My cat has parvo and won't eat. How important is eating for recovery?

This depends on the type of fluids he is receiving, it is possible to provide intravenous nutrition but this is often very expensive. Tube feeding is often used if not eating voluntarily or if vomiting is severe. I recommend you chat about this with your primary treating vet

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.

This is definitely a sign that he has nausea, it could be due to cat distemper (cat parvo), but it could also be due to other things, if this keeps happening and he stops eating you will need to take him to the vet ASAP in order to get treatment.

This kitten was likely already exposed to it before you go it. This disease can be fatal but hydration is the key. It is a virus so supportive care is all you can do until it passes. Most turn the corner within a week of treatment starting with no more vomiting followed by an appetite returning.

It sounds like you are doing just fine with him. I really can't say if he is on the mend or not without examining him myself but he does not sound that sick so that is good. Remember these things take time; it has only been 15 hours. There is nothing else I would recommend you do; the treatment plan sounds fine. Best wishes. I hope Ezra is back to 100% soon.

Parvo virus in cats (also known as panleukopenia) is a very serious illness with a poor prognosis. If Blue was not tested for feline panleukopenia and his diagnosis was an educated guess, it may be that the bloody stool and vomiting were caused by some other bacterial or viral infection, or intestinal parasites. I do hope that he continues to get better and go back to completely normal! A true panleukopenia virus infected cat can continue to shed virus particles for 6 weeks. I do recommend that he be seen by the vet to start vaccinations next week to prevent other viral infections that are prevented with proper vaccination. Here is some more information on panleukopenia virus in cats: http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=1983

They can go several days without eating, but it's good that you're getting her to the vet. The biggest / most pressing concern is the severe dehydration that parvo can cause, as well as possibility of secondary infections from the compromised GI tract.