If they Tell you They’re Just Not Hungry, They Might be FE-Lyin!

Cats are notorious for dramatic fits, long sessions of meowing, targeted revenge, and other forms of acting out if they can see bottom of a food dish, even if there is plenty of food still available. So, it’s unusual for your feline companion to suddenly stop eating for longer periods of time. Admittedly cats are finicky, so one could see a kitty go one to three days “just snacking” or having a full fledged hunger strike, only to find it’s just a cat being a stubborn cat. Skipping a few meals is all the rage in the Kitty Kingdom, so it may be the norm and not an exception for your fluff ball. In today’s Dog Blog, we’ll review a few non-medical reasons a cat could be taking a food “time-out”, as well as documented medical reasons that could turn serious.

When it’s NOT CAT-ostrophic

As we mentioned above, it’s purrrr-fectly in character for your kitty to lay off the grub for a few days. They can be very picky eaters that have mood and “tude” swings that will send them into a self-imposed food strike. Everyone knows of, or has heard a story, of a cat who would only eat one brand/type/recipe of cat food but when their owner bring home a huge bag or dozen cans… the cat refuses to eat that particular selection any longer.  A cat can also take to mood swings that will cause them to eat more and eat less. Lastly, the constant self-maintenance and cleaning that your kitty is undergoing through will create hairballs in their tummy. These gross accumulations of hair don’t always sit right in your pets digestive system and make the cat reluctant to eat until they are gone.

They also can have upset tummies from something foreign or unusual that they get into. Cats can get indigestion or have acid reflux. Due to the sensitive nature of a cats tummy, feeding them table food should be a rare treat, if ever. You should also make sure your trash is secure and locked down.

Also keep in mind that cats are creatures of their own routine. So changes in environment can be as off-putting to them as change in food brand. Consider whats happening around them. Could there be something new that is causing stress in their lives? New people, a furry addition to the family, a new food dish, you moved their bed, or maybe YOU’RE stress is bleeding off to them, these are all real possibilities of why your cat has stopped visiting the chow line.

Old Age also brings change in appetite or frequency to eat. Simply, senior cats eat less (and prefer the “early bird special”… okay we made that part up).  Their advanced years can also change their likes and dislikes, cause them to develop a sensitive tummy, and become unable to process certain ingredients or types of food. Your trusted veterinarian can suggest a “Senior” food that will be easier on the stomach but still carry all the needed nutrition.  They can also simply eat less as they age.

Medical Reasons Your Cat is Not Eating

  • Stop Being Tricky, Mom! Trying to sneak a pill or medication is not going to work. Your kitty is predisposed to checking their food to assure its fresh and safe. Cats have a keen sense of smell and can pick up foreign or strange odors in their everyday food routine. If your cat thinks you’re trying to poison them or trick them into eating something they don’t deem as “safe”, they will avoid the food dish. Once you’ve broken the trust with your cat, it will take a long time to regain it.

  • Stick-it To ‘Em. In some cases, the side effects of routine yearly vaccines will put a cat off it’s feed bag. Certain types of vaccines can make stomachs upset, cause longer periods of sleep, and make the kitty feel “off” in other ways. In these cases, the impact will be short term, lasting only a day or so. If the hunger-strike extends more than a few days, its time to involve your cats everyday wellness provide for answers.

  • The Tooth, and Nothing But the Tooth. Just like humans, if your cat is having dental issues they might avoid eating due to pain. Unlike their owners, a cat likely doesn’t understand what is going on in their mouth. They start to associate eating with oral pain, so they stop the action to avoid the ouchy. If you smell the odor of abscess coming from their mouth, if you see them pawing at their teeth or jaw, this could be your clue they are in discomfort due to a dental issue. Untreated cavities, gum disease, excess plaque build up, all of these can result in your cat shutting down the food wagon. If they can’t chew, they’re not going to eat… would you?

    In addition, advancing arthritis or a spine injury can be possible reasons your cat doesn’t want food. Many people don’t realize that felines “hunch” when they eat. That position relies on spine placement and using the joints to get in the right stance. Any issues with their back, legs, or paws, can make eating uncomfortable or outright impossible.

  • Gas, it isn’t Just for Your Car.  As we eluded to earlier in the blog, stomach issues due to a variety of non-medical reason can cause a time-out in meal routines. Conversely, medical issues can also drive the stomach pain or discomfort. Illness such as I.B.S. (inflammatory bowel disease), colitis, tumors, or a block in the gastrointestinal track, can stop visits to the food bowl. These are potentially serious illnesses that could be life ending, and why your cat should see the veterinarian if they are off their eating routine for more than 36-48 hours or if they show any signs of prolonged pain.

