What To Feed A Sick Cat That Won’t Eat? 

What to feed a sick cat that won’t eat? There are few things more heartbreaking than a sick kitten that doesn’t want to eat.

If your kitten is not eating, it is most likely that he is sick or depressed. If he refuses to eat for more than a day, take him to the vet. In the meantime, you can try to make her eat at home. Here I am going to talk about why your cat won’t eat, what to feed a sick cat that won’t eat, and what to do if my cat won’t eat? 

Why Does Your Cat Won’t Eat? 

Illness

One of the most telling signs that anything is awry is a lack of desire to eat. So if your cat suddenly stops eating, be careful to pay attention.

Kidney failure, Infections, Digestive issues, Pancreatitis, and cancer are all possibilities. Even a toothache can cause your cat to stop eating, so it’s not always something serious.

Recent Vaccination

Have you noticed a loss in appetite in your cat since you took it to the vet for routine vaccinations? If so, you are not alone. Your cat might be refusing to eat because of a negative reaction to the vaccination.

Vaccines have saved the lives of millions of animals, but they can also produce negative effects on some people and animals. Among these transitory and mild adverse effects is a decrease in appetite, which is rather common.

Travel and Unfamiliar Surroundings

Many cats, like many people, have a lot of habits. So if you change your daily routine, you might not be as hungry.

In addition, some animals get motion sickness when they travel by car or plane, which can make them sick and make them not want to eat.

Finickiness or Psychological Issues

Your cat may be refusing to eat because he or she is stressed or depressed. It’s possible that your cat isn’t eating because it’s physically unwell.

Sensitive cats may have difficulty adapting to changes in their living environment when they are in the process of moving. New cats, people, or changes to the typical course of events can make a cat feel horrible about itself at times, too. Alternatively, your cat may be averse to certain foods.

Be aware that cats generally take a long time to become used to new kinds of food, so a recent change in diet may have been the cause of any behavioral issues.

Also Read: Home Remedies For Cat Vomiting: Causes, And Treatment Of Cat Vomiting

What To Feed A Sick Cat That Won’t Eat? 

Read carefully to know what to feed a sick cat that won’t eat:

Think About Trying Other Brands

If you have an ethical or medical reason you need to stick with a certain brand of food, see if it comes in other flavors. 

Think about trying other brands that may offer the same medical or health benefits. Your cat may be getting a refreshing makeover.

Heat The Cat Food

If you put your cat food in the refrigerator, five to 10 seconds in the microwave will heat it to body temperature, and the smell will become attractive to your cat. If you don’t have a microwave, mix some hot water with food instead.

Add Something Tasty to Your Cat’s Food

Try sprinkling your refined cat food with a tempting treat like bonito flakes or cat vitamin powder.

Keep Your Cat’s Dishes Clean

This is especially important if your cat eats canned or raw food because bacteria begin to grow in leftover food scraps and can cause illness. 

In addition, cats are instinctively motivated to avoid eating pita-scented meat. If you use plastic dishes, replace them with metal or ceramic ones because they are easier to keep clean.

Try Shallow Dishes

Some cats don’t like deep or narrow dishes because they tend to have narrower whiskers.  Flat-faced cats such as Persians, Himalayans, and exotic shorthairs should eat from plates or shallow bowls anyway.

Hide Medicines in Your Cat’s Food

Once in a while, you take a pill and put it in my cat’s food. You didn’t know the medicine was really bitter. Maybe the cat refuses to touch it, and she has never eaten that particular brand and taste of food again. 

Some medications come in flavors that appeal to cats, but they are few and far between. Ask your vet before trying the powder-pill-in-food trick.

Choose Your Battle

Is it really important to you that your cat eats just one flavor of just one brand? Even if you love pizza, you’ll fall sick of it if you have to eat it every day for the rest of your life. Cats need and deserve some sort of diet just like ours.

Also Read: Home Treatment For Cat Hair Loss: Causes, Symptoms, and Precautions 

Food For Sick Cat

It’s possible that if your cat is sick, she won’t want to eat since she can’t smell well because her nose is congested. Make the dish as appetizing as possible to combat this issue.

