My cat won't eat.  What do I do?

Most importantly, you should first try to find out why your pet is not eating by having it examined by a vet .  Prolonged anorexia (>3 days) can be very dangerous in cats - they can develop a fatty liver disorder that can be fatal, particularly if your cat is overweight. 


Some foods that cats commonly find enticing include:
   Fancy Feast or Friskies canned food
   Baby food (meat flavors)
   Canned tuna or chicken

In addition, some human medications can sometimes be used "off-label" as an appetite stimulant in cats.  The success of the medication depends on the underlying cause of the anorexia and the individual cat.  These medications are by prescription only and include:

   Mirtazipine (Remeron^R) 
   Cyproheptadine (Periactin^R)

Warming the food to increase its aroma can also be helpful, especially if your cat has nasal congestion.  Some pets will respond to hand-feeding with your finger. 

How do I medicate my pet? 

Medicating pets can be a real challenge, especially with cats.  Here are some tips:

Dogs
Try hiding the pill in soft foods, such as canned dog food, cream cheese, peanut butter, or a turkey hot dog (check with your vet first to make sure these are okay in your pet's case).  Pill Pockets^R are treats made specifically to help hide medications and are available through vets and pet stores.

Another option is to have the medications compounded into a flavored suspension by a pharmacy.  Ask your vet about this option.

If you must force the medication down your dog, place the pill as far back in their mouth as you can and hold its mouth closed.  Stroke its throat, or squirt a small amount of water in its mouth.

An excellent video on how to give your dog medications:
http://www.mypetcaretv.com/videocontent/articles/How_To_Medicate_Your_Dog.html

Cats
Use of a "pet piller"  is highly recommended.  These are inexpensive and very helpful once you get a feel for the instrument.  Place the pill in the rubber tip, force your kitty's mouth open, and place the tip of the piller far back in the mouth and push the plunger.  See the illustrations below:

Another option is to compound the medication into a flavored suspension by a pharmacy as mentioned above with dogs.

An excellent video on how to give your cat medications:
http://www.mypetcaretv.com/videocontent/articles/How_To_Medicate_Your_Cat.html

What is a "bland diet", and why feed it?

A bland diet is simply food that is easy on the stomach and readily digested.   Bland diets are usually recommended when the pet has tummy problems, such as vomiting or diarrhea, or does not want to eat.  Low fat and fiber content are very important to help make the food easy to digest.  

Suggested bland diets for dogs:

Chicken breast (diced or shredded) and white rice
     (1 part meat to 3-4 parts rice)
Gerber baby food (meat flavors)
Lean hamburger and white rice (same ratio as above)
Hill's I/D diet
Purina EN diet
Royal Canin HE diet
Iams Low Residue diet

Additional bland homemade foods for finicky dogs:

mashed potatoes or cooked noodles
scrambled eggs
low fat cottage cheese
turkey hot dogs

Suggested bland diets for cats:

shredded or canned chicken breast
canned tuna in water
rice baby cereal (mix with chicken, tuna, tuna juice, or broth)
Hill's I/D diet
Purina EN diet
Royal Canin HE diet
Iams Veterinary Low Residue diet