My cat, Bella, has been driving me crazy. She’s decided that “I’m not gonna eat that!” is her new favorite game in the world. As food goes, Madame won’t have the chicken — that would be the super-premium raw frozen organic chicken, which she has eaten with gusto for months. Madame also won’t have the duck, because it’s too rich and makes her throw up. Instead, Madame would prefer the rabbit (which, naturally, costs about $8 more a bag than chicken or duck), or, if you please, some low-carb, grain-free pate. Ugh. Is your cat not eating? I know I’m not the only cat parent who has experienced a cat not eating, so here are some things to try when your cat won’t eat.
Is your cat not eating? She might be sick or in pain. Photography by Eugene03/Thinkstock.
A cat not eating can be a sign that your cat is sick or pain, particularly if it continues for more than one meal. If this is the case, bring your cat to the vet.
If you have an ethical or medical reason you need to stay with a certain brand of food, see whether it comes in other flavors. Think about trying other brands that might provide the same medical or health benefit. Your cat might find the change refreshing.
If you’ve kept your cat’s food in the refrigerator, five to 10 seconds in the microwave will heat it up to about body temperature, and the smell will become attractive to your cat. If you don’t have a microwave, try mixing some warm water into the food instead.
Cat won’t eat? Try adding a tempting treat to her food bowl. Photography ©RooIvan | Thinkstock.
Try sprinkling your finicky cat’s food with a tempting treat like bonito flakes or cat vitamin powder.
This is especially important if your cat eats canned or raw food because germs can start growing in scraps of leftover food and cause illness. A cat not eating might hate the smell of her dishes or food. Cats are instinctively driven to avoid consuming putrid-smelling meat. If you use plastic dishes, replace them with metal or ceramic because they’re easier to keep clean.
A cat not eating might simply dislike his bowl. Some cats don’t like deep or narrow dishes because they constrict the whiskers. Flat-faced or brachycephalic cats such as Persians, Himalayans and Exotic Shorthairs should not be eating from plates or shallow bowls anyway.
Once upon a time, I ground a pill up and put it in my cat’s food. What I didn’t know was that the medicine was really bitter. My cat refused to touch it, and she never ate that particular brand and flavor of food again. Some medications come in flavors that appeal to cats, but they’re few and far between. Ask your vet before trying the powdered-pill-in-food trick.
Is it really that important to you that your cat eats just one flavor of just one brand? Even if you love pizza, you’d get sick of it if you had to eat it every day for the rest of your life. This is the approach I’ve taken with Bella, and frankly, it’s what I should have done from the start. Cats need and deserve some variety in their diet, just like us.
Tell us: Is your cat not eating? What did you do when your cat wouldn’t eat? Please share your stories and tips for a cat who won’t eat in the comments!
Featured Image: Photography by aleg baranau / Shutterstock.
This piece was originally published in 2015.
216 comments on “Cat Not Eating? 8 Things to Try When Your Cat Won’t Eat”
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I can’t find my brand and flavors of my cat food anymore? Healthy gourmet? My cats refuse to eat other brands? It’s getting expensive. This morning one of my cats threw up after she just ate few bites of new flavor of food? Have looked at all the usual stores as well as on Chewy can’t find it. The local pet store has some but not the flavors they will eat?
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My 3 foster fails are now 2 years old and are now finicky eaters. (My cat rescue groups are really getting a lot of donations. )Taz weighs 20 lbs, Fred weighs 17 lbs and Tessie weighs 13 lbs. We have quite a selection of different brands, textures and flavors, wet and dry. They love it, then hate it. I feed them small amounts of food when I know they are hungry. I do keep dry food out. They get Greenies and Blue Buffalo cat treats. They also get Boars Head low sodium turkey breast and people tuna as a treat. They are social eaters who like to eat when I am. Fred also loves Cheetos. My vet said they are really healthy and beautiful.
