My New Cat Won't Eat!

Hi, I just got my new cat, Flick, from the rescue shelter two days ago. He's 5 years old, and has always been a house cat. His previous owner was worried that he might be a problem with the arrival of a baby in the house. He is massively overweight, and I don't think he even recognises conventional cat food.


He's very affectionate, and apart from being a little wary in his new environment. he seems relaxed and playful. The worrying thing is that he hasn't eaten more than a mouthful in two days. I know he's drinking as he has used his litter tray. Any tips would be gratefully received.

Are you feeding him the same food that his previous owners did? Some cats are pretty fussy, and even if they are starving, won't eat food they don't like or is unfamiliar.

He needs to eat something, even if its a few mouthfuls. Can you try tempting him with bits of tuna? There are lots of threads here on how to change the food a cat eats, so you will be able to switch him to something you prefer, but to start, you should probably feed him what he was used to getting before.

(I adopted a 5 year old cat, who hated the food I gave him, and he quit eating, lost a bunch of weight, and was very very sick before I realized what was wrong. Fortunately, he recovered, and is now fat and happy).

You need to make sure he does not go a long time without eating, especially if he is overweight. Doing so puts him at very high risk for I believe it is fatty liver disease. If you know what his previous owners fed him, I would try that. Some people have had good success using a very smelly canned food to entice a cat to eat. I have heard people having great success with the fishy flavored Fancy Feasts. Canned jack mackeral is another one I have heard of. Good luck getting this guy to eat!

When my Sam was on his hunger strike, I finally realized something was wrong, and got some Fancy Feast for him. He practically grabbed the tin out of my hand, couldn't wait to start eating. Although he would only eat a tiny bit at a time, and hand fed him for about a week, to make sure he got enough.

Hi, thanks for your advice! The cat started eating last night and hasn't stopped! I think he just needed to settle in and learn that I was someone to be trusted. He seems fine.
Much more relaxed, and even said hello to some friends who came to dinner. The fact that he jumped into the middle of the dinner table while we were eating gives some indication of how comfortable he is!