Despite all these ominous things, if refeeding is done correctly, an animal should recover well and have no lasting effects from starvation. So, if you find a very sick, debilitated or emaciated animal, remember to feed it only small amounts of food until you can get them to a veterinarian for evaluation.
The entire process can take a few months and weight gain should be a slow and steady process. Purina provides a chart for a basic understanding of body condition scoring to help monitor the cat's condition.
How long can a cat go without eating? In any case—ill, picky, or feral—a cat that doesn't eat might survive for as long as two weeks without food, but not without serious health consequences. A cat that goes about three days or more without eating will begin to utilize fat reserves for energy, just as a human will.
If you find a starving cat like Gloria, avoid what is known as Refeeding Syndrome by feeding it very small amounts of high protein wet food, instead of dry food, which is often high in carbohydrates. You can also add additional nutrients to the wet food using very small amounts of fish oil or Brewer's Yeast.
If a cat doesn't eat for 24-72 hours, we need to start force feeding. To do this, you'll need to get human baby food from the grocery store or blend cat food into gruel. You'll want to get a meat based kind (like chicken or turkey), and make sure it doesn't have garlic in the ingredient list.
Offer wet food and dry food with different textures and shapes (pâté, stew, broth, triangular kibble, round kibble, etc.). You can also try to make the food more appetizing so that the transition is easier. A cat's appetite is strongly driven by their sense of smell.
A malnourished kitty should eat high-protein wet food with real meat and fish every day to gain healthy weight. Avoid products with high fat or carb content (excess carbs are broken down into excess fat and stored in cells) as they add to unhealthy fat mass rather than bulking up muscles and bones.
Natural ways to stimulate appetite in cats
Lure with delicious food: Cats are naturally curious creatures and respond to strong aromas. Try luring your cat with a few pieces of their favourite wet food or chunks of fresh tuna. You can also add low-sodium broth or tuna juice to the food as well.
A cat that has stopped eating for any reason is considered to be in an emergency situation, as starvation quickly causes life-threatening hepatic lipidosis in felines. Anorexia in cats is the term used to describe a sustained partial or complete loss of appetite.
Refeeding leads to a surge of insulin, which may result in severe electrolyte shifts including hypokalaemia, hypomagnesaemia and hypophosphataemia. These electrolyte shifts can cause severe clinical signs, and may even be fatal.
Unlike dogs, many cats don't live to eat. While many cats will eat their food (eventually), others are finicky and it's tricky to get them to eat.
Medical problems such as kidney disease, pancreatitis, ingestion of non-food material, cancer, dental disease, urinary tract disease, and arthritis can all deter a cat from eating. In addition to health issues, a cat's psychological well-being can also play a role in altering a cat's hunger.
Signs to look for include dry and scaly skin, muscle weakness, and runny or hard feces. She may also stop grooming, feel fatigued, and become very skinny. Malnutrition can cause neurologic signs in cats.
Refeeding syndrome is an uncommon but potentially fatal complication associated with the initiation of nutritional support in severely malnourished animals, particularly cats.
Intestinal disease
Feline inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) can cause excessive hunger in cats, as can a variety of other intestinal conditions in cats that are bacterial and viral in nature. Gastrointestinal lymphoma is often associated with loss of appetite, but the reverse can be true as well.
If the cat doesn't have food available to consume and digest, the overproduction of that stomach acid will result in vomiting yellow foamy bile. As mentioned above, it's important to make sure an adult cat gets fed at least 3 times a day, even if these meals are just a couple hours apart.
Like people, cats can go longer without food than water. Cats can survive for about two weeks without eating but only three days without drinking. The longer your cat goes without proper nutrition, however, the weaker they become, so it's important to contact your vet if you suspect they haven't eaten in a day or more.
The appetite stimulants megestrol acetate and dronabinol have been show to promote weight gain in anorexic patients. Appetite stimulation is most beneficial in the absence of local pathologic lesions affecting chewing and swallowing, malabsorption syndromes, and active systemic infections.
Safely Feeding Eggs to Your Cat
You can feed your cat hard boiled, scrambled, poached or even microwaved eggs as long as they're fully cooked (reaching an internal temperature of 160°F). Just let the egg cool down a bit before serving. Don't add any seasonings to the egg that you feed your cat – not even salt.
Too much tuna in your cat's diet can also lead to weight gain, especially if you have an indoor cat that is not very active. The World Small Animal Veterinary Association recommends a maximum of 290 calories per day for a cat weighing 11 pounds.
Cats can be addicted to tuna, whether it's packed for cats or for humans. Some tuna now and then probably won't hurt. But a steady diet of tuna prepared for humans can lead to malnutrition because it won't have all the nutrients a cat needs. And, too much tuna can cause mercury poisoning.
But there is a risk of adding too much fat to your cat's diet. Before giving your cat eggs, consult with your veterinarian. Scrambled eggs or boiled eggs that contain egg yolks have an increased fat content, which increases the calorie content, which raises your cat's risk of obesity.
Fluids can be administered by mouth using a syringe. Your veterinarian will give you specific instructions on how much and how often to administer fluids. If it is not possible for your cat to be given fluids by mouth, your veterinarian will hospitalize your cat to provide the necessary supportive care.