What Will Happen If a Cat Does Not Eat Consistently?

Most days Kitty eats her meals without problem, but when you notice her shunning her food bowl, it̵7;s cause for concern. Sudden loss of appetite often indicates underlying illness, but anorexia itself can lead to a whole host of secondary problems.

  1. Dehydration

    • A properly hydrated feline diet includes wet or canned food. Canned food contains approximately 80 percent water, making it a crucial component in an adequately hydrated cat. Kitty can easily become dehydrated when she stops eating her moisture-rich food. Dehydration can lead to a variety of bladder and kidney issue for cats. Some of the most common problems are cystitis and urinary or kidney stones -- both painful conditions marked by a low volume of highly concentrated urine.

    Malnutrition

    • The cat who refuses to consistently eat nutritionally balanced food can become malnourished. When Kitty̵7;s body doesn̵7;t receive the proper nutrients needed to sustain health, her immune system is one of the first areas affected. With an impaired ability to fight infection and disease, she can easily succumb to illness. A healthy appetite is especially important for cats recovering from surgery, suffering from autoimmune disease or senior cats over the age of 8. These cats already have compromised immune systems, and may require a feeding tube if lack of appetite persists.

    Weight Loss

    • Weight loss isn̵7;t necessarily a bad thing for some cats. Overweight cats with the telltale ̶0;swinging pooch̶1; can actually benefit from veterinarian monitored weight loss, which can help prevent the onset of feline diabetes. However, the problem occurs when the cat herself refuses food, therefore accelerating her weight loss to an unhealthy degree and putting her at risk for feline fatty liver disease.

    Feline Fatty Liver Disease

    • Poor appetite is the leading cause of hepatic lipidosis otherwise known as feline fatty liver disease. Approximately two weeks of eating about half or one-third the normal amount of food is all it takes for a cat to develop a fatty liver. When a cat doesn̵7;t eat enough, her body goes into starvation mode. In starvation mode fat is pulled from the body into the liver in order to be metabolized as energy; however, the feline liver is not equipped to handle an influx of fat cells and quickly becomes saturated with fat and begins to shut down. This period of liver failure is extremely dangerous. If left untreated, death can occur. Treatment for hepatic lipidosis involves aggressive nutritional support, usually in the form of a high-protein liquid diet through a feeding tube, in order to reverse the metabolic starvation state.