My sick cat with URI won't eat or drink. How can I help him?

Poor Sourpatch! You typically should start to see some improvement within 24-48 hours, but it can be longer based on the severity of the infection. He likely isn't using the litter box because he hasn't eaten or drank, so he has no need to pass anything. When cats have a respiratory infection, they can't smell their food. Smell is very important to cats, and they won't eat something if they can't smell it. To tempt him to eat, I would gently warm up really smelly wet food, such as sardine or fished based. That will get some moisture in him as well, and hopefully he will start eating soon. If he still isn't eating after trying this in another 24 hours, I would take him back into the vet.

Poor kitten! I suspect the kitten is very sick and that’s why it is not eating or drinking. Although it may not work, giving subcutaneous fluids every day and force feeding may be needed until the kitten feels better. Feed a diet such as a/d or r/s as they are high calorie. You also have more aggressive options such as hospitalization with intravenous fluids or even a feeding tube placement. Sometimes these kittens need a lot of intense care and time to feel better. Make sure it stays warm and visits the veterinarian as needed. The vet may be able to show you how to give subcutaneous fluids if needed. I hope this is helpful and best of luck.

An upper respiratory infection often involves nasal discharge or swelling of the mucous membranes which can then disable the sense of smell and then cats do not want to eat. One way of helping that is to 1) remove any discharge from the nose as often as possible with a moist tissue. 2) feed her fishy canned food, preferably pate style, and warm it up in the microwave. This will intensify the aroma of the food. Clavamox tastes not so good, and sometimes it can also make a cat not hungry. However, it is absolutely necessary that your kitty eats at least a little bit every day in order not to get a serious liver disease. Try to hand feed her, if she will not eat from the bowl. If she does not eat at all she will need to be seen by your vet for a recheck.

Aww poor little Beuller! The drinking and urinating is most important so I’m glad to hear that. A lot of the time these kittens don’t eat because their noses are stuffy and cats are very smell-driven in terms of appetite. I usually recommend canned food (or soak the kibbles) and then warm it up for a few seconds in the microwave as warm food smells more strongly. Obviously take care to stir and test the temperature on your wrist to make sure it’s not too hot. The lack of bowel movements is not terribly surprising or concerning since he hasn’t eaten. I do expect a bowel movement within 24-36 hours after he starts eating again. As for your other question, the eyes often are better within a week, but I’ve seen cases that take 5-6 weeks of consistent medication to completely resolve. Best wishes to you and Beuller!

Hello, sorry to hear about Arki. This could be the case and it may take him a day or so to resume his appetite. However, if Arki is not able to urinate, has gone greater than 4-6 hours with urinating, is making frequent visits to the litter box and is unable to produce urine, or is sitting in the litter box and vocalizing then he should be evaluated immediately as these are signs he may be obstructed and would require emergency veterinary attention. If he is obstructed, then Arki is unlikely to want to eat anything as this is painful condition. If he is urinating, then as his UTI begins to clear, he will likely resume his normal appetite. Hope this helps and best of luck.

Poor Kyle. I recommend to call his veterinarian and tell them what is going on. They may add on medication to soothe his stomach, an appetite stimulant or they may ask to examine him again to check for/treat and ongoing fever. Since he is not wanting to eat on his own, he needs medication to help him recover. I hope this helps and that he starts feeling better quickly.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Loss of appetite and diarrhea can be observed with many conditions such as gastroenteritis, dietary indiscretion, kidney disease, pancreatitis, among many other possibilities. I recommend that you have Otto 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 good night! Hoping for a speedy recovery!