How Long Can Cats Live Without Food?
Many cat owners become concerned when their cat stops eating for whatever reason, including sickness, pain or simply disliking certain foods. Common causes may include sickness, pain and dislike for certain meals.
Even otherwise healthy cats can quickly become dangerously malnourished when left without food for more than 24 hours, as obligate carnivores they require protein from meat sources for optimal health.
Meat
Your cat deserves only the highest-quality food, so when they suddenly stop eating altogether it can be alarming. While it could just be due to fussiness or illness, it could also indicate something more serious such as infection or illness.
As cats are obligate carnivores, they require a diet high in proteins for proper nourishment. Cats cannot obtain this from carbohydrates since their digestion cannot handle it and they don’t provide enough calories. While cats can go several days without eating with sufficient fat reserves stored, too long without feeding could cause organs such as the heart to become thin and weak leading to potential heart attacks that can prove fatal.
While many pet parents would love for their cats to consume more plant-based foods, this is unfortunately not possible due to their evolved digestive tracts that have been designed to break down meat products more readily than plant-based proteins; furthermore, plant-based proteins tend to be less bioavailable, meaning they aren’t easily absorbed by the body.
Fish
As with their human companions, cats require a safe place to sleep, regular meals and plenty of water for survival. While it may seem counterintuitive that felines require so much water for survival, felines cannot function without it as they need it for eliminating toxins from their bodies and purification purposes.
Animal proteins make up most of a cat’s diet, helping ensure they have strong hearts, good vision and reproductive health. But cats can also get their protein needs met from non-animal sources like legumes and grains. Without food intake they quickly become malnourished and may show symptoms such as skin condition problems and decreased metabolism – symptoms that will quickly lead to illness in cats.
Without the necessary nutrients, a cat’s body begins to utilize fat reserves as energy for energy needs, leading to the buildup of fat in its liver – known as hepatic lipidosis – which will prevent it from functioning correctly and may eventually result in serious illness.
Healthy cats generally will not go more than 24 hours without food, but if they stop eating entirely it is time to contact a vet immediately. Many factors could contribute to them not eating regularly such as sickness, pain or dental issues, stress and/or learned food aversion – best not leaving sick cats unattended as this could result in starvation or complications due to untreated illness.
Eggs
Cats are obligate carnivores, meaning they need animal protein in their diet in order to survive. Without food for more than three or four days even when well hydrated their organs will begin shutting down, which makes keeping their appetite satisfied essential if your kitty wants a happy and long life. Make sure they receive high quality kibble that meets their specific nutritional requirements while giving them treats every so often as well as offering treats specifically designed to add variety.
Some pet parents like to treat their cats to scrambled or hard-boiled eggs as an enjoyable treat, which provides essential animal proteins without any carbohydrates and contains essential amino acids that promote building protein in their bodies. Be careful when offering your fur baby any eggs though as raw ones could contain Salmonella bacteria that could make them sick!
Egg shells pose a potential choking hazard to cats; to ensure the safest experience for all involved, remove them prior to offering your feline with this treat. Furthermore, too many eggs in her diet could result in pancreatitis or add weight.
Immediately contact your veterinarian if your cat stops eating. There may be an underlying reason that requires immediate veterinary attention; JustAnswer offers real-time expert veterinary advice at a reduced fee; click above to find out the amount a consultation will cost.
Vegetables
Although some may find this hard to believe, cats can go long periods without food without any apparent detrimental consequences – sometimes up to weeks! But for optimal health purposes they do need daily feedings in order to remain at peak performance; otherwise their health could suffer significantly and be compromised over time.
As discussed above, how long a cat can live without food depends on several factors including age, life stage and overall health. Kittens tend to have lower tolerance for going without food than adult cats.
An otherwise healthy cat can usually go two weeks without food before suffering serious consequences. Their bodies will turn to fat reserves for energy, but this won’t suffice in maintaining good health; and taurine — produced in their livers — begins being depleted as they begin losing vitality.
Pet parents should be aware of how long their cats can go without eating and take them to the veterinarian immediately if any concerns arise about their appetite. Understanding why cats might refuse to eat can also help encourage them to start eating again.
Cheese
Cheese shouldn’t be part of cats’ regular diets as it contains lactose which may cause diarrhea and vomiting in some cats, and too much cheese consumption could even lead to symptoms like diarrhea and vomiting. A small slice as an occasional treat may suffice; but cheese shouldn’t be used to encourage eating or as an alternative source of nutrition.
Cheese doesn’t offer cats much in terms of nutritional value. While it contains protein and calcium, their intake would likely be better met through their regular kibble or even special treats tailored specifically to meet their dietary requirements.
If a cat stops eating it can be an extremely serious matter that needs immediate attention from a veterinarian. It could indicate illness or be indicative of another issue which should be treated immediately by their healthcare provider.
Average cats can survive for two weeks without food but only three days without water, but without nourishment they quickly become malnourished, leading their organs to shut down. Therefore it’s wiser to contact a veterinarian as soon as possible and book an appointment so as to ascertain their condition and assess what needs to be done next.
Grains
Cats may appear independent and self-sufficient, yet they require regular food and water in order to survive. Any time a cat stops eating due to illness, pickiness, or a lack of available food such as in feral colonies – whether due to illness, pickiness, or in the case of feral cats – should prompt immediate visits to the veterinarian as this can be a serious indicator that care is required immediately.
Cats can survive up to two weeks without food as long as they have access to fresh water, but won’t make it past three days without protein consumption due to being obligate carnivores and depending on meat for energy. As cats’ reserves begin being utilized as fuel instead, it could result in liver conditions called Hepatic Lipidosis that require immediate medical intervention.
Since pet food manufacturers began replacing costly meat proteins in their foods with more affordable grains, many cats developed sensitive stomachs and other health problems. Over time, astute owners began noticing that their cats performed better when switched to a high-quality, grain-free diet; but, this doesn’t necessarily indicate grains are unhealthy for all cats; some actually thrived better when fed a grain free diet! Most cats seem to thrive better with natural, meat-based diets while those suffering from digestive or skin conditions often fare worse on foods containing grains.
