If Your Cat Won’t Eat, Do These 5 Things. An article with Helpful Tips for your feline Friend.
It’s crucial to keep an eye on kitty’s eating behavior (and potty habits, for that matter) because a loss of appetite is often one of the first symptoms of illness in your feline family member. Cats can refuse food at any time, whether it’s all of a sudden or gradually over time. The longer your cat goes without eating, the worse she will feel, and the less likely she will be to eat again.
You should try everything in your power to get your cat to eat, because getting stuck in this cycle is terrible for everyone. Unlike dogs, cats should not spend longer than 16 hours without eating.
There are a few easy things cat owners can do to create a more positive atmosphere for their feline family members when it comes to emotional eating.
Make your cat feel more in charge of her environment by providing food in a variety of ways. Instead of eating two substantial meals, try to spread out your meals throughout the day. Put her in a position to burn calories by searching for food by giving her food puzzles or, my personal favorite, hunting feeders.
If you have more than one cat, it’s best to feed them individually. Create separate feeding areas where animals can eat in peace. Cats have a natural inclination to seek out new places to eat, and providing them with food puzzles, hunting feeders, and regular bowls/saucers with only small amounts of food in them will help satisfy this urge. It also gives cats the freedom to choose how much they eat and encourages them to spend time hunting.
Cats are more at ease when perched high up, so try feeding yours on top of the washing machine (when it’s not in use, of course) so it can survey the area below. Cat towers, platforms, and hiding places are all great places to put food to encourage jumping up to it.
Avoid having your cat’s food near any potential sources of stress, such as a window through which she could see another cat or a door where she could hear a car or door slam.
Flat, odor-free (no plastic) dishware is best for feeding cats. Schedule daily playtime with your cat to provide him the mental and physical exercise he needs and to encourage the production of endorphins, the body’s “feel good” hormones.
Please schedule an appointment with your veterinarian as soon as possible if a change in your cat’s environment does not appear to be the cause of her loss of appetite. Your veterinarian will perform a full diagnostic workup, including a physical examination, and look at metabolic changes like high blood pressure, low potassium levels in the blood, anemia, etc.
Your vet will need to know what kind of food you’re feeding your cat and what kinds of drugs or supplements you’re giving him or her in order to rule out those possibilities as well. There are a number of medical issues that could be causing your cat’s loss of appetite, so it’s in everyone’s best interest to have them looked out.