What to do if your cat starts eating poorly?

What should you do if your cat has stopped eating? If your pet is healthy, they should have a healthy appetite. Cats, like any other animal, never skip meals, as their genetic memory holds the message "if you don't eat now, there might be no food later." However, there are times when a cat eats poorly, and for no apparent reason. Such behavioral changes should definitely alert the owner—this is not normal, and it's important to take steps to correct the situation.

There may be several reasons why your cat refuses to eat. These include both natural factors and environmental influences. Let's take a closer look at all the possible causes of this behavior, as well as ways to resolve this "food crisis."

Possible reasons

In fact, there are a myriad of reasons why your pet might refuse to eat, ranging from room temperature to their mood. But most of them can be categorized into several groups, which are described below:

• drastic changes in the cat's life;
• natural thermoregulation of the body;
• fasting day;
• sexual instinct;
• pregnancy;
• postpartum period;
• stress;
• disease;

These are the main reasons why a cat isn't eating well. While there may be other factors at play, the majority of food refusals are due to the reasons listed above. Let's take a closer look at each of them and figure out together what to do to get your pet back on track.

Changes in a cat's life

If your cat isn't eating well, the reasons are likely obvious. Cats are extremely conservative and always stick to their usual routine. This means that any sudden change—whether it's moving to a new apartment or the arrival of a new resident—will be stressful for any pet. A simple rearrangement of the room can also be a factor: an unfamiliar furniture arrangement can cause anxiety in the cat, which can easily lead to it refusing to eat.

Another example of a change is a change in food. If your pet is accustomed to eating one brand and type of food, a sudden change in food can cause the animal to refuse to eat altogether. This can be due to a change in food type (dry, wet, homemade), or to minor details like the consistency or temperature of the food. To ensure a smooth transition, the new food should be introduced gradually, mixing it with the cat's usual food.

It may seem like a minor issue, but cats can refuse to eat even if their mats are changed or their bowls are new. There's nothing you can do about it: either your cat will eventually return to eating normally, or you'll have to return everything to the way it was—and then they'll likely resume their normal feeding routine.

Animal thermoregulation

All pet owners who spend a lot of time outdoors have noticed that in winter their pets eat more and with greater appetite. But in the summer heat, on the contrary, their food portions are smaller, and their healthy interest in even the most delicious foods disappears. The main reason why cats don't eat in the heat is their body's natural thermoregulation. It's enough to remember the basic principle of digestion: more food = more energy. If it's already unbearably hot outside, extra energy will only make things worse, so your pet has absolutely no reason to eat the usual amount of food.

By refusing their usual portion, a cat is simply trying to cool down more effectively, that's all. In this case, unless there are other factors affecting appetite, owners shouldn't worry at all – over time, when the weather changes, your cat will eat as usual.

Fasting day

Sometimes your cat simply goes on a fasting day and completely refuses to eat for no apparent reason. This is usually due to overeating beforehand or vigorous play. It's also possible that your pet ate something difficult to digest and is now experiencing temporary digestive issues. Generally, if a cat doesn't eat for a whole day, yet feels fine and acts as usual, there's no cause for concern. In this case, it's possible that the cat is simply not eating well because it doesn't want to eat and is trying to "unload" its intestines.

Sexual instinct

Sometimes, pet cat owners are horrified: their pet refuses to eat and generally behaves quite strangely. Such owners simply forget about the period in their animals' lives known as estrus in female cats, or the heightened sexual instinct in male cats. During estrus, a cat may refuse food entirely, spending all her time sleeping, interspersed with cries for a mate. Refusing food for a week during estrus is considered completely normal, but this only applies to healthy and well-fed cats. The cat drinks only water and refuses to touch food.

Male cats are much less likely to refuse food due to sexual desire. However, if a male cat senses a female cat in heat in his area, he may also refuse to eat and behave strangely, searching for the female, whom he can't see or hear but can smell. This behavior shouldn't cause concern for owners, as it will subside over time, and your cat's life will return to normal.

Many owners, faced with this unusual behavior in their pets, wonder: "My cat isn't eating well—what should I do?" If the "spring exacerbation" is severe and the animal suffers physically (such as exhaustion and refusal to drink), it's imperative to take the cat to the veterinarian. Such profound changes may signal a hormonal imbalance, and the vet will then recommend castration or sterilization based on testing. Unless your pet is a proven breeder, there's no point in exhausting the animal; it's easier to relieve such hormonal surges.

Pregnancy

It would seem that a pregnant cat should eat much more, as she needs not only energy for herself but also to nourish her kittens. However, there are times when a pregnant cat refuses food entirely for a day or two. The two main reasons why a cat may not eat well during pregnancy are morning sickness and impending labor. During morning sickness, the cat refuses to eat and may vomit. If her temperature is normal at this time, there's no reason to worry—everything will resolve on its own.

Also, a cat usually stops eating a day or two before giving birth, so if the due date is approaching, there's no need to worry about her food being stopped. After giving birth, everything usually returns to normal very quickly. However, it's worth mentioning that this is highly individual—a cat may not experience any morning sickness at all, or may even eat almost during labor—nature itself determines what's normal and what's not.

Postpartum period

Sometimes after giving birth, a cat will completely refuse to eat for several days. Here are some reasons for this unusual behavior:

• Birth stress (usually observed in young, inexperienced cats);
• The cat ate several placentas during the birth process;
• A difficult birth, after which the cat comes to her senses;
• The young mother is simply afraid to leave her offspring;

Watch from 1:30:

If your cat isn't eating well after giving birth, you should pay attention, as during this period your pet's body expends a lot of energy and strength, which needs to be replenished and restored. If she refuses to eat for more than 24 hours, take her to the veterinarian. An experienced vet will easily determine the cause and help you normalize your cat's diet.

During lactation, a cat should not refuse food completely—milk production requires the lion's share of all the nutrients the animal receives from food. This means that if she refuses food, she will quickly become exhausted, and as a result, her milk supply will stop. This is absolutely unacceptable if you want to raise healthy and strong kittens.

Stress

Cats are very sensitive to stressful situations and can easily lose their appetite due to anxiety and stress. If your cat isn't eating well and is losing weight, you should consider changes in your family or home, as well as the environment in your family nest. Cats react very strongly to family arguments or punishments. If you're confident that the cause of your pet's stress has been resolved, you should spend more time actively playing with your cat and interacting with her, and then things will return to normal after a while.

Pet illness

Now we come to the main, and, it must be said, most dangerous, reason for refusing to eat. If you observe an unexplained refusal to eat, as well as lethargy or abnormal behavior, take your cat to the vet immediately. You should also pay attention to your cat's stool and temperature – changes in these parameters most likely indicate health problems.

Loss of appetite during illness is common. The body is already fighting the disease, and expending energy on digestion is an even greater drain on already limited resources. Internal reserves are depleted, and the animal eats virtually nothing.

Remember that self-medication of a cat can lead to serious consequences, and in extreme cases, death. If you are unsure of the cause and don't know what's wrong with your cat, trust the advice of a professional veterinarian and avoid self-medication.

These are all the reasons why cats typically refuse food. The maximum period an animal can go without food without harm is about 2-3 days, and that's for a healthy adult cat. For kittens or pregnant cats, the refusal period should not exceed one day.

Anything above these recommended limits is cause for concern and prompts an investigation into the reasons why your pet isn't eating. Wishing your pets good health!

Any questions? You can ask our website's staff veterinarian in the comments below, who will answer them as quickly as possible.

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