The kitten does not eat from the cat, what should I do? What to do if the kitten does not eat anything and drinks little. Stress or pain syndrome

The owner of the kitten notices that the baby is not eating well. For adult animals, lack of appetite is not as fatal as for a baby. Why kitten doesn't eat? What are the consequences of malnutrition for a small animal?

First you need to determine the cause refusal to eat. IN best case scenario This is a well-fed, spoiled kitten who goes on strike from overeating and an abundance of “delicious food”, when the owners offer the baby all the best and continuously.

Reasons why a domestic kitten does not eat anything

A similar option is just overfeeding. The owner does not know how to correctly calculate the portion depending on the age, size, weight of the kitten, and constantly gives the baby an excess amount. The kitten is simply not able to physically absorb such a portion; it is always more than full, and begins to ignore food.

But the picture becomes less rosy if kitten refuses to eat due to illness. Almost any illness leads to a lack of appetite. The situation is even sadder if the kitten, in addition to refusing to eat, stops drinking.

For babies, as for adult cats, the following diseases are typical:

• gastrointestinal problems ( intestinal colic, ulcers, dysfunction, etc.);
• diseases internal organs(liver pathologies, renal failure etc.);
• diseases oral cavity(problems with gums, teething, bad teeth, etc.);
• helminthic infestation in a kitten;
• poisoning;
• foreign body in the stomach, esophagus;
• stress;
• infectious disease, etc.

What to do if the kitten doesn’t eat anything at all?!

The kitten doesn't eat anything , he is lethargic or, on the contrary, restless, does not want to play, does not respond to affection, cries, his nose is dry and hot, his eyes are sore. The temperature can be increased or decreased, in the first case the critical value will be above 39.5 C, the lower limit is 37 C.

Waiting for the baby to lie down and everything will return to normal on its own is dangerous. A day without food spent by a kitten under the age of six months is fraught with serious health consequences. The body is weakened, dehydrated, and is unlikely to be able to cope with the disease on its own.

This kitten should be taken to the vet immediately!

If the baby is too weak to travel in transport, do not torture him, call a veterinarian at home. The specialist will examine the animal and provide necessary help will give recommendations for treatment. IN emergency the baby is hospitalized.

Reasons why a cat doesn't eat well

1. Abrupt transition to new or unusual food. Cats have their own taste preferences, as in humans, so food suddenly introduced into the diet even High Quality can cause food refusal. The owner should always carefully study the composition of the feed, the manufacturer’s recommendations for feeding and remember that a new product is introduced gradually, only by mixing small quantities to the old and familiar to the animal.

   This situation can also happen when a cat that is accustomed to industrial food is switched to natural food. It is unlikely that a cat that has eaten will happily eat, for example, vegetables with meat or cottage cheese. But if it's just a matter of change usual diet, then there is no need to worry, the cat is simply not yet accustomed to the innovations in its menu. The animal itself does not look sick, it does not have diarrhea, vomiting, heavy discharge from the eyes, nose.

2. Stressful situations.– animals are sensitive, they, like people, can be sad, worried, or afraid of something. IN stressful situation It may be quite normal to refuse food for a couple of days, feel depressed, and apathy. In this case, it would be a good idea for the owner to first try to find out what is the cause of the animal’s suffering, eliminating it if possible. If the situation cannot be corrected (the death of someone dear to the animal, the appearance of a new pet in the house, etc.), then it will take time and participation in the cat’s life on the part of the owner. You may need to consult a veterinarian, as well as purchase sedatives for purring.
3. Weather. When the temperature outside the window exceeds 30 (or even 40) degrees, even the most voracious animal can look for a patch of shade on the street or lie exhausted on the floor, forgetting about food. In such cases, you should not force feed the cat and lament why it refuses to eat. On the hottest days it is better not to overload the animal’s body, however, clean drinking water At such moments it is more relevant than ever.
4. The owner does not monitor the cleanliness of the animal’s bowls. Cats are one of the cleanest animals, so the owner should wash all cat dishes after each feeding or at least once a day. Dirty plates, bowls with dried food debris, ants crowding around, and the smell of sour food can make a cat refuse to eat. In addition, neglect of cleanliness can lead to various diseases.
5. Hormonal surge. When the animal's body undergoes restructuring during puberty, during estrus and pregnancy in cats, the owner may observe a refusal of food in the pet. During the period of cat spree, animals may not eat for up to a week, especially females. The owner should not worry, since the cat’s appetite will return to normal as soon as the animal calms down, and the problem of change hormonal levels will decide by itself. It may not be superfluous to purchase vitamins depending on your doctor’s recommendations.
6. There are many pieces of fur accumulated in the cat's stomach. In cases where an animal actively licks itself, it accumulates in its stomach. a large number of wool This problem is especially acute when the owner does not comb out the pet’s fur. Sold in veterinary pharmacies special means, preventing the formation of hairballs that can be acquired by the cat owner. In addition to refusal to eat, this problem is also characterized by stool disorders and vomiting.
7. Infection of a cat with a viral or bacterial infection. Even a cat that lives permanently in an apartment without leaving the house has a risk of contracting an infection. The owner should be alert to the pet's lethargy, vomiting and diarrhea (sometimes with mucus and blood streaks), elevated temperature. Appetite during infectious infection the animal does not have it. By taking tests, you can identify the pathogen and decide on treatment.
8. Anorexia. Anorexia in cats is considered to be a refusal to eat due to the loss of olfactory or tactile functions of the body. The cat loses weight, is not interested in absolutely any food, becomes lethargic, and sometimes salivates profusely. In the most difficult cases The veterinarian may decide to tube feed the animal. The causes of anorexia can be nasal congestion, chemotherapy or antibiotic treatment, poisoning and much more. Self-treatment without medical intervention can lead to the death of the animal.
9. Diseases of internal organs. You can endlessly list all sorts of diseases in which a cat may lack appetite: diabetes, malignant tumors, liver disease, kidney disease, problems gastrointestinal tract And genitourinary system, diseases musculoskeletal system and many, many others. If a cat, in addition to 1-2 days of fasting, has various alarming symptoms, the owner should immediately rush to consult a specialist.

