How long can a cat live without food

As a conscientious cat scavenger, you must be very concerned about your cat’s diet and daily life.
However, these little guys will often test your patience with various picky behaviors.
They may turn a blind eye to treats and avoid water even when their throats are dry. Do you feel worried when your cat no longer eats and drinks as expected?

When many cat lovers face this situation, they will question whether they need to contact a pet doctor immediately, or whether they just need to try more new flavors of food for their cats.

How long can a cat go without eating?

In fact, the extent of a cat’s hunger strike is definitely beyond your imagination!
Cats can go without food for up to two weeks, but please note that after a few days without food, side effects will gradually appear!
In other words, if the cat does not eat for two weeks, the cat will most likely die. But by not eating, they may start to get sick!
Now, let’s talk about cats’ food needs and you’ll see why some foods are so important to their health and why they shouldn’t be chronically deprived of the nutrients they need.
Cats are carnivores, and they have strict requirements for meat.
If meat is eliminated from the diet, the body will begin to use fat reserves in order to obtain energy. The result of this is that the cat may become seriously ill after three days!

So what happens when a cat doesn’t eat anything?

When a cat’s body begins to consume fat reserves for energy due to lack of food, the burden on the liver will be greatly increased. Fat will be transferred to the liver and converted into energy. When a cat does not eat for more than 3 to 4 days, it will cause severe intrahepatic fat deposition, especially in cats that are already overweight before stopping eating. The consequences of this are often very serious, and the onset speed is so fast that people are caught off guard.
If the cat has not eaten food for a long time, in order to ensure the cat’s health, the pet owner can use a syringe to force-feed the cat, and then take some measures to make the cat eat. Here are some measures to help cats regain their appetite for meals based on personal experience.

1. Choose the right cat food

If the pet owner feeds the cat food that has gone bad, it is normal for the cat to not eat it. In addition, if you feed low-quality cat food to cats, the meat content in the cat food will be low, and it is common for cats to not eat it. Therefore, pet owners can choose high-quality cat food to feed their cats, which is rich in meat content and nutrients. And pay attention to the cat’s taste.

2. Supplement beneficial bacteria and digestive enzymes

Cats not eating may also be due to the lack of beneficial bacteria and digestive enzymes in the cat’s intestines. The cat cannot digest the food fed by the pet owner well, and is prone to not liking to eat. In this case, pet owners can feed their cats probiotics such as Miaolili, and supplement the cats with probiotics and digestive enzymes to help the cat’s stomach, digestion and restore the cat’s appetite.

3. Go to the hospital for examination

Cats, like people, will lose their appetite if they are sick. Therefore, if the cat, in addition to not liking to eat, has symptoms such as sneezing, runny nose, cough or even fever, you need to take the cat to the pet hospital for in-depth examination. Once the cat’s disease is cured, the cat will regain its appetite and eat.

Common reasons why cats won’t eat

If your cat refuses to eat for a long time, you must pay attention to it. Here are some of the most common reasons why cats may not be eating right:

Disease:

Cats will stop eating when they feel unwell. As a shit shoveler, you must discover and identify the problem in a timely manner. If the cat not only refuses to eat, but also shows other symptoms, such as lethargy, vomiting or diarrhea, you should take the cat to the pet hospital for examination and treatment as soon as possible.

Pressure:

Cats are emotional animals and may refuse to eat if they feel stressed or upset by changes in their home environment. In this case, what you need to do is find out the reason why the cat is upset and try to help them solve the problem as much as possible.

Dental problems:

Eating can be a challenge for cats with mouth pain. If your cat shows difficulty eating, avoids chewing with one tooth on one side, has a bad taste in his mouth, or shows signs of distress when his head or mouth is touched, they may need a complete oral examination.

drug:

Some medications may cause a cat to lose its appetite. If your cat starts losing his appetite after taking certain medications, you should be aware of the possible side effects of these medications. If the medication contains any ingredients that may cause your cat to avoid eating, you should contact your veterinarian for help and advice.
In some cases, if your cat begins to lose its appetite, it may be necessary to take your cat to the hospital for a checkup.
However, if it’s just an emergency, you can try to whet your cat’s appetite with delicious food first. For example, try using their favorite cat strips to see if the cat will eat them.