Cat not eating

[potatospuds]

She hasn't touched any pouch or biscuits for about 2 days now. She also seems to be a bit quieter than usual different behaviour. She sleeps on our bed but for past 2 nights she's slept on the floor and spent most of the day there. I've been picking her up and taking her outside to go toilet but she just doesn't seem herself. A few weeks back some cats on our road were poorly. neighbour said they were being sick and not eating. She was sick a couple of times then but bounced back really quick. I'm worried about her now though, she loves being outdoor normally, not sure if that's related or it's just the weather keeping her in? Shall I keep an eye on her for next day or two then take her to vets if no improvement?

Has she drunk anything?

How old is your cat? I ask because her symptoms sound similar to those one of my cats had when he was suffering from kidney problems (more common as a degenerative condition in older cats but could result from ingesting something toxic). I would honestly take her to the vets sooner rather than later if her symptoms continue. It must be very worrying for you - I hope she recovers soon .

She's 4. Her water was still pretty full she might of been having sips here and there, and earlier she licked some of the jelly off pouch for a few seconds but that's about it. I keep putting fresh down in hope she'll perk up soon

I was just lying in bed worrying about her and I remembered I had a tub of the whiskers temptation treats, so I went and got a few of those to offer to her and she wolfed them down now I'm confused. Do cats just sometimes act like this to make you worry about them?

Is she weeing normally, and is there any sign of swelling in her abdomen (sorry, sounding like 20 questions now)? I'm assuming your neighbours' cats recovered OK from whatever they had?

It's a good sign that she's got some (if very limited) interest in food. Keep an eye on whether she's drinking because dehydration can cause illness much more quickly than not eating. If she's been like this for two days and doesn't show any sign of improvement tomorrow, especially if you don't think she's drinking, I'd definitely take her to the vets.

she could have been spooked by something - anything from loud noises to other cats encroaching on her territory if she goes out. However if other cats have been ill i would be cautious as frosty weather often means anti freeze which is fatal to cats (sorry to be alarmist - if you witness them drinking it something can be done immediately, otherwise the treatment is ineffective and worse if they havent ingested it). However since she seems to be eating a bit might be worth getting her kidneys checked out- they can do it quite easily at the vets.

X-post with yours about the treats - that's really encouraging! Yes, they certainly can sometimes 'hold out' on you for a few days if they don't think you're giving them the food they want, and if she's wolfing the treats rather than nibbling them it sounds like her appetite is OK.

As long as she's eating and drinking, and not vomiting the food back up, it doesn't sound like an urgent problem, so probably fine to monitor her over the weekend and then take her to the vet if you're still worried after a few days. Try to note whether she is weeing and pooing normally as well, as 'toilet behaviour' changing can be a sign that something's wrong.

Thank you for the advise :) I'm a little bit happier now I've seen her eat something but will be keeping a close eye tomorrow. I'll buy some different food and see if that makes a difference. Is it worth getting some Tuna to see if that perks her up?

Also as far as I know all cats have recovered I've seen them around. One who was very poorly (neighbour said) was back meowing at me on driveway the other day so all positive there. Not sure what was wrong with them though.

Mine go mad for anything like tuna or salmon. They love those little 'Gourmet' cat food tins too - they're v. expensive for what you get (B&M are about the cheapest stockist), but good for encouraging them to eat if they're getting over illness.

Good to know your neighbours' cats are OK - no idea what it could have been but it sounds like your girl might have had the same thing. Best thing to do is carry on keeping a close eye on her until she's back to normal, and be ready to take her to the vets if there's any change for the worse.

Cats not eating particularly in a young cat of 4 years old. I would suggest vets today as another 48 hours could lead to more serious problems. Kidneys are possible, but actually uncommon in a young cat. Pancreatitis or cholangiohepatitis would be much more common and are both painful as well as preventing the cat from eating.

I take ours to the vet as soon as he looks off colour, I wouldn't have waited this long.

If she has not really eaten and has seemed unwell for two days then I would try and get her to a vet this morning.

My cat has had both conditions Lone mentions, she wouldn't eat and was very quiet too and didn't really move, I guess as it was too painful to. She was being sick as well. I hope you've been able to get her to the vet and she's better soon. Cats are very good at hiding pain and illness until it gets quite bad.

I would take her to the vet, having said that I would also try the tuna test. Mine can't ignore a plate of tinned tuna.

My vet has always advised me to take my cats to see her if they don't eat for more than 48 hours. She said cats will go downhill really fast. Sorry, I would get her to the vet if nothing else for piece of mind. If there was something wrong you wouldn't forgive yourself. I did this year's ago with one of our cats. Left it for about 4 days and it turned out he had a nasty kidney infection. Had to stay at vets for 3 days and luckily he recovered ok but I felt so awful that he had been in pain for so long. The vet tore me off a strip!

I've had a good look at her this morning felt her belly and around to see any signs of pain, she didn't seem in pain at all. She's also eaten some chicken and more treats. I think the more I look at it I think it might be she's holding out for some 'nicer' food. I'm off to get some tuna and some of the gourmet ones a PP suggested. If no luck will definitely take her vets later.

Thank you to the PP that suggested the Gourmet pouches, she's tucked into it lovely. It makes me think it's just her being fussy now, will still keep an eye but she's now had a pouch, chicken and treats today so not as concerned

It could be tooth pain.

My cat suddenly went off his normal food and didn't eat for 24 hours. He was a rescue cat that we'd recently adopted and we knew he had dental issues. We booked him in for an emergency extraction (he had a fractured tooth) and needed to be starved overnight so we had to get him to eat before the op or he'd have been properly starving. We got him to eat chicken and some applaws tuna. I think the reason he ate the treat food was because it was worth the pain if you see what I mean and he was really hungry.

He went back to normal eating after the extraction. (so far anyway!)

Glad she enjoyed them