Why Won’t My Cat Eat? Causes, Home Remedies, and When to See a Vet

A cat that won’t eat can be scary, especially if they usually run to the bowl. If you have found yourself asking, “Why won’t my cat eat?” then you have noticed something that definitely shouldn’t be ignored. Sometimes it’s stress, a routine change, or food preference, but it could be something worse.

Cats can go downhill quickly if they stop eating, so you should pay attention. In this guide, we break down common medical and non-medical causes and suggest some practical, safe steps to tempt their appetite. We also explain when the best course of action is to call your vet.

Read on for some insights into why your cat won’t eat.

Why Won’t My Cat Eat?

There is a big difference between reduced appetite and complete refusal to eat. While this distinction matters, neither should be ignored. If you have learnt that your cat is a picky eater, be advised that this is often a symptom and you should rule out any medical issues before you ignore it.

Cat appetite matters. Cats are more vulnerable than many animals to complications related to not eating. If a cat stops eating for several days, it can lead to issues like hepatic lividosis (fatty liver disease). This is where the body starts to process fat too quickly, and it can be fatal.

If you notice your cat has stopped eating, there could be a number of causes. Here are a few things you can do to try and root out the trigger:

• Have there been any big changes recently? (food, routine, people, pets, moving, noise, etc.)

• Have you noticed any vomiting or diarrhoea, hiding, drooling, bad breath, weight loss or lethargy?

• Is the cat also not drinking?

We’ll cover what these things could mean later in this article.

Common Medical Reasons a Cat Won’t Eat

If your cat stops eating, don’t just guess at the reason. Look for clues that give you some insight into what the actual cause is. Though it could be related to stress or food preference, there are a few medical causes that could be behind it:

• Dental and mouth pain: This could definitely stop a cat from wanting to eat. Signs to look out for include drooling, bad breath, pawing at the mouth, chewing on one side, dropping food and showing an unusual preference for softer foods.

• Upper respiratory infections: Cats rely heavily on smell to assess their food, so congestion can reduce appetite. Signs of this problem include sneezing, nasal discharge, watery eyes and noisy breathing.

• Nausea and GI issues: Not eating could be a sign of gastroenteritis, parasites, pancreatitis, dietary indiscretion or even a food intolerance. Signs of these problems include licking the lips, drooling, vomiting, diarrhoea and a “meatloaf” posture.

• Pain elsewhere: Pain, including from arthritis, can suppress appetite and may even affect the cat’s ability to digest food. If you notice reduced jumping, stiffness, reluctance to move or a change in posture, pain could be the reason.

• Chronic disease: Kidney disease, liver issues, diabetes and cancer are all possible causes. Something less severe is far more likely, but signs of weight loss, increased thirst, a dull coat or lethargy could be symptoms of chronic illness.

• Foreign body/toxin ingestion: If you also notice repeated vomiting, abdominal pain, sudden severe lethargy, drooling or gagging alongside loss of appetite, your cat could be poisoned.

If you notice any of the above symptoms and suspect a medical cause, don’t hesitate to call your vet. They will book an appointment and do whatever tests they deem necessary to identify the exact cause of the problem.

Red Flags: When It’s an Emergency

If your cat refuses to eat for ~24 hours, we recommend that you contact a vet immediately. If your cat won’t eat and won’t drink either, the advice is to call the vet right away and not wait for 24 hours. For kittens or elderly cats, this is particularly urgent.

Here are some other emergency symptoms:

• Trouble breathing

• Collapse or extreme weakness

• Repeated vomiting

• Blood in vomit or stool

• Severe diarrhoea

• Suspected toxin or foreign body ingestion

• A painful abdomen

• Seizures

• Sudden jaundice

We strongly urge you to avoid waiting to contact the vet if you notice any of these symptoms. Without immediate treatment, prolonged no-eating could lead to dehydration, hepatic lipidosis or the worsening of an underlying disease.

Before you make the call, think about when you last saw the cat eat and drink, and any recent changes in food, meds or your household.

Non-Medical Causes: Stress, Routine Changes and “Trained Pickiness”

Stress and anxiety are probably the most common causes of no-eating in cats. You will usually notice other tell-tale behaviours like hiding, hypervigilance and reduced play. Often, it doesn’t take much to trigger anxiety in cats. Common causes include:

• Moving house

• Guests

• Building works

• A new baby

• A new pet

• Litter tray changes

• Conflict with other cats

• Loud noises

It is possible that the problem actually comes down to something to do with the feeding. Perhaps the bowl isn’t clean enough or the bowl material puts them off. It could even be the bowl shape or the feeding location that is the problem.

If you give your cat treats, understand that they may already be getting all the calories they need from those. This is why it’s important to know how many cups of food you should feed your cat each day and stick to a healthy calorie intake.

How to Get Your Cat Eating Again

If you are confident that your cat’s eating issues come from anxiety, there are things you can do to try and make food appealing for them again. Try the following things first:

1. Make food smell stronger: gently warm wet food (not hot) and add a small amount of warm water to release the aroma.

2. Offer small, frequent meals instead of one big portion.

3. Change the setup: move the feeding station to a quiet spot, make sure the bowl is clean, consider a wide plate and separate other cats at feeding time.

4. Prioritise hydration: Fresh water is important. It can be helpful to offer multiple bowls or even consider a fountain if the cat prefers running water.

Tuna is a common choice to whet a cat’s appetite again. Other strong-smelling wet foods can work too, or you could try a small amount of plain cooked chicken or fish as a topper for the normal food.

Switching Cat Food Without Refusal: A Transition Plan

If you want to maximise your chances of success when switching your cat onto a new food, a gradual approach usually works best. Here is a suggestion:

If the answer to why your cat won’t eat lies in a change of food, this gradual process should work. You could also try offering the new food at the normal mealtime, then remove it after 20-30 minutes and offer a smaller portion of the old food.