Forced feeding of the cat: what it is, when it is needed and how to do it


Sometimes it can be absolutely necessary: ​​when force feeding the cat and what it consists of?

When a cat has trouble eating alone, it needs help – it will be needed for its own survival! So what does the forced feeding of the cat consist of and how does it manage to feed our sweet domestic feline? Everything you need to know about this technique and when it is essential for the life of our cat.


When the cat does not eat …

What makes a cat not to eat? It is true that it is a rather fussy animal with food, but on some occasions it does not depend on its personal taste in food.

There are some situations in which the cat can’t ‘eat, because it just can’t: it actually happens when it is sick or suffers from loss of appetite.

Imposing our will is useless, indeed it can even be deleterious in some cases: the animal will show itself very annoyed by our attitude and could react not only by refusing to eat but also aggressively.


Forced feeding of the cat: what it is

In reality it is an artificial but absolutely painless operation, which is carried out with a syringe without a needle to ‘introduce’ food (liquid of course) into his mouth.

Given its consistency, it is better to protect yourself with towels and placemats, also because the cat may not be used to this type of ‘administration’.

The food to choose does not necessarily have to be purchased in liquid form: even wet food can be ‘softened’ with water. The batter thus obtained can be heated and allowed to cool (to avoid burns to the mouth).


How to force-feed: do’s (and don’ts)

First of all, let’s arm ourselves with patience because the operation could be long and also very complicated because the feline could move and drop all the food from the mouth (wasting a lot of it).

The syringe should be placed sideways and the plunger should be pressed gently to prevent excessive liquid from escaping. If we see him particularly worried, we must try to calm the cat: perhaps we use a low and calm tone of voice, in order to reassure him.

We must always be ready to clean the liquid that will surely come out and dirty everything; it may be a good idea to alternate the dose of food with one of water, just to allow him to swallow better.


The latest tips on force-feeding for Kitty

Better to choose a particularly quiet place, away from sources of noise and traffic (and perhaps even away from the children’s room). The feline must feel calm and not fidget for any reason.

A good idea could be to make him taste the food first on our finger, perhaps stimulating him to lick it: only when he understands ‘what it is’ maybe he will be more stimulated to eat it. At the same time, to encourage him, we also try to use words of praise towards him: cats like to be flattered, you know.

Leftover food can be stored in the fridge for the next time; furthermore, if it is an adult cat, less manageable than a kitten, it is better to rely on the expert hands of a veterinarian. Let’s try to steal the ‘secrets of the trade’ from him and copy his movements, so that force-feeding becomes a routine operation.


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