older cat not eating

Question
i know this is a similar question to one already asked, but my older cat REALLY wont eat. not Hills, not "junk-food" which is fancy-feast, not sliced turkey, not roast beef, not people food, not any brand of cat food, ive tried over 100 different flavors and textures. the ONLY thing he'll eat any significant amount of is pork chops which he chews up just fine, or condensed milk. he used to be really fat and would eat anything. Now hes 3 lbs underweight. (hes been to the vet, his kidneys and general health is fine) the strangest thing is when i feed him, he just looks at it like he doesnt realize its food, then continues to follow me everytime i go near the kitchen and meows and begs for more food, so i give him another brand/flavor..which he looks at again but still doesnt touch--so he is hungry, but doesnt seem to recognize food...its very weird. since hes going to die if he doesnt eat, should i just feed him the pok chops and condensed milk since its ALL he'll even consider eating?

Answer
Hi Torrey,

You should feed him whatever he'll eat for now, as long as it's not prepared with anything toxic, like onions, and as long as the milk isn't giving him diarrhea.  But the food isn't balanced, and it's going to cause him some real deficiencies in the long run unless you supplement properly.  You would need to talk to a licensed nutritionist about that.  But you can start by giving him a supplement called Nutri-Cal, which will provide him with some essential vitamins and minerals, as well as calories.  It's a gel that you can find at some pet stores, or online through many pet supply websites, such as entirelypets.com.  I would give him the recommended dosage for cats not eating their full ration of food until you straighten his diet out with a nutritionist.

I would strongly recommend that you make a plan with your vet to pursue the next step diagnostically, however.  Often, when a cat takes an interest in food but doesn't eat it, it's because he's nauseated or his mouth or throat is painful.  It may be that pork and condensed milk are the only two things that are tempting enough to him to make it worth eating with a sour belly or painful mouth or throat.  An ultrasound is a good way to detect problems that can cause nausea that can go undetected on blood tests.  This may include cancer, gastrointestinal inflammation and pancreatitis.  And an oral exam can sometimes show bad teeth or sores in the mouth, but the cat will usually need to be anesthetized to get a good look down the throat for evidence of painful polyps or tumors, which can other causes of refusal to eat.  

Good luck!

Jessica