   As a rule, with any terrible disease, the very appearance of a cat “screams” about the disease and the following symptoms appear: intestinal dysfunction (constipation, diarrhea), vomiting, a sharp decline weight, (sometimes purulent), nose, dehydration, sometimes pain upon contact with the diseased area, plaintive meowing or complete apathy to what is happening around. All these signs always indicate in serious condition, which must be diagnosed through testing, scrapings, biopsy, and examination by a veterinarian. Always painful sensations will cause the cat to refuse food or eat very little.

What should an owner do if a cat doesn’t eat well?

Psychological reasons

If you just brought a kitten home, he may immediately refuse any food. Don't rush him. First, the kitten must get used to the new place. The best in in this case- leave him alone in separate room(in a room, for example) with a house where he could hide, with food, water and a tray. When the kitten gets comfortable, he will find food on his own and will definitely eat. The main thing in such a situation is to relieve stress.

But if a kitten, already living with you and accustomed to you, has stopped eating, pay attention: did you change anything in its diet? You may have changed the diet, the feeding location, or even just the bowl. In this case, the kitten doesn’t like something, and it’s best to figure out what it is. If he doesn't like his feeding spot, try changing it or going back to the old one. Place an old food bowl or one as close to it as possible. And if you don’t like the food, then go back to the old one, and then gradually switch to a new one.

Veterinary problems

The most harmless option for refusing food is overeating. Pay attention to how much the kitten drinks? What's his mood? If the kitten drinks a lot, is cheerful and active, then most likely he just overate. Wait a little, remove all the food and skip one feeding. Your appetite should be restored.

If the kitten is lethargic, inactive, his fur is faded, and he himself does not even touch food, this is a good reason to turn to veterinarian. Most likely, your pet is sick. And the sooner you ask for help, the more likely good outcome diseases. Diseases that accompany loss of appetite can be different: diseases of the liver, gastrointestinal tract, blood, diseases of the pancreas, kidneys. Therefore, you should not put off going to the veterinarian.

It must be remembered that a healthy kitten may not eat for about a day, but further refusal to eat threatens big problems with the kitten's health.

Owners furry pets, as a rule, pay considerable attention to nutrition issues. Therefore, such a phenomenon as loss of appetite or complete failure animal from food, alarm responsible owners. There are many reasons why a cat does not eat: from the animal’s banal whim regarding a particular product to symptoms of a serious illness. Therefore, it is necessary to establish as early as possible a reason for reducing or complete absence pet's appetite.

Read in this article

Reasons for refusing food

Many owners often perceive refusal of food as a serious symptom of the development of a serious disease in the animal. It is not always so. There are quite harmless reasons Why does a cat's appetite decrease?

• Change in diet. Cats are very conservative creatures, and the slightest changes in their living conditions cause them stress. Changing the brand of food when feeding dry or canned food, or introducing new foods into the diet may be met with hostility by the animal, and it does not want to eat unfamiliar food.

At first, if there is a change in diet, the pet may go on a complete hunger strike. That's why experienced owners If necessary, make adjustments to the diet, do this gradually, gradually adding unfamiliar components to the cat’s usual foods.

