My cat won't eat or drink, but vets say she's healthy. What can I do?

There could be several reasons why your [cat will not eat](https://www.petcoach.co/article/why-isnt-my-cat-eating). Take a look inside your cat's mouth and under its tongue if you can do it safely. If you see any redness, inflammation or bleeding of the gums or around teeth, there may be [periodontal disease](https://www.petcoach.co/cat/condition/dental-disease-1/) present. Confirm there are no foreign objects (or string) in the mouth or under the tongue. If you see anything that does not appear "normal", schedule an exam with your veterinarian. Other potential causes include [kidney disease](https://www.petcoach.co/article/6-things-you-should-know-about-kidney-disease-in-cats), [pancreatitis](https://www.petcoach.co/article/pancreatitis) or gastrointestinal issues. These may require blood work and x-rays to diagnose. If the mouth is clear, try warming the food slightly or adding some liquid from a can of tuna to stimulate appetite. If your cat does not eat for 3+ days, see your vet immediately to avoid complications involving [liver function](https://www.petcoach.co/cat/condition/hepatic-lipidosis/).

Hi, and thanks for your question. This is a quite generic but concerning presentation. Differentials are many, from gastrointestinal diseases (infection/inflammations) to any disease that can spread systemically (causing lethargy for example) like infection, and anything that can cause pain/discomfort. A clinical examination at your local veterinarian is immediately essential to confirm these clinical suspicions and treat appropriately. Antibiotics and possibly further investigations (like abdominal imaging as ultrasound or radiographs) may be needed. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

Hi and thanks for posting. Kidney disease and liver disease can certainly cause nausea and decreased appetite and water consumption. You may want to talk to your veterinarian about giving your cat anti-nausea medications such as Zofran or Cerenia which can help decreased the nausea so he feels better to eat and drink. Appetite stimulants an also be prescribed to help boost his appetite. I hope this helps!

I doubt very much that the litter change had anything to do with the signs you are currently seeing in Misu. Lack of appetite and not drinking water are both serious problems that could be caused by pain, nausea, internal organ problems (like kidneys or liver), or intestinal issues. Unfortunately these are very vague signs and he will need some tests, like bloodwork, urinalysis, and possibly x-rays to determine what is going on, and how to treat it. I urge you to call again and make an urgent appointment, or take him on to see an emergency veterinarian tonight.

I agree with your concerns - not eating for 5 days is certainly not normal. I'm glad to hear that Bentley's blood work was overall normal, but I am curious as to whether or not he was tested for fPL, which is a test to raise or lower suspicion of feline pancreatitis. Possible causes of his sudden loss of appetite not apparent on routine lab testing include pancreatitis, inflammatory bowel disease, cancer, intestinal obstruction (I would expect more vomiting, however), among others. The main concern, particularly since Bentley is such a big cat, is that he could develop hepatic lipidosis (fatty liver disease) as a result of not eating for this length of time, which can be quite severe. If Bentley is still not eating by tomorrow morning, I strongly recommend taking him back to the vet to discuss further testing, such as the fPL blood test or abdominal ultrasound to get to the bottom of this issue. I hope that he is on the mend soon!

Since it sounds like KD never skips a meal, its possible he is getting sick. Just like people, there are many conditions that can make pets feel sick. This could range from bacterial over growth to intestinal blockage. Also like us, diseases are best addressed early and this may result in a better prognosis. I recommend to have him examined by the veterinarian if he is not eating for 24 hours, not drinking well or if he is getting worse. The doctor will need to learn the underlying cause in order to give appropriate treatment. Bring in a stool sample in case the doctor needs to test it. I hope KD starts feeling better quickly! Please feel free to post any additional questions!

I am sorry to hear about Annabelle. If she is not eating and now not drinking these are definitely signs of concern that require evaluation by a veterinarian. In particular, if she is an overweight cat (it says on your information that she is 14 pounds) then she is at risk of developing a dangerous liver condition called hepatic lipidosis if she isn't eating. There are many possible underlying causes for her symptoms, including primary GI disease (such as inflammatory bowel disease, gastritis, stomach ulcer, gi tumors, gi infection, pancreatitis, cholangiohepatitis) or disease of the liver or kidney (either of these can cause increased thirst). The vet will want to do an examination and will likely recommend bloodwork and an x-ray to try to determine the cause of her symptoms. She may need to be prescribed an appetite stimulant, and may need fluid therapy if she is dehydrated.