Cats refusing to eat their food, seems to be out of nowhere

andrealynne00

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Hi there, I'm new to here. I have two 9 month old kittens (or cats, or whatever they're considered at 9 months...) who are brother and sister. I've been feeding them Hill's Science Diet dry kitten food since they've been weened off their mother, and they've seemed to love it. They always go crazy when we feed them and so far, they've been pretty good with eating. Over the last few days though, they've been eating less and less of their food, which I was worried about at first, but then thought that their appetites must just be getting smaller since they're not really little kittens anymore. Out of desperation to get them to eat more, I bought them some wet food, which they've ate a little bit of and has gotten them to eat a little bit more, but I'm still worried. Their behavior seems to be the same, they're still as active and obnoxious as always, haha. And they're still just as affectionate as they usually are, and everything else seems to be pretty normal. Nothing's changed in the home for them, no new family members or pets or even as much as changing their environment at all. And no, I've never given them table scraps either. I just think it's weird that it's happening to both of them and not just one... I'm have an appointment for them at the vet tomorrow, I just think I might go crazy with worry before then. Has this ever happened to anyone?
 

sharky

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WET food is a GREAT addition to a cat diet/.///

Glad your taking kitty to the vet
 

mrblanche

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They may be getting old enough that they don't need all the energy in the kitten food any more, so they're just eating less. But any time you notice a major change in behavior, it's a good idea to at least check with your vet.
 

tamgirl99

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Did you happen to recently open a new bag of food? I'm wondering if there is something different about this bag that could be causing them to not want it.
 
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andrealynne00

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Originally Posted by tamgirl99

Did you happen to recently open a new bag of food? I'm wondering if there is something different about this bag that could be causing them to not want it.
No, I didn't. I had noticed though that the bag had been left open, because it didn't seal up all the way and I heard that cat food being left out in the open can make the taste (and appeal) of it go away to a cat?
 

mews2much

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I have a kitten thier age and she eats like a pig. My Sasha that is almost 2 doesnt eat alot. My Cats eat less when its Hot. Whats teh weather like there?
 

tamgirl99

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Originally Posted by andrealynne00

No, I didn't. I had noticed though that the bag had been left open, because it didn't seal up all the way and I heard that cat food being left out in the open can make the taste (and appeal) of it go away to a cat?
I would suggest buying another bag and trying it just to be sure. Just a thought! Good luck and please let us know what the vet says!
 
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andrealynne00

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Originally Posted by mews2much

I have a kitten thier age and she eats like a pig. My Sasha that is almost 2 doesnt eat alot. My Cats eat less when its Hot. Whats teh weather like there?
I live in the southeast (U.S.) so it's getting pretty hot and summery so far. Would that really affect them if they're strictly indoor cats and my apartment is air conditioned?
 

cc12

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My cats are eating less as the weather heats up. The way I check if anything is wrong with their appetite is to provide them with a treat they like. If they attack it then I know all is well.
One thing to consider is that as they shed and groom, they could get some blockage with hairballs.
 

ktlynn

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Originally Posted by sharky

WET food is a GREAT addition to a cat diet/.///

Glad your taking kitty to the vet


Anytime there's an abrupt or noticeable change in your cat's habits, it's always a good idea to rule out a medical problem.

As sharky pointed out, wet food is very good for cats & kittens, since it's closer to a natural diet. The water content is beneficial to their health.

Dry food starts to lose its nutritional value as soon as you open the bag and expose it to air. It's a good idea to press the air out of the bag and seal it tightly after each use. You could also put several days worth of the food into a smaller container and dispense the food from that, rather than open the bag each time. That will help keep the food that's still in the bag fresher.

Just a suggestion - you might want to look into alternatives to the Science Diet. It's an expensive food, and for what it's costing you, you could feed your kittens a much higher-quality food.

BTW, at 9 months, your little ones are still considered kittens.

Hope the vet gives them a clean bill of health!
 

yosemite

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Just to reiterate what KTLynn says - Science Diet is expensive and not as good quality as some less pricey foods.
 
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