The cat eats too little: possible causes, risks and remedies
There may be various reasons why a cat eats little: what are the possible causes and above all the most effective remedies to avoid the worst for its health.
Why does a cat eat too little and what are the most likely risks for a cat not eating enough? The reasons for its lack of appetite can be various and not always linked to a whim: it is true that it is one of the most fussy animals and that they often snub what they find in the bowl, if it is not to their liking, yet it is not so obvious to understand. the causes and above all the remedies, before it is too late for his health.
Cat doesn’t like anything: what questions to ask
Having established that it is a demanding animal and that it certainly is not satisfied with the first thing you offer it in the bowl, it is also true that if cat does not seem to like anything, it is not always the result of his whim.
In fact, if we take care to always give him the best and high quality foods, if we leave the baby food at his disposal but it seems that it does not arouse any interest in any case, we must also think that there is a health problem underneath.
One of the first questions to ask therefore concerns the choice of food, but it is also necessary to take an interest in his state of health: the problem is to understand if his apathy and fatigue are due to some ongoing pathology (perhaps even to the teeth or mouth) or to the lack of food which inevitably weakens our beloved domestic feline.
The cat eats too little: when there is a disease at the base
If your cat begins to eat but then leaves everything (or almost everything) as he found it in the bowl, it is likely that something is preventing him from continuing. It can be problems related to the teeth or inflammation inside the mouth: the cat will therefore experience such severe pain that it will not allow it to continue chewing.
At the same time, kidney or abdominal diseases can also be the causes: the former involve a considerable increase in thirst, while the latter have episodes of vomiting and diarrhea as other ‘side effects’. States of anemia (such as feline infectious or FIP or haemolytic) can also be ‘diagnosed’ by observing a state of pallor and yellowing of the mucous membranes.
Remedies for a cat that eats too little (if it is not sick)
Therefore, excluding a health problem, what can we do to ensure that our cat finishes his meal in his bowl? Obviously it is always advisable to choose the best foods, always fresh and never kept too long in the bowl.
If it is necessary to change the diet according to the seasons, for example when you need to change the cat’s diet in autumn, you must follow the advice of an expert and do it gradually.
The malaise can also be due to an episode of poisoning, due to toxic plants or spoiled foods, or an ‘internal’ type, due to stress factors of the cat, boredom and changes in its routine. As far as possible we are careful not to upset life too much, or give them the right time to adapt to the new situation.
