In this article, we will explore *why a cat stopped eating food*, highlighting the reasons behind this behavior. We’ll discuss scenarios where a temporary refusal to eat is harmless and when it might signal a serious health issue requiring an urgent visit to the veterinary clinic.
We will tell you why a cat refuses to eat in each specific case and what to do about it.
What to look out for
Remember what preceded the loss of appetite. Generally, cats avoid food due to stress, picky eating, overeating, unsuitable living conditions, and, of course, illness.
If refusal to eat comes unexpectedly and this is only an alteration of the behavior of a pet, then the causes most probably be external. Try to exclude irritant factors from your pet’s environment and wait-feeding will recover with self. The main thing is to monitor the pet’s condition. A decrease in appetite should not affect its physical performance.
If your cat gradually begins not to eat, observe such manifestations. If weakness, vomiting, bowel movements, discharge of mucous from eyes and nose, bloating, rapid weight loss, strong shedding, photophobia, and increased body temperature are coupled with a refusal to eat, that condition is linked to diseases of internal body disorders.
Important: If the loss of appetite is accompanied by other symptoms, call your veterinarian immediately.
Several diseases develop rapidly and are characterized by high mortality. For example, the super acute form of feline distemper (panleukopenia) leads to the death of the pet in just 2-3 days from the moment the first signs of infection appear.
Why does a cat eat poorly?
To understand the reasons behind lower appetite in cats, we talked to breeders and veterinarians.
Here are the reasons for the refusal of food, as identified by experts:
Reason 1
Transition to new food
Usually, cats refuse to eat after changing their diet. Especially if they switch from raw meat or economy-class food to premium, super-premium, or holistic food.
Premium and medicinal lines of food do not contain flavor enhancers. Therefore, it is always more difficult to attract the pet’s attention to them.
What to do: To switch your cat from old food to new food, introduce unfamiliar products gradually.
Mix six parts of the old food with one part of the new food. When the cat starts to eat the portion without leaving anything, double the portion of the new food, then triple it, and so on until you switch to the new food completely.
To transition your cat from wet to dry food, soak the kibble in a small amount of water for 1-2 minutes before serving. This will make it more flavorful.
Reason 2
Free access to feed
If the food bowl is freely accessible day and night, the animal can approach it several times a day and eat small portions. In this case, the problem is not a poor appetite, but fractional feeding.
What to do: If the cat eats the daily portion during the day, there is no need to worry. Eating in several approaches is not dangerous. However, if most of the food remains in the bowl the next day, try to transfer the pet to two meals a day in the morning and evening, taking the bowl away between feedings and at night. In most cases, the appetite is completely restored and the animal switches to a new regime without effort.
Reason 2
Dirty bowls
Many cats are sensitive to foreign smells. Therefore, they may not approach bowls that smell bad. This feature was passed on to domestic pets from their wild ancestors: in the wild, food with a foreign smell is considered stale, and animals do not touch it.
What to do: Wash dishes with disinfectants and pour boiling water over them. Thermal treatment allows you to destroy virus particles that you could bring in from the street and remove the invisible film from the detergent.
If you want to replace old bowls with new ones, choose metal dishes. This material does not absorb food odors and does not crack from active use.
Reason 3
Picky eater
If you spoil your cat with different types of food and constantly change the taste, the animal will start to expect new treats all the time and refuse the usual food. At this point, many owners begin to experiment with the diet even more often, which makes the cat even more capricious.
What to do: Decide on one type of food that is appropriate for your cat’s age and needs. And feed it regularly.
If the cat does not eat it out of spite, put the bowl out for half an hour, and then remove it until the next feeding. Do this trick until the animal starts eating most of the portion. Over time, interest in the food will return and the animal will eat with appetite. But for the next 1-2 weeks, get ready to manipulate and coax treats out. Vocal breeds can actively use their voice. Silent ones – curl at your feet and expectantly watch your every movement and look.
Reason 4
Overeating
Another reason for refusal of food is an excessive portion size, not calculated according to the animal’s weight. Also, a cat may refuse food when receiving it from other sources. For example, from the hands of other family members or when hunting for small rodents.
What to do: Make sure that only one person feeds the cat. By receiving food and treats in excess, the animal has time to eat its fill. And when the time for the main feeding comes, the appetite has already disappeared.
