Have you ever wondered about how long can a cat go without food and water? Well, as a responsible pet owner its normal to have such kinds of questions in your mind. Especially when you witness that your cat is not eating their food or stopped drinking water.
This article will provide you with some knowledge regarding how long can a cat survive without food and the reasons for the same. You will also read some wonderful tips that may help you make your cat eat.
How Much They Can Actually Survive Without Eating?
If you are willing to know how long can a cat go without food, the answer to the same is nearly two weeks. Cats can survive without food for nearly a week or two without any serious issue. But the main problem lies about do they drink water? In case you feel their furs and skin take a remarkably long time to settle, then your cat is witnessing symptoms of dehydration.
Some Medical and Non-Medical Reasons for This
If you feel that your cat is not taking its diet to their fullest, the reason can be that they do not feel comfortable at your place. Get your cat check by a vet to find their health conditions and the possible reasons for the cat to decline eating its food. Many of the breeds do not feel comfortable with the atmosphere and the temperature prevailing in the city especially when you bring them as a kid. So, it’s your duty to make them comfortable, you can also consult an expert regarding your cat.
Apart from this, there are severe medical problems to that can make your cat stop eating. Some of the predicted ones are cancer, dental diseases, pancreatic problems, urinary and kidney-related problems, and ingestion of foreign material in their stomach. In such cases, it is highly necessary to take them to your vet for their proper treatment.
What to Do If They Do Not Drink Water?
When a cat does not eat for a few days it’s not much of a problem as she will soon recover the nutrients if she starts eating. But in a case when your cat refuses to drink water it can become severely dehydrated. Same like us, their internal organs will begin to shrink and fail. These can ultimately affect the working of their kidney, liver, and finally the brain. Such damage is most cases are incurable. It’s better to consult the vet as soon as you face such problems.
Tips To Make Your Cat Eat
Do not worry about how long can a cat go without food. These tips are useful for such people whose cat refuses to eat the food you offer.
Tips 1: Heat the Food
If your cat refuses to eat, perhaps she wants such food that has a strong smell. For this, you can provide them with food soaked in warm water or heat up the food itself. The heating of the foods will provide the necessary fragrance that they like in their food. The advantage of mixing the food with warm water is that it will keep your cat hydrated.
Tips 2: Mixing Water
Some cats prefer to eat wet foods, for them to mix the food with water.
Tips 3: Putting Their Favorite Treats
You may have seen many of the delicious cat meals in the commercial. Try one of those and mix them in your homemade food. The process is very effective and rarely fails. Some favorite healthy treats include Greenies, Caru, and blue Buffalo.
Tips 4: Rotations of Foods
Cats are just like us and get bored if eats the same type of food every day. You can feel that if you are made to eat a pizza for the whole month. So, rotate the food of the cat with different flavors and items. If possible, make a list and paste on your kitchen shelf showing what day to eat which food. You should also if any two products are labeled as chicken it does not mean both will have the exact same taste. So, if your cat refuses to eat a particular brand try other.
Tips 5: Alternate Feeding of Wet and Dry Foods
You can also show variation in your food by alternately feeding them with dry and wet foods. Such experiments have been proved very useful for many cat owners.
Tips 6: Know Likes and Dislikes of Your Cat
Try to pick up the taste your cat likes. It’s not difficult at all day you see that your cat has finished its entire bowl, that particular meal she had probably liked. But make sure that do not bore them giving that food again and again as she might get bored with that too.
Tips 7: Try Some Other Kibble
Sometimes changing the kibble or the bowl in which your cat eats can also be a solution. Try to change them in some other shape or make variation regarding its depth and circumference, and observe their response.
Tips 8: Try Different Diet
You can consult your vet and ask for a different diet plan if all the above tips do not work well for your cats. Some cats eat raw foods while others cooked. Make sure to understand its needs well.
Tips 9: Play With Them
It’s obvious when a person simply eats and sleeps with no physical activity around. If your cat is following an irregular diet this can also be one of the reasons for this. Many cats like to play hide-and-seek and love to run around across the garden or in your home.
In case they do not get such sufficient space to wander, they tend to eat less. Buying them a readymade tunnel to increase their physical activity might be helpful. Such tunnels are made in such ways that your cat will really enjoy playing inside it; you can even make them on your own by using your old bags and cardboard boxes. This type of excitement in cats will generate hunger in them as well.
Some Important Measures as a cat Owner
As a cat owner, you might be worried and surprised to see this unusual condition of your cat. The first thing you have to do is to take them to your vet. If you see that your cat has not eaten anything for two days there may be some trouble with them which has to be solved. Neglecting such behavior of your cat can cause you even more trouble. So, it’s better to take the measures at an initial stage.
Some Frequently Asked Questions (Faqs) You May Have
Q1: Can a cat go a day without food?
Ans: You will find it difficult to believe that cats can go for 15 days without food. However, she may need water as we all know water is essential for the survival of life.
Q2: What do you feed a cat that refuses to eat?
Ans: In case your cat refuses to eat you can offer them canned or wet food. Try to give them such foods that stink such as tuna, meat, and chicken. There are also various kinds of seafood that you can also provide them. Cats easily become fed up with their daily food and want some smellier and tastier food as alternatives.
Q3: What are the signs that a cat is dying?
Ans: If a cat is about to see it may show you the below mention symptoms –
- Extreme weakness
- Low body temperature
- Changes in quality of their fur and body
- Hiding and escaping from people
- Hat to eat food, or usual vomiting
Q4: How often should you feed a cat?
Ans: It depends on their age, for the first six months it’s good to feed them twice or thrice a day. In the case of a mature cat, that is after 1 year and more you can feed them once or twice depending on the type of food and its quantity. Even you can continue the same routine for older cats.
Q5: How do I get my cat to drink water when she refuses?
Ans: In case you find troubles to make your cat drink water you can try these tips –
- Try to give them food which possesses high water content
- Add some cat food in the water to provide them with a good taste
- Use fancy drinking fountains
- Try some other bowl
- Encourage your cat to drink water
Q6: Is it OK to leave the cat alone for 3 days?
Ans: If you are planning to leave your cat for three days make them habitual to stay alone for one day. Keep some good foods that do not get spoil and keep a clean litter box. Make sure to keep such a water container or fountain that they may not drop or spoil them. It’s better to inform your friend or neighbors to inform you if they see notice anything unusual.
The Final Verdict
Finally, you have received your answers regarding how long can a cat go without food and the ways to get rid of such situations. While cats are energetic and playful, they can spend quite a time without eating. This definitely does not mean that you should stop taking care of such things.
If the problem worsens your cat can be severely dehydrated that can create a lot of troubles for you. The wise step is to keep checking their daily schedule to avoid such problems.
