It can be worrying if your cat hardly eats at all, or has stopped eating altogether. If your cat isn’t at all interested in their food, it can be frustrating wondering what to do. Fortunately, there are some steps you can take to encourage your cat to eat. Perhaps changing its diet to something more appealing, or using a few tricks and tips to get a fussy eater to eat properly once more. With a little care and patience your cat will soon begin to enjoy their food again and stay healthy.
Obvious Signs That Your Cat Is Not Eating
When food is left in the bowl, it can be a little alarming, especially if it is beginning to become a regular occurrence. The cat is your pet, and your responsibility, and you want it to be healthy, so you begin to worry about what the problem may be and the reasons why your cat is not eating. Even a weight loss of a few pounds can affect a healthy cat, a nutritional deficiency can leave your cat susceptible to illness or infection. You cannot force your cat to eat, but a healthy cat should be eating everything you put in front of it, especially previous favorites and treats. If it is not eating at all you should be rightly concerned and think about contacting the vet.
Reasons Why Cats Become Picky Eaters
Most cats can become finicky eaters at some point. No two cats are alike, so one cat may become fussier about what it is eating than another. This is usually nothing to worry about, as long as the cat is eating enough to sustain it, some people like a widely varied diet while others prefer the same familiar meals throughout their lives. Cats are no different, some cats will prefer some foods another cat will turn away from. A particularly picky cat may be nothing to worry about, as long as it is eating something regularly.
If your cat is a house cat, then it is much easier to know for certain whether it is eating or not. If your cat frequents the neighborhood, then you may be unaware if it is finding a source of food outside. If you can monitor your cat when it leaves the home, then you may discover whether it is eating away from home or not, and what it is eating. It may be hunting, or it may be given food by a friendly neighbor. If you can ascertain it is eating elsewhere, then that may put your mind to rest that at least there is nothing wrong with your cat. You may, if you are worried, have a talk with a neighbor that is feeding your cat, or restrict your cats outside activities if it is hunting.
Where you may have to worry is if, for example, your cat may have developed an allergy to whatever you are feeding it. If your cat is suddenly less interested in a favorite food, it may have an allergy to an ingredient in that food. Pet foods change over time, and a ‘new improved recipe’ by a particular favorite of your cat, may now include something that the cat is wary of eating, or allergic to. Allergies should be taken seriously, so speak to your vet immediately if you think this could be a cause of your cat not eating.
If your cat is female, your cat may be pregnant, some cats can become picky eaters during pregnancy. If you suspect this may be the case, take your cat to the vet to have it confirmed. Your vet will advise on a particular diet that will be to the advantage of a pregnant cat, ensuring it will gain weight to sustain itself and the growing kittens during the course of the pregnancy.
You may be overfeeding your cat. Continually filling its bowl with food may make some cats put on weight, and making your cat fat will not do anything for the health of your pet. Some cats may only eat what they need, and therefore, food left in the bowl is not necessarily the result of your cat not eating, or not eating enough, it is just the fact that the cat has eaten all it wants and needs to eat to keep it fit and healthy. Stick to a recommended diet for your particular breed and age of cat and you can be sure your cat will be eating enough without feeling hungry, or piling on weight through overfeeding.
It May Be Time to Change Your Cat’s Diet
If your cat is turning away from food it regularly ate before without a problem, it may just mean your cat has found its diet stale and boring, and is now finding it tasteless and unappealing. Changing the types of food your cat eats can perk it up and help it become more adventurous. Trying something new can entice your cat to begin to enjoy its food again and eat with relish.
Try mixing wet food with kibble. If your cat is used to one or the other, the change may be a good way to have your cat try something different. Vary the flavors regularly. Perhaps add supplements, especially if your cat is elderly, this will ensure your cat get all the nutrition it needs and boost its immune system against various ailments.
Adding new foods to your cat’s diet can help boost the cats overall nutritional intake. Even if your cat is eating a balanced diet, introducing a new food may excite and encourage the cat to eat more regularly. Making your cats food more interesting may have it looking forward to, and pestering you, for meal times. If your cat is finicky about one particular type of food, then you can avoid that in future and concentrate on what you know your cat will eat with relish.
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And: Why Does My Cat from Scratch My Furniture and Carpets?
The Importance of Offering Variety
If you were only offered one food constantly, you would soon become bored, your food would begin to become tasteless and unappealing, and perhaps you would begin to refuse to eat it. Then imagine your cat is it is only given the same food day after day, for weeks on end. It is important to offer a variety of different foods. A variety will not only offer your cat a choice of diet that is less boring and bland, it will also offer your cat a more nutritional balance as some foods may have more of what the cat needs than others. If your cat is suddenly less keen on their food, and you have been feeding the cat the same thing for days on end, then it may just be that the cat is bored with its diet and needs a change. Offering a wide variety of foods will ensure your cat won’t become bored and ensure it will have a balanced and healthy diet.
How To Make Sure Your Cat Is Getting Enough Nutrition
It is vitally important to ensure your cat is eating enough of the nutrients it needs to stay fit and healthy. If your cat becomes less keen on their food, it could be a sign of some nutrient deficiency, or even disease. If you have offered your cat a variety of food and it still has no appetite, then it may be time to consult a vet. A vet will reassure you if your cat is healthy, and diagnose if your cat has some ailment. A vet will also be able to advise on a proper balanced diet for your cat.
Conclusion
Many cats can become finicky eaters and this does not automatically mean there is something wrong with your cat. Try making your cat’s food more interesting by varying the types of food you feed it. Offer different mixes and flavors. Making your cats diet more interesting may be all it needs to regain its appetite. If your cat still turns away from food and refuses to eat, then this is when to consult a vet in case there is an underlying reason for its loss of appetite.