It is also important to organize a feeding area. If there are other pets in the house, feed the animals in different rooms – preferably at the same time.
Reason 5
Intoxication
An animal may stop eating after vaccination or treatment against parasites. This means that the drug was too toxic or the dose was not suitable for the animal’s weight. A cat can also be poisoned by trying food from the human table. Chocolate, grapes, and salty and spicy foods are especially dangerous.
Refusal to eat due to intoxication of the body may be accompanied by vomiting, stool disturbance, lack of urination, yellowing of the skin, shortness of breath, and increased heart rate. If the poisoning is not serious, the symptoms will disappear within 24 hours. If the damage done to the body is at the limit of its capabilities, vomiting will recur the next day.
What to do: Give your cat clean water at a rate of 50 mg per 1 kg of weight per day, having previously dissolved activated carbon from a human medicine cabinet in it. If you notice signs of dehydration, immediately show your pet to a veterinarian.
To assess the pet’s condition, press your finger on the gum. If the cat is dehydrated, the mucous membrane will remain white and will take on a natural pink color only after a few seconds.
Reason 6
Abuse of treats
Cat treats are not balanced in composition and calories. Therefore, it is easy to get full from them. However, it is difficult to cover the daily need for nutrients.
What to do: If you treat your cat with treats during training or to reinforce the desired action, make sure that their share does not exceed 15% of the daily portion.
If the cat begins to ask for treats more often, the consumption of the delicacy should be reduced to the minimum possible, using a dry food pellet or canned cat food as a reward.
Reason 7
Stress response
Cats are sensitive to any changes in their daily routine. Therefore, any change will be met with stress and depressed behavior.
A cat experiencing stress may hide in a dark corner of the room, refuse to be picked up, behave restlessly, and refuse to eat its usual food and treats.
What to do: Set up a separate room and a hiding place for the cat. For example, a box or a corner behind the sofa.
Don’t try to pick up the animal. Instead, spend more time with it, talk to it in a gentle voice, and try to distract it with toys. Once it comes to its senses, the animal will make contact on its own. After that, you can subdue the pet with your hands and put it on your lap.
Reason 8
Sexual hunting
Cats reach sexual maturity at 6-10 months, depending on the breed. During this period, the animal experiences a surge of hormones, and all its attention is focused on finding a partner for reproduction. The desire to quench thirst and hunger goes into the background, and the cat does not eat for up to 5 days. Abstinence from food is especially characteristic of females who have ended up on the territory of a male for mating.
What to do: If the cat is not to be bred, then it has to be neutered once it attains sexual maturity. Females are usually sterilized before 6 months. Males – before 1 head. If you own a breeding pet with the right to breed, the pet must be prepared for sexual hunting in advance: feed high-calorie food and enrich the diet with vitamins and minerals.
It is not recommended to use hormonal drugs to suppress sexual activity. Hormonal therapy can lead to early oncology and thyroid dysfunction.
Reason 9
Problems with teeth
Refusal to eat may occur during the period when kittens are changing their teeth from milk to permanent ones or due to diseases of the pet’s oral cavity.
Loss of appetite associated with dental and oral diseases can lead to either complete or partial refusal to eat. Oral lesions are accompanied by increased salivation, bad breath, and bleeding gums.
What to do: Monitor the condition of your cat’s teeth and gums. To remove plaque at home, any veterinary paste and chewing sticks from a pet store will do. To remove tartar – ultrasonic cleaning at the veterinarian.
If the cat is susceptible to oral diseases by genetics, it should be transferred to special food with abrasive particles. If the cat cannot eat solid food due to tooth pain or tooth loss in old age – the cat canned food and pouches.
Reason 10
Gastrointestinal diseases
These conditions include gastritis, colitis, gastroenteritis, pancreatitis, triaditis, hepatitis, liver lipidosis, cholangitis, and intestinal lymphoma, all of which may cause partial or complete refusal to eat.
It is mostly with associated abdominal pain, vomiting, and bowel disturbances coupled with the loss of weight that gastrointestinal inflammation presents.
What to do: Bring your cat to a veterinary therapist. A specialist will prescribe necessary diagnostic tests and will develop a course of treatment based on diagnosis. The use of medications from a human’s medicine cabinet or folk remedies is dangerous for animals.
