Do you have a sick cat that no longer eats? The young of the cat is never good and it is not made not to eat for long periods. If he no longer eats, he will have to rely on his fat reserves and will be in danger once this is gone.
In this article I tell you the causes of why he does not eat and above all, how to solve the problem and how to solve it easily.
Sick cat that no longer eats: The causes and their solutions
If your cat is no longer eating due to illness, it is one of the following causes. For each, I explain how you should act and how to recognize what disease your cat is suffering from.
A respiratory disease
Respiratory diseases affect your cat’s breathing but also its sense of smell and can cause it to lose its appetite. A respiratory problem is recognized by wheezing and difficulty in exertion. Your cat should be taken to the vet if the problem is serious or if the problem lasts longer than 48 hours.
Indeed, a cat can not breathe through the mouth, any respiratory problem can put his life in danger, so if your cat seems to have trouble breathing, make sure he can have healthy air and that he don’t go out. If his nose is congested, clean it gently with saline for cats and a tissue to dislodge the mucus present in his nostrils.
A digestive disease
A stomach ache, for example, or even digestive pains can kill your cat’s appetite and you will absolutely have to take him to the vet if nothing changes quickly. Constipation or diarrhea are elements that show a digestive problem, like vomiting.
A foreign body or hairball
Cats can swallow foreign objects, often they are small and leave with the stools but sometimes nothing helps and only the veterinarian can help you dislodge the foreign body in question. A foreign body is especially present in young cats because they are not yet aware of their body.
It could also be a hairball that is stuck, in which case try olive oil to lubricate and loosen that ball and provide some catnip so it can purge itself and not no more problems with stuck hairballs.
Dental disease
You can check the condition of your cat’s gums and teeth to get an opinion on potential dental disease. If redness or pus appears, then your cat has a dental problem and feeding hurts. The problem should quickly disappear, otherwise, the veterinarian will be essential.
Also make sure he can eat, it’s not that he doesn’t want to eat but that eating hurts him. So give him water and lukewarm food and easy-to-eat even liquid food so that he can eat without suffering.
An intoxication
Poisoning from chemicals or plants can make your cat weak and he doesn’t want to eat because his body is fighting the poisoning. If he is still in pain after 48 hours or if he seems really bad, take him to the vet.
In the meantime, try to see what he has been in contact with and leave it out of his reach to avoid any risk of recurrence. Healthy air will be essential for him to get better.
How to make him eat?
Several solutions can help him eat, here is what you can do to make your cat deign to eat normally:
For water
The water should always be temperate and not cold, because if cats prefer cold water in general, lukewarm water is preferable because it is less aggressive for the body, especially if it has tooth problems.
Also, you can take a cat water fountain which will allow him to have flowing water, which seems healthier to him (which is the case in nature). Flowing water may entice him to drink.
Finally, you can flavor the water with something to whet your appetite, like chicken juice or tuna oil.
For the food
As for his food, make sure that it is temperate and not cold, for the same reasons as for water.
Also, make sure the food is easy to eat and as soft as possible so that its transit can manage it easily.
Brewer’s yeast and vitamin B12 are also recommended to stimulate your appetite. You can mix it directly into its diet, brewer’s yeast is also appreciated by cats.
For the environment
His personal space must always be calm, clean and personal, otherwise he will refuse to eat there, you can even broadcast calming pheromones to attract him to his personal space.
Then, as I told you about it, the air must be healthy and without smells of cigarettes for example and sufficiently temperate so that he can breathe well. Too cool air is not good for his disease and too hot air is too harmful for his breathing.
Sick cat who no longer eats: The final word
A sick cat who no longer eats should be taken to the vet if nothing changes. In the meantime, encourage him to eat with the good practices to use.