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My cat has URI, no improvement after shot. Why won't he eat or drink?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Male | neutered | 1 year old

My cat is 1 years old 9.9 lbs and has been diagnosed with a upper respiratory infection by the vet already. She had us give him a Covenia injection yesterday around 5pm and we haven't seen any improvement so far. He still hasn't eaten anything or drank any water and he still hasn't used the restroom. His activity level has dropped tremendously as well. He walks around and sits up but he isn't the way he used to be. You can tell he's hurting.

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on November 5th, 2016

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.
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