My cat won't eat... why and what can I do about it?
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This time, I would like to learn about the reasons why children don't eat and introduce some measures that we can take.
At Bow Wow Place , we offer a wide variety of foods that contain all the nutrients your pet needs to stay healthy.
Please use the correct information to help maintain your cat's health!
1. Why has my cat stopped eating? What can I do?
Have you ever had the experience of your beloved cat suddenly stopping eating?To understand why this is the case, you first need to understand your cat's habits.
Cats can often be selfish and moody, but they are also naturally very cautious animals.
As a result, they are very particular about food and tend to be picky eaters.
Of course, loss of appetite may not only be due to habits or personality, but could also be a sign of illness, so you need to be careful.
Let's take a look at some of the reasons why your cat has stopped eating.
◆ Environment
For example, the owner may have moved, started keeping a new pet, a baby may have been born to the household, or the owner may have left food near the cat's litter box, etc.
Loss of appetite can also be caused by seasonal factors, such as the hot summer months, or after being taken to the hospital for a vaccination or health check.
Whenever there is a change in the environment, even humans feel stress until they get used to it.
Whenever possible, try to use items that your cat used in its previous environment, such as its blanket, litter box, and cat tower, in its new environment, and make sure to create an environment where your cat can relax.
Especially if you start keeping multiple cats, you should reconsider whether each cat has its own place where they feel safe.
Changes in an owner's lifestyle, such as working remotely or children's summer vacation, can disrupt a cat's daily rhythm and lead to loss of appetite.
Growth
When cats are in heat, they tend to neglect their food. Loss of appetite due to heat can occur in both unneutered and male cats.
When a female cat starts acting overly affectionate and meowing in a peculiar voice, it's a sign that she's in heat.
When male cats are stimulated by the female cat's heat, they begin to meow in a unique voice and mark their territory.
Your cat's heat cycle does not occur regularly, but is affected by the length of daylight hours, so please keep an eye on them if you keep them indoors in a bright room all the time.
Having your pet's food bowl placed on the floor, making it difficult for them to eat, or having their eating area far from their sleeping area can also cause a loss of appetite, or their sense of smell can weaken, making it difficult for them to smell food.
Your beloved cat may also develop dementia, also known as geriatric cognitive dysfunction syndrome.
If you notice your pet behaving differently than usual, such as waking up screaming in the middle of the night or sleeping all day, or if it has a decreased appetite, it may be time to consider the possibility that it may have dementia.
◆ Meals
Cats have individual preferences not only for taste but also for texture and smoothness, and they are particularly sensitive to scents.
Many cats have a tendency to like the food they ate during weaning, so they may stop eating food that doesn't have a taste or smell they like.
Therefore, even if your cat is hungry, it may not pay attention to food that it doesn't like, or it may be that it has become bored with its cat food.
What's important here is to review the contents of your cat's food to determine its preferences.
◆ Illness
Loss of appetite can be seen in all kinds of illnesses, including digestive and urinary system diseases and infections, so it may be a sign of some kind of illness.
In particular, if your pet is showing symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, or shortness of breath, you should take it to a veterinarian as soon as possible.
Growing kittens are prone to hypoglycemia if they skip meals, so even if they seem healthy, they should be taken to the vet.
Even if your adult cat has not eaten for more than 24 hours, you should take them to the vet even if they don't show any particular symptoms.
Make it a point to observe your cat on a daily basis so that you can notice any abnormalities in their health or behavior, including loss of appetite.
2. What symptoms should I look out for? What can I do?
First, let's look at the symptoms of loss of appetite.
[Symptoms]
◆ I've lost my energy
Drinking more water
Increased water drinking in cats can be a sign of illness, such as kidney disease, diabetes, or hyperthyroidism.
You can also measure how much water is lost in a dish over the course of a day.
◆ I want to eat it but I can't
Vomit
If your pet only vomits the food once or twice immediately after eating, it is probably okay to just wait and see.
However, if your child vomits multiple times a day, or if nothing comes out but they are trying to vomit, this may be an emergency and you should be careful.
Vomiting may also occur as a result of swallowing a toy or other object.
There may also be a problem if the vomiting is not frequent but occurs for three or four days in a row.
◆ Not urinating
In young male cats, sudden vomiting and loss of appetite due to urinary tract obstruction are common and are a highly urgent symptom.
If your pet is lethargic and not urinating, take it to a veterinarian immediately.
