Food
My cat is eating less and has lost their appetite. Should I be worried?
Does your cat seem to have lost its appetite, or is it flat-out refusing to eat? Be on the lookout!
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Usually, your cat rushes over at mealtime and eats with enthusiasm. But now you have noticed that this is no longer the case and that their appetite has decreased, even if they are still eating a little. Should you be worried?
A lack of appetite is a common sign that can occur in many different situations, not all of which are related to illness. Nevertheless, it is important to stay alert and prevent the situation from continuing.
That is why any refusal to eat that lasts more than two days should be checked by a vet, as it may be a sign of a more serious underlying condition.
What external factors can reduce my cat’s appetite?
Outdoor temperature
In summer, during very hot weather, appetite may decrease and thirst may increase. You could try feeding your cat earlier in the morning, moistening their food, and, above all, making sure fresh water is always available. Once the heatwave has passed, everything should return to normal.
Stress
- Any upsetting change — such as moving house, the arrival of a new family member, or changes in the neighborhood — can reduce your cat’s appetite. It is important to anticipate these situations in order to minimise stress as much as possible.
- Depression — which may result from an extremely stressful situation — can also be accompanied by a loss of appetite and should be taken seriously.
A change in mealtime “routine”
A change in the food bowl — its material, shape, or height — or its location, such as being too close to the litter box, in a busy area, or in another cat’s “territory,” can make your cat reluctant to approach their bowl. A change in feeding time can have the same effect.
A change in diet
Switching between two types of food without a proper transition can cause diarrhoea and a decrease in appetite. You should always allow a one-week transition period when changing your cat’s diet.
Poor hygiene
Cats hate eating from “dirty” bowls or from cans that have been open for too long, or food that has been sitting in the bowl for too long. Ideally, you should offer small portions frequently.
Which illnesses can reduce my cat’s appetite
Paralysis ticks
There are many, but most of the time, loss of appetite is not the only symptom present. You should therefore watch carefully for other signs.
One of the early signs of tick paralysis may be a loss or reduction in appetite. This is often followed by vomiting, retching, or gagging. Cats can also experience lethargy, a change in their meow and a wobbly or uncoordinated gait. This is a medical emergency. If you live in a region where there are paralysis ticks, prompt assessment by your vet is crucial. Don’t forget that long lasting tick prevention should be used consistently and your cat checked daily for ticks.
Oral and dental conditions
- Any mouth pain — such as dental tartar with gingivitis, viral ulcers on the gums, a foreign body, or inflammation of the pharynx or oesophagus — can make chewing and swallowing difficult, especially with dry food.
- Most of the time, the cat drools and has difficulty picking up pieces of food, chewing them, or swallowing them.
Your vet may recommend dental scaling, or anti-inflammatory medication and antibiotics to relieve pain and clear up infections.
Respiratory conditions
Your cat needs to be able to smell their food in order to eat it. If their nose is blocked — because of cat flu, for example — they can no longer smell properly and may stop eating. Similarly, if they are having difficulty breathing, they may be too tired to chew and swallow. Often, they may also have a fever, sneeze, have a runny nose, or develop conjunctivitis. Treating the respiratory condition is essential. Ask your vet for advice.
To make feeding easier during treatment, gently cleaning the nostrils just before mealtime and slightly warming the food can help release its aromas.
Infectious diseases
Because they cause fever, bacterial or viral diseases are often accompanied by a sudden drop in appetite, along with other symptoms. Intestinal parasites, which can sometimes form real “balls” of worms — roundworms in particular — in the intestines, especially in kittens, may also reduce appetite because of the mechanical discomfort they cause. Carefully following deworming recommendations helps eliminate the problem quickly.
Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis, which quite often affects senior cats, can be difficult to detect because cats are very good at hiding pain. However, if your cat has to go up or down a few steps to reach their bowl, which may be painful with lower-back osteoarthritis, or bend their neck to eat, which may be painful with cervical osteoarthritis, they may try to avoid these painful moments and eat less.
Pain-relief treatments may help, as can rearranging the “feeding area” to make it easier to access.
Digestive conditions
The presence of a foreign body — such as hairballs, string, and so on — in the stomach or intestines, intestinal inflammation such as gastroenteritis, liver failure, or a digestive tumour can all cause a decrease in appetite. These conditions are usually accompanied by other signs, such as vomiting, diarrhoea, fever, or weight loss in the case of a tumour.
The vet will carry out a thorough examination, X-rays or an abdominal ultrasound, as well as blood tests, to identify the cause and treat it quickly.
Long-term conditions
Some diseases develop quietly and may cause a gradual, subtle decrease in appetite. Very often, you only notice the problem once your cat begins to lose weight and develop other symptoms. This may be the case, for example, with kidney failure or the development of cancer.
The vet will perform additional tests, such as X-rays, ultrasounds, and blood tests, to determine the exact cause of the problem and treat it.
What should I do if I notice that my cat is losing their appetite?
Start by checking whether there are any other symptoms:
- Their temperature: it should not be above 39°C.
- Do you notice lethargy? Abdominal pain? Is your cat drooling? Do they have a blocked nose or breathing difficulties?
- If you are in a tick paralysis area have you searched for a tick? Are they showing other signs of tick paralysis, such as a change in meow, difficulty jumping or a wobbly gait?
In all of these cases, a veterinary consultation is needed quickly: within 24 to 48 hours if your cat is still eating a little, and within 24 hours if they stop eating completely.
If your cat seems otherwise well:
- Rule out obvious “external” causes, such as a heatwave, stress, or a change in routine, and try to correct them.
- To encourage your cat to eat, you can slightly warm the food, offer food by hand, or choose their favorite food.
- Eating should resume within 24 to 48 hours. If it does not, consult your vet without delay.
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