MSI Press Blog

  When a cat stops eating or begins to lose weight, owners often feel alarmed — and rightly so. But before you head to the vet, there are meaningful observations you can gather at home. These small details help your veterinarian diagnose faster and more accurately. This week’s Caturday post focuses on practical, owner-friendly diagnostic clues , including a section many people overlook: heat and indoor climate . 🐈‍⬛ 1. Appetite Changes: What Exactly Is Happening? Not all “not eating” is the same. Track: Complete refusal Interest without intake (approaches food, sniffs, walks away) Selective refusal (won’t eat kibble but will lick broth) Texture changes (soft vs. crunchy) Slow eating or chewing difficulty These distinctions help your vet differentiate between pain , nausea , oral disease , stress , or systemic illness . 🐾 2. Hydration and Drinking Patterns Note: Increased drinking (kidney disease, diabetes) Decreased drinking (dehydration risk) Drinking from odd places (sink, show...

  Tiger, the great and powerful orange tabby, has been untouchable for 14 years. When his owner, my disabled daughter, whom he fiercely and forcibly protects, moved from her apartment back home with me. Tiger would not go into his carrier. No way. No how. Not chasable. Not touchable--put claws all the way through my shoe and my son's glove, his teeth baring in a loud, prolonged threatening hiss. Not enticed by food even after eight hours of packing and alternately encouraging Tiger to be part of the process and let us put him in his carrier--one big enough for a large dog, anything else being unthinkable that he would enter. We contacted a friend with a feral cat trap and made plans to leave Tiger alone overnight in the empty apartment and try to catch him with the trap after being hungry for even longer. But, Tiger is a smart cat. As my son and I headed out of the apartment, followed by my daughter in her wheelchair, Tiger went into the carrier and looked at us. He was not to be s...