Can a cat live 6 days without food?

[spookyastronauts]

Cat has gone missing and there’s been a few sightings of her but she’s very skittish and runs away from people she doesn’t know. She has been missing for 6 days and someone saw her just an hour ago near our back garden! I’ve been out with a torch but there’s nothing! I was thinking maybe someone stole her but now I know that shes been out all this time, I’m really stressing about how she won’t have eaten for 6 days and must be poorly! I’ve left food out tonight so hopefully she comes back and eats.

I’ve done all of the stuff you’re supposed to to try and get her back and I just want to know, will she have been finding things to eat this whole time? I’m sobbing thinking how hungry she must be

She may be catching stuff to eat or scrounging off other people . Cats go missing for weeks and survive . Hope you get her back soon .

She will have been eating, they’re hunters.

Shes nearby, be patient - she’ll come back x

She will be scavenging or catching prey or people will be feeding her.

I had a cat go missing for months once. I had given up on him when he just strolled in one day like nothing had happened. Apart from being filthy, he was fine and just as fat as ever.

Yes they can - my parents' cat climbed up a chimney in a neighbouring shop that was closed and was there for 6 days. He was dehydrated and poorly but no lasting damage. Your cat will have been eating though don't worry! She will be catching prey and/or scavenging.

Okay thank you! This has made me feel better then. I am thankful that she’s not stuck somewhere and she’s hanging around and I guess just hiding. She isn’t used to being outside she usually hates it and is scared but she bolted last Saturday for some reason and I haven’t seen her since 😢

There are stories of cats managing for weeks on no food and very little water, e.g. when shut in somewhere, but it would depend on the health and weight of the cat to begin with. However, if yours is out and about she'll be eating small rodents, birds etc. and drinking from natural precipitation.

My indoor (by his own choice) cat at once stage accidentally ended up out, panicked and hid because he was frightened, got lost and was missing for 9 weeks. He found his way home in the end, healthy and hardly any weight lost! Don't worry OP.

Thank you so much! This gives me hope

My cat did 9 days w
locked in someone’s garage, the vet said she would have eaten spiders! No lasting effects amazingly just a bit skinnier

My cat disappeared for over 3 weeks when we had family staying once. A few hours after they left she sauntered back in. My autistic son adores her because he swears they are both autistic introverts! She was fine. Luckily we live with fields around and she must have caught enough small furries to keep herself going.

They can, but it isn’t great. After about 48 hours without food cats start developing Feline Hepatic Lipidosis (basically, a build-up of fat in the liver that causes damage). Hopefully she is eating bugs or scavenging from neighbouring food bowls to get herself by. They don’t have to eat a lot to stave off the FHL, they just need to be eating something.

As a precaution I would get bloodwork done when you get her back to see how her levels look. I’m hoping that you get her back in soon! 🤞🏻