older cat could be due to acute renal failure, metabolic disease, pancreatitis (possibly secondary to the sardines) or even neoplasia. Since this is an acute event, it is important to get The Fruits checked out by a veterinarian since blood work abnormalities can come on very suddenly. Please do not give your cat sodium chloride fluid since this could impact the kidneys, especially when there is a possibility of acute kidney disease. Your veterinarian will be able to advise you whether or not fluid administration is appropriate depending on the underlying disease process and if so, what fluid and in what amounts would be suitable.

It is not ideal to keep Loki on an all-tuna based diet, as this can adversely affect his health. If he is showing a food sensitivity/intolerance then Loki may need to undergo a food trial with a novel protein or hydrolyzed protein diet (via prescription from his veterinarian) to determine if this improves his clinical signs. In cats suffering from gastrointestinal disease I will often perform a full fecal diagnostic panel to rule-out internal parasites, then a gastrointestinal panel through Texas A & M to determine if the pancreas is functioning appropriately, to rule-out the presence of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, and to check the absorption of Vitamin B12 through the intestinal tract. In severe cases I will also recommend abdominal ultrasound and intestinal biopsies to rule-out inflammatory causes (such as inflammatory bowel disease). I will also place these cats on symbiotics (a product that contains both prebiotics and probiotics) to help maintain a normal gut flora. If Loki was to have an inflammatory bowel disorder, these patients often require longterm corticosteroid or other immunosuppressive medication to help control the clinical signs (diarrhea, vomiting) of the disease. I would schedule a recheck with Loki's veterinarian to discuss further options in his care. I hope he feels better soon, and thank you for using Pet Coach.

If it's a complete and balanced cat food that contains tuna, that is fine to feed regularly. However, 100% tuna from a can (meant for human consumption) should only be given as a rare treat. You're welcome to post another question with the specific type of cat food in question, if you're unsure whether what you have is considered "complete and balanced."

If neo is not eating I would recommend taking him to a veterinarian for a good exam. Older cats can loose weight secondary to hyperthyroid disease, kidney disease and even infection. It is possible neo is eating tuna over his regular food secondary to good taste. I hope neo feels better soon.

Hello there. Good question! Kittens and cats need to eat food made for them. The reason for this is that the food is fortified with the amino acid taurine. Taurine is critical for normal vision, normal digestion, normal heart muscle function, to maintain normal pregnancy and fetal development, and to maintain a healthy immune system. Taurine is an essential amino acid in the cat. If taurine levels are deficient, the retinal cells of the eyes will eventually degenerate, impairing the vision. This condition is referred to as feline central retinal degeneration (CRD). Deficiency of taurine will also lead to a weakening of the muscle cells in the heart, causing a condition called dilated cardiomyopathy. Taurine is a component of bile salts, and its deficiency may cause digestive disturbances. During pregnancy, a mother cat must have adequate levels of taurine to maintain her health and to ensure proper growth and structural development of her kittens. Low taurine levels result in small litter sizes, low birth weights or fetal abnormalities. In growing kittens, taurine deficiency can result in delayed growth and development, central retinal degeneration and dilated cardiomyopathy. So, long story short, tuna and cheese is not a good diet. You must find a kitten food that he likes. You may have to buy a few brands/types until you find one he likes. I am not familiar with the diets you have available in the UAE so you may have to ask your vet for more recommendations. He should stay on a kitten diet until he is about 8 months of age and then he can go to an adult cat diet. I hope this helps. Best wishes to you and Akmi! Dr. Amber

Hello, and thanks for your question about Kitty. Tuna is generally a pretty safe thing for a dog to eat, and I think chances are Kitty will be fine. However, any time a dog gets into something they're not used to, or a fattier than usual meal, it's possible that it could trigger some GI upset. As long as Kitty remains bright and playful with a normal appetite, then she should do just fine and the minimal stool production doesn't worry me. However, if her appetite drops, she seems lethargic, or starts vomiting then I'd have her looked at by the vet in case she is developing pancreatitis. Hope this helps!