Why is my cat eating less food and not finishing her meals anymore?

Cats tend to eat slightly less once they have finished growing and their behavior can also settle as they grow up. If there is any weight loss or other signs of ill thrift such as poor coat or muscle condition i would recommend a full health check. Be sure to keep up to date with deworming medications and other preventions

It is probably not normal. I suggest you schedule an exam with your veterinarian for your cat. Your cat may have dental problems (gingivitis and/or tartar, tooth infections), diabetes or another endocrine disease. Oder kitties also often have problems with their kidneys. A thorough clinical exam and blood tests can at least rule out any serious disease that could cause eating less than usual.

What you are describing does not sound normal. Certainly adult cats will eat a little less than kittens if they are less active, but it sounds like Mischa's appetite has decreased pretty dramatically. You can certainly try changing brands or flavors of food in case there is something she does not like about her food. I also do not recommend mixing the canned and dry food because if they do not eat it all at once, moistening the dry food can cause bacterial growth. So, if you feed both types of food, just put them in seperate bowls. If you try a different food and Mischa still does not eat well, I would recommend having your vet examine her and possibily run some bloodwork to makes sure that everything is normal. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

The exact amount of calories that a cat needs certainly depends on their weight and activity level, but will tend to decrease slightly when a cat reaches an adult age. So, that might be why Baluu is eating less canned food than he used to. If he did not used to eat the dry food along with the canned food, then that would also account for why he is eating less canned food. In general, we usually recommend about 5 ounces of canned food for each 10 pounds of body weight if they are not eating any dry food. Based on that, it sounds like Baluu is eating a sufficient amount since he is also eating some dry food. If it seems like Baluu is losing weight, then I would recommend having your veterinarian examine him to make sure there isn't something going on internally. Otherwise, I would suspect that his metabolism is just slowing down a little and he doesn't need as much food as he did when he was younger. Some cats really desire some variety in their food, and it sounds like Baluu is one of those cats. Good luck! I hope that answered your questions. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Oral pain would be the most common reason. I would recommend that you have Kaya examined by the vet to see if this could be the case. If it has been over a year since her last dental cleaning, it may be time to do it again and have x-rays performed to look for any issues not visible below the gumline.

Cats, like people, can have times when they are simply less hungry than others. Sheba still ate well, so I would not be concerned about this one time change in her wet food consumption. Keep an eye on her for signs of lethargy, vomiting or diarrhea, or if she stops eating any of her food. These would be signs that require veterinary attention. I hope that all goes well!

I wouldn't think that a decrease in appetite and weight loss would result from a diet change. Some cats can be quite picky and will stop eating a food they previously liked or be hesitant to try a new food, but eventually these cats will eat once they get hungry enough and picky eating should not result in significant weight loss. I wouldn't be concerned about changing to an adult food in an 11 month old cat either - Kovu was probably very close to his adult height by that point. I think seeing your veterinarian to have Kovu's weight checked and for a complete physical exam sounds like a great idea, and if they feel he is in good health you can discuss trying to find good quality diet that he seems to like and then monitor his weight closely.