Cat not eating: causes and when to see the vet

Reading time 6 min · Level 1: Why the symptom happens

The short answer: A cat that stops eating may be fussy, stressed or in pain, most often in the mouth. But in cats, not eating is never a symptom to wait out. When a cat gets no food, the body starts breaking down fat faster than the liver can deal with it, and a couple of days can be enough for the liver to be damaged. Our rule of thumb is simple: if your cat has eaten nothing for 24 hours, call the vet. If it has also vomited, drooled or become lethargic, call straight away.

Why cats are more vulnerable than dogs

A dog that skips a couple of meals usually copes well. A cat does not. When a cat stops eating, its body tries to cover its energy needs by breaking down its own fat. The liver is meant to turn that fat into energy, but when there is too much of it the liver cannot keep up and starts storing the fat inside its cells instead. The condition is called fatty liver, or hepatic lipidosis, and it can lead to liver failure if the cat does not get care in time¹.

AniCura writes that a couple of days without food can be enough to damage the liver, and that symptoms often appear after around three to four days of starvation or poor appetite¹. Overweight cats are the most at risk². The awkward part is that fatty liver rarely comes on its own. It almost always follows something else that made the cat stop eating in the first place, and cats are very good at hiding that they feel unwell.

The good news is that early help makes a big difference. A review of the condition notes that simply making sure the cat eats enough of a complete diet can often turn things around in cats that are just starting to show signs⁵. That is why the 24 hours matter. The earlier, the easier.

Five common causes

1. A sore mouth. Tooth resorption, gum disease and tartar make chewing painful. The cat often walks up to the bowl, looks interested and then walks away. It may chew on one side, drop food or drool. Toothache is one of the causes vets particularly highlight, and you rarely see it without looking inside the mouth¹.

2. Nausea or illness. Stomach upsets, pancreatitis, kidney disease and bowel inflammation can all take the appetite away¹. Here the lack of appetite is a symptom of something else, and that something else is what the vet needs to find. A cat that licks its lips, swallows often or sits hunched in front of the bowl may be nauseous.

3. Stress and change. A move, a new cat in the home, a new baby, a boarding cattery or building work. Stress is very likely to reduce how much a cat eats, and stress-related refusal to eat can contribute to serious medical conditions⁴. So it is not a harmless explanation just because it is psychological.

4. The food. A new food the cat does not like, a new texture, or food that has been left out too long and lost its smell. A typical example is an overweight cat given a weight-loss diet that simply refuses it¹. That particular cat is also the one most at risk of fatty liver.

5. The cat has not been able to eat. It has been lost, shut in a shed or stuck up a tree for a long time¹. Even if it eats normally once it is home, a call to the vet can be worthwhile if it has been gone for several days.

When to see the vet

Call straight away, the same day, if:

• Your cat has eaten nothing at all for 24 hours.
• It is lethargic, hiding or seems to be in pain.
• It is vomiting repeatedly, drooling or has diarrhoea.
• The whites of the eyes, the inside of the ears or the gums look yellowish. Jaundice is a sign that the liver is already affected¹.
• It is a kitten, an older cat, an overweight cat or a cat with a known illness.

Book an appointment within a few days if your cat is eating, but less than usual for several days, is losing weight, chews oddly or seems hungry but leaves the bowl. Even a cat that eats a little is at risk of liver problems if it does not get enough¹.

At the vet, two things happen at once: finding the cause and getting food into the cat. The vet can give medicines for nausea and pain, appetite stimulants and, if the cat still will not eat, feed it through a tube. An international expert panel on feline medicine states that tube feeding or intravenous nutrition should start no later than three days after the cat stopped eating, and the days at home count towards that⁶. If the cat has developed fatty liver, recovery often takes six to seven weeks¹.

What you can do yourself

This is for the cat that is eating less but still eating, or for the first 24 hours while you keep an eye on things. It does not replace the call to the vet.

Make the food more tempting. Cats choose food with their nose. Wet food warmed to roughly body temperature, about 37 degrees, gives off more smell³. Serve small portions and replace anything that has been left out.

Check the bowl and the spot. A low, wide bowl or a flat plate, so the whiskers do not touch the edge. The feeding place should be quiet, not next to the litter tray and not where the dog walks past³. If you have several cats, give each its own place.

Do not panic-switch foods. Offer a food your cat has liked before. If the diet needs to change, do it gradually. A cat that refuses a new food should get the old one back, not be starved into accepting the new one.

Measure rather than guess. Weigh out the food and write down what is left. With several cats it can be hard to know who ate what. A note of when the cat last ate and what it ate is the first thing the vet will ask for.

Never give human medicines. Several common painkillers are poisonous to cats.

Frequently asked questions

How long can a cat go without food?

Do not test the limit. A couple of days can be enough to damage the liver¹, which is why 24 hours without food is reason enough to call the vet.

My cat is not eating but is drinking. Is that OK?

No. Drinking is good, but it does not protect the liver. What is missing is the energy from food. If the cat is also drinking more than usual, that can point to the kidneys or the metabolism, which is one more reason to have it examined.

My cat stopped eating after we moved. What should I do?

Give it a quiet room with food, water, a litter tray and a hiding place, and let it explore the rest at its own pace. Stress is a common cause of refusing food, but 24 hours without food is still the point at which to call the vet.

Can I tempt my cat with treats?

A small amount of something your cat likes can get it eating again. But a cat that only eats treats is not getting a complete diet, and the treats can hide how poor the appetite really is.

That was the short answer. If you have a question about your own pet, email us at info@herbiovet.se. We reply within one working day.