Any suggestions would be helpful if I am doing anything wrong.
i thought you were suppose to feed your cat the same food because it will upset their stomach- is this true? or is it ok to switch brands or switch flavors within brands? Would love some feedback
I would always recommend taking a cat to the vet if she or he hasn’t eaten for more than a day. Not eating or drinking can be life threatening for a cat. If an illness has been ruled out, this is what I’d suggest as I have seen this before, a cat just ‘being off feed,’ try my old standby: baby food chicken flavor or kitten food. Make sure to read the ingredients on the baby food to make sure the ingredients are safe for cats. As far as the kitten food, wet food is what I recommend. Most cats love both these and usually are back to normal in no time.
We have a litter of 7 week old kittens and one of them is refusing to eat any meats, we’ve tried basically everything but he keeps refusing meat. He only drinks milk. Should we take him to the vets?
Yes the kitten should go to the vet.might be ill.
Try baby food turkey. Ive had success with that as a first meat plenty of times. you can then gradually add can cat food to it.
We have a cat that was rescued from a motel . I just want to ask a question . The cay would sooner be held than eat 1st thing in the morning is this normal behavior , she is very affectionate and talks all the time . We love the cat as you can tell , it was hard work getting her to trust in the 1st place .
Sher was a kitten that was left at the motel
Offer food while holding her – maybe in a teaspoon so she can lick it off.
I will be on the lookout for more of your work.
Has anyone tried high calorie paste to feed your cat? I have an older Bengal cat. My son was moving and he asked me to look after his kitten during the move. She was NOT HAPPY and refused to eat. She dropped half her body weight and I thought I was going to have her put down. I have her the high calorie paste (had to open her mouth to get her to eat it). After a few days she returned to eating normal. She is now 15 years old and not eating for the past week. (Just drinking) I am going to feed her the high calorie paste again and see if that helps at all. (Had to order online since all pet stores are out due to the virus). I hope this helps!
My eleven year old cat is not eating any cat food of any variety. She was recently diagnosed with hyperthyroidism and is one medication. Before meds she ate all the time…now, nothing. I’m pulling my hair out with worry. She will eat temptations treats but I know they aren’t nutritious. Any help would be appreciated.
Is that what it’s called, high calorie paste? I am having similar problem and would like to try it.
I have an 11 month old cat. When i adopted her 2 months ago, she wasn’t eating for 2 weeks when i bought her home. The first week took her to the vet and they said there’s nothing wrong with her. They gave her an appetite stimulant and sent me home. After a week and a half, she wasnl eating 2x a day just fine. Starting last week, she just stopped out of nowhere again. I spent 350$ at another vet (wanted a second opinion) and they said nothing is work either. She wont eat. I know she’s hungry because how much she ate when she started eating regularly. What do i do?
My 16 year old cat had been doing this also for almost 1 week. She would take a bite & run away several times a day. She is on prednisone for a stuffy nose & upper respiratory congestion. I tried every flavor I knew were her favorites. Our vet gave her an anti nausea medication & she started eating again. Her nose is stuffed up & therefore nothing tastes good. Even when we gave her an appetite stimulant, it just made her whine because she was hungry. Our vet prescribed Maropitant (cerenia) 16 mg. I give her 1/2 tab every other day. Praying her stuffy nose will go away soon & her nausea. Hope this helps.
I have read before that a cat will not eat food if they can’t smell it. Sadly, they can literally starve to death even with food sitting right in front of them.
My 16 year old cat had been doing this also for almost 1 week. She would take a bite & run away several times a day. She is on prednisone for a stuffy nose & upper respiratory congestion. I tried every flavor I knew were her favorites. Our vet gave her an anti nausea medication & she started eating again. Her nose is stuffed up & therefore nothing tastes good. Even when we gave her an appetite stimulant, it just made her whine because she was hungry. Our vet prescribed Maropitant citrate tablets (cerenia) 16 mg. I give her 1/2 tab every other day. Praying her stuffy nose will go away soon & her nausea. Hope this helps.
