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Tips On What To Do When Your Cat Won’t Eat

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Lora Matt
Tips On What To Do When Your Cat Won’t Eat

Cats are known to have finicky behavior, which is seen in their feeding habits. Rejecting food, smelling it before eating, or nibbling it before consuming is a normal reaction you get from a cat. Sometimes cats can even reject food that they have been eating for a while; this is because as they age their tastes change. All of these behavioral patterns are normal till your cat is eventually eating. Skipping multiple meals, or refusing to eat at all, is a sign of trouble.



Refusing to eat for a long time can lead to weight loss, weakness, kidney, liver, or other organ damage, and cause other health issues. It becomes important to recognize why your cat has stopped eating and figure out ways to fix the problems to ensure normal feeding behavior.


Why won’t your cat eat?

There can be many reasons why your cat refuses to eat. Let’s understand the reasons after which we can figure out how to make them eat more-

  • Illness: Various illnesses, especially the ones related to the digestive system can make your feline lose their appetite.
  • Territoriality or Bullying: Cats are aggressively territorial, so if you introduce a new feline to the ones already living in a space, they might scare the newcomer. Sometimes a more docile cat can get intimidated and is unable to eat in the presence of a more hostile feline. 
  • Oral Problems: Injuries in the mouth, broken teeth or damaged gums, tongue or lip can make your cat refuse to eat as they might be in pain. 
  • Food Changes or Spoilage: Cats have sensitive senses; they can notice the change in their meals or recognize if the food is spoilt. Some cats are pickier than others and may refuse new food or take time to adjust to unfamiliar textures, smells, and tastes.
  • Change in routine: Cats are accustomed to their routines and even a small change in those can trigger them. Any change like traveling, moving to a new house, remodeling an old house, or even changing the feeding location can cause anxiety in your cat, and they might refuse to eat for a while.

What can you do?

As we’ve seen there can be many reasons why your cat might refuse to eat. So as cat parents it’s our responsibility to figure out ways to make them eat. Here are some steps you can take to make sure that your feline is eating properly.

  • The first step is making sure that your cat is not ill. If they seem weak, nauseous, or show other symptoms of some disease, the best option is to get them checked by a veterinarian.
  • When an illness is not the culprit you can move to other options, like offering their favorite food to prompt eating. Mixing a few cat special treats can make your cat more eager to eat.
  • Add more flavor to their food with a splash of anchovy, tuna, or salmon juice. Cats can be avoiding eating simply because they don’t like it, so make sure to give them food from different cat food brands and of other flavors to circle out a favorite.
  • If you have recently changed their feeding area, restore the original one, so that your cat can return to a normal feeding pattern.
  • Help to calm your cat in anxious situations. While introducing to a new clutter, keep your cat’s feeding station in a different place, until everyone is used to being around each other.
  • Similarly, take steps to alleviate other stresses that could be affecting their feeding.



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