Cat not eating

Question
I have a female cat who is almost 14. Within the last 2 weeks I have noticed she is not eating. When I do her litter box there are no feces present which is how I learned she wasn't eating. I started to give her moist food which she ate a bit. 2 days ago, I noticed a lump on her lower jaw which doubled in size over night. I am trying my best to get her to a vet, but with no vehicle and no money ( I am on a disability pension and only get paid once a month )it makes it a bit difficult. Today, the weirdest thing happened. She was in the kitchen having a drink, and I put ice in it hoping it would help her mouth. When she came back into the living room I stopped her to check her mouth and the lump is completely gone!  There has been no bleeding to my knowledge and she absolutely will not let me look in her mouth. Any suggestions what the lump is/was? What can I do to get her to start eating again? She is normally a fairly fat cat but now she is getting so thin and I am worried about her.
Thank You
Tami

Answer
Hi Tami,

I am sorry to hear about your cat; I know how stressful it can be to experience one of your beloved pets not eating.  Unforunately, lack of appetite can be a symptom of a variety of things, and only a vet can diagnose that definitely.  I completely understand about lack of funds, believe me.  If you contact your local shelter, they should be able to provide you with a list of resources that provide low cost services.  Also, Banfield, the vet clinic located in Petsmarts, holds clinic hours two days out of the week in which you can take your pet in and not pay an exam fee.

Until then, the important thing is to get her to eat.   I recommend purchasing wet cans of a food called HALO, only found at Petco or online.  You can review their website here for information on what makes their food above and beyond others: (http://www.halopets.com)  This food is made with wholesome ingredients.  I have three cats who would never touch wet food until I fed them that.  It is also important that she eats at least 1/3 can of wet food each day, as cats acquire 2.5 times the amount of water intake from food as they do from water itself.  If you do switch the dry foods, remember you should do it gradually, mixing 1/3 new with 2/3 old for 4 days, then 1/2 and 1/2 for 4 days, and then 2/3 new, 1/3 old for 4 days.  You should be okay to give the wet food outright.  There are usually only digestive upsets when switching from a better food to a worse one, so I wouldn't be too concerned.  

Just a few things that could be causing her lack of appetite are a bacterial infection (happened to my oldest when she was only 3 years old) or a urinary tract infection/blockages, which happened with my spouse's cat.  What happens in that case is that toxins start to build up, and if there is partial blockage and they have a hard time going to the bathroom, they will stop eating in an effort to have less in their system contributing to the problem.  Unfortunately, I really don't think you can avoid seeing a vet.  In both cases, they almost died, but we got them to a vet in time to fix the problem, and then I treated based on my knowledge and information (not what the vet recommended, as it is commonly unnecessary medications and high-dollar commercial foods that are a joke and actually not good nutrition at all.  In the case of the bacterial infection, I had to get her to a vet to received IV fluids, vitamin shots, and be tube fed, as her body was beginning to shut down from lack of nutrition.  In the case of the urinary blockage, the urethral plug had to be removed so that he could use the restroom and his kidneys could begin to do their job and eliminate the toxins in his body.  I did research on the ingredients in the urinary formulation prescription food, and they contain less ingredients to acidify urine than Halo does, which is specifically what the urinary diet claims it's formulated to do.  It's all a gimmick to get you to pay more money for a food that will continue to contribute to health problems in your pet.  I could go into more detail, but I think you get the idea.  For more information, please read the following articles:

What's Really in Pet Food?
http://www.bornfreeusa.org/facts.php?more=1&p=359

Gluten and Toxins in Pet Food
http://www.celiac.com/articles/1129/1/Gluten-and-Toxins-in-Pet-Foods-Are-they-Po...

As far as the lump is concerned, I don't really have any idea.  If it went away as you said, it may have been an injury that swelled up and resolved itself, or it may be a symptom of gum disease or gingivitis, or it may be something else.  When you take her in, I would be sure to have the vet examine the gums and teeth just in case.  They are probably going to tell you she has gingivitis, which at her age, she may very well need a dental cleaning.  I have started brushing my cats' teeth in addition to feeding them HALO, so I expect to keep them from having to have any dental work unless something unforeseen occurs.  I hope all this helps, and please feel free to keep me updated.

Best regards,
Holly Martin