Hi i adopted my cat last week .she is 6 month.she was good and started to play with me and there was nothing wrong with eating her food but after she went to the vet, she started to eat less than the normal( the vet told me to change her food to another one because it wasnt good so i changed to another one on that day, should i bring the old one again or go again to the vet)i also tried to put treats in the new one to make her eat it but she just eat few from it and leave it and i tried to make her egg but there is no change
I hope someone help me it is my first time to have a cat and i dont want to make anything that will harm her without knowing thanks
My cat has not eaten for 6 days! I took him to the Vet on day 4, they did some bloodwork that showed nothing. The vet said he was a picture of perfect health and gave him some nausea medicine and said that might help him, even though he hasn’t threw up once! Needless to say $565 later I still have a cat that won’t eat, he can barely walk, the vet said bring him back for ultrasound and X-rays. He is only 5 years old and I don’t want him to suffer.
Is someone abusing your cat? You may want to leave a hidden camera weather u have others around him or not. Also, try grain free high protein food and alternate it w soft food. Get a variety of cans of flavors and also treats. And make sure you are not listening to loud music, you are allowing him to sleep in comfy places, he has enough toys to play with and do not cut his nails nor trim his whiskers at all. Not even in the paws. Plenty of comforting words and petting and telling him he’s a good cat. No yelling around him, no punishing him. Don’t hit him ever. If he does something just buy a plastic spray bottle and stray just a few drops of water on him so he knows it’s not okay. You being stressed can make kitty feel stressed too. Hope you find your answers soon ????
What?? Don’t cut his nails? Of course you get their nails clipped and of course you never cut their whiskers! How rude to suggest someone is abusing her cat…. unreal
Spraying a cat with water is NOT abuse. Better than having them declawed. THAT’S abuse. If your cat starts to use your furniture as a scratching post, a quick spritz in their direction will stop the scratching. Or an empty soda can with some pennies, if you shake it. Should scare and stop them from ruining your furniture.
I think spraying a cat with water is terrible. That is abuse!
I’m having a similar issue with my 11 yr old Bengal. He’s not eating and losing weight. I took him to the vet. Bloodwork and other tests all came back fine. That was almost $300. I’ve been trying varieties of extraordinarily expensive cat food flavors but the only thing he will touch and then just pick at or lick is albacore tuna from the can. I’ve offered deli meats from Wholefoods. Nothing! !e is drinking more water than usual. I asked the Vet if he could have diabetes. No, all tests came back fine. I’m so worried. And nobody better reply about whether or not the cat has been hit!!! Absolutely not!! Any helpful ideas?
Are you sure he doesn’t have kidney disease? Trying to help here.
How was your cat. The same thing happens with my cat now please tell me what happen
did you ever find out what was wrong with your cat or find a solution? I have a cat with similar problems of not eating and losing lots of weight so I need help. thanks
I, too, would like to know if you were able to get any resolution?
That sounds exactly like my cat right now. I’m in the same situation $535 later. I’m asking the vet for X-rays because something is very wrong. I pray your little guy pulled through. What ended up being wrong?
Any updates on your cat? Looks like several of you are dealing with presumably healthy cats who are losing weight and not eating. I am dealing with this too, and hope to hear of a test that revealed what was wrong, or a diet change that helped.
I’m having the same problem right now and the vet says he can’t find anything wrong with her. I’ve tried everything I can think of. The appetite stimulant be gave her made her wobble like she was drunk and only helped her to eat for one day.
My 13 year old cat has refused to eat since Wednesday. It’s Sunday. Very lethargic. Throwing up… little diahrea no regular poop. SheSeems to have lost weight. i took her to the vet Friday. He said beginning kidney failure… maybe cancer, she was running a fever. They gave steroids, antibiotic, and fluids… she seems a little less lethargic but she still absolutely refuses to eat. Nothing. I keep reading how that have to eat!! What do I do???? I’ve tried different foods… putting it on my finger, warming it up… everything….
