Your cat is not eating like he used to lately? Is he pickier with his food? It’s important to understand why your cat is not eating, there could be a serious cause behind it. Let’s go over some of the possible causes.

First of all, is it a male or a female?

If female and not spayed, is it possible she is in heat? Female cats in heat tend to eat much less. It the hormones, nothing to worried about, once the heat period passes she will return to eat as she used to.

Check your cat’s temperature.

To do that get a digital thermometer, some vaseline oil, and insert it in your cat’s rectum. If the temperature is above 39.2 your cat has a fever. The causes can be many, but it’s best if you take him to the vet, it could be some infectious disease and he will probably need some antipyretic and maybe even antibiotics.

If he does seem to have some respiratory disease, the first thing you should do is clean his nose. Make sure his nostrils are free to breathe. If a cat doesn’t smell his food he won’t eat it.

Did you notice any other symptoms? Vomiting? Diarrhea?

He might have eaten something that made him feel bad. Did you suddenly change his food? A sudden change in his routine food might cause an upset stomach. Always switch food gradually, not all at once. Give him probiotics for 10 days, get them in the pet shop, it’s important you give him probiotics for pets and not for humans.

Also, did you deworm him? If you have any doubts take a sample of his feces to the vet to check for intestinal parasites.

Is it possible he ate some toy, or bone, or any foreign object?

If you suspect he might have swallowed something then take him immediately to the vet. Some objects might cause an intestinal block or a rupture if the object was sharp.

Is he more lethargic than usual? Does he keep his eyes a bit closed?

That might be a sigh he is in pain. Like us, when an animal is in pain he won’t eat.

Try to look for wounds, try to feel his body, and see if he is reacting to the touch. Even if you don’t see any external wounds the pain can be internal. Make sure to have him checked properly.

Does he have a bad smell coming out of his mouth?

Very often the problem is with his teeth. He might have a teeth problem or gum disease that is causing him pain. Therefore he is not able to eat. If so get him to the vet, he might need a cleanup, some tooth extraction, and pain killers.

He is perfectly healthy but still won’t eat, why?

 It is very possible your cat has become picky with his food. Maybe you gave him something he really likes a few days ago and now he refuses to eat because he knows there something better out there. You have 2 choices. You can either give in and give him his favorite food or try to figure out for eternity which food was that, highly not recommended, very frustrating. Or, you can put on a war, and insist. He will finally be very hungry and go back to his normal food. Promised.

The causes are many, and if you have any doubts, if your cat’s appetite is not returning, don’t wait, take him to a vet.