What to do if the cat stops eating and drinking
The reasons why the cat has stopped eating and drinking can be minor or serious. It is important to identify the problem in time and eliminate it, because if an animal is sick, it may die, especially a small kitten that will not live more than two days without food.
If the cat stops eating, it may be sick.
If your cat hasn’t eaten all day, worry early. Sometimes this happens during the first heat, a change in diet, if a dirty bowl or spoiled food. The exception is small kittens, if they do not eat all day, you need to urgently show them to the veterinarian.
A common cause of animal hunger strikes is stress. For example, they changed their place of residence, started renovations in the apartment, another pet or family member appeared. If your cat doesn’t eat and runs restlessly around the house, fleas, ticks, or soreness may be causing it. The animal may not eat after being castrated or vaccinated.
The most dangerous reason a cat refuses to eat is illness. Usually a hunger strike is accompanied by additional symptoms:
- lethargy;
- dry, hot nose;
- faded or loose coat;
- discharge from the eyes, nose, mouth;
- loose stools;
- frequent bowel movements or their absence;
- the cat coughs and sneezes.
It can be infectious diseases, gastrointestinal upset, a problem with the liver or genitourinary system, but only a veterinarian can make an accurate diagnosis.
What to do if the cat has stopped eating
Observe the animal carefully. If there are no signs that he is sick, the cat plays, goes to the toilet well, but still refuses to eat, then the problem is something else. Analyze what could have caused this behavior and eliminate the cause.
Stressful situations are natural causes of hunger. Here you just need to wait one or two days. If you change the diet of an animal, it may protest. Either mix the food with the old food for the first time, or wait until the cat is hungry and starts eating.
Examine the mouth of the animal, if the cat has a bone from a fish stuck, tartar has formed or a tooth breaks off, he may also refuse to eat.
Wash your cat’s bowls often under hot water, but without detergent. Examine your skin and fur to rule out fleas and ticks. And also pay attention to the chair: the cat may have got worms.
Refusal to eat can be temporary or indicate serious problems. Therefore, you should not ignore the hunger of the animal, and if there are no obvious reasons for this, it is still better to take the cat to the veterinarian.
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