Please me cat wont eat?

Question

My husband was given a cat yesterday...its been over 24 hours...he wont eat hard or soft food...wont drink and hasnt used the bathroom...what should i do....i dont really have the money to take him to the vet...PLEASE HELP!!!!!!!!

oh....whats really weird...he loves me petting him. He keeps rubbing on me...he just wont eat

Answer 1

hmmm, a cat that won't eat - gee - never heard of that before :P

cat's are notoriously known for being *very* finicky. add this to the fact that your kitty is in a new environment - it might just be a case of jitters. Have you tried like *every* single flavor of every single cat food imagineable - if not - oooh, be prepared hehehe.

I wouldn't let this go too long without taking action though. If your cat still is not eating or drinking in a short time - it might be a good idea to get some cat milk and an eye-dropper and manually feed your kitty .... Godspeed to you on that one - heheh

If worse comes to worse, you can always drop by your local vet and just run your issue by them. Even if you can't afford a visit - they might be able to give you some helpful pointers.

Good Luck

Answer 2

The cat is probably very stressed out. A new environment
is especially hard. I do have a couple of suggestions you
should try right away. First of all, even though I do not suggest
that anyone feed any animal our food, it is often helpful when
they won't eat. Try any kind of food, like ham, or chicken.
My boyfriend bought one of those cooked chickens when my
pet wouldn't eat, and it worked. Cats love milk and it may not
be a good idea to give it to them very often, but it will drink it.


I would suggest you leave a variety of things for the cat to eat
and put down a small bowl of milk where ever the cat is and
leave it alone for awhile so it can approach the food without
any fear. One more thing. If the cat does not use the bathroom
I would suggest putting some fiber into it's diet.

If your cat does not eat or drink or use the bathroom in the next
24 hours, take it to a vet. Under no circumstances should you
not treat your pet due to financial reasons cause most vets
understand that alot of people don't have much money, and I
am sure you can arrange a method of payment. I am sure of
that. I have been there. Hope the cat is ok.

Answer 3

Some cats need some time in a new place before they can eat. You said you had the cat only yesterday. The cat is still adjusting to his new environment. Keep him confined in one room - preferable a room where he can "hide" under a bed or closet. Put his water bowl and food bowl and litter box there. Sooner or later, he'll realize that he is hungry and will eat. Just leave him alone, checking up on him periodically. I'm sure he'll eat and drink and use the litter box sometime in the night when all is quiet.
The first time I took my cat for a weekend stay at a relative's place, he would not eat or drink or use the litter box either. Just stayed under my bed. After 36 hrs or so, he finally ate half of what he normally eats and used the litter box and then went back to hiding.

Answer 4

The length of time for adustment to your home will depend on what has happened to the cat before you got him. Confine him to a small space - bathroom or bedroom with the food, litter and water and just go in when you put down more food, give him clean water, change litterbox etc. and talk to him in a soft, encouraging voice. A soft bed of a rug or blanket in a closet is a good place for him to feel secure. He may not eat for more than 24 hours and just needs time to get used to your scent and the sounds of the house.

You can help him a great deal by getting some Rescue Remedy from a health food store tomorrow. You just shake the bottle well and put three or four drops on the fur between his ears, four to five times a day if you can. If he hides under a bed you can put the drops on a small cloth and put it near him under the bed. Refresh the drops three to four times a day too. It will work just as well as putting the drops on him. Use the RR for the next week or ten days. He may work up his courage in a short time and the RR will help him deal with emotional issues about past trauma and give him the courage to come out and begin to enjoy his new life with your family.

He will have to go to the vet eventually so you must plan financially for that. The RR is also good to use when he has to make a vet trip as it reduces anxiety.

Answer 5

99.9% of the time a cat refuses to eat, it's very sick. The 0.1% of the other times it is caused by extreme stress. I sounds like you are really concerned about this cat, but if you cannot afford medical care for your pet, you should really reconsider whether you are prepared to take on the responsibility of one. You can get very affordable pet insurance. There is also a credit card called CareCredit that is especially for people to pay for their loved ones medical expenses over time. It includes veterinary care for beloved pets as well. Check out their website here: http://carecredit.com/vetmed/whycc.html . Your kitty may just be very stressed out, but it could also be sick with something that can easily be treated with an antibiotic or other medication. Don't let something easily treatable turn into a major condition that could be fatal.

My last advice is to pick up some chicken babyfood. Make sure it's plain chicken with no garlic or onions (toxic to kitties). Put a little bit on your finger and see if the cat will eat some. Most cats go crazy for it. It may do the trick if it's just a bit of fear you kitty is experiencing. Good luck.

Answer 6

I got a cat 2 yrs ago from a old lady that I knew. This stray cat had kittens in her yard she gave them out we got one whatever. When we brung her home she hid all day and would not eat or drink or use the litter. She did this for about 5-6 days. After those few days she just started to eat. Then of course the litter was not far behind LOL. I think if you give her time she will be fine. My cat is now a active member of the family and loves to play with the kids LOL.

Answer 7

Okay listen, the cat's scared right now. Try to look at the situation from that cat's eyes. It could be traumatized and scared of people right now. Maybe it's even been abused

I've had 2 rescue cats in my care, and they were both extremely hard to deal with in the beginning.

What you need to do, is put the cat in a room by itself for at least 3 days. Leave the litterbox and the food in there, and just leave the cat alone. Eventually, I'm pretty sure the cat will warm up to you, but it will be a long process. Just try to ease the cat into the environment slowly..

Answer 8

Try putting his food and water someplace out of the way where he can get to it without being seen. Under a bed might work. I know you probably want to interact with the cat, but that might take some time. Give him some quiet space away from you were he can do his business in private until he gets used to the idea of having you around.

Answer 9

You jsut got it just give it time. It could be just nervous becasue its in a new place. When i gave my friend a kitten i slep over at her house the night i gave it to her, and the cat wouldn't eat and it had really bad diarhea but then the next day once he go tuse to his surroundings he was fine. Just give it time and make him feel welcome. If u have to buy cat treats and give him lots of those untill he is ready to eat reg. cat food. Just dont freak out over something thats normal. It will work it self out on its own. But since he hasn't used the bathroom than he will def. have diarhea when he does so again dont freak out when he does. Or he could be going in another part of the house becasue he's to scared to use his litter box. If u have other pets seperate them untill he seems to act normal and eats and goes to the bathroom becasue they could be adding more stress to the already stressed kitty.
GOOD LUCK!

Answer 10

If u just got him give him his space hes new to the house just place the food there dont look at him and he'll eat so is the bathroom dont have lighs noises or anything distracting by the litter box they wont concitrate for more info go to petsmart