Note: the Friday dr appt was the only appt in two towns I could find with this virus going around:(
My 14 year-old cat has just been diagnosed with kidney disease, too. Suddenly, he won’t eat. I sometimes go through 5 different foods at one feeding time and he won’t eat any of them. Things he used to eat, he won’t even get close to now. We are doing the appetite stimulant when I can get them down him. He sometimes seems to eat something and then an hour later, he doesn’t like that anymore. I don’t know what to do. He is losing weight like crazy. Have you figured anything out for yours yet? I am at my wit’s end.
If she has kidney problems like mine , have your vet give you continuous fluids to give at home , and give a supplement for appetite
Did the vet give fluids under the skin so it can be absorbed?
After a Giardia infection was treated, my Tonkinese developed GI issues-foul-smelling diarrhea that progressed to lots of accidents in her later ( 17-18 ) years. She was also developing kidney disease. My vet put her on budesonide for her GI problems and it had the affect of greatly increasing her appetite. Though she continued to loose weight, it wasn’t because of poor appetite. I had decided not to administer subcue fluids after she screamed at me the first time I attempted it. She had a comfortable last few years, eating home-prepared chicken (the duck did not stop the diarrhea). There is a school of thought that restricting protein is not necessarily the way to go in end-stage kidney disease as cats will often not eat the prescribed low-protein diet. We finally put her down when she experienced seizures due to electrolyte imbalances from the kidney disease.
My cat Chip (her mother’s name was Chocolate) has never liked fresh, canned or human food. She has always disliked fish of any type, no beef, liver, etc.. She eats one certain type of food for a while and then I have to go through the stage of trying 4 or 5 foods and hope that she eats one. The rest all go to the ferals in my daughter’s small town. Eventually, Chip decided to only eat 1 type and in fact, she only ate one flavor out of the mix! It was the tender center, pieces. If any food was dropped in pieces she would not touch those as they were garbage to her. Unfortunately, Chips is going to be 19 in a couple of months and suddenly stopped eating last week. She doesn’t cry out and doesn’t walk around. She just gets up and licks the water in her bowl and goes back to sleep.
Chip has always been very healthy looking with a beautiful coat and hasn’t looked her age until now. She is getting skinny and does not want to cuddle. She stays inside her cat tent. I pick her up now and then to just hold her but she lays limp. I am off to the vet with her in about an hour as I think it is time for me to let her go peacefully as much as I don’t want to lose her.
So sorry, very difficult to let our kitties go. Hope you are doing okay.
So sorry. We are going through the same thing. We estimate Spunkys age at about 16 because she was a kitten rescue when we got her! She is skin and bones but seems calm. Just extremely thin and sleeping more. She distances herself more but still visits and purrs which are good signs. Feeling like it is a matter of time… Noticed today her eyes are not as bright as usual ????????????????
Mine does that if she has a freight. I tempt her with cat treats at first to bring up her appetite (or find their favourite thing, whatever it is). Once she is interested in eating i just offer tiny amounts of her favourite wet food in a spoon and she licks it off. Just keep offering it..for a few days doesn’t matter if it’s nutritionally balanced as long as she eats something. You can also offer water from a syringe into the side of the mouth if needed. Cats recover from fights pretty quickly as long as not badly hurt.
Hi. My Ziggy will be 19 on Nov 6. She just diagnosed with CRF. I am heart broken. She is in no pain and my vet started her on subcutaneous fluids. I do them at home. At this point I could not put her asleep. She lays on my lap constantly plays yet and sleeps alot. She hates her Kidney food. I m gonna try some of t HF e ideas from caster and see if I can get her eat it grs DC ually. She is thin lost weight. She takes nausea meds. I love her she is my child. I will miss her. I hope and pray I dont have to make it to e decision to put her down. I just want her go sletp naturally in bed with me. I won’t let her suffer and my vet said I ll know when the time is right…. Thanks for listening…
Broken hearted Momma…
Jessie, I know how you feel, my Georgia was diagnosed with Lung Cancer on November 8. I feel so sad and will do anything to make sure she is comfortable. My Georgia has lost weight and currently will not eat or not enough to keep her strong. I am going to give her baby food today to see if she shows any interest in that.