If the cat has stopped eating and drinking, then this condition indicates serious illness, and hesitate to provide veterinary care it is forbidden. Refusal of food and loss of appetite accompany almost all diseases in animals. The owner should pay attention to the pet’s behavior, measure the temperature, monitor stool and urine output.

According to the results of a scatological study helminths and protozoa can be detected. Stool analysis occult blood will help detect intestinal pathology and diagnose tumor processes.

The facility will take the pet's blood analysis for general and biochemical research. The results will help identify diseases of the pancreas, liver, and detect inflammatory processes.

If the cat is sick and does not eat anything, to exclude infectious nature diseases will be prescribed by a veterinary specialist bacteriological or virological examination.

Treatment in hospital

Often, refusal to feed or lack of appetite is associated with serious illness, which takes time to heal. In this case, the pet is prescribed, in addition to treatment of the underlying pathology, maintenance therapy. As a rule, this is an intravenous infusion of nutrient solutions, such as glucose. If during a long illness or recovery period the cat doesn’t eat anything, what should I do to maintain it? vital functions body? In this case, in addition to intravenous and subcutaneous injections, force-feeding the animal from a syringe is used. This will restore strength and support the body during the treatment period.

The owner should closely monitor his pet's appetite. There is no need to panic immediately when an animal refuses food, since it is often caused by poor appetite may have a quarrelsome character, physiological state or stress. However, when additional symptoms Along with refusing food, you should not hesitate to visit a doctor.

The growing body of a young animal, like a human, is different good appetite. But sometimes owners notice that their kitten is not eating well. What are the consequences of this situation, what are its reasons and what to do if the pet has practically lost interest in food and eats very little and poorly? All answers to such questions can be found in this article.

The dangers of not enough food for a kitten

An adult cat is able to survive for a long time without food or get by with a minimum of it. But for a small animal there is a shortage nutrients can lead to serious problems. If a kitten does not eat anything or eats very little and poorly, this is fraught with:

• gastrointestinal diseases;
• anemia;
• pathologies of the liver and kidneys;
• breathing disorders;
• heart rhythm disturbances;
• developmental and growth retardation.

Of course, these complications occur when the animal is poorly and does not eat enough long time.

It happens that appetite disappears for just a few days, and then returns to normal. But if the kitten is thin and has not been eating well for a week or more, it’s time to sound the alarm.

Causes of decreased appetite

There are quite a few factors that provoke a decrease in appetite in kittens. Some can be easily eliminated, while others are difficult to treat even in a clinical setting. Here are the main reasons:

1. the animal does not eat well because the food does not suit it;
2. decreased appetite is caused by changes in weather or living conditions (a kitten may not eat due to stress, just like a person);
3. the owners overfeed the pet, and it protests, showing poor appetite;
4. the baby doesn’t get enough attention or play and is sad, feeling bad “morally”;
5. an infection has entered the body;
6. there is any disease of the gastrointestinal tract, so the kitten refuses to eat;
7. the animal eats little due to food poisoning.

If the kitten begins to eat poorly, you definitely need to figure out why. Often you cannot do this on your own. In this case, a veterinarian will help.

What should the owner do?

Having noticed that the animal is eating little and poorly, the first thing you need to do is measure its temperature. If it is elevated, there may be an infection in the cat’s body. If it is low, the pet has little vitality. Normal temperature healthy cat– 38 degrees. Everything else is bad.

It happens that the animal constantly screams, does not eat and refuses to drink water. This is very bad because it may indicate a volvulus.

If the kitten approaches the bowl and tries to eat, but immediately jumps away, it probably has problems with its teeth or gums. And it happens that he does not like the smell of food or feeding utensils and therefore treats it poorly. The owner should change the diet and detergent.

Many owners complain that the kitten does not eat dry food well. This means that the baby’s body does not accept such food. Veterinarians, by the way, consider it not the best option for tiny cats. It is better to replace the food with more healthy foods(liver, milk, cottage cheese, meat, etc.). At the same time, you should not give large pieces - food for tiny pets needs to be ground or at least kneaded with a fork to make it convenient to eat.

If the kitten eats very little immediately after weaning from the mother’s breast, this is a variant of the norm. You can help him by giving him milk from a pipette. The situation should stabilize after a few days, when the baby gets used to the new conditions of his life.

Under no circumstances should situations be allowed where a kitten does not eat anything for a long time. This is deadly for him.

Babies who are several months old grow quickly, and if there is little food, the body is immediately exhausted.

Of course, it’s not always the case that when your tailed pet doesn’t eat much, you need to immediately run to the doctor. The kitten may just this moment not wanting to eat because you were full earlier. But if a day or more has passed, and the kitten is not eating much, and is not behaving as usual: it worries, screams, constantly sleeps, examination and help from a veterinarian will definitely be required!