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My new cat won't eat or drink in its new home. What can I do?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | American Shorthair | Male | 1 year old | 10 lbs

We just adopted a 1 year old American shorthair cat and it has been 24 hours and he isn’t eating or drinking water, any suggestions?

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Lauren Jones VMD

Veterinarian

Published on February 28th, 2018

Ozzie's whole world has just been turned upside down by coming into a new home with new people, so he is likely quite stressed at the moment. Some cats refuse to eat or drink normally during times of stress, so there are a few things that you can try to help Ozzie along. First of all, try to leave him alone as much as possible so that he can acclimate to his new environment. Also assure that his food and water are in slightly quieter and more secluded areas of your house so that he has some privacy while eating or drinking. You can also try using calming pheromone collars or diffusers, such as Feliway. He may be tempted to eat with canned cat food, small portions of tuna, or meat-based baby foods. Warming up these foods slightly will make their odor stronger, which is often enticing to cats. However, if Ozzie still won't eat or drink by tomorrow, it may be worth a trip to the vet to assure that there aren't any other medical conditions at play. I hope this helps and that Ozzie warms up to his new home quickly!

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Destini R. Holloway, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on September 1st, 2019
Poor girl. You really have to try and make Maggie comfortable by giving her her space and perhaps offering her another kind of food. I am not sure what you are offering her now or if there are any other pets involved, but here is a website link that may hep you troubleshoot some ideas on how to help Maggie adjust to her new home. www.jacksongalaxy.com
Some good foods to consider also are: Fromm, Royal Canin, Hill's Science Diet or Purina. I would recommend also offering wet and dry food, just in case she has a preference. You can also ask your friend what food they offered her as well. Eventually she will come out of her shell and eat and drink normally. If she is using the litter box at all, then that means she has to have consumed something, even if it was just a little bit.
I hope that your pet Maggie adjusts to her new place soon! Best wishes and take care.
2Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Destini R. Holloway, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on April 26th, 2019
Poor kitty. He may be too nervous with his new environment. I would suggest getting him some anti-anxiety supplements or diffusers, such as the Feliway plug-ins or Zylkene oral capsules (available online). I would also try to feed him in an isolated area of the house until he becomes acclimated to his new environment. If he seems lethargic at all, or doesn't eat by tomorrow, then it is best to get him checked out by your vet to ensure there are no underlying issues here that need to be addressed. Also cats that don't eat can really injure their liver, so its best to get him checked soon if he does not improve.

You can also try some canned cat food to see if that is more enticing for him to want to eat. Some good brands would include: Fromm, Merrick or Royal Canin.
I hope that Taco develops a good appetite soon! Best wishes and take care.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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