Chris Palmer

Is Your Cat Not Eating and Your Feline Losing Condition a Concern?

It is understandable to become anxious when our lovely feline friend stops eating. Knowing the cause is half the battle.

Cats can be pretty finicky eaters at times. It’s part of their charming personalities. When your cat turns its nose up at food, don’t worry too much. The same as people, they can have days when they just don’t feel like a bite to eat.

Be cautious though if they are off food for a day or so you need to understand why and if you can't identify and solve the issue then you may want to take him to the vet since it may be a sign that something serious is wrong. Often, discarding their meal time is a symptom of another health issue.

Being under pressure is one of the major reasons cats don’t eat. Different circumstances around the home, even rearranging the furniture, can be very stressful to your cat that is a creature of habit. No need to become overly concerned, try giving your cat a little extra love, especially if you’re feeling stressed too. Animals do catch stress from us humansso Cats can pick up on your own stress and mirror it.

Another source of stress is a new entrant to the family. If you’ve brought a new pet into the home, your cat may feel uneasy. They are territorial by nature and a new dog, cat or even a gerbil can be seen as a competitor. Give them time and let them become comfortable with the new member of the family. Know that they may not eat normally while they adjust.

If your cat lives primarily outdoors, they may stop eating because they’ve found better food elsewhere or are munching on a mouse they caught.

If you recently changed your cat’s brand of food and he’s not eating, go back to the old one and mix the two together, slowly weaning the old stuff from the bowl. Cats can be finicky eaters and they may not like the new food as well as the old one. It may even be upsetting their system.

If you are sure your cat is off their food, measure the amount of food they receive and see if it is being consumed. If they are not eating as much or not at all, you may want to see your vet.

If your cat isn’t eating, is irritable, withdrawn or lethargic, it could be the sign of an illness. This can include an infection, digestion issues, a tumor, kidney disease or even tooth or mouth pain.

If they are not really unwell , your veterinarian may recommend milk thistle, vitamin B12, diazepam or a similar medication. Never give these to your cat without your vet’s advice. You want to make the situation better, not worse.

Cats will be cats and every one of them will have an off day now and then, either because they’re in a funk, not feeling good or are simply not in the mood to eat. By understanding your cat’s patterns, you can be aware of any major changes in their food consumption that could signal a larger issue.

The big challenge with managing any pet’s health status is being aware of what they are feeling. They can’t talk to us however you will find that over time you will become very intuitive to their symptoms and needs and will find that they do actually talk to us, it’s just in a different language.

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