According to the Royal Veterinary College (RVC), inappetence is the most common reason why cats are presented to their specialist referral service. The team at the RVC specialise in tackling cases where the true cause of a pet’s illness remains elusive. But why is inappetence in cats such a tricky problem for vets to solve, and why might a cat be referred to a specialist to treat it?

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What is inappetence in cats? 

It’s fairly common for cats to be picky eaters, and just like us, they have their days when their usual food seems unappealing. They may have had an upsetting experience like a house move or a recent trip to the vets perhaps, that has left them feeling stressed and off their food. Many cats will refuse to eat a new type of food that is suddenly presented to them. But if a lack of interest in food continues for more than 24-hours, there could be an underlying medical cause.  

If your cat is eating very little, they can be described as inappetant, or ‘hyporexic’. If they have eaten nothing at all, the medical term is ‘anorexic’. Your cat might also have lost weight if the inappetence has been going on for a little while. 

Inappetance itself can be harmful

Cats, especially those that are overweight, can develop a life-threatening liver condition in response to a sudden lack of food called hepatic lipidosis, or ‘fatty liver’. The need for energy to fuel the body causes the body to break down its fat stores rapidly. The fat travels to the liver but overwhelms the liver’s ability to function properly. Hepatic lipidosis is reversible if caught early, so it’s important to contact your vet for advice when you notice your cat has not eaten for a day or two.

It can be tricky to narrow down the causes of inappetence

Certain causes of inappetence may be functional, such as a poorly healed broken jaw, nerve injury, or dental disease. In these cases, a cat might be interested in food, but is unable to physically eat. 

For most cats however, inappetence is brought about by one or a combination of: 

  • Nausea
  • Pain
  • Stress

The list of possible causes for nausea, pain or stress in cats is long and can take time to work through. It’s not possible to take a deep dive into all the differentials within this article, but here are just a few of the medical issues your vet may be considering:

  • A persistent fever, due to infection or inflammation
  • A reduced sense of smell, due to nasal disease for example
  • Gut disease
  • Pancreatic disease
  • Liver disease
  • Kidney disease
  • Lung or heart disease
  • Arthritis and joint pain
  • Cancer
  • Constipation

Why refer to a specialist?

The longer a cat remains inappetant, the more they are likely to deteriorate and continue to refuse to eat. Going without food has serious negative effects on the body’s immune system, gut health, and the ability to recover from illness. There is an added complication here for cats, as stress is a major contributing factor in inappetence. Cats as a species are highly susceptible to stress in the hospital environment. 

There is a need to act fast to intervene and get to the bottom of the issue. For that reason, many owners opt for specialist care, where advanced diagnostic equipment may be more readily available. 

The first priority will be to treat any pain or nausea with medication, and to support your cat’s nutritional needs. If medication alone doesn’t result in voluntary food intake, it can be helpful to place a feeding tube to provide that essential nutritional support while your cat’s medical condition is being investigated.  

Summary

If your cat has been off their food for the last 24-48 hours, it’s time to get advice from your vet. It’s important to intervene early to get your cat eating again, as a lack of food can cause your cat to deteriorate further. Nausea, pain or stress will deter your cat from eating, but there are lots of possible underlying causes. Many owners opt for referral to a specialist to diagnose and manage their cat’s condition.