Just know that your Vet is correct you will know when she is maybe suffering. I wish Ziggy all positive thoughts and energy.
So dairy to hear about your baby. Thank you for caring about her like your child. I would do the same and she knows what you are found for snd that you love her snd that is helping her to cope. Best wishes to both. It will be sad but think how much love you both gave to each other God Bless you both.
Respectfully jo anne whitteaker. 737 688 1300
My cat Mambo is 11 years old he
was diagnosed with kidney disease in January of this year and I’m having trouble getting him to eat ???? l hope everything get better God bless you
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I have two cat’s Baby who is 10 and Butters who’s 4. Baby doesn’t have any problem eating but Butters does? I don’t know if he just doesn’t want to eat with Baby. But I noticed if I feed him to much when he actually does eat he throws the food back up. I feed them out of paper bowls because sometimes they leave food in they’re bowl and I end up throwing it out. I give them canned tuna once in awhile and they gobble that right up. But I know I shouldn’t that. Any suggestions?
Hi I have a 4 months old kitty I got him along with his sister who was there with her till yesterday but suddenly she is lost and the other one is not eating anything since then and not even sleeping, I tried all my ways to feed him, with the wet food and the dry one but he is not even taking a bite of it, I’m so worried please tell me what to do
I have a 4 week old kitten whose Mama stopped producing milk. So I have been feeding her goats milk and just tried KMR. She doesn’t really like it. So I have been introducing her to wet cat food. Nope she doesn’t like it. I tried dry cat food softened, nope and I even tried mixing wet food in it, nope. I have tried adding goats milk to it, nope. Just goats milk and a little kmr. I took her to the vet yesterday and they did blood work and she is healthy just low on some vitamins.
How do I get her to eat? Can she drink goats milk for a few more weeks or is this something that will take time? I have tried her on 3 different brands of wet cat food and still nope. Plz help!!
We took a small stray cat in that was in poor shape, very thin in the abdominal area and had many fur balls. After a couple of weeks the fur balls came off or were cut off, but the stray turned out to be 1-1/2 years old, the Vet said. He’s now stopped eating or drinking. I have an appointment in the morning with the Vet for blood work, but how can I get him to eat and drink some to stay alive until then? He’s not eaten for over 4 days. His breathing also seems labored and all he wants to do is lay around and sleep. He used to be very active and vocal.
Hi Steve,
Thanks for reaching out! So sorry to hear that your kitty isn’t feeling well. Definitely let us know what the vet says — you might want to try an emergency vet in this situation. These articles might provide some further insight.
https://www.catster.com/cat-health-care/cat-emergencies-that-need-vet-attention-asap
https://www.catster.com/cat-health-care/when-should-you-call-an-emergency-vet-and-how-do-you-find-one-for-your-cat
https://www.catster.com/cat-food/what-to-do-when-your-cat-wont-eat
Put the cat down. It knows it’s time. Who cares WHY? It’s a CAT— donate the money you waste on food and Vet bills to starving children around the globe.
thats cold and idiotic!
If you are not a cat lover – why are you on this blog? We all have choices and if you are not a cat person then please refrain from your rude comments and move on to a place you are more suited for. The purpose for this blog is not for opinions but to help by writing about how to help our felines. Thank you.
Who tf are you to even be on here. Go away and try not to kill animals on your way out.
how would you like someone to put you down because you can’t eat. To many people it is not “just a cat” not everyone is heartless…to many their furry “kids” are part of their family. I can’t believe you actually wrote such an unfeeling comment.
That’s so rude.
John, you troll idiot, if you hate animals so much stay off our site and get a job., Donate that money to staving children, Idiots Inc, or the ASPCA, But you are a heartless SOB and I hope your children think the same way when you get old and sick. Just put him down, dont waste money,
You heartless person.. you should be put down!
