My senior cat won't eat for a week but drinks. What should I do?

Poor Lilly sounds extremely ill, and I would have her seen by a vet immediately. When a cat doesn't eat for at least three days, they develop a fatty liver which is fatal without treatment. She could have a number of serious problems wrong with her causing her anorexia, such as kidney failure, liver failure, severe dental problems, or even cancer. I would have her seen by a vet now for a physical exam, geriatric blood panel, and urinalysis to diagnose what may be causing her symptoms. Once a cause is found, the vet can discuss treatment options with you.

I understand what you are saying. Unfortunately, if you have run blood tests and there is no evidence of kidney or liver disease, no evidence of any significant infectious disease, or any sort of electrolyte balance, the most likely cause for an extended period of inappetence and weight loss in an elderly cat is cancer. Specifically, the cancer is usually gastrointestinal lymphoma. X-rays and ultrasound would help in trying to confirm or rule out this diagnosis, but this is an all too common and unfortunate end to many kitties. I would continue to try and just feed her anything that she wants. Literally anything if it gets her eating is fine. I hope you and Suki can figure things out.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. I am sorry to hear that Kitty is not feeling very well. With the description and blood results, I worry about a condition known as hepatic lipidosis (fatty liver disease) or triaditis (inflammation of the pancreas, liver and small intestines). For fatty liver disease, a feeding tube is generally recommended to help bring cats out of this condition as nutritional support is key and extremely important in these cases. I would recommend an abdominal ultrasound as the next diagnostic step to help better determine what the cause could be. If Kitty is still not wanting to eat, you need to consider hospitalization and feeding tube placement to help her get through this. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Bebe. Oh no, that is not good. It's actually very serious when a cat won't eat, and if they go 72 hours without eating, they will develop a fatty liver which is fatal without treatment. She is approaching that time now. The best thing you can do for her is take her into a vet immediately. I hope this helps!

I am very sorry to hear that Smokey isn't feeling himself. With a history of not eating over the last few days as well as not drinking and lethargy I would advise taking Smokey to the vet as soon as you can. If Smokey is not passing urine or feces, because depressed or dull, vomits or has dirrhoea or collapses take him the the vet immediately as this could be the sign of a life threatening emergency such as an intestinal or urinary blockage. In the meantime try boiled boneless chicken breast to tempt Smokey into eating. You can also offer the broth from cooking the chicken to try and rehydrate him. I am so sorry this is happening to Smokey and I hope he feels better soon.

It is not safe for cats to not eat for a week. Please speak with your veterinarian today about what you should do. Depending on what his urinalysis looked like, you may be able to stop the antibiotics (which can cause nausea and a decrease in appetite). You may also be able to try canned food or a different type of prescription diet food. Regardless, it is more important to get James Bond to eat regardless of what he eats right now in order to prevent potential liver problems from not eating. If blood work has not been checked, that may need to be done as well. If James Bond continues to not eat, he will likely need to be hospitalized. Good luck! I hope that was helpful and that James Bond feels better soon. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

This is very concerning and may not related to progressing kidney, thyroid disease or diabetes. An urgent vet check and urine and blood tests is recommended. Do not delay investigation as early treatment is required