Reasons Why Cats Don’t Want to Eat – For Meow Mania, it would definitely be sad if we saw that our beloved cat suddenly didn’t want to eat, or had a reduced appetite or what is often called anorexia. We must use various methods to ensure that our beloved cat wants to eat again.
A cat suddenly not wanting to eat is not an illness but is the effect of an illness or a change in diet. This cat’s lack of appetite will also be accompanied by other clinical symptoms such as fever, lethargy, dehydration, vomiting, and other visible symptoms.
8 Reasons Why Cats Don’t Want to Eat
The following are various causes of cats not wanting to eat and how to overcome them:
Pain due to infection
Infections in cats can vary due to viruses and bacteria. One sign of infection is fever, weak body condition, digestive disorders (vomiting, diarrhea), and is generally accompanied by a decrease in appetite in cats.
Infections caused by viruses will usually show a rapid decrease in appetite in cats because the infection is quite severe. A cat’s decreased appetite in cases of infection can last two or 3 days, the cat reacts or usually eats only a little or doesn’t eat at all.
Disorders of the mouth and teeth area
Cats can also experience canker sores, this condition causes pain when trying to eat so they refuse to eat or only eat a small amount.
Infection or inflammation of the gums and teeth (periodontitis) also causes pain in the gum area so you eat less. This gum and tooth infection is characterized by bad breath and increased saliva.
There is food or bone stuck in the teeth. When giving bones or fish to cats, it is not uncommon for them to choke and possibly injure their gums and teeth. This can cause pain in the gums so the cat’s appetite decreases.
Bored with food
This is very likely to happen to cats and pet lovers! Just imagine eating the same food for years without any variation. Of course, there is a feeling of boredom in our cats. Usually, boredom will be seen when he smells the food and finally, the food is left alone. Even though cats can’t taste sweet tastes, their tongues are sensitive to other tastes, especially foods that don’t have a strong smell.
Experiencing displacement
Moving or leaving a cat can be one of the causes of a cat not having an appetite. This condition usually causes cats to become stressed and need to adapt. Cats are very sensitive to changes, they have feelings and moods just like us.
Old age
In old or senior age, it is not uncommon for cats to lose their appetite. It can be caused by teeth that are starting to become toothless, pain when walking, pain when looking down to eat, or perhaps not having an appetite. This is because your sense of smell when you are old is not as sharp as when you are young, so your appetite is not stimulated by ordinary smells.
Gastrointestinal disorders
Disorders of the digestive tract such as infections of the intestines, stomach, and liver can cause cats to be reluctant to touch food. This condition is caused by pain in the stomach. Usually accompanied by vomiting and diarrhea.
Stress
The causes vary, it could be because the conditions are too crowded, there is a new animal in the house, there is an annoying cat, and it can also be stress because the owner abandoned it. and cats have sensitive feelings, but cats are usually better at hiding them. Prolonged stress accompanied by a decrease in appetite will certainly be dangerous for cats.
Early pregnancy and about to give birth
Pregnancy for cats is also a stress trigger, it is not uncommon for cats to experience a decrease in appetite due to changing hormones. Usually, cats can experience vomiting in early pregnancy because the hormone progesterone increases which causes the stomach to become more acidic. This also triggers a decrease in appetite in cats. About to give birth usually and the cat is already restless and doesn’t want to eat. The food you eat will usually be vomited out due to the urge during contractions.
The causes of not wanting to eat or decreased appetite in cats are varied. Treatment and management are of course based on the cause. The doctor will ask questions about what he ate before, how he was vaccinated and dewormed, and other questions that will lead to a doctor’s diagnosis. You should pay close attention to your cat’s diet and diet so you can find out if there are changes to its diet.
How to Deal with a Cat that Doesn’t Want to Eat
It’s also a problem if the cat doesn’t want to eat. Sometimes he is given food that he usually eats and he doesn’t eat it. There are various causes of not having an appetite, so you need to know the cause and then treat it. If this condition is allowed to continue, it will certainly be dangerous for cats and cats.
Usually, there is yellow vomit which indicates that the stomach is empty so stomach acid increases, or bad breath like the smell of acetone (nail polish remover) is the same as the bad breath of those of us who are fasting due to the presence of ketones or fatty acids due to the formation of reserve energy.
