My cat won't eat, use litter, and is lethargic. What's wrong?

It’s a medical emergency when a cat won’t eat, and if they go longer than 72 hours without eating, they will develop a fatty liver. A fatty liver is fatal without treatment. Koko cannot wait until Monday to be seen, i strongly urge you to take him into an ER vet now.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is in fact a concerning sign in cats as inappetence can be observed with conditions such as pancreatitis, kidney disease (most likely chronic in nature), dietary indiscretion and diabetes, just to mention a few possibilities. Cats can develop serious illness when they stop eating. This is known as hepatic lipidosis which is directly related to anorexia. I recommend that if Nutmeg is not eating by tomorrow morning, to have her evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. General labwork and thoracic/abdominal imaging may be recommended for work-up. Treatment would be based on findings. Good luck! Hoping for a speedy recovery!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. I am sorry to hear that Kitty is not feeling very well. With the description and blood results, I worry about a condition known as hepatic lipidosis (fatty liver disease) or triaditis (inflammation of the pancreas, liver and small intestines). For fatty liver disease, a feeding tube is generally recommended to help bring cats out of this condition as nutritional support is key and extremely important in these cases. I would recommend an abdominal ultrasound as the next diagnostic step to help better determine what the cause could be. If Kitty is still not wanting to eat, you need to consider hospitalization and feeding tube placement to help her get through this. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Loss of appetite and lethargy can be observed with many conditions such as gastroenteritis, dietary indiscretion, kidney disease, pancreatitis, among many other possibilities. Defecating outside of the litter box is usually a medical issue and can be linked to everything else going on. I recommend that you have Merlin evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They would be able to check for these possibilities and others depending on the findings on exam. Treatment would be based on findings. Good luck and have a great day! Hoping for a speedy recovery!

This is an emergency. Cats eating kitty litter usually are seriously ill. It is a general sign of serious illness, so there is no way to tell what is making him ill without a hands-on exam. Not eating for 2+ days is also life threatening to a cat. You will need to take him to a PetER right away please.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Bebe. Oh no, that is not good. It's actually very serious when a cat won't eat, and if they go 72 hours without eating, they will develop a fatty liver which is fatal without treatment. She is approaching that time now. The best thing you can do for her is take her into a vet immediately. I hope this helps!

I'm sorry to hear that Lily has been feeling so poorly today. As Dr. Melanie mentioned, lethargy and a loss of appetite can be due to many underlying health conditions. Since she seems to prefer laying down, it's also possible that she's experiencing some degree of pain or discomfort. Some of these possible conditions include pancreatitis, infectious diseases (FIV, feline leukemia, FIP, etc.), constipation, kidney disease, liver disease, toxin exposure (did she eat a plant, medication or something else she shouldn't have?), or many other conditions. The fact that she hasn't been using the litter box normally might be a sign that she is dehydrated, even though she's drinking water when it's placed in front of her. At this point, it would be best to take Lily to her vet fairly urgently for evaluation. Your vet will need to examine her and will likely recommend some diagnostic testing, which may include blood work, an ultrasound or x-rays, to get to the bottom of this issue. I hope that she feels better soon!