TANYA’S COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO FELINE CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE is a site with just about every possible angle of kidney disease covered, including loss of appetite. I can’t recommend it enough. It’s been a vital resource for us.
hey i am sid from India Hyderabad city.my kitten 7 month old Persian name oreo.once I tried wet food afterwards she totaly refused dry food.i had to mix alwayd wet with dry.i tried my best and am giving her wet food brand like applaws,bellota,royal canin,and in dry tried to give orijin but same as refused always dry one.
how she may come back on dry food like one time dry one-time wet food how.she is super stubborn and every time i gave up and had to give again wet food only.
Hi there,
Please speak with a vet about the best diet for your cat. These articles might help provide some insight in wet vs. dry food —
https://www.catster.com/cat-food/wet-cat-food-vs-dry-cat-food
https://www.catster.com/lifestyle/wet-dry-cat-health-canned-food-kibble-cats-ask-a-vet
https://www.catster.com/cat-food/wet-or-dry-cat-food-debate
My cat hasn’t been eating for about a week. She is closing in o 13 years old. She has done this twice in the past, and both times I took her to the vet. In the end they couldn’t figure out what was causing this, both times they gave her something to stimulate her to want to eat, and both times I left the office $700.00 poorer. I had more money back then and could afford the cost. I don’t know what to do. I think I will call my vet, explain my situation, and see if she can just give her the appetite stimulant rather than doing a bunch of tests first.
I tried that with my vet and was told “no!” Tests needed to be redone, imaging, and they wouldn’t even tell me if they would give me another Rx for lactated ringers. Basically, if I can’t afford the clinic, they don’t want me as a patron. Oh, they keep bringing up euthanasia as an option.
That’s expensive too!
Maybe you could try changing the vet.
Hey my cat Tom is 3 months old … she is sick nw she is feeling better but she can’t eat anything and drinking too…and she is can’t meowing bcz of sickness please tell me wht to do nd wht can give to eating for her ….any suggestions please
My 8 yo cat was fine. Eating, drinking, playing up to about noon 24 hrs ago. Then stopped eating . She sits crouched down and has been swallowing a lot. She did drink water today. Threw up once yesterday.
Hi there,
My cat is refusing food and we’ve taken her to the vet a few times already. They did a full check-up and blood tests and say that she is physically healthy, yet she’s still not eating. They did give a nausea shot and appetite stimulant which is only making her drowsy. Could she be avoiding food because she’s stressed from all the vet visits?
My cat has the exact same behavior and received a nausea shot at the vet. I’m supposed to give her Sulcrate suspension 1-2 hours before meals, by siringe, but it’s impossible. He would fight and spit it. Meanwhile, he won’t eat anything, licked a bit of pate from the vet on my finger, but had really no food for 72 hours.
Please tell me my cat is not eating anything only drinks water and has bleeding bums pease tell my what to do because there is no vet nearby in my town!
????????
Get your cat to a vet asap!!!
Sounds like your cat may have stomatitis (I’m not sure if that’s the correct spelling). My cat was recently diagnosed with that, but her condition hasn’t gotten to the point of bleeding gums yet. The only cure unfortunately, is to have all of the cat’s teeth removed. I know, that sounds horrible doesn’t it. But, cats can live a full healthy life without teeth. When cats have this disease, they ultimately stop eating due to the severe pain. Your cat needs to be seen by a vet asap.
Hi my cat stop eating after he got injured while fighting with another cat.. what can I do
Hi plz reply me as soon as possible.
My cat doesn’t take food and going to be ill.
And she is 100 percent vegetarian and had never taken any non-veg or flesh in her mouth.Her mother was expired 1 month ago.She is of 4 months old now…
Plz help me what to do now??????????????????????????????????????????
Cats are naturally carnivores. If it’s a personal preference for you to not eat meat, consider the nutritional needs of your pet-cats need meat to thrive.
Your personal life choices are killing your cat. Please surrender it to a shelter or get over your ego.
My cat has been to the vets multiple times. He’s eating very little at this moment. We had just upped his thyroid meds. And will be rechecking the labs again later this month to see how it works out and to see if the kidneys aren’t affected. However, since that visit he started sniffling and runny nose and wont eat much. Took him to the vets again they gave me antibiotics to help fight the ‘cold’ off. Told me to use saline spray to help clear his airways. He’s still not eating much (not enough to keep weight up). Is there any other advice to help a sick cat to start eating again?
