Why won’t your cat eat? It is not likely that your cat is having a political protest and trying to improve the quality of life for kittens in a bad political situation, but sometimes a cat will seem to go on a hunger strike and refuse to eat.
Skipping Meals Longer Than 24 Is Potentially Serious
Humans rarely skip lunch or dinner unless ill and the cat is the same, and the same is true for most cats. If your furry companions refuse to eat for a period of longer than 24 hours, he or she may have a potentially serious underlying medical problem that requires immediate attention. Cats are notorious for always wanting food, and when a cat refuses food, something is often seriously wrong. If your cat has a sudden loss of appetite and has not eaten for over 24 hours, your cat needs a medical exam and to be taken to the vet. A cat that refuses to eat can get sick from not eating. Cats can develop a secondary disease called hepatic lipidosis, or fatty liver if they are eating a very limited diet for quite a while or don’t eat. If your cat is healthy and has no illnesses but is not stalking your heels when the can is opened or the crunchies poured, the vet may order additional testing such as abdominal ultrasound. With older or cats with chronic illness who are losing weight rapidly and have a lack of appetite, there are prescription appetite stimulants possibly help kitty never be late for dinner again.
My Cat Is Not Finicky
Cats are mercurial and moody creatures that do things for seemingly no reason to us loving cat parents so if f your cat decides to skip a meal and hold off from eating for only a few hours; they cat might be in one of those moods. It is completely normal for active, otherwise playful cats to stop by their bowl for a couple of seconds and move on to their next adventure. Some cats also are grazers and may nibble a little and then walk away. The cat’s weight and health will indicate if they are getting adequate calories. If you notice the food level not moving, you may safely assume the cat is not eating. Cats are also habitual creatures and may not eat dry food if they have always eaten canned or vice versa. They may refuse to eat something new and always live up to their reputation as picky, fussy eaters. Gradually adding the new food to your pet’s regular food over time can be a good method to switch your cats’ diet.
Whatever the reason your cat is finicky, try these simple strategies to help him, or her eat again. Never force your cat to eat. You do not want to create a food aversion or behavioral issues that make a cat afraid of its bowl and mealtime, which should be a positive time for kitty.
Here are some tricks to entice your cat into eating when they are stubborn finicky kitties:
Offer Kitten Food
If your grown-up cat is refusing to eat their regular food, trade it out for kitten food. Kitten food has much more protein and more fat to help kittens build their growing bodies. It also is more flavorful than adult cat food and smells more enticing to a cat. You don’t even have to mix it into your cat’s food. There are no negatives to offering an adult cat kitten chow. The extra calories are great for a cat that’s trying to gain or maintain weight and are sometimes ideal for a cat has a chronic illness that may cause a cat’s appetite to decrease.
Season Their Kibble For Flavor
Some probiotics that are specifically made for cats have really good flavor and can stimulate a picky eaters appetite. Your veterinarian is the right person to help you find the right fit in food additives for your cat. These typically come in a powder form and can be just is sprinkled it on your cat’s dry food or canned food. Use catnip as a seasoning as well as catnip is an appetite stimulant for many cats. If you have a cat, who eats an exclusively dry food diet adding water can make the cat even more likely to snub the offerings on their plate. Cats are really sensitive toward texture and shape, so mushy crunchies can disgust a cat and make them avoid the crunchies they love that have gone soft.
Deli Meat for Our Favorite Carnivore
Poultry, like sliced chicken or turkey breast, is one of the closest foods that mimic what a cat should eat in the wild so a bit of deli meat may entice a cat into a feeding frenzy. If they’re not eating their commercial foods you’re providing, simply getting some deli meat from the supermarket and offering it to your cay can entice them to clean their plates as it’s almost like the food they’d be hunting for in the wild.
Shredding a couple of slices of plain turkey or oven-roasted chicken and giving the meat in addition to a cat’s kibble or wet food is the best way to serve cold cat cuts. Choose natural, high-quality cold cuts that are low sodium and have no onion powder or seasonings added. Deli meats should not ever be more than 10% of your cat’s diet.
Warm Their Meals Up
To enhance the aroma of a can of cat food and possibly lure the cat back to the bowl, pop the cat food into the microwave for 5 to 10 seconds in a safe microwave dish. Disposable BPA-free containers are great for this and with a quick stir; the entire container and contents are a meal ready for a finicky feline. Make sure it is not too hot and is just above room temperature. The increased smell of cat food and the warmth can excite a cat that’s gotten bored of its food.
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