During and after treatment, the animal is transferred to a therapeutic diet. Sometimes dietary instructions must be followed throughout the pet’s life.
Reason 11
Kidney diseases
Another reason why a cat does not eat its usual food is kidney dysfunction. However, this does not happen immediately. At first, the animal will become lethargic and will eat a little worse than usual. Many owners take such symptoms for fatigue and do not attach importance to them. The disease continues to develop in a latent form and manifests itself when the organ tissues are already affected by more than 70%.
What to do: Undergo an annual medical examination. The cat must undergo a blood test for creatine and a urine test for the creatine-to-protein ratio to detect the disease at an early stage.
Reason 12
Viral infections
Loss of appetite is the most common symptom of typical viral infections in cats. For instance, panleukopenia, calicivirus, rhinotracheitis. The disease is usually accompanied by discharge from the eyes and nose, increased body temperature, sneezing, coughing, and deterioration of the coat. The sick animal will look lethargic, and afraid of light and loud sounds.
What to do: Follow the annual revaccination schedule. Kittens are vaccinated starting at 2.5-3 months and then vaccinated annually.
Important. A sick animal should be shown to a doctor immediately. To treat an infection caused by a virus, the pet might be administered antibiotics, immunomodulators, antispasmodics, and also nutrient solutions to equalize water and electrolyte balance.
Hospitals also offer treatment for multiple diseases under medical personnel’s direct supervision.
Reason 13
Diabetes mellitus
Diabetes mellitus is an internal disease occurring commonly amongst older, obese animals or pets suffering from a secondary bacterial infection or liver disorders.
Cats with diabetes have a changed sense of taste and an insatiable thirst. The disease is expressed in frequent urination, poor quality of fur, lethargy, rapid weight loss, and frequent vomiting.
What to do: Contact your veterinarian. If the diagnosis is confirmed, the animal must be put on a lifelong therapeutic diet, protected from stress factors, and engaged in regular active games.
Reason 14
Diseases of the reproductive system
The pathology is typical for females taking hormonal drugs to reduce sexual activity. In this disease, loss of appetite might be caused by inflammation of the uterus (pyometra). The disease comes to a state of purulent bloody discharge from the loop and abdominal distension.
What to do: Prevention is often easier than a cure. Sterilization is the sterilization of the reproductive system for disease prevention. Treatment removal of the inflamed organ
Reason 15
Helminthiasis
Helminthiasis is a disease with parasitic worms as a pathogen. They are otherwise known as worms in popular language.
If the cat has lost its appetite because of helminthic invasion, it will have an enlarged abdomen, watery eyes, poor-quality fur, vomiting, and stool disorders. In this case, the refusal to eat is caused by inflammation of the stomach or intestines due to intoxication with the parasite’s waste products.
What to do: Conduct quarterly deworming. The drug should be given as a preventative measure since worm eggs and larvae can be brought into the house on clothing or when buying low-quality raw meat or fish.
Reason 16
Food allergy
Food allergies in cats are characterized by an aggressive immune response to antigens. These are typically food proteins that become lodged in the intestines and liver and cause internal inflammation. As a result, the animal suffers from abdominal pain and starts eating worse.
Food allergies can be identified with characteristic accompanying symptoms: strong itching of the skin, redness of the skin, and watery eyes.
What to do: Introduce a diagnostic monoprotein diet. The protein source should be unfamiliar to the animal. For example, rabbit, wild boar, salmon, etc.
Continue the experiment for 6-12 weeks. If the allergic reaction disappears, return to the previous diet and observe for another 1-2 weeks. If it reappears, contact your veterinarian and get recommendations on what to choose for a hypoallergenic food that fits the needs of the breed and the health of your pet.
Reason 17
Foreign object ingress
Refusal to eat or drink may result from obstruction of the stomach or intestines because of some foreign object obstructing the intestines. For example, a ball of wool, a piece of a toy, a small bone, threads, or Christmas decorations.
The entry of a foreign object into the lumen of the stomach or intestines is accompanied by vomiting when trying to eat or quench thirst, abdominal pain, lack of bowel movements, and shortness of breath.
Usually, foreign objects in the stomach or intestines are found in long-haired cats and representatives of breeds with a developed hunting instinct.