Hi my cat recently started being picky, and will only eat when I sit on the floor with her and even then sometimes won’t eat . I changed food gradually. I have always added some soft , so I switched that also. This has been over the last month . help ????
Hi , my cat don’t have an appetite since 3 days till now. I don’t know what to do. He got so much loss his weight . We tried already to give him other kind of food but still the same .
Hi there,
Please contact your vet ASAP if your cat isn’t eating.
This article might provide more insight, but we really suggest contacting your vet:
https://www.catster.com/cat-food/what-to-do-when-your-cat-wont-eat
I’m in the same situation :-(
I took my cat to the vet for the third time this week, and still no answers. My baby is not eating anything for 4 long days :-( I don’t know what to do anymore.
Fancy Feast makes a high quality broth for $1.17 a pouch at Walmart in many flavors. Get a few for your cat just to see if it likes it. Chances are it will and when you decide to find out if it’s syffering from kidney failure, you can hide the medicine (with some water) in the already made broths. Cats don’t have much appetite in the beginning of the disease but cats will prefer broth to water so it will begin to gain weight even tho it’s not hungry.
Thank you Charlie. My cat is having the same problem eating as listed above. I know she has some bad teeth and once they are pulled – this is a good idea to get her something in her tummy.
Fancy Feast makes a high quality broth for $1.17 a pouch at Walmart in many flavors. Get a few for your cat just to see if it likes it. Chances are it will and when you decide to find out if it’s syffering from kidney failure, you can hide the medicine (with some water) in the already made broths. Cats don’t have much appetite in the beginning of the disease but cats will prefer broth to water so it will begin to gain weight even tho it’s not hungry.
The article just said to NOT hide medications in food because if its a bitter medication and its a good food they will stop eating it – possibly forever. Then you just lost the only thing the cat will eat because it was “tainted” with medicine flavor.
We have always fed our cats with dry food throughout the day, which they just ‘pick’ on, and a can of wet food for dinner. They also LOVE their treats. My 2 year old cat recently gave up on the wet food, as he just sniffs it and walks away. As of the last few days, he has now quit eating his treats! They are the same treats that he has begged for in the past. Possible teeth problem?? He hasn’t been acting abnormal, just his eating habits have changed. Looking for advice or wondering if maybe hes just going thru a ‘phase’. Thanks.
Hi there,
If your cat isn’t eating, we suggest contacting your vet ASAP. These articles might provide some insight, but please reach out to your vet for the best advice.
https://www.catster.com/cat-food/what-to-do-when-your-cat-wont-eat
https://www.catster.com/lifestyle/tips-on-feline-oral-care-the-facts-on-cats-dental-health
Hi there i have three kittens, last 4/5 days they didnt eat well, if they eat,after 3/4 hour they do throw up, i am really worry about my little kittens
Hi there,
Sorry to hear you and your kitties are experiencing this. We suggest taking your kitties to a vet.
Not everyone has money to go the the vet.
If you took the responsability to have a cat, you should have considered back then that you will need some money for medications, healthy food. A cat isn’t a toy, you need to take proper care of her.
My tuxedo cat hasnt showed interest in eating lately. She’s already picky with her wet food, like she wont eat shredded but will eat filets. She’s been real lazy also. Tried even giving her some milk, but lapped a little bit. What can i do to get her to eat.
Hi Steven,
We suggest asking your vet for the best advice. These articles might provide some insight as well:
https://www.catster.com/cat-food/what-to-do-when-your-cat-wont-eat
https://www.catster.com/lifestyle/cat-health-care-food-tips-fussy-eating
We recently switched brands of food for my cat (just turned 1) with higher protein, no potatoes, and gluten free. The brand we previously had, he would eat his entire bowl, but now he just picks. He was eating chicken and turkey flavor recently and I tried to switch to a duck flavor with this new food, and now he just picks at it. Could if possibly just be the flavor, or could it be that he is just grazing his food now that he is getting older? We’ve seen some dramatic changes in his behavior, so I’m wondering if his appetite is changing as he gets older too. (His behavior is for the better. He was adopted and extremely shy and skiddish at the beginning.)
