Your cat has stopped eating: when should you worry?
Missing one meal can happen, but after 24 hours feline loss of appetite becomes urgent.
Emergency · · Casavet veterinary team
Unlike dogs, cats cannot safely fast for long. Their liver can turn a simple loss of appetite into serious hepatic lipidosis.
Warning signs
Seek advice quickly if not eating comes with lethargy, vomiting, open-mouth breathing or unusual hiding.
The 24-hour rule
Call your vet after 24 hours without food for an adult cat, or 12 hours for a kitten. At the clinic we examine your cat and may recommend blood tests or an ultrasound to identify the cause and restart nutrition quickly.