Either way, if you notice your cat acting differently than usual, take him to the vet as soon as possible!
Let's take a look at some ideas and measures for cats who don't have any of the symptoms mentioned above, are not sick, and have just temporarily lost their appetite due to a change in their environment, or who are just a picky eater to begin with.【countermeasure】
◆ Warm to body temperature
Cats tend to prefer food that is around 40 degrees.
Warming wet food enhances its aroma and flavor, so be sure to give it a try.
However, be careful not to heat it too much as it will lose its flavor.
◆ Feed your child in a safe place
Sometimes it's easier to concentrate on your meal in a small, secluded place.
Create a calm environment for your pet by feeding it in an empty room or using a partition to block its view.
On the other hand, your pet may feel comfortable eating the food if you place it in the palm of your hand.
Try giving them a different diet
If you feed your pet the same food all the time, he or she may get bored and stop eating.
For example, if you have been feeding your pet fish-flavored food, it would be a good idea to switch to meat-based food such as chicken or pork and see how that goes.
Another method is to give your cat food with a different texture, such as wet food, or pate or paste type wet food, if your cat has mainly been eating dry food up until now, by softening the food in lukewarm water or boiled chicken breast water before feeding it.
◆ Provide highly nutritious complete food
It is also important to feed your cat a nutritionally balanced cat food.
Dry food has a moisture content of about 10% and has a higher energy content per weight than wet food, so it allows your cat to get nutrients more efficiently.If your cat seems to get full on wet food, you may want to try increasing the proportion of dry food in its diet.
◆ Make time to exercise
Playing with toys can sometimes stimulate your baby's appetite and encourage them to eat their food.
Even if it's just for five minutes at a time, making time to play and move your body several times a day will not only help relieve loss of appetite but will also help relieve stress.
◆ Don't give too many treats
In some cases, people eat snacks and are unable to eat meals.
Snacks should only be used as a form of communication and should be limited to 20% of your total daily calorie intake.
Summary
In either case, if you suddenly increase the amount of food your pet eats, it may develop diarrhea. Be careful to feed your pet small amounts at a time.
Finally, we will introduce recommended cat foods and compatible diets.
3. Recommended Food
Let's take a look at the foods that can be introduced to accommodate changes in the environment and dietary preferences.
This is an easy-to-adopt food for cats who have a temporary loss of appetite or are picky eaters.
◆ Ziwi Peak series
This is a highly nutritious, ultra-luxury food created with health and longevity in mind.
"What cats would normally eat while hunting in the wild." In other words, this food is made with plenty of high-quality meat from New Zealand and is based on a recipe that takes into account the eating habits of cats. Nothing unnecessary is added, and the natural ingredients are concentrated in their natural state.
In addition, 96% of the food is made from fresh raw meat and 92% of the wet food comes from free-range, grass-fed venison and lamb.
Another feature is that by pursuing food that is tailored to the digestive system and physiological functions, an incredibly high digestibility has been achieved.
It is also very nutritious, so you can get enough nutrition with just a small amount compared to regular cat food.
Sprinkling it on top of your regular meals can add variety to your daily meals.
◆ Lily's Kitchen series
They are very particular about the ingredients they use, so quality is guaranteed.
There is a wide lineup of wet food. It is divided into three types: for kittens, adult cats, and senior cats, so you can choose the one that suits your cat.
Our food is created in collaboration with veterinarians, nutritionists and taste testers to ensure it contains plenty of the nutrients needed for growth.
Lily's Kitchen
Series product page
◆ Origen series
This product is made by Champion Pet Foods, a Canadian company, and uses high-quality fresh, raw ingredients.
Our food is produced with a focus on "biologically appropriate nutrition," and all of the nutrients your cat needs, as they are naturally carnivores, are provided in "whole prey" form, in proportions that match the diet that carnivores should consume. It is made with the conscious intention of using raw ingredients such as meat, fish, and other animal ingredients, including heart, liver, kidneys, and small amounts of bone, to support the healthy growth of your cat.
It is characterized by its use of the latest science and by the efforts of experts such as nutritionists, food scientists, and veterinarians to conduct research to maintain and promote the health of pets.
Using the finest ingredients, including pasture-raised livestock, free-range poultry and wild-caught or sustainably caught fish, we offer a range of cat food options perfect for your beloved cat.
The serving size is slightly smaller than regular cat food, so it should put less strain on the stomach when digesting, even for cats with small appetites.
Click here for the Origen series product page
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