Aa
Aa
A
A
A
Close
Avatar universal

Cat doesn't want to eat.

My cat (14 year old Persian) started eating a lot less about a week ago.  He started just eating the juice out of his canned food, but now won't even eat that.  I took him to the vet last Thursday, he had his teeth cleaned, heavy scaling.  (He has his teeth cleaned once a year.)  The vet also gave him a number of tests that all came out good. The day after the teeth cleaning he ate quite a bit, (mostly liquid) but on Saturday, Sunday and today he refuses to eat once again.  He drank a little water yesterday.  I wonder if the lack of interesst in food could be soreness from the scaling.  He also has a very damp nose and he does seem to get seasonal allergies.  Could the lack of interest in eating be caused by allergies? Or do you have any other ideas?  I have another vet appointement for him this coming Friday, but would greatly appreciate any insight you may have.  Thank you.
4 Responses
Sort by: Helpful Oldest Newest
Avatar universal
Hi there,
I hope your cat started eating again? Mine did this in October. He stopped eating, we took him to the vet. The vet said he had allergies, gave him meds. My cat still didn't eat so we brought him back. It turned out that his allergies affected his pancreas and he developed secondary diabetes. We had to leave our cat at the animal hospital for one full week because he wouldn't eat. He was on IV. Once a cat stops eating, he/she loses the interest to eat. It is very diffucult to get them to start up again. They put him on Diazepam to stimulate his appetite. Once he got his appetite back, he was good to come home. At home, we had to give him the diazepam for 2 days when we saw that he wasn't eating. Now, 5 months later, he is eating well (trust me, he would be obese if we let him) and we give him 2 injections a day.
Now, I'm not saying that your cat has diabetes but I would contact the vet to stimulate his appetite. He may not give you meds but he may give you strategies that work. It is very important that he starts eating again.
Helpful - 0
228686 tn?1211554707
Thanks, I totally missed on that part (rusty brain). Dehydration is a huge danger with cats and the danger is in terms of days. Since most of their water intake comes from food...

Another good product is The KMR Milk replacer, using a feeding syringe if kitty won't drink. There's numerous ailments that onset from starvation/dehydration that lead to long term health issues. The KMR is a nutrient packed food that almost all cats love more than cream itself (umm...don't give kitty cream. Cats are lactose intolerant!).

I'm assuming that NutriCal is a similar product, but I thought I'd suggest this one as it's not to pricey and it's always good to have options depending on store stock.
Helpful - 0
441382 tn?1452810569
You want to make sure that your kitty continues to eat, even if you have to force feed him after a few days, because cats who don't eat for a prolonged period of time can develop feline hepatic lipidosis, or fatty liver disease.  While this is more common in overweight cats, it can affect any cat who goes for a long time without eating.  This is not to say that it WILL happen, but it IS a risk, so it's better to force feed and be safe than allow the cat to not eat and be facing a potentially life-threatening illness later.

If nothing else, try to get a few fingers of NutriCal into your cat each day until he starts to show an interest in food again.  It truly could mean the difference between life and death.  There is a commonly held belief that an animal won't starve itself to death, and it will eat if it gets hungry enough.  This is true for dogs, but with cats, if they wait too long and fatty liver disease sets in, it's very difficult to bring them back and it could mean they will die.  Please understand, I am not trying to scare you, but I have had two cats with this.  One I was able to save.  The other one I ended up losing after a heartbreaking battle to save him.  I'm just trying to save others the heartache of having to go through the same pain.

Ghilly
Helpful - 0
228686 tn?1211554707
It's possible he's developing a mild oral infection from the scaling (it's an unfortunate occasional possibility). It's also possible there's a pocket infection the vet missed (not his fault neccessarily, it does happen. Kitty can't express complaints).

Gently check the immediate jaw area for any swelling. If there is, see if the vet can move up the appointment.

Otherwise... kitties can have allergies, although the do seem to be more affected by  household products than pollen. The problem is if kitty can't smell his food, they generally won't eat it. I'd consult your vet and have the nasal passages checked to be sure there isn't a serious issue.
Helpful - 0
Have an Answer?

You are reading content posted in the Cats Community

Top Cats Answerers
874521 tn?1424116797
Canada..., SK
506791 tn?1439842983
Saint Mary's County, MD
242912 tn?1660619837
CA
740516 tn?1360942486
Brazil
Learn About Top Answerers
Didn't find the answer you were looking for?
Ask a question
Popular Resources
Members of our Pet Communities share their Halloween pet photos.
Like to travel but hate to leave your pooch at home? Dr. Carol Osborne talks tips on how (and where!) to take a trip with your pampered pet
Ooh and aah your way through these too-cute photos of MedHelp members' best friends
A list of national and international resources and hotlines to help connect you to needed health and medical services.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.