What to do: Use a hair removal paste and organize the environment so that the animal does not have access to dangerous objects. For example, do not allow the cat to play with toys that are not intended for animals. They are easy to chew and swallow small parts.
If you suspect a foreign object, make an appointment with your vet. Sometimes it can be removed through the mouth with forceps. But in most cases, the cat will need surgery.
Reason 18
Incorrectly organized feeding area
By placing a bowl of food next to a cat litter box, noisy household appliances, or a bed, you are contradicting animal instincts. In the wild, animals eat in the safest place, away from extraneous noises and strong smells.
What to do: Set up a feeding area in the corner of the room, placing a non-slip mat under the bowl.
Conduct regular wet cleaning. If the food intake area is dirty, the animal will start eating worse than usual.
Reason 19
Weather conditions
Experts say that an animal’s appetite is subject to climate change. In summer, a cat may eat less. In winter, more. This pattern is related to the changing need for calories. If the body does not spend energy on maintaining optimal body temperature, less food is needed.
What to do: Provide your cat with access to fresh, cool water. If the animal is not thirsty and drinks less than 50 mg per 1 kg of weight, place bowls of water throughout the house or use a fountain. Running water attracts felines much more than stagnant water.
Reason 20
Decreased sense of smell
Animals that have poor sense of smell begin to eat worse or refuse food completely. This happens to cats over 7 years old and pets that have had upper respiratory tract diseases.
You can tell that an animal has lost its sense of smell by its behavior. The animal will sniff the food bowl for a long time, then move away and sniff again.
What to do: Introduce canned cat food or pouches into the diet. They have a more intense aroma and are liked by most cats with a poor sense of smell. However, if you switch to wet food completely, recalculate the size of a single portion. Wet food is less nutritious, and its consumption should increase compared to dry food.
Reason 21
Rehabilitation after surgery, systemic disease, or childbirth
Sometimes an animal stops eating due to difficult rehabilitation after an illness or birth. A decrease in appetite against the background of a serious load on the body is accompanied by weakness, long sleep, and apathy.
What to do: Switch your cat to high-calorie liquid kitten food or a therapeutic diet recommended by your veterinarian.
If your pet refuses to eat from a bowl on its own, feed it with a syringe without a needle or consult your veterinarian to administer nutritional solutions intravenously.
Why does a newborn kitten not eat?
Kittens stop sucking their mother’s milk in three cases: due to hypothermia, amniotic fluid being thrown into the lungs, or a viral infection.
If the kitten is too cold, you can warm it up with your body heat. Put the baby to your breast, wrap it in your clothes on top, and hold it on yourself for at least 2-3 hours. If the sucking reflex does not recover, try feeding it from a bottle or a syringe without a needle, using a cat milk substitute, baby formula, or rice broth.
If your kitten grunts or makes gurgling sounds, contact your nearest veterinary clinic immediately. Viral diseases of cats and pneumonia require emergency resuscitation measures that can only be entrusted to a specialist.
What to do if a cat doesn’t want to eat
- Eliminate irritants. If the refusal to eat is due to external factors, create favorable conditions for the animal, and the appetite will return on its own without any extra effort.
- Take the time to prepare the food before serving. If your cat is used to eating wet food, warm it up to room temperature. If it is dry granules, soak them in water to give them more flavor.
- Feed your cat by hand. If your cat loses its appetite and eats food from a bowl poorly, offer it by hand. Many animals begin to perceive it as a treat and eat more willingly.
- Control the consumption of treats. Keep to the limit. Reward your cat with treats for correct actions. But do not replace the main meal with them completely.
- Eliminate free access to food sources. Train your cat to a feeding schedule. Eating at regular times will improve digestion and make the food more valuable.
- Hide food from the table. Eliminate alternative food sources. Food from the human table leads to loss of appetite and indigestion.
- Set up a feeding area. Feed your cat in a secluded place away from active noise sources. If there are other pets in the house, do not allow them to eat from someone else’s bowl.
- Deworm. If you suspect helminthiasis, treat your cat against internal parasites unscheduled.
- Monitor the physical condition of the animal. If the cat does not eat for more than 2 days, and you observe signs of poisoning or a viral infection, immediately contact a veterinarian.
