Why is my cat not eating properly?

It’s true; cats are notoriously picky eaters and might not salvage on everything you offer them. In fact, you know what they say:

“Dogs eat. Cats dine,” Ann Taylor.

However, loss of appetite could be a severe issue as it could signal an underlying disease or sickness. Here are the top 3 reasons as to why your cat won’t eat food and what you should do about it:

I. llness

One of the primary reasons your cat has suddenly decided to stop eating could be because it’s suffering from some kind of disease. These could include:

Respiratory Problems

These breathing issues can directly impact your cat’s sense of smell and ability to breathe, which could lead to a loss of appetite.

Your cat could have this disease due to bacteria, a viral or transmission of Covid-19, which poses a high risk of respiratory disease in cats. Regardless of the cause, you should get it treated immediately.

Digestive System Disease

Cats will stop eating if they have problems within their stomach, intestines, or other parts of the digestive system. This will result in constant vomiting, diarrhea, or severe abdominal pain. For example, your cat may have swallowed something stuck in the stomach and won’t let food pass through.

Dental Disease

Cats can fracture their teeth or even develop inflammation of the gums. Your cat might be suffering from some kind of dental disease or painful teeth and gums, which might have caused it to stop eating.

Anxiety / Depression

Cats are creatures of habit and do not welcome changes. If you have recently adopted a cat from its previous owner, your cat might miss them and be depressed. Additionally, traveling and exposing your cats to unfamiliar surroundings can cause nausea and refusal to eat.

2. Recent Vaccination

Has your cat stopped eating shortly after you took it to the vet for routine vaccination? If yes, then why your cat is not eating could be because of some adverse reaction to these shots. However, this is usually temporary and not critical, so you don’t have to worry much about it.

3. Problems with food

The cause of your problem could be as simple as your cat not liking food. After all, they have fussy eating habits and will reject anything they don’t like. On the other hand, it’s possible that your cat only likes a particular flavor of a brand, texture, or temperature of food and is rejecting any other.

What can I do about these problems?

You can get your cat’s eating habits back on track by warming up the food so that it tastes better or trying a different brand or flavor that your cat may like. For example, try offering strong-smelling foods such as sardines, so it helps stimulate their appetite.

If you have exposed your cat to unfamiliar surroundings, then provide a comfortable atmosphere that it is habitual of. Call a vet immediately and book an appointment if none of this works.

Wrapping it up

We know becoming a cat-parent is not easy. Even still, it’s one of the most beautiful feelings in the world, and watching your baby suffer can hurt. Don’t worry, though. Go through these problems, try the solutions we provided or visit a vet now. After all, what’s a greater gift than the love of a cat?