My Bengal girl, Cebu, is 15 now. She recently became very food adverse. A trip to the dental vet revealed something called tooth lesions and absorption...extremely painful and requiring complete tooth extraction and/or something called cap and crown. This tooth disease exposes the raw tooth nerves and the teeth can often be so brittle that they can't even be removed without destroying the jaw. Prior to the surgery I was working on her to eat more and had her up to 200 cal a day, way less than she needs. She is slightly above 13 lbs and has been stuck at that level since the surgery which at first knocked her intake down to 100 cal or less. I've tried about 20 or more foods all with limited or short term success. She is drinking OK and when she eats eventually goes into this retching almost gagging motion like something is stuck in her mouth choking her.

Vet says she is 90% healed and removed some stitches that were not dissolved We're going on 3 weeks after the surgery and I've tried Cerenia thinking this was nausea but absolutely no vomiting yet and zero weight loss. Is there something about the Bengal breed that allows them to cut back their metabolism? Many years ago she ballooned up to 21 lbs on dry food and I had to put her on a very slow diet (slow to avoid fatter liver) and got her down to 14 1/2 -15 lbs over the course of a year or more. I was very surprised that I had to get her down below 120 cals/day before she lost anything. It was a balancing act for sure. I'm pretty sure now she won't turn around. She has had two dosed of Mirtazapine to stimulate the appetite but seems like it's some other mouth/surgery issue now.

While she's not suffering or I don't think she is, I am literally dying from all of this. The anguish and pain I'm feeling at trying to feed her everyday is pretty overwhelming. She was always a cat that cleaned the bowl completely too. She did have elevated liver values at the time of the surgery and in spite of her pain, which Bengals hide so well, I had her eating 200 cals/day. Tried forced feeding but that was torture for us all. And a feeding tube is out of question for this cat. She tried to tear out the SS stitches when she was spade as a young cat and would rip out a tube immediately. So if you find your cat not eating, don't rule out dental issues and don't ignore it either. Once food aversion sets in it can be impossible to reverse.

Yea, I've had to deal with some similar circumstances. My bengals also had tooth absorption a few years back, and in fact are going to get their teeth checked early next year, so I'm bracing for more issues there.

I've also had cases where cats were not interested in eating. One of those cases was after Serafina had some dental work. Turns out she was just in a lot of pain, and by treating the pain, her appetite (and energy) returned.

A couple of other times, with prior cats, they were having appetite issues due to various illnesses, and the vet had to give them appetite stimulants, which worked.

Good luck, don't give up, when cats get older they are bound to have problems like the ones you are going through.

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The little monsters 3

I truly wish I had some advice for you. When I took my Raiden for his dental cleaning, the vet said most of his teeth are gone. His teeth were cleaned two years earlier and no mention of missing teeth. But it seems he only has his fangs and the vet cannot figure out why the teeth are gone. They've been his vet since he was 13 weeks old. It's not as if I've been feeding him rocks! My Raiden at one time weighed 14.4 pounds. Now he is 11 pounds. And sometimes gets down to 10.6. He behaves normally, eats normally, although he sometimes does struggle in chewing the wet food.

When a kitty is losing weight, I feel it is important to find a food they will scarf down. No point in giving them expensive food or prescription food that they will not eat. The point is for the cat to gain weight. I also give mine multiple treats a day.

Note, too, your baby is a senior kitty. Bengals live 12 to 15 years -- some live much longer, but they do not tend to live as long as domestic cats. So ... I think it is so much more important for your little gal enjoy the years she has left. I know you are super concerned about her. Your vet is the best source of information and help.

When my kitty got sick, the one thing I could get her to eat regularly was fancy feast (rotating flavors). I don't think she would have kept going as long as she did without that brand. It was really like kitty crack for her.

Sorry about the dental issues, my youngest had to have her teeth cleaned at 6 months! Vet said some cats are just predispositioned to buildup. I am working on training her to get her teeth brushed.

Aw, I'm sorry to hear about this, but glad that she is starting to heal.

Have you tried fish paste yet? In the form of anchovy paste from the grocery store, or there is also a naturally flavored hairball paste that has salmon goop in it. Just put it on your finger and get a little on her mouth or nose.