My Cat Won't Eat ???

I just returned from a 3 week trip. A reliable neighbor cared for my two cats. My long-haired cat has lost a serious amount of weight but her fur is so long it was hard to tell. I didn't know until I petted her back.

She has very bad breath. She acts pretty normal except when I watch closely she is weak. She is drinking and does not show signs of illness. She does not get bothered when I am gone.

I offered her some different goodies but she's not eating. How do you get a cat to eat???

I'll try anything right now!

....... ADDED ........

Also.... she was checked by the vet not long before I left she is well. All her testing etc. is up to date. She's always had bad breath and they have not found why. Maybe just normal for her, but it gets worse when she's not feeling well. No injuries, no problems.
I think she just needs to eat!

The way you get a cat to eat, is find out what is going on with the cat. That means a vet visit.

If it was your child who lost a lot of weight, and was weak walking....what would you do???

It does not matter what the last vet visit was. So much can happen so fast. You must see to your cat. It is your responsibility.

I agree that you must get to a vet. In the interim, when Franklin stops eating I've had success with jarred baby food, full fat greek yogurt, boiled chicken w/chicken broth, rice & Chicken /chicken broth...

Check your cats skin by the ears, see if it's yellow at all. This indicates liver failure, very common when cats are sick.

Please search "Hepatic Lipidosis" in the forum, this is what happens when cats don't eat and rapidly lose weight.

If your cat doesn't have it yet, it has a very high chance of getting it if you don't get it to eat. Try treats, tuna juice, warming the food.... anything you can think of. As mentioned before jarred baby food works wonders, get a variety with NO garlic or onions

Your cat is probably dehydrated as well, it needs a vet visit with bloodwork run and possibly some fluids.

Agree - call the vet and get a same day visit today if at all possible - or head for the e-vet- this is urgent. Could be kitty missed you more this time and simply didn't eat (what did the caretaker say?), but cats can be affected very quickly if they develop nutritional disorders.

Meantime, agree to all the food suggestions. And good luck!

She may have a bad tooth or ulcer in her mouth which is causing the bad breath and lack of appetite. Whatever it is, she needs to go to the vet now, either the ER vet or your regular vet.

Thank You very much to each responder.

Just wanted to report all is well.

Took her to vet, she needed hydration and began eating.
Not sure why, but it's all good now!
The support, but honestly not the guilt, ... was wonderful!!

Originally Posted by damfino

Thank You very much to each responder.

Just wanted to report all is well.

Took her to vet, she needed hydration and began eating.
Not sure why, but it's all good now!
The support, but honestly not the guilt, ... was wonderful!!

Click to expand...

Sorry about you feeling guilty... it is really not about that... but you were very lucky... Cats can get very sick by not eating and losing weight like that, and since you were gone for three weeks, it could be a very bad situation. There is a kitty here, Bear, who is going through it right now, and we have witnessed some dying... So...
I am so so glad all is well, and the kitty has recovered!
Next time you go away, tell your neighbor to give her measured amounts of food every day- do not free feed anymore, this way she can see if she is eating or not. Also, leave an authorization for her to take your cat to the vet, and call the vet authorizing your neighbor to do so.
I travel a lot for work, and these things do make my life a whole lot easier... Aside from that, I do have my vet tech as my pet sitter, which helps a LOT!

Maude died from liver failure due to her not eating. All 3 bowls were empty(we had 3 cats at the time) were empty so we assumed everyone was eating. By the time we realized we hadn't seen her eat recently and she started losing weight it was too late. We had the bowls in the kitchen, I have since moved them into the living room so I can make sure Attitude and Nuts are eating.

That is why we stressed she had to get to a vet quickly.

Taryn

We had a kitty that stopped eating and her breath became very bad. She lapped up water and would lap up a little canned food but started losing weight quickly. We noticed it and called the vet, who made an appt for her the next day. Our little kitty died overnight while we were sleeping. A couple months later, another cat had the same problems....only we noticed him leaking urine...the first day we didn't know why his underside was wet, etc the second day we called the vet. They got him in that day, and tested his urine to find out his kidneys had completely failed.
Unfortunately, not eating can be a very bad sign, that is why most people will tell you to see a vet right away. Sometimes, problems can just creep up. Telling you to take the kitty to a vet asap is never meant to make you feel guilty, just everyone being concerned for your kitty. Glad your kitty is doing well!