Active farm cat suddenly stopped eating and drinking. What should I do?

There could be several reasons why your [cat will not eat](https://www.petcoach.co/article/why-isnt-my-cat-eating). Take a look inside your cat's mouth and under its tongue if you can do it safely. If you see any redness, inflammation or bleeding of the gums or around teeth, there may be [periodontal disease](https://www.petcoach.co/cat/condition/dental-disease-1/) present. Confirm there are no foreign objects (or string) in the mouth or under the tongue. If you see anything that does not appear "normal", schedule an exam with your veterinarian. Other potential causes include [kidney disease](https://www.petcoach.co/article/6-things-you-should-know-about-kidney-disease-in-cats), [pancreatitis](https://www.petcoach.co/article/pancreatitis) or gastrointestinal issues. These may require blood work and x-rays to diagnose. If the mouth is clear, try warming the food slightly or adding some liquid from a can of tuna to stimulate appetite. If your cat does not eat for 3+ days, see your vet immediately to avoid complications involving [liver function](https://www.petcoach.co/cat/condition/hepatic-lipidosis/).

Since it sounds like KD never skips a meal, its possible he is getting sick. Just like people, there are many conditions that can make pets feel sick. This could range from bacterial over growth to intestinal blockage. Also like us, diseases are best addressed early and this may result in a better prognosis. I recommend to have him examined by the veterinarian if he is not eating for 24 hours, not drinking well or if he is getting worse. The doctor will need to learn the underlying cause in order to give appropriate treatment. Bring in a stool sample in case the doctor needs to test it. I hope KD starts feeling better quickly! Please feel free to post any additional questions!

I'm so sorry to hear that Lily has not been eating. I would recommend trying canned tuna, chicken broth, and buying one each of several flavors of cat food to entice most kitties to eat. Unfortunately, sometimes not eating is not due to pickiness or a lack of interest in flavor, but due to sickness. The body will start to break itself down to use for energy after only 24 hours without nutrition. A week is too long for her to go without eating safely and I would recommend taking Lily to her vet to be evaluated. I hope this helps.

Stopping the diarrhea usually requires stopping the cause of the diarrhea. In a young cat, it is often an infection that causes them to stop eating/drinking with diarrhea. However, this can happen with other illnesses or poisoning. Diarrhea is actually beneficial with infections, because it's the body's way of getting rid of the toxin/disease. And, most diarrhea resolves on its own within three days. The concerning thing with Samantha's case is that she could quickly become dehydrated if she is not drinking and continues having diarrhea. If this continues for more than a day, then she will need to go to the vet for an evaluation and treatment to keep this from being a serious problem. Other criteria for going to the vet are as follows: 1) Blood in diarrhea 2) Very watery diarrhea 3) She starts acting very depressed 4) Diarrhea lasts longer than three days You can help her get through this by feeding bland food (boneless chicken and tuna is good). Feed small portions (1 Tbsp or less) three times a day. Ensure fresh, clean water is always available. I hope this helps and Samantha gets better soon.

Hello, sorry to hear about Tux. If he is doing better then perhaps he could continue to be watched at home. However, if he starts to have a decreased appetite and lethargy again, or if he develops any vomiting or diarrhea then Tux should be seen by a veterinarian. There is a liver fluke that cats can get from eating lizards but this is only common in other parts of the world sick as Asia and Eastern Europe. Best of luck and hope this helps!

Those poor kittens and their mother! Do not give Vinnie cow's milk, it's not good for cats. Cats are lactose intolerant, and it will give them diarrhea as well as possibly cause them to vomit. The mucus on her butt could be from diarrhea, and that diarrhea could also be caused by intestinal worms, which are common in young kittens. Both kittens need a deworming treatment, and they need a kitten formula to eat. If their eyes are open, then they are old enough to be weaned onto a kitten dry food. To help them wean and to get used to dry food, I would soak a high quality kitten formulated dry food in warm water until soft. Then mix that with kitten formula such as KMR to make a mush the consistency of oatmeal. Over the next two weeks, gradually increase the amount of dry kitten food and decrease the amount of water and KMR you use until they are eating the dry kitten food only. If Vinnie continues to not eat and act lethargic over the next 12 hours, he will need to see a vet immediately. Best of luck, I hope this helps.

There are a number of things that could cause Newman to stop eating and drinking such as systemic illness, infection, inflammation, or injury. It's actually extremely serious when a cat won't eat, as they will develop a fatty liver if they don't eat going on 72 hours. A fatty liver is fatal without treatment. He needs to see a vet now. Please take him into an ER vet clinic; if there isn't one in your area, there will be a vet on call for emergencies. The information to reach that vet is found on a clinic's answering machine or website.