My cat has URI, won't eat. How to give meds without a fight?

Its ok to syringe feed her as long as she isn't fighting you on it. If she's very resistant to this, do not continue to do it, as it could put her at risk for aspiration pneumonia (if she sucks food down into her trachea instead of swallowing it down her esophagus). You can use some saline nasal drops (available at any pharmacy) as this may help clear and break up some of the nasal congestion, just be certain that it is completely drug free and xylitol free--SALINE ONLY! You can also use a cool mist humidifier to help ease her congestion. As for the food, you are doing everything right. Keep warming up a little fresh food each time, you can try tuna juice on it as well, or roast (unseasoned) chicken. Chicken baby food is also sometimes a good choice for cats. Good luck with her! Thanks for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

An upper respiratory infection often involves nasal discharge or swelling of the mucous membranes which can then disable the sense of smell and then cats do not want to eat. One way of helping that is to 1) remove any discharge from the nose as often as possible with a moist tissue. 2) feed her fishy canned food, preferably pate style, and warm it up in the microwave. This will intensify the aroma of the food. Clavamox tastes not so good, and sometimes it can also make a cat not hungry. However, it is absolutely necessary that your kitty eats at least a little bit every day in order not to get a serious liver disease. Try to hand feed her, if she will not eat from the bowl. If she does not eat at all she will need to be seen by your vet for a recheck.

This is serious as cats can develop serious liver disease when not eating. Since cats rely on their sense of smell, it is important to clean her nostrils from discharge and warm up her food, maybe ad some tuna water. You should also take her back for a recheck at the vet's on Monday,

I'm very sorry your kitty is sick. Respiratory infections are very common in kitties and almost all are caused by a virus, not a bacterial infection. Therefore, we do not recommend antibiotics if we are dealing with an upper respiratory infection. There are several things you can do at home though. To help with nasal and sinus congestion symptoms, I recommend using the shower to fill your bathroom with as much warm steamed air as possible and then place your kitty in the room for 10-15 minutes at a time. You can do this several times a day, the goal is to help humidify the air and allow your kitty's nasal passages to drain and clear some. You can also purchase over-the-counter treats or a gel formula containing the amino acid supplement L-lysine made for cats. These can sometimes help clear a viral infection. Follow the label instructions to know how much and how often to give to your kitty. If your kitty stops eating or drinking, you will need to have it examined by your veterinarian to avoid complications such as dehydration.

It is not a good idea for a cat to go longer than 2 days without eating. You should force feed her if she won't on her own. You can use canned cat food or human organic baby foods (meat flavors). It is also better for her to take Amoxicillin with food. I am not sure what you mean about giving it to her in small doses. She needs her full dose twice a day as that is how the antibiotic is designed to work. If you are doing it any other way she is not going to get better and she may end up with resistant bacteria.

You can use a humidifier or have Ariel in the bathroom when you take a hot shower. That will help clear her up a little. Also using a warm wet cloth to wipe the discharge from her nose may improve the nasal air flow. I like to add some tuna juice to the food for increased odor if she isn't eating normally as cats often don't eat well when conjested. Be patient she will improve daily. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you get answers to your veterinary questions.

Poor Sourpatch! You typically should start to see some improvement within 24-48 hours, but it can be longer based on the severity of the infection. He likely isn't using the litter box because he hasn't eaten or drank, so he has no need to pass anything. When cats have a respiratory infection, they can't smell their food. Smell is very important to cats, and they won't eat something if they can't smell it. To tempt him to eat, I would gently warm up really smelly wet food, such as sardine or fished based. That will get some moisture in him as well, and hopefully he will start eating soon. If he still isn't eating after trying this in another 24 hours, I would take him back into the vet.