What to Do If Your Cat Stops Eating and Drinking? Possible Causes and Solutions

Doctor! My cat is not eating, not even canned food. What should I do? Is it sick?

Firstly, it’s important to remind all cat owners that cats are very good at hiding their diseases, pain, and discomfort. So, how can we determine if a cat is feeling unwell?

Early detection is actually very difficult, so it relies on the close observation of daily behavior changes by the cat parents who take care of the cat every day.

Noticing a change in appetite compared to usual is an important observation indicator. If abnormalities occur, it is recommended to consult a veterinarian as soon as possible and take the cat to an animal hospital to avoid missing the treatment window and even leading to more serious diseases.

What could cause a cat to stop eating or have a decreased appetite?

Remember, any disease or subtle environmental changes can lead to a decrease in a cat’s appetite or refusal to eat. Here are some common causes:

• Acute gastroenteritis: Caused by consuming spoiled feed or canned food.
• Chronic gastroenteritis: Food allergies and immune-mediated enteritis.
• Pica: Such as foreign bodies, linear foreign bodies, toxins.
• Abnormal defecation and urination: Constipation, lower urinary tract syndrome.
• Viral infections: Feline herpesvirus can cause temporary loss of smell, while feline leukemia virus may cause fever and anemia.
• Stressful events: Changing feed, changing environment, changing litter boxes, owner being away for a long time, being taken out by the owner.
• Internal diseases: Liver diseases, kidney diseases, thyroid diseases, diabetes, tumors, etc.
• Periodontal issues: Periodontal disease, immune-mediated stomatitis.
• Pain: Osteoarthritis, traumatic fractures.
• Side effects of medication.
• Nutritional imbalances.
• Parasitic diseases.

Can I observe for a few days if my cat is not eating or drinking?

The answer is NO! Please take it to an animal hospital as soon as possible!

There are two main reasons:

• Cats are creatures that are good at hiding their illnesses, so if the owner notices that it is not eating, it means the disease may have progressed for a while. In this case, it is not recommended to continue observing.
• Due to the unique innate metabolic mechanisms of cats, if they go almost without eating for more than 1-2 days, they may start metabolizing body fat, leading to fatal fatty liver and liver failure. This is especially true for cats that are already overweight, where symptoms may be more severe.

It is recommended to take your pet to an animal hospital for a basic physical examination by a veterinarian to rule out severe dehydration, anemia, and abnormal defecation and urine issues. After discussing the medical history and conducting follow-up examinations to rule out major differential diagnoses, it can be inferred that not eating is due to “picky eating.” Then, you can plan and adjust the diet for picky eating situations.

How to treat a cat that is not eating or drinking?

Treatment is divided into two types: one is to find the root cause and treat it specifically; the other is to provide supportive treatment.

Finding the Root Cause

Cats cannot speak, so veterinarians must carefully inquire about the medical history and conduct a physical examination like detectives. Depending on the situation, veterinarians may also need to combine blood, imaging, urine, and fecal examinations to gradually reveal the reasons why the cat is not eating.

The inquiry of medical history mainly relies on the daily observation and records of the cat parents. Veterinarians may ask the following questions:

• What issue are we discussing today?
• When did you first notice that you were not eating?
• Not eating means not eating anything at all?
• Have you been eating every day this week?
• So for the first five days of this week, the appetite was still only a fraction of the usual?
• What kind of food is usually fed? How much is the feeding amount?
• How long can the feed be stored after opening? Do other cats in the house have similar symptoms?
• Where is the usual feed stored? Has it been eaten like this for a long time? How much of a bag has been eaten so far?
• Have there been any changes in the living environment recently? For example, has the feed been changed? Or have new snacks been tried?
• Should feed changes be gradual, or should the next bag be changed immediately after finishing one?
• Do you usually eat things casually? Such as biting wires, toys, or plastic bags?
• How big is this toy? Do you have a photo? What material is it made of? ……

In addition to not eating, are there any other symptoms? Such as vomiting, diarrhea, decreased mental state, or pain when touching a certain area?

From the above questions, it can be seen that the consultation for “cats not eating” alone will be very lengthy and complicated. This is because the degree, duration, and reasons for each cat not eating are different. Compared to not eating, many owners may overlook other symptoms of diseases, such as vomiting. Therefore, veterinarians need to communicate with the owners and especially record these symptoms. For veterinarians, knowing the symptom of “vomiting usually” can help us rearrange various possibilities and, combined with clinical examinations, develop an appropriate examination and treatment plan.

Therefore, it is recommended that cat parents record the eating conditions of their cats at home from time to time. The more detailed the records, the less time spent on consultation and the better the veterinarian can understand the state of the cat before arriving at the hospital.

After inquiring about the medical history and completing the physical examination, the veterinarian will discuss the examination items with the parents. As we all know, cats do not have universal health insurance, and the cost of examinations is usually high. Therefore, veterinarians usually list the most basic recommended examination items. Possible examination items are as follows:

• Fecal examination
• Basic blood test
• Urine test
• X-ray examination
• Ultrasound
• Infectious disease screening
• Additional examinations arranged according to different individual situations

After the examination results come out, the veterinarian will explain in detail and inform the possible diseases that cause the cat not to eat. For suspected diseases, the veterinarian will carry out symptomatic treatment or arrange further examinations. Most cats can be well improved after receiving appropriate treatment.

Supportive Treatment

If the cat has not eaten for a long time, it may face the risk of fatty liver. Before the cat’s body can withstand the final diagnosis of the cause, it is necessary to provide nutrition immediately to avoid more complications.

The ways to establish nutrition include appetite stimulants, gastrointestinal motility drugs, analgesics, intravenous supplements, changing food types, oral gavage, and the placement of nasogastric or esophageal feeding tubes. The choice of these methods will be determined according to the severity of the animal’s condition and the owner’s budget. Remember, do not use medication on your own, otherwise, it may lead to serious consequences.

Conclusion

Since cats themselves have the characteristic of hiding diseases, once abnormal situations are found, it is essential to seek medical treatment as soon as possible for early detection and treatment. I believe that all cat parents will be highly vigilant when they see abnormal situations such as decreased appetite, not eating, not eating feed, not eating canned food, or not drinking water in their cats. Welcome to make an appointment for a visit or call for consultation, we will work with you to gradually eliminate possible causes and help the cats recover their health as soon as possible, let them meow again, command their owners to feed, and become great cat emperors.