It’s great to see so many people making the switch from purchasing a kitten over to adopting a cat as there are so many great cats available for adoption looking for a new home.
Thankfully, the majority of the cats that are available for adoption are in great physical condition due to the care that they receive while waiting to be adopted.
Although some of the cats may have mental problems, for the most part, they are fine and great options to keep as pets.
That said, we always see people reaching out with questions about why their adopted cat won’t eat so we wanted to cover the topic in this article to try and help as many of our readers as possible who have recently adopted a cat.
For the most part, your adopted cat will start eating once it has had time to settle into its new home and it starts to get comfortable.
Still, there are a few potential problems that may be causing your adopted cat not to eat so we hope that this article will be able to help as many of our readers as possible.
Why Your Adopted Cat Won’t Eat!
We have a list of the most common reasons that your adopted cat won’t eat below:-
- It Needs To Get Used To The New Environment!
- It’s Not Used To The Food You Feed It!
- Diarrhea And Vomiting!
- A Tooth Or Gum Infection!
- Your Cat Is Not Hungry!
- Internal Parasites!
- Cancer!
Some cats may have more than one of the problems above at the same time preventing them from being able to eat.
There are also some less common reasons that adopted cats won’t eat but the majority of people will usually find that their problem is with one of the seven problems listed above.
It Needs To Get Used To The New Environment!
The number one reason that an adopted cat won’t eat is usually because it’s not used to the new environment yet and it needs some time to get comfortable.
When you first bring your cat home, try and give it some time to adjust before you start worrying about why it’s not eating.
In most cases, the cat will start to eat once it has had a chance to explore its new home and get used to the people in the household.
If your cat still hasn’t started to eat after a few days, then you can start to look at some of the other potential problems on this list.
It’s Not Used To The Food You Feed It!
One common problem that we see is that people try and feed their new cat the same food that they were eating at the shelter or rescue center.
Although this may seem like a good idea, it’s often not the best option as the food that your cat was eating at the shelter or rescue center may not be the same as what you’re feeding it now.
Additionally, the food that you’re feeding your cat now may not be to its liking and it may take some time for your cat to get used to the new food.
If you’re having trouble getting your cat to eat the food you’re giving it, then you can try mixing in some wet food or canned tuna to see if that helps.
Diarrhea And Vomiting!
Another common reason that your adopted cat won’t eat is because it’s suffering from diarrhea and vomiting.
If your cat is vomiting, then it’s likely that it will lose its appetite and it may not feel like eating.
Additionally, if your cat has diarrhea, then it may not want to eat because it doesn’t want to make the situation worse.
If your cat is suffering from diarrhea and vomiting, then you should take it to the vet as soon as possible so that they can treat the problem.
A Tooth Or Gum Infection!
Another common reason that your adopted cat won’t eat is because it has a tooth or gum infection.
If your cat has a tooth or gum infection, then it may be in pain and it may not want to eat because of the pain.
In most cases, this will pass and you are able to get treatments over the counter from your local pet store but in bad cases, you may have to take your cat to the vet.
You should be able to see any potential problems with the teeth or gums of your cat with a quick visual inspection giving you a good idea if this is what the problem is.
If you do think that your cat is having problems with its teeth or gums then you really do need to act as soon as possible as it can quickly result in malnutrition if your adopted cat is not eating.
Internal Parasites!
Another potential reason that your adopted cat won’t eat is because it has internal parasites.
Internal parasites are usually worms but they can also be other things such as protozoa and larvae.
If your cat has internal parasites, then they may not feel well and they may not want to eat because they don’t feel good.
In most cases, you will need to take your cat to the vet so that they can be treated but there are some over the counter options available as well.
If you think that your cat may have internal parasites, then you should take it to the vet as soon as possible so that they can be treated.
Many of the over the counter treatments for internal parasites are usually weaker than what you can get from a vet making the over the counter treatments less effective.
Cancer!
Unfortunately, one of the more serious reasons that your adopted cat won’t eat is because it has cancer.
Cancer is a very serious disease and it can cause your cat to lose its appetite and it may not want to eat.
If you think that your cat may have cancer, then you should take it to the vet as soon as possible so that they can be treated.
Unfortunately though, it is very rate that you will be able to do anything if your adopted cat is not eating due to cancer and the cat may have to be put to sleep.
Your Cat Is Not Hungry!
One potential reason that your adopted cat won’t eat is because it’s not hungry.
This may seem like a silly reason but it’s actually quite common.
In most cases, your cat will eventually eat when it gets hungry enough but if you’re concerned then you can try offering small meals more often throughout the day.
If your cat is still not eating after a day or two, then you should take it to the vet so that they can check to make sure that there isn’t a more serious problem.