To get your cat to eat, you’ll need to provide them with a reason to eat. Taking care of a sick cat needs some trial and error, finesse, and patience. The scents of wet food can be enhanced by heating it, for instance. To improve the flavor, consider adding a tablespoon of fish oil, some finely diced fresh fish, or some chicken broth.

If your cat is blind or visually impaired, he or she may have trouble finding food and water in your home. Keep the food dish in an area where your cat can get to it, and add a strong-smelling lure.

Even though it’s not suggested, if your cat is refusing to eat anything else, you could try giving it some dog or human food now and then. Some cats are devoted to eating dog food!

Supplement His Diet

For cats that aren’t eating as much as they used to but are still eating, you might want to add a feline vitamin gel to their food. These gels can be fed right away because they come in fish or chicken flavors. A lot of cats will lick it off of your finger or you can put it in your cat’s food.

Cat food can also be topped with something called a “topper.” It’s possible to buy these things from stores. They come in a lot of different varieties, flavors, and forms. People use a powdered meat tenderizer that comes in a shaker. Many of them are liquid in pouches or flakes that can be sprinkled on food.

Using these products makes food more appealing, but it won’t help if the cat has an issue with its mouth and teeth or has facial paralysis from a stroke. It can be hard to feed cats that have these illnesses because their facial muscles don’t work or the pain is too bad to make eating fun.

Since of a cat’s orofacial pain, a liquid diet or feeding tube may be the only way to get them to eat.

Try A Liquid Diet

Cats with specific medical issues can benefit from liquid diets. Because they are easy to digest and meet all of your cat’s nutritional requirements while also being gentle on the digestive system, liquid diets are frequently advised for cats with kidney disease. Cats that are recovering from an illness can also benefit from liquid diets.

There are many ways to provide liquid diets to your cat, such as by putting it in a dish and letting it lick it, or by feeding it to your cat via an injection. To provide liquid food to your cat, you’ll need to use this plastic syringe provided by your veterinarian. But beware of their claws and teeth!

In general, cats dislike being force-fed in this way, and it should only be done as a last resort in emergencies. It’s preferable if you can get a sick cat to eat on his own will.

Prescription Foods

It may be necessary to feed a prescription veterinary diet to pets suffering from long-term illnesses such as diabetes, IBD, or chronic renal failure. Cats with certain medical conditions, such as obesity or a blocked urinary tract, are no exception.

You can’t give your cat any other foods or treats while he’s on a prescription diet; you must get them from your veterinarian and feed them exclusively. In addition to Royal Canin and Purina, these diets are available from numerous other manufacturers.

Also Read: Dog Fever Treatment At Home, Causes, And Symptoms 

What To Do If My Cat Won’t Eat? 

Remember that a cat’s complete refusal to eat can have devastating consequences, regardless of whether the cat is ill, anxious, or just plain picky. Don’t deprive your cat of food, even if you are trying to get him to follow a doctor’s orders.

If your cat is refusing to eat because it is sick, consult with your veterinarian to come up with a treatment plan that works for both of you. Cats may be enticed to eat canned food if they are ill; this may be a change in food type or consistency. Cats that have been diagnosed with severe malnutrition may be given medications to increase their appetite, or they may be given liquid food via syringe. A feeding tube may also be recommended by the veterinarian to ensure that the patient receives the proper nutrition.

Even if your cat isn’t feeling well, you can still do things to get him to eat.

For some cats, certain foods, like liver or canned tuna can stoke their desire for food. Keep in mind that you should only serve these foods in moderation. When given in large quantities, certain vitamins can become deficient or overexposed, which can be harmful to your pet.

Encourage your cat to eat canned cat food instead of human food. To get your cat to eat, you may need to heat the food or add fish oil or broth (make sure it doesn’t contain onions, which are toxic for cats). Keep trying to feed your cat, even if it refuses to eat until you find a solution that works for both you and your cat. Your cat may develop an aversion to the food if it is allowed to harden and become stale.

If your cat has only been eating human food, it is important to gradually introduce cat food into your pet’s diet over several weeks. You should be able to gradually reduce the ratio of dog food to cat food over time.

Using a similar method, many veterinarians advise switching your cat’s food two to four times a year between different brands. As a result of this practice, food allergies and gastrointestinal issues may be less likely to develop.