What to do if your cat doesn't eat, drinks only water, and sleeps

Every owner should be wary if a cat suddenly refuses to eat. If the animal doesn't change its position for a long time, something is likely wrong. If the cat refuses to touch its food and sleeps most of the time, you should pay closer attention. It's possible it's suffering from some kind of illness, and you need to take immediate action.

What does it mean if a pet refuses to eat or drink?

There are times when a cat doesn't eat for several days, and at first glance it's difficult to tell what the cause is. When the kitten has no appetite, anorexia is often mentioned. Unlike hunger, which is caused by physiological factors, anorexia is associated with psychological factors.

There are many possible causes of this condition, which can lead to a cat's loss of appetite for a long time. In kittens, this can be observed when certain disorders occur in their body that contribute to the development of the disease. If the kitten does not show the same activityIf a cat hasn't eaten or drunk for several days and hasn't left its spot, it's likely it's suffering from stomach or other vital organ problems. It's hard to imagine a cat experiencing excruciating pain every minute thinking about food.

Another reason that may be associated with a cat's lethargic behavior is her first heat. The owner may mistake this condition for illness.This is the animal's first experience of experiencing natural urges, so it may act confused. Typically, a kitten will only behave this way for a few days, but then it will become cheerful and active again.

If you notice your kitten is unwilling to eat and only sleeping for two or three days, it's likely due to some illness. Loss of appetite is often associated with infectious diseases, such as worms. To prevent such situations, it's recommended to periodically administer special deworming medications as a preventative measure.

Among the entire list of diseases, we can highlight the most common ones in domestic cats. Keep in mind that if your The pet is not eating, remains lethargic, and is clearly losing weight., then you can be sure it's some kind of illness. The first step is to figure out what infection is causing this condition and what to do.

A kitten may begin to lose weight during gastrointestinal diseases. Characteristic The symptoms of this disease are Diarrhea and other unusual discharge. But to be sure that this is the cause, you should take your dog to a veterinarian who can make a more accurate diagnosis.

Liver disease is also a common finding in cats. Any change in a cat's behavior is a signal for the owner to take them to the veterinarian to ensure they are not in any danger. So that this doesn't happen again, you should be more careful about what you feed your kitten. Its diet should definitely include foods that can cleanse this organ.

• Pancreatic disease. Some animals may experience loss of appetite due to this condition.
• Diseases of the reproductive system.
• Blood diseases.
• Along with the above reasons, a kitten may refuse water and food due to diseases of the mucous system - throat, nose, mouth, etc.

Other reasons

If your cat hasn't eaten for a long time, don't immediately take it as a sign of illness. The weight loss could be due to the following reasons:

• The kitten didn't like the new food;
• When changing residences. Cats often don't adjust to a new environment right away. To speed up the adaptation period, you can use special medications that help animals adjust to the new environment.
• Stress arising from various causes.

Regardless, if your cat has no appetite during the day, don't panic and wonder what to do. If your pet's condition doesn't improve over a longer period of time, then you should show it to the vetBut there are some peculiarities here too. To avoid worrying about your kitten's health prematurely, it's helpful to familiarize yourself with the following information:

• If you have a young and healthy cat, they may not eat for up to 5 days and still feel relatively well. If their appetite returns after this time, they'll quickly replenish all their essential vitamins and carbohydrates and become happy and active again.
• If you have an older cat living in your apartment who has lost his appetite, keep in mind that he can go without food for no more than three days. If this is all that's needed, and his appetite returns after that, he'll recover quickly. However, he'll only be able to return to his normal routine if the loss wasn't caused by a diet.
• If a similar situation occurs with a small kitten who refuses to eat all day, be aware that this is dangerous to their health and can be fatal. A kitten doesn't have sufficient reserves of nutrients to survive more than a day without food. Therefore, if you notice your pet refusing breakfast, you must take action immediately.
• Owners of cats with chronic illnesses should be especially attentive to their pets. Long-term fasting is strictly contraindicated for them. Regardless of when the illness manifests itself, you should do everything possible to ensure that the kitten does not fast for more than two days.

What to do?

Once the owner realizes that something is wrong with the cat, he or she must decide what to do first.

If the cat is lethargic

If you notice a complete lack of appetite in your cat for several days, the first thing you should do is change the diet. If you In the morning we gave our pet new food If your cat hasn't touched it all day, it's most likely the food. To transition your cat to a new food, you can do the following: mix a small amount of food with the old food, gradually reducing the amount.

