anorexia or loss of appetite in cats is a frequent and non-specific sign of veterinary consultation, as well as of great concern for its caregivers. Anorexia can cause consequences in the he alth of our cats such as dehydration, weakness, loss of muscle, decreased immunity, even serious diseases such as fatty liver or alterations in intestinal function that, in turn, would complicate the diagnosis of the cause primary loss of appetite. The first thing that usually comes to mind as a cause of anorexia is a disease, however, there are multiple other responses that can alter the eating behavior of our feline, from external environmental changes to the animal that cause stress to intoxication or their own reproductive cycles.
In this article on our site we will classify the possible causes associated with decreased appetite in our little cats. Why does your cat eat little? Here we will help you solve your doubts!
Why does my cat eat little if he shows interest in food?
If you notice that your cat seems to have an appetite but then does not eat, especially if you feed it dry food, it may happen that the cat has pain that prevents it from or makes it difficult to eat Possible causes of these problems are diseases of the mouth such as those that affect the gums and teeth (gingivitis, feline chronic gingivostomatitis, periodontitis, dental resorption, tumors or foreign bodies in the mouth or tongue), as well as orthopedic or neurological disorders of the jaw. In any case, it is important to examine the animal's mouth and go to the veterinarian to diagnose the cause.
Why does my cat eat little and is listless?
In cases in which we approach the food and the cat rejects it or ignores it and is no longer interested in its favorite food, we must think that something is happening internally. Possible diseases that cause your cat to eat less, be listless, vomit or present other alarm symptoms are:
Renal disease
In addition to eating less, does your cat drink or urinate more than usual? If the answer is yes and, therefore, you have noticed that your cat eats little and drinks a lot of water, it may be a kidney disease. A yearly veterinary visit is recommended for cats over seven years of age to perform a renal check-up and measure blood pressure.
Abdominal diseases
Do you have other symptoms such as abdominal pain, vomiting, or diarrhea? If so, it could be a gastrointestinal disease caused by inflammation, tumors or foreign bodies in the stomach or intestine which will significantly reduce your kitten's appetite. It can also be due to a liver or pancreas disease, and even be affected intestine, liver and pancreas or just two and be a feline triaditis. The latter can only occur in felines due to the particular anatomy of the duct that leaves the pancreas and the liver duct that end in the same place in the intestine, which can lead to the spread of infections or inflammations between the three organs.
Infectious diseases or alterations that affect smell
Cats are very sensitive to loss of smell and, unlike other animals, they only breathe through their noses. Loss of smell is a cause to consider as a possible loss of appetite in cats and may be due to nervous disorders or derived from anasal disease caused in most cases by the so-called "feline respiratory syndrome", in which various viruses and bacteria are involved.
If your cat shows clinical signs such as breathing sounds, eye signs, sneezing or a runny nose, it may be affected by this syndrome, but it will usually regain its usual appetite with proper treatment and cleaning.
Other infectious diseases
Have you been tested for the leukemia virus and the feline immunodeficiency virus ? Do you have a young kitten under two years old? Is of _ race? The virus of infectious peritonitis gelina usually affects young cats from kennels, but it can also affect older cats of any breed and is a very serious disease which may begin with nonspecific symptoms such as anorexia, fever, and weight loss These same symptoms in young cats can make us think of a virus similar to parvovirus in dogs, the so-called feline panleukopenia Small bacteria that are involved in a disease called a feline infectious anemia can cause decreased appetite, as well as symptoms of hemolytic anemia such as pale or yellowing of mucous membranes, depression, and increased heart and respiratory rates.
For all of the above, if you notice that your cat eats less and sleeps a lot, he is listless, vomits or has diarrhoea, do not hesitate and go to the veterinary clinic to examine him and determine the cause. Only a professional can prescribe the best treatment after carrying out the relevant tests.
Other reasons that cause a cat to eat little
The above causes are not the only ones that can explain why your cat eats little. Next, we expose other common reasons:
Food change
Sudden changes of brand or type of food may be the cause of reducing your intake due to not liking it or needing a habituation period to it. Therefore, in cats it is recommended to change it progressively, starting by mixing the new food with the old.
It should be noted that cats are considered strict carnivores, so they need a greater amount of protein in their diet and could never be fed a vegetarian diet. For this reason, non-meat foods that do not allow them to obtain the essential nutrients they need, such as the amino acids arginine and taurine, can have a very serious impact on your cat's he alth.
Poisoning
If your cat eats little it can also be a symptom of having eaten a bad food or having tried atoxic plant (poinsettia, lilies, aloe vera, oleander, ivy or hydrangea) or some “forbidden” foodfor our cats, like onions or grapes.
On the other hand, it is always important to remember that some drugs produce toxicity in cats, so it is important to never administer ibuprofen to cats because it causes serious damage and also loss of appetite. In case of poisoning, it is essential to go to the vet as soon as possible.
Zeal
When a cat is in heat she may experience a reduction in her appetite. It is always recommended to sterilize cats, it also prevents diseases such as breast or uterine tumors and pyometra.
Stress
Cats are very sensitive to changes in the environment, even the most subtle ones can be very stressful for them. Stress causes your cat to eat little, be nervous or show other changes in their behavior. Stressful situations can range from small changes in the house to changes in the layout of their feeders, reforms in the house, a move, the introduction of a new animal, having a child, the loss of a family member or a new person in the house. It is important to identify the cause of the stress in order to treat it and restore the animal's emotional stability. Likewise, synthetic pheromones can also be great allies in these cases.
Discover in this video different ways to relax your cat.
What to do if my cat eats little?
From everything we have seen in this article, we verified that there are many possible causes that explain the reduction in the appetite of our cats, sometimes they can even occur simultaneously. If the problem is that you don't like the food, just try a new food and gradually introduce it. Likewise, if the cat eats little due to stress, you can try to identify the cause and treat it as much as possible.
Now then, when the problem is a disease and, therefore, the cat shows other symptoms, the best option that can save the life of your beloved feline in the worst cases istake him to a veterinary center where they will take a correct medical history, physical examination, diagnosis and apply the best treatment depending on the case.
