A cat may lose his appetite due to a vast array of illnesses, and even discomfort from an injury can cause inappetance, but understanding why this occurs and what actions to take will help pet owners steer their pet toward recovery.
“A loss of appetite and lethargy are the two most common generalized symptoms of illness in pets. These are usually the first symptoms to arise in a sick pet, and the two symptoms can often be interlinked,” explained Dr. Michael Levine, DVM, who added, “When a pet stops eating, I recommend a prompt visit to the vet’s because it’s much easier to deal with the situation early on.”
Cats in particular are stoic and independent by nature, therefore illness is not quite as apparent in felines. Often, owners do not notice anything is wrong until the pet stops eating, so in cats, inappetance should be taken very seriously.
The Causes for Not Eating
The causes for a lack of appetite are many and varied. In some sensitive pets, even slight discomfort due to an injury, upset stomach or a change in home life will result in a complete refusal to eat, while other pets will only stop eating when seriously ill.
In other cases, particularly when there is no sign of an upset stomach, the cat’s refusal to eat is often the result of an illness or injury. Respiratory illnesses in particular are notorious for triggering inappetance.
The following are among the most common causes of inappetance:
- Anorexia: Once a cat stops eating, an accumulation of stomach acids, combined with low blood sugar, can result in feelings of nausea and general malaise. This, in turn, makes the feline even less likely to eat due to the added discomfort that resulted from not eating in the first place.
- Infection and Viruses: Infections and viruses can cause discomfort and pain, which in turn, makes kitty hesitant to eat. Respiratory infections often cause inappetance due to the dulled sense of smell caused by congestion.
- Medication: Many medications result in feelings of nausea and stomach pain, particularly if they’re given on an empty stomach.
- Tooth Decay/Injury: Tooth and mouth problems like gum disease can cause pain and discomfort to the point to where the cat stops eating.
- Disease: Disease and other abnormalities affecting major organ systems, like the kidneys or liver can cause inappetance due to discomfort and a general feeling of malaise that results from these ailments.
- Trauma: Recovering from trauma due to an accident, fight or operation can cause significant pain and discomfort, resulting in a cat who won’t eat.
- Discomfort from chronic pain: Chronic conditions like arthritis tend to cause discomfort that makes a cat hesitant to eat.
- Discomfort due to hot weather: In the hot weather, some cats experience a great deal of discomfort and even nausea in more serious cases of heat stroke. So be sure to always provide a fresh cool water supply and keep kitty cool on those hot days to avoid health problems.
- Anxiety or emotional distress: Changes in home life, such as the departure of a family member, the arrival of guests, a new baby, or a new pet can be upsetting and distressing to some cats. So a refusal to eat is not uncommon when a cat finds a situation upsetting.
- Hairballs: Normal grooming habits result in an accumulation of hair in the cat's stomach - a hairball - and when that hairball reaches a certain size, it can cause stomach upset and nausea. Ultimately, this leads to the cat bringing up the hairball in the vast majority of cases, but for the few hours preceding the hairball's emergence, a cat can experience discomfort that leads to inappetance.
The Effects of Not Eating
A decrease in appetite is often the first sign of illness in cats, followed by a complete loss of appetite and a refusal to eat. Often, the pet will also stop drinking, which is a very urgent situation, as dehydration can lead to organ failure in a matter of hours.
Lethargy is also a common early sign of illness. Cats are often less active than dogs, so lethargy may not be quite as obvious. Easier to spot are changes in activity, as an ill cat will often be hesitant to jump, more reserved and less apt to seek out human companionship. Many cats will also hide and sit in odd locations when they’re feeling unwell.
Lethargy is also commonly linked to a failure to eat, which leads to hypoglycemia, also known as low blood sugar, which can result in lethargy, weakness and trembling.
“One of the simplest ways to combat lethargy is to boost blood sugar with honey or maple syrup, given every four to six hours. I recommend this for any pet who has stopped eating,” explained Dr. Levine, who added that rubbing the syrup or honey on the gums can help in instances where the pet will not lick it voluntarily.
The sugar contained in the honey or maple syrup will help reverse the effects of hypoglycemia, and in many cases this will trigger the cat to resume eating and drinking. One tablespoon is sufficient for every 20 pounds of body weight, given every four to six hours, depending on the animal’s activity level (more activity requires more sugar).
Failure to eat can also lead to a circular problem, as when the stomach is empty for an extended period of time, the organ’s lining can become inflamed and irritated by the bile and excess stomach acids that accumulate. This can lead to nausea, vomiting of a clear yellow liquid and a continued refusal to eat due to an upset stomach.
“If your cat has not resumed eating within 24 hours, or if he’s showing any other signs of illness, it’s important to get him to the vet as soon as possible because a failure to eat weakens the body, and this allows illness to get a better foothold,” Dr. Levine explained.
Mia Carter - Mia Carter - Journalist, Producer/Editor & Web Writer. Carter's work has appeared on CBS and CNN.com.
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