Its almost 5days I adopted a kitten and she eats only a very little dry cat food and she doesnt eat wet food. sometimes when she uses the litterbox she vomits at the same time and when we carry it meows a lot . what can it be?. Is this all happening because she doesn’t eat or is it a sickeness. today morning she peed and vomited in the room. she sleeps a lot and she always meows when there’s noone near her.. it’s not that playful too
Hi there,
Please get this cat to the vet ASAP. It seems like something serious is at play!
Definitely needs the vet. When a cat pees around the house either you’ve just added another pet in the house or the cat is sick.
Our (fixed) female has gone on a hunger strike after introducing a new kitty to the family. She ate fine for the first few days after his arrival, but has been refusing for the past 36 hours. She does not appear to be in any pain or discomfort and is performing her usual activities, including using the litter box. Any suggestions?
Hi there,
Congrats on your new kitty but sorry you’re dealing with this. These articles might help. If the situation persists, please see a vet / behaviorist for help:
https://www.catster.com/kittens/introducing-kittens-to-your-other-resident-cats
https://www.catster.com/lifestyle/cat-behavior-training-introducing-new-cats-tips
https://www.catster.com/lifestyle/how-to-introduce-new-cat-into-home
https://www.catster.com/cat-food/what-to-do-when-your-cat-wont-eat
hi my persian cat tends to eat very little…a bit of wet food in the morning & afternoon and
a bit of dry food in the night…but never resists when it comes to treats.
He is about 3 yrs old now and been like this for about a year. He’s getting thinner and thinner but still active in playing and running around the house.
Tell me what should i do…
Hi there,
Please contact your vet.
Fancy Feast makes a high quality broth for $1.17 a pouch at Walmart in many flavors. Get a few for your cat just to see if it likes it. Chances are it will and when you decide to find out if it’s syffering from kidney failure, you can hide the medicine (with some water) in the already made broths. Cats don’t have much appetite in the beginning of the disease but cats will prefer broth to water so it will begin to gain weight even tho it’s not hungry.
Hi there, do you have any idea in how can I make my cat eat his food with digestive enzymes in his food? I have been tried many different ways, he used to eat normally but from one week his not interested. He is diabetic and he needs the digestive enzymes as well. He is well related to diabetic but the thing is: he found out that we have been added powder in his food. Thanks a lot.
Hi Christine,
If these suggestions don’t work, we suggest reaching out to your vet. Hope your kitty feels better!
Fancy Feast makes a high quality broth for $1.17 a pouch at Walmart in many flavors. Get a few for your cat just to see if it likes it. Chances are it will and when you decide to find out if it’s syffering from kidney failure, you can hide the medicine (with some water) in the already made broths. Cats don’t have much appetite in the beginning of the disease but cats will prefer broth to water so it will begin to gain weight even tho it’s not hungry.
Hlo my cat can not eating food then she is very weak please give me slution
Hi there,
Please get your cat to the vet ASAP. Here are a few articles that might provide some insight, but please ensure that your cat is seen by a professional:
https://www.catster.com/lifestyle/cat-not-eating-what-to-do-when-cat-wont-eat
https://www.catster.com/cat-food/what-to-do-when-your-cat-wont-eat
Fancy Feast makes a high quality broth for $1.17 a pouch at Walmart in many flavors. Get a few for your cat just to see if it likes it. Chances are it will and when you decide to find out if it’s syffering from kidney failure, you can hide the medicine (with some water) in the already made broths. Cats don’t have much appetite in the beginning of the disease but cats will prefer broth to water so it will begin to gain weight even tho it’s not hungry.
your replies should be deleted…. a lot of these should. IDK why they are allowed to stay up
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