Although cate are resilient creatures who do a great job of surviving on their own, correct nutrition is crucial for felines, and certain situations may leave you wondering how long can cats go without food?
The short answer is, a cat survive without food for around 1-2 weeks. This timeframe will be reduced to 3-4 days if they do not consume protein.
It’s not uncommon for kittens, adult cats, and seniors to refuse to eat or drink. The problem is, you cannot force them to eat if they have stopped, so it’s important that this behavior is addressed and not ignored.
In this post we are going to cover the topic in a lot more detail, including reasons why your cat stops eating, what happens if your cat doesn’t eat, and tips and tricks you can use to get your cat to start eating again.
How Long Can Cats Go Without Food?
As previously mentioned, cats can survive for between 1-2 weeks without food, but this is providing they have water supply. Even with water, if your cat doesn’t consume protein, this time can be reduced to 3-4 days.
In reality, it’s unlikely that a cat would survive longer than 3 days if they have no food or water. A cat become become very unwell and malnourished after just two days without food. Fresh water and a regular supply of quality food is crucial for your cats health.
It’s a mistake to think that all cats are great at catching food for themselves. Although domestic cats can catch mice, birds, and other small creatures, most cats get used to the daily routine of having food handed to them.
Why Has My Cat Stopped Eating?
If your cat has suddenly stopped eating, here are some of the most common reasons.
#1 Dental Issues
If your cat is experiencing toothache caused by cracked teeth, cavities, wear and tear, or other dental issues, the pain will make eating difficult and put them off their food.
Gum issues, cat stomatitis, ulcers, and sores may also be another culprit and causing your cat a lot of pain when eating.
#2 Sickness
Illness may be the reason that your cat has suddenly stopped eating. Health problems could cause pain which would put them off their food. Look out for other symptoms such as nausea, fatigue, and fever.
#3 Food Issues
Just like us humans, cats can also get bored of having the same food day in day out. If your cat is not eating, try changing the flavor of their food or use different brands and treats to see which ones they prefer.
Even a change in texture or temperature of the food can put your cat off eating it. It’s also important to check that the food hasn’t gone out of date.
#4 Dental Issues
Dental issues are very common with cats and especially an issue with older and senior cats. Dental problems can be very painful which means they will not eat food if the issue gets too bad.
#5 Side Effects From Medicine Or Vaccination
If your cat has recently been ill, is on medication, or has had a vaccination, this may cause them to stop eating. Veterinarians will make you aware of this issue, but if you feel the problem is due to existing or new medication, enquire about getting it changed.
#6 Stress
Cats can get anxious very easily. There are a number of things that can trigger their stress levels to rise. Here are some of the potential reasons:
- Too much competition for resources
- Inadequate territory
- Boredom
- Visits to the vets
- Changes in the household, including the addition or removal of pets or people
- Noisy events in the home
#7 Environmental Changes
Related to the previous point, environmental changes can cause stress and anxiety which leads to loss of appetite. Even the slightest change in your home can throw a cat off their regular routine. Here are some environmental changes that can cause this:
- Moving to a new home
- New housemates or newborn baby
- New pet
- Change in owners working hours
- Change in feeding times.
- Change in food bowl location
#8 Respiratory Issues
Just like humans, cats can also catch infections of the upper respiratory tract. The symptoms are very much the same as in humans such as a runny nose, sneezing, watery eyes, and of course, loss of appetite.
Losing the sense of small due to the infection may put your cat off food. The worst effects of a cold will generally wear off after a day of two, and the overall cold can last up to 10 days.
#9 Kidney Disease
A moderate to severe kidney problem could cause a cat to lose it’s appetite. As well not eating, other signs to look out for are gradual weight loss and increased thirst and urination.
How Can I Get My Cat To Eat?
#1 Change Food
One of the obvious things to try is to just simply change your cats food. There are a number of different things you can try here:
- Change from dry to wet food
- Change the flavor
- Change the brand
Just like humans, a cat eating the exact same food with the same flavor can get boring after a while. Before making big changes and spending lots of money, buy a variety smaller packs first and test see which ones they like.
#2 Heat Up Food
A simple trick you can try is to warm up your cats food. The reason this works is because warm food tastes a lot better than food that is cold. To do this, try storing wet food in a warmer place of your home, or placing it in the microwave for around 30 seconds.
#3 Environment
When feeding your cat, place their food bowl in a safe, quiet place in the home where they are not going to get disturbed by other pets or people. Also do not place food next to your cats water bowl or litter box.
What Happens If A Cat Doesn’t Eat?
Here are some of the things that can happen if a cat stops eating:
- Organ failure: When a cat stops eating, their organs begin to deteriorate. Firstly the digestive system shuts down, followed by the brain, then the heart.
- Hepatic Lipidosis: Also know as fatty liver syndrome, hepatic lipidosis is a disease that is unique to cats. When a cat is not eating, fat is used as a source of energy. Fat becomes stored in and around the liver cells as the liver cannot correctly process it.
- Kidney failure: Kidney failure happens when a cat is completely dehydrated.
How Many Days Can Cats Go Without Water
Water is crucial for a cat to survive, and organ failure will occur if they go more than 3-4 days without water. The problem with cats is that they have a very low thirst drive. The solutions to this are to feed them wet food which is high in moisture, and provide them with a cat water fountain.
What Happens When a Cat Does Not Drink?
Dehydration
Water keeps organs working optimally by helping blood flow around a cats body. You easily test for dehydration by pinching your cats skin at the nape of their neck.
If the skin acts like elastic and immediately goes back into place, then this means there hydration is fine. If the skin drops back into place slowly, this is a sign that they are dehydrated.
Acute Kidney Failure
This is when a cats kidney suddenly cease to function due to dehydration. Luckily, this condition can be reversed. Dehydration will place a lot of pressure on the kidney and can symptoms such as:
- Foul breathing
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Seizures
- Changes to frequency of urination
Heart Failure
Dehydration has an impact on a cats hart by causing it to beat harder and faster. Senior cats have weaker hearts which means dehydration will effect them even more.
How To Get Cats To Drink Water
As mentioned previously, cats have a very low thirst drive. As well as feeding them wet cat food which contains more moisture, here’s some other tips which will help you to get your cat to drink more:
- Invest in a cat water fountain.
- Have more water bowls in different locations around your home.
- Add flavor to the water by adding tuna juice.
We wrote a full guide called How to Force a Cat to Drink Water which will give you some great information on the subject.
Other Common Questions
Can cats go 8 hours without food?
Cats have a simple stomach structure that will empty within a few hours of eating. When 8-10 hours pass by, a cats brain will receive signals from the stomach to signal hunger.
So technically yes a cat can go 8 hours without food. Just as with humans, cats are going to have an off day where they skip a meal. But a cat should be having their regular meals throughout the day.
How long can a kitten survive without food?
Kittens can usually survive around one week without any food.
Conclusion
Always remember that it is extremely important to provide your cat with plenty of water, and high quality food that is packed with protein.
If you have multiple cats in the house then it’s best to separate them at feeding time. The reason for this is because cats have a habit of eating each others food. One of your cats may have stopped eating and may not know anything about it.
Keep a close eye on them at feeding times. Mix things and add new brands and flavors when needed to prevent boredom.
