Cats are lovely animals. Every cat owner wants to see his/her furry friend enjoying good health. Honestly speaking, better nutrition plays an important role in promoting the overall health and wellbeing of your feline friend.  If your cat is taking all essential nutrients in a balanced proportion, then it will enjoy the good health.  There are many questions like why my cat is not eating anything? What are major reasons for inappetence in cats? How we can stimulate the appetite in cats, are asked by many cat owners.

Here, we will discuss some important ways to stimulate the appetite in cats.

What are the reasons for inappetence in cats?

Loss of appetite is medically known as ‘anorexia. This is a very commonly observed condition in cats. There are various factors which cause anorexia in cats. Some key factors have been enlisted below:

All along with that, there are a number of other conditions which cause cats to not eat well. Whenever you find anorexia in your cat, just contact your veterinarian. Your vet will help in diagnosing the actual cause of inappetence in your furry friend.

Ways to stimulate appetite in cats:

 Anorexia causes weakness in cats

Remember; poor managerial conditions can also cause anorexia in cats. Here, we have summarized some important ways which can help your cat to restore/increase normal appetite.

How to improve cat’s appetite

1) Offer warm food to your cat (not too hot). This has been scientifically proven that cats like warm food items and prefer them over cold ones. It is a better idea to microwave the cat’s food at an optimum temperature.  Cats love the protein rich food items having strong smell such as fish, poultry etc.

2) Give your cat a little amount of chicken broth (with low sodium, no onion, garlic, chives etc). You can add this to your cat’s diet. This will act as a good appetizer. You can also feed some wet/canned food to your cat (as an appetizer).

3) Don’t make sudden dietary changes (transitions). Change your cat’s diet gradually and only under the supervision of an expert pet nutritionist.  Quickly, cut off the feeding of that diet which your cat is not appreciating and eating well. It is a good idea to give a palatable diet/treats to cats after consulting with a pet nutritionist.

4) Probiotics play a magical role in stimulating the appetite. It is recommended to give probiotics (veterinary recommended) to your cat. These good bacteria will stimulate your cat’s appetite and boost her immune system.

Note: probiotics are available in a variety of forms. You can use them after taking proper guidelines from your vet.

Although, sprinkling some powder of nutritional yeast on the cat’s food can also help in boosting her appetite.

5) There are a number of appetite stimulant medications available in the market. Moreover, many supplements are also used to boost up your cat’s appetite. You can talk to your vet. Your vet will suggest the best appetite stimulant after getting a thorough examination of your cat.

For instance, Yucca (a medicinal plant) has been used as a natural appetite stimulant in cats. But there are some side effects of this particular plant in cats. All medications should be used only after getting recommendations from a registered veterinary practitioner.

6) Perhaps your cat is suffering from anxiety/stress due to poor access to feeding bowls and water troughs (may be due to other pets living in the same house). Monitor this situation, as it is considered one of the major reasons of anorexia in cats. Make sure your furry friend has proper access to feeding and water. Give proper attention to your beloved cat.

Note: Timely and wise management of anorexia can save your cat’s life.

REFERENCES:

Kane E. Leung P.M.B Rogers Q.R. et al.Diurnal feeding and drinking patterns of adult cats as affected by changes in the level of fat in the diet. Appetite. 1987; 9: 89-98

Ran Nivy, Alina Kaplanov, Sharon Kuzi, Michal Mazaki‐Tovi, Einat Yas, Gilad Segev, Jennifer Ben‐Oz, Eran Lavy, Itamar Aroch, A retrospective study of 157 hospitalized cats with pancreatitis in a tertiary care center: Clinical, imaging and laboratory findings, potential prognostic markers and outcome, Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 10.1111/jvim.15317, 32, 6, (1874-1885), (2018).