  • Something in the Air Tonight. Avoiding mealtime, or food altogether, could be a symptom of an infectious disease in your cat. The most common of these are feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), feline leukemia virus (FeVL), feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), and toxoplasmosis. Some of these illnesses are hereditary and some are socially passed. If your cat is an indoor/outdoor runner, or if they have play dates or socialize with other cats, they could develop these diseases. If your cat is running a prolonged fever along with their reluctance to eat, it’s time to see their doctor for diagnosis and testing.

  • Things that Never End for $100, Alex.  Lastly, a cat not eating for long periods of time could be showing signs of a systemic condition they’ve developed and has advanced to a more advanced stage.  Hyperthyroidism, kidney disease, liver disease, and pancreatitis are a few of the more common illnesses that will cause a cat to stop the intake of food. These are all serious in nature and potentially life ending, and very serious reasons to visit the veterinarian if your cat is opposed to eating for more than a few days.

So What Do I Do if my Kitty is “Sans Food” for 3 to 4 days?

The answer to this question is easy… GET THEE TO A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL THAT SPECIALIZES IN ANIMALS! (take them to their everyday veterinarian). This trusted healthcare provider will triage, diagnose, can come up with a treatment plan to, hopefully, fix what ails your kitty. If the cat show other signs of illness along with the lack of food intake… if they have a prolonged fever, if they are lethargic, or obviously in pain, then they need immediate attention, don’t wait for your everyday veterinarian to have an appointment opening. Know where your closest emergency animal hospital is located and have their number in your phone or hanging on the refrigerator.

Any veterinarian will want details, so be sure you’ve logged the symptoms and actions of the cat over the period they haven’t been eating. You’ll be asked questions like,

  • What has changed in their environment? Nothing is too small or minor as an answer to this question. Think about any and all changes around the house, to the people they see, to their daily routine, or in their very static kitty life.

  • Have you changed food, eating locations, dishes, or anything in the food routine? The smallest of changes can impact a creature of habit and stability. Don’t overlook something that seem minor or obvious to you, it may be the single reason your cat has been on a hunger strike. Hopefully you’re on a feeding schedule (Same Cat Time, Same Cat Channel) and don’t “free feed”. This makes it easier to track and manage the cats activity or habits.

  • Is this NEW, or Part of an Ongoing Cat Drama. Cats are the original Thespians! They will milk a routine if it gets a reaction from their owners. So your kitty’s doctor will want to know if this is a reoccurring thing, or something new.  They’ll ask when it started, if it is related to a time of day/month/week, or anything else that is time/day/or season connected. With felines its a case of “Fool me once, shame on you… fool me every time and you’re up for an ACATdemy Award!”

  • Look for the Hidden Clues. What additional symptoms have you noticed? Is there vomit, diarrhea, do they avoid the litter box, are they peeing outside the box, are they losing control of their bowls, have you seen blood after they use the box, have they shown signs of pain in any part of the body? are there wholesale changes in behavior, are they more aggressive, very lethargic, anti-social with those they are usually very connected with?

  • Give a Complete Picture. When was the last time they ate a full meal? Are they drinking any water? Have you checked the litter box… and is there anything strange going on there (not covering, going outside of the box, odd texture of colors of their poo)?

Having this type of detailed information helps piece together the when and how of the cats life and the days leading up to the visit. It may seem silly to you to be “up in” your cats business to this detail… but every detail is critical in this situation.

Hopefully the answer is something routine or environmentally driven and can be fixed with a small change, or time. In the cases of a more serious health issue the earlier its detected and diagnosed, the more runway you have for treatment and cure. So don’t delay, don’t think “oh it’s just a cat being a cat” and ignore the signs of a serious problem. Sure, cats are weird and quirky… but, if you’re a cat lover and owner, they are an important part of your life and family. Don’t be the person who is saying “how did I miss that” or “if only I had acted sooner”.

We hope this information is helpful to Feline Fanatics out there in the Freddie Nation and provided some tidbit you didn’t know.  There are over 76 million cats in the United States, one in three households has a cat… often more than one. The reality is that in a world full of over 600 cats, there is only one cat this YOUR baby and they are irreplaceable.

Thanks for dropping in for this week Dog Blog. If you like what you read, keep in mind that we have a full library of pet related topics that range from medical to fun in nature. You’ll find over 60 blog listings at our web home. (www.freddiesplaceanimalhospital.com). Feel free to peruse the blogs and find something you’ll enjoy.

With spring in the air and the change of seasons, you’ll notice a growth in the population of fleas and ticks. During the month of March, Freddie’s Place Animal Hospital + Urgent Care is offering terrific discounts for flea and tick prevention all month long. Call the Best Care Anywhere Team at Freddie’s Place to find out more (call 760-Freddie).

Join us next week as we dig deep to bring you another topical session of our Dog Blog… we certainly hope to see you here. As always, until then, we wish you and your favorite fur friends the best of health, incredible fun time, good food and better company, and we ask that you always take the time to Be Pet Friendly, #FreddieSez!

Blog Research Sources

www.Veterinarians.org

www.catster.com

www.petmed.com