Understanding Why Your Cat Suddenly Stops Eating

Cats, by nature, are solitary beings and picky eaters but a cat that will not eat all of a sudden could be a cause for alarm. Anorexia (riluctant to eat) could be a sign of a health problem, stress or change of environment. While many cats will become ill if not fed regularly, cats that can go longer periods without eating my develop a decreased appetite or even an aversion to eating entirely, leading to even more serious health problems in the long-term.

It is essential to determine the cause and treat your cat for loss of appetite. In this article, we will guide you through the potential reasons for your cat not eating for a few days, the signs at which you need to seek the help of a vet, and things you can do to encourage your cat return to enjoying food.

Why Is Your Cat Not Eating? Common Causes

Loss of appetite in cats can be caused by several different things, some of which are minor, and others more serious. By being aware of these problems, you can choose what is the right solution to resolve the problem.

1. Illness or Medical Conditions

One possible reason your cat is not eating is an underlying health condition. Health Problems Causing Lack Of AppetiteSome of the health issues resulting in lack of appetite are:

• The cats won't eat at all since they have some dental issues which make chewing difficulty like gum disease or even a tooth decay. Mouth ulcers or infections also act in much the same way.
  
  
• Digestion Problems: Examples of digestive troubles include constipation, gastritis, or IBS, all of which lead to causing the related cat disturbances such as nausea or pain during the act of eating.
  
  
• Kidney disease: Primarily seen in older cats, it is associated with having a reduced appetite as well as an episode of vomiting. 
  
  
• Liver Disease (e.g. Hepatic Lipidosis): it actually makes eating so tough that the cat ends up being more difficult to recover from going without food for a short duration.
• Respiratory infections – Because cats eat based on their sense of smell. Kids can lose their appetite due to a stuffy nose, most often due to a cold or upper-respiratory infection.
• Diabetes — A kitties increase appetite, especially coupled with excessive drinking and weight loss is the sign of diabetes.

If your cat refuses to eat anything within 24 hours and shows other signs of illness such as vomiting, lethargy, or weight loss, you should get it to a veterinarian as soon as possible.

2. Stress and Anxiety

Even the slightest change in your cat's environment can induce stress, preventing them from eating since cats are nature-sensitive. Causes of stress are:

• Transfer – In the event that the cat is recently moved, she might not eat for a brief period
• New pets or family — If a new cat, dog or baby has just been added to your family they may be breaking your kittys sense of normalcy leading to insecurity.
• Change in routine – If you change their feeding time or any activity at home, it can create stress in your cat and naturally lead to them losing their interest in food.
• Constant or loud noise from renovations or fireworks – even thunder – can pose a threat to our cats, this makes them stop eating Noisy neighbours – Noisy neighbours or construction work

And, if stress is the reason they are not eating, giving your cat a relaxing and comfortable space may be the first step to getting them to eat again!

3. Dietary changes or changes of preference in food

Cats can be picky eaters, and they may go on strike for the following reasons:

• Change in food — Maybe you changed the brand or flavor in the food, and your cat does not want to eat it anymore.
• Nothing or stale food – because cats have a loud sense of smell, so when they do not want to eat the food that has spoiled.
• Texture or temperature changes — Your cat may prefer wet food instead of dry kibble, or want their food at room temperature instead of cold.

Recently this could be due to changing the cat's food, in which case offer the old food or mix it with the new one.

4. Undesired Effects on Medicine & Vaccination

Antibiotics or pain medications are known to cause nausea or suppress appetite in cats. If your cat has to take a medication and doesn’t want to eat, speak to your veterinarian to see if there is a different drug or method for reducing side effects.

A majority of cats will experience slight appetite loss for a day or two after vaccinations as well. That by and large hangs on for a day or two, but in the event that your feline eats nothing, get to the vet.

5. Aging and Appetite Changes

What factors influence a senior cat's appetite?

• Metabolism slows down — Older cats require fewer calories than younger animals, and cats eat less food.
• Dental: — Tooth decay and gum disease are common in older cats — A painful way to eat.
• Tendencies to Dementia — Some older cats can get demented too, and that may also affects their eating behaviour.

For the case that your senior grin is not eating nearly as much, desire a softer food or geriatric cat food.

How Long Can A Cat Go Without Food?

Fasting is not safe for cats for more than 24 to 48 hours — after that, they may develop hepatic lipidosis, a potentially fatal liver condition. If your cat does not eat for > 24 hours however you must do something, so as not to expose him to 21 serious health consequences.

Why Does Your Cat Refuse To Eat and How To Prevent It

If your cat is not eating, this is what to do.

Rule Out Medical Issues

Signs of illness, for example, regurgitation, looseness of the bowels, sleepiness or weight reduction.

Look for signs of dental disease in your cat

If your cat has not eaten for more than a day, you need to contact your vet.

Reduce Stress and Anxiety

• Thus provide a quiet safe zone for your feline to gormandize without distractions.
• Avoid drastic changes in routines, and try to maintain a consistent feeding schedule.
• Do calm-down aids, such as pheromone diffusers or gentle, background music.

Offer Tempting Foods

• To fix its aroma, sometimes warmed wet food is a better option.
• Give them stinky stuff (tuna, chicken or baby food/no onion or garlic)
• Hand out small portions to whet appetites.

Try Different Food Textures

• If you are not able to feed dry food to your cat then try wet food or vice versa.
• Some cats like shredded meat over pate-style wet food.

Continuous Availability of Fresh Water

This leads to cats not willing to eat to get dehydrated. Keep always fresh water available.

Offer a cat water fountain and they will begin drinking more from it.

Gradual Diet Changes

If your cat has been moved to a new food relatively recently, ease him/her into it by mixing some of the old food with the new.

When to See a Vet

When you should take your pet to the vet

• Your feline buddy has gone over 24-48 hrs without any food.
• There are also other signs such as vomiting, diarrhea or weight loss.
• Your cat is hiding away, is lethargic or acting differently than usual.
• You think it has a cavity, upper respiratory infection or something else medical.

Physical exam and testing by a vet will give clues and potential treatments, like appetite stimulants, medication and special diets.

Conclusion

But this is only really helpful if you then do not write off what you experience as a sudden loss of appetite in cats. Well, it might of course be something as trivial as stress or food preference, but it can also be an indicator of severe health problems. In this, we will also provide you a view guide for how to play detective and get your feline friend to take a step to reverse the damage and remain happy and healthy.

If your cat does not eat for more than 24 hours, make sure to monitor and consult with your veterinarian if needed. With the right proper care they will be back to eating normal in no time.