Some tips you can use to deal with a cat that doesn’t want to eat:
Never change the place to eat, the position of the place to eat, the time to eat
cats are usually very accustomed to repeating patterns. Even slight changes can cause a cat to lose its appetite, so it is best if you make changes not drastic but slowly. Regular or fixed meal times make it easier to regulate the diet for cats.
Stimulate your appetite
How to? Do you know? It’s easy, by pushing or giving food near its nose or by rubbing meat or wet cat food in its mouth or nose. It is hoped that the smell of delicious and delicious food will stimulate the cat’s appetite.
Feed your cat
If your cat is sick or weak, try to feed your cat so it will still get enough food intake. You can also use a small spoon, hand, or syringe (injection without a needle) and of course, the food given is classified as wet or canned food.
But if you only have dry food, I recommend crushing it in warm water to make it soft. Oh yes, be careful when using the syringe! You have to treat your cat very gently, hold the cat’s head then insert an injection of liquid food from the side of the cat’s mouth and press the injection slowly, so the cat can swallow the food. Don’t spray it, or the cat could choke.
Warm the food
Cats are very sensitive to their sense of smell so they will be more attracted to food with a strong and appetizing smell. Giving boiled chicken or fish plus warmed chicken broth can arouse his appetite. However, make sure that when it is served the food is cold. This technique of warming food is also good for increasing appetite in older cats.
Make a variety of foods
Eating the same food every day certainly makes you bored. You can add boiled fish, minced meat, sardines, chicken offal, beef offal, or anything that can be mixed with the food he usually eats. Usually, this variety of food will increase his appetite. For that matter, adding olive oil or vegetables can be a healthy choice. Apart from that, giving snacks with fruit can increase their appetite.
Add protein and fat
This method is very good for cats. Adding cat food with other foods that are high in protein such as boiled fish, kitten food and canned fish can increase the cat’s appetite.
Giving supplements increases the cat’s appetite
This supplement to increase appetite in cats can be given at any time, not only when they have no appetite. Usually, supplements contain lots of vitamins and minerals which are very good for maintaining health. Naturally, using ginger or turmeric can not only increase appetite in humans but can also be used to increase appetite in cats.
Give vitamins
Give vitamins that contain vitamin B complex and lysine (the amino acid lysine) which can be purchased at the nearest pharmacy such as Biolysin, Lysmin, or Becombion, and are usually the dosage for children. Apart from being useful for increasing appetite, this vitamin is also useful for preventing the herpes virus or cat flu.
However, before giving vitamins to cats. Try to give him a little food or provide food nearby. This is to prevent irritation of the cat’s stomach so that he doesn’t vomit.
Invite him to play
It’s possible that your cat rarely plays or does activities. Try to get it used to playing from the start when you adopt or keep it so that it’s active and doesn’t get bored quickly, of course, this will affect its appetite.
Provide a comfortable place
For a cat that you have just adopted, of course, he will experience a phase of stress because the environment is still unfamiliar. Try to make the environment where you and your cat live as comfortable as possible. If you can, keep him away from naughty or fierce cats who might interfere with his adapting. If it feels better, feed it regularly.
Tube Feeding
As the name suggests, tube feeding is feeding by inserting food into the stomach directly through a tube. This method is only for emergencies if you have tried various efforts. And if possible, always consult a doctor or someone who is an expert in cat health.
Take him to the doctor
Be a loving cat owner, if your cat is sick, has stomach problems or problems you don’t know about and the cat still doesn’t want to eat. Immediately visit the vet, don’t be careless or rush into dealing with the cat because you’re afraid it will add to your problems.
Caring for animals, especially cats, is not easy. There are several special things that you should pay more attention to so that your cat will eat and be healthy. Of course, it makes us feel happy as responsible cat owners.
This decrease in the cat’s appetite will affect its health in the future. Prolonged periods can cause weight loss, dehydration, and even a thin condition that is difficult to repair. Some of the methods above can be used to increase a cat’s appetite, but if there is no change, immediately take him to the vet to avoid a more serious condition.
Hopefully, this article about the reasons why cats don’t want to eat and how to deal with it is useful for all of us.
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