It’s well known that Siamese cats like to eat. Some nibble a few kibbles at a time, but come back very often to put their noses in their bowl during the day. Others jump on their meal as if they had not eaten for an entire year. And all let you know in their own way when their bowl is empty. So should we worry if our cat sulks its food and stop eating all of a sudden? The answer without any doubt, is yes.

Any change in the appetite level of your cat should be a reason for concern. Something is definitely wrong. When your cat loses appetite, she may exhibit various symptoms such as teary eyes, weak joints, irritability and others. The weak joints symptom is similar to that of horses that are sick.  One old saying goes as: “When the appetite goes well, everything goes well!” I think it applies perfectly well to all the cats in the world. So when the appetite goes well, everything goes well, then, when the appetite changes, it must also mean that something is wrong? Yes, but what then?

Ask yourself these questions:

Have you changed the food trademark?
Yep! Many cats are very demanding and have very specific food preferences. They prefer a type of food, a trademark or a brand of a specific commerce and do not want anything else. Cats develop their food preferences at a young age and that often dictates their future food taste, texture, color of the kibble and the ingredients of the recipe can all be factors of preference and requirements of cats. For example, if your cat is used to eating a triangular shape dry green kibble, with a thickness of three millimeters since its very young age, he could sulk his food if you give him a dry star-shape red kibble with a thickness of two millimeters.

Is the food really fresh and well preserved?
Was the can left too long on the store shelf? Is the food slightly “desiccated?” Has the can been opened for several days and the food less appetizing for your cat, even if its been left inside the refrigerator? Could it be that the bag of kibbles is poorly preserved and that its mixture is slightly rancid? You might not be aware of it, but your cat nose is very refined with an acute sense of smell. It may very well go on a hunger strike if the smell of the food does not please him. Indeed, the cat food bags which are too large and that last too long, even the cat food bags that were not closed properly after used can end up slightly rancid and may cause your cat to refuse its food.

Buy a new bag, but keep it the same usual food?
Sometimes the food manufacturer change its recipe to improve the look and taste, for example. Unfortunately, some cats may simply refuse the new recipe. This has happened before in the history of some animal feed companies. More rarely, it could also be due to a manufacturing defect, improper storage or because a bag has an expired date. Cat food have expiry dates the same as for all other food products.

If none of these can explain the anorexia in your car, consult your veterinarian. This is important because:

1. Your cat may be sick or in pain.
The most common cause of a feline anorexia is a disease. However whatever the cause! Anorexia is often the first apparent sign that your cat does not feel well. Any health reason could be the cause of a cat refusing to eat. It’s always listed as one of the first symptom in all diseases felines: nasal congestion, toothache, abscesses, infections of all kinds, renal disease, digestive diseases, cancer etc.

2. Your cat may be anxious or sensitive.
Believe it or not, cats are small beings who are sometime fragile and sensitive on the emotive level. Could you imagine, that cats are quite able to stop eating for purely psychological reasons. Any significant change in life or the environment can stress a cat, hit its sensitive nerves and trigger psychogenic anorexia: a move, the arrival of a new animal or a child, a divorce, the departure of a family member, a new boyfriend, lack of affection and presence, etc. Thus, veterinarians also play the famous role of psychologist for the animal well-being of their client and especially for that of his or her animal.

Important Notes
* You must be concerned and promptly consult a veterinarian if your cat goes on a hunger strike for no apparent reasons. But even more important if the cat in question is overweight. As this disease can be fatal and difficult to treat, it is better to prevent than cure.

* You should also be concerned about the health of your cat if its appetite increases abruptly or gradually. Diseases such as diabetes and hyperthyroidism can cause increased in appetite. Thus, any change in the appetite of your cat, downward or upward, is enough of a reason to consult your veterinarian doctor.