Cat Not Eating Has You Scared?
Still Not Eating?
Walking into your home to see your beloved cat not eating a speck of food after being gone for work during the day is a very scary vision. Seeing a full bowl of food after many hours of it being untouched by your favorite feline friend can be very worrisome to you. People who are not even big fans of the elegant and regal domestic kitty easily acknowledge to a cat not eating as a rather big problem. However, the first thing you need to know is that a loss of appetite is actually quite common in cats. What are you going to do when it happens to your cat though?
What is up with a cat not eating?
If a cat not eating is causing you such distress, you first need to figure out what is causing the loss of appetite. Just like you can have multiple reasons for pushing a plate away, your cat can have plenty of rational excuses for denying a bowl full of kitty nibbles. The easiest and simplest explanation for this strangely frequent dilemma is related to the ability of most cats to be picky about their food. Your feline friend might just not want to eat what you are giving him or her. If you have switched to a new food, your cat might get riled at the idea of going “cold turkey” on their previous food course. The best way to avoid the cat not eating issue when changing to a new food or get them eating again if you have already tried the switch is to mix a bit of the food they are used to with the new stuff and slowly phase out the old food.
For those who know that their cat not eating is not caused by changing food sources, you do not have to necessarily jump to seriously scary conclusions. Increased amounts of anxiety or higher levels of general activity can lower your cat’s appetite. Perhaps the cat not eating is actually just the feline eating more slowly at longer intervals than normal due to high stress levels from new visitors in the house, moving, or even the fun involved with a new favorite play toy. However, health issues can result in a cat not eating. The general rule of thumb involves twenty-four hours. If there are signs of your cat not eating for 24 straight hours, you probably want to take them in for a check up—just in case.
A veterinarian can help you with a cat not eating situation.
Once a full day of your cat not eating has passed with no glimmer of improvement, you should probably take your furry snuggle ball to your veterinarian of choice just to be on the safe side. Your vet will probably begin the check up by telling you that there are quite a few health conditions that could cause a loss of appetite in your kitty buddy. The most common issues from the possible list include any thing from a simple infection or digestive disorder to mouth and teeth problems that cause pain. The veterinarian you choose for your appointment is going to know the answers after several health tests, but your cat not eating is a complicated matter that can include multiple causes.
The overall problem of a loss in appetite for your feline best friend is understandably a scary one. You might be in a rather anxious state, but as long it only persists for less than twenty-four hours your cat not eating fears should be minimal.