Cat Not Eating- What To Do When She Won’t Eat
December 19, 2008 by lucky
Filed under Cat Health, Cat Problems
Generally, cats tend to regulate their food intake very well, but some times their appetite can become very poor and they can refuse to eat. The most common cause could be a health related problem such as digestive tract disease, infection or tumor. If your cat loses her appetite for no apparent reason, a visit to the vet will be necessary to rule these out.
Also check whether any dental problems could be causing the loss of appetite, as ulcers, sore mouth or toothache can make eating painful. A good indication of this is whether she seems to find it difficult to chew food.
Loss of appetite can also be psychological; cats can become very upset by change, so if you have recently moved or introduced another pet to the household, this may be the cause.
Another cause could be the food you are giving her. Cats, like us, like some variety in their diet, so she may become bored of the same food each mealtime. She may simply not like the food you are offering her; it is no good thinking that if she is hungry, she will eat it- cats have been known to refuse food they don’t like almost to the point of starvation.
So- what can you do to encourage your cat to eat again? If it is health related, a trip to the vets should resolve the problem. If you think that the food you are offering may be the problem, try changing it. If the problem is due to some change in her environment, then offer plenty of reassurance, and try giving her some particularly tasty tit bits. Make sure she is fed somewhere secure, where she feels safe, and is not disturbed whilst she is eating. If you are introducing a new cat, try feeding them both at the same time, in sight of each other but not too near. If they both accept this, try gradually moving their feeding places closer together. Don’t be tempted to rush this.
Some cat breeds are naturally more sensitive and ‘finicky’ than others, but if you are in any doubt, the vet surgery is the first place you should go to for advice.
Click here to discover how the pet food manufacturers may be killing your cat.