It's possible the problem lies with your cat's dirty bowl. To prevent this, you should wash your pet's bowl after each meal. The reason why a cat refuses to eat may be Incorrect bowl placement. To determine this, you can move your cat's bowl to a different location and see if they touch the food. You may not need to do anything else.

If you have tried all the methods, but nothing helped you understand why your cat has not eaten for several days, then All you have to do is show it to the vetGiven the ineffectiveness of the recommendations given, it can be assumed that this is a serious condition. Therefore, it is important to begin treatment as soon as possible.

If he doesn't eat, doesn't drink and burps

If you notice these signs in your pet, they can be explained by the following factors:

• The cat ate her portion of food too quickly.
• You put too much food in the lunch and your pet ate it all.
• You gave your cat food that is too dense and difficult to digest.
• You have switched your pet to a new food without any prior preparation.
• The food turned out to be of poor quality and had time to spoil.
• It is possible that the lack of appetite is caused by poisoning due to the cat rummaging through the trash or eating something poisonous.

Try changing the food and see if your pet still refuses to eat.

Health problems

This condition may also be associated with certain health problems. The most common are the following:

• digestive system cancer;
• renal failure of the body;
• diabetes;
• the presence of infection in the stomach;
• presence of parasites in the esophagus.

If your cat has one of the first four diseases, you should never treat it yourself. Instead, take a different approach and immediately take it to the veterinarian at the first sign of illness. Any other action could put your cat's life at risk. Increase the chances of saving and speedy recovery of the animal It's possible if a diagnosis is made and treatment is started promptly. Attempts to help the cat at home could result in the animal's death as a result of your experiments.

If you suspect your cat has worms, you can find out for yourself without consulting a specialist. It's not difficult. To do this, you'll need to purchase a deworming medication for domestic cats from your veterinarian. Add it to your cat's water or food. However, for it to be effective, it's recommended to give it to your cat in its pure form.

Of course, your pet won't want to take the medicine so easily and will struggle. To do this, you'll need to open its mouth with one hand and place the pill under its tongue with the other. Make sure the cat has swallowed the medicine.Otherwise, you won't achieve anything. After your cat has consumed the medication, you should wait until it needs to go to the toilet.

Once your cat has eliminated, you will need to visually inspect the feces. Presence of parasites in feces This means they are also present in the animal's body. If you can't detect them, you should take the cat to the vet.

If the fluffy one doesn't eat or drink, the nose is dry

Some owners believe that a dry nose in a cat indicates a certain illness. However, this rule doesn't always apply. If you touch your cat's nose after sleep, you'll find it dry. Therefore, concluding that your cat is sick would be incorrect. If your pet hasn't eaten for several days and is showing this symptom, don't delay any longer; it's time to take her to the vet.

You shouldn't place too much hope on self-medication, as such methods may not always be effective. If your cat has a dry nose, it wouldn't hurt to touch it., as it's possible she has a fever. If you notice this symptom, it's another reason to take your pet to the vet without delay.

How to cope with the disease?

Given that a cat's appetite can be lost for various reasons, only a specialized veterinarian can diagnose the underlying condition. A number of steps are taken to diagnose the condition:

• A comprehensive and complete examination. This includes an oral examination and abdominal examination, which can help diagnose stomach problems. The specialist will also listen to the cat's breathing, assess its weight, and measure its temperature.
• To obtain an accurate diagnosis, the owner will need to undergo urine and blood tests. These results will allow a more accurate assessment of whether your pet has any hidden organ diseases.
• If the specialist suspects certain diseases, you will need to have an X-ray of the chest and abdomen.
• In some cases, a stool test is required to determine the presence of parasites in the cat's stomach.

Based on the results of the measures taken, a diagnosis is determined, on the basis of which a treatment program is developed that will help your cat recover faster.

Unlike humans, cats can't tell when they're sick. Therefore, owners should be attentive to their pets. Refusing to eat is the first sign that something is wrong. However, there's no need to immediately sound the alarm, because This may be a normal occurrence for the animal.But if the situation doesn't improve after two or three days, you should be wary. If, in addition to a lack of appetite, your cat also has other symptoms suggestive of illness, such as a dry nose, you should take it to the vet. Even if you're wrong, you'll at least be assured of your pet's health.