Cats have a well-earned reputation for being picky eaters. However, you shouldn’t assume that this is the main cause of their lack of appetite. You need to determine the reason why your cat isn’t eating. It’s common to believe that your cat is not eating due to a negative attitude or just throwing tantrums.
However, loss of appetite in cats is a common indicator of disease and is a serious symptom. Your feline pals frequently lose their appetites when they are ill and refuse to eat. Contact your veterinarian straight away to find out what’s wrong. As soon as the cause is found, therapy may commence, and your cat will start to feel better.
We have gathered the most frequent causes of cats not eating and advice on how to help your furry friend get back on track.
Why Your Cat Isn’t Eating?
When your cat isn’t eating, you might be unsure whether to be concerned, especially if they are not eating the best cat food you have ever given them. Since that typically indicates that something isn’t right. It’s always best to consult a vet if you have any worries about your pet’s health. Here are some of the possible reasons why your cat isn’t eating.
Changes In Food Or Routine
Cats develop tastes for particular foods, and when you change them, they may stop eating. They may go on strike if their diet and routine are abruptly altered. Additionally, changing your cat’s daily routine may make them stressed, anxious, or depressed, leading them to stop eating.
Try giving your cat a little of their old food. You might need to gradually alter your cat’s diet by introducing different food to the animal a little at a time. Never forget that it’s ideal to slowly transition your cat to new food over a few weeks.
Digestive Issues Or Gastrointestinal Diseases
Your cat may stop eating if it has issues with its pancreas, stomach, intestines, or other digestive system organs. They may not eat or drink if they have indigestion due to their diet or eating something they shouldn’t have. In addition to digestive troubles, your cat may vomit, have diarrhea, or have belly pain.
Tumors and other foreign things, as well as ingested items that might induce vomiting or diarrhea, are possible additional causes of indigestion. However, the first indication of a digestive system issue is typically a drop in appetite. The disorders include irritable bowel syndrome, parasites, a bacterial imbalance in the intestines, malignancies, and acid reflux.
An Aversion To Food
Cats may avoid some foods because they identify them with sensations of sickness that they had with a particular disease. It may lead a cat to lose its appetite. When a cat is sick, and a specific meal is repeatedly provided or forced upon it, the animal can develop food aversion.
As a result of a negative association between that meal and disease, the cat will avoid it. So, do not leave food available for your cat if it doesn’t seem interested in eating or try to force-feed it.
Changes In Surrounding
A cat may stop eating due to a change in its surroundings. Any change in a cat’s environment, no matter how great or minor, might cause them to feel frightened or unhappy and cause them to lose their appetite. They might get stressed or feel unsafe, not eating their food.
These adjustments can include changing their litter box, donning a new collar, entering new animals into the home, or the arrival of a newborn infant. Additionally, abrupt food changes might cause your feline pals to stop eating. In addition, providing your cat with an easy-access food bowl may solve the issue. You can use a SUPER DESIGN Slanted Bowl that makes it easier for your cat to reach in and eat its food.
Underlying Health Condition
A cat who isn’t eating might exhibit symptoms of a dangerous underlying condition, such as pancreatitis, diabetes, hyperthyroidism, diabetes, cat flu, and renal illness. A decreased appetite might also result from respiratory issues that impact your cat’s ability to breathe or sense smell. These respiratory conditions might be as simple to treat as viral or bacterial infections, or they can be as complicated as cancer.
In addition, your cat may stop eating if they have unhealthy or uncomfortable teeth and gums. Cats can suffer from tooth fractures, resorptive lesions on their teeth, gum inflammation, dental abscesses, and other dental problems. These can result in mouth pain and prevent your cat from eating.
What To Do When Your Cat Doesn’t Eat?
You may try various methods to get your cat to eat. Nobody knows your cat as well as you do. So, start with what they like the best.
Here are some methods you can try to get them to eat.
Methods |
Why Will It Work? |
Additional Tips |
Change The Location Of The Bowl |
Your cat may no longer appreciate the site where they used to eat. The location might have got something that startled or turned your pet off. |
Before you locate a new site that works for your cat and where they like to eat, test a few. Consider setting up a Feliway Diffuser in the vicinity of the bowl to diffuse a relaxing pheromone. |
Give Them Fresh and Warm Food |
Based on scent and taste, cats choose what to eat. Food loses its flavor and aroma and becomes dried when left out. Give your cat fresh food that smells great. |
Warm the food a little bit before giving it to your cat. It will enhance the flavor and aroma that awaken your kitty’s appetite. |
Winding Up
Your cat’s eating might indicate its well-being, so you should constantly pay attention to it. If you notice a change in your cat’s feeding habits and the behavior persists for more than a day, you must contact your veterinarian without delay. You shouldn’t put off getting treatment for this issue for too long as it might have harmful effects on your cat’s health.
