When cats are not feeling well, they can exhibit a variety of behaviors, including hiding from the rest of the family and avoiding food. What if your cat isn’t eating but is still acting normal, like purring? Does that mean your pet is sick, or is something else going on?
There are a number of reasons why your cat may not be eating but still purring, from having an issue with their diet to a medical problem. What are those reasons? Here are 11 possible reasons why your cat won’t eat but still purrs and what to do when it happens!
The 7 Possible Reasons Why Your Cat Won’t Eat But Still Throws Up
1. Problems with Their Food
One of the more common reasons for a cat to start avoiding their food while purring and acting normal is because there is something in the food that the cat doesn’t like. You may have recently switched brands or flavors of food, but new ones don’t do it for your pet. Your cat may also have decided to suddenly become picky about what they eat, or your cat’s food may have spoiled. Cats have a keen sense of smell so they can pick up on small changes in their food, such as spoilage.
This is an easy problem to solve, though. If the food is stale, you can try storing the food in an airtight container or buy small bags of food instead of large bags. If you’ve changed food recently, go back to what your pet liked before, or if you can’t go back for some reason, try adding a little chicken broth (the low sodium kind) or one of the cat gravy toppers in the food. Adding broth or gravy can help if your pet has suddenly become fussy too.
2. Aversion to Food
Have you ever been in a situation that you didn’t like and ended up associating a song, scent, or food with it and wanting to never hear, smell, or eat that thing again? The same thing can happen to your cat. If your pet has recently stayed in a hospital or boarding facility, they may develop an aversion to food because they associate this food with a negative experience. The simplest solution is to try offering different flavors and textures, if you suspect this may be the case.
3. Had a Recent Vaccination
You know how sometimes, when you get vaccinated for something, you end up feeling pretty gross for the next day or two? Well, that can happen to your cat, as well, and one of the more common vaccination side effects for cats is nausea, which can cause your pet to not eat but still purr like normal. The good news is that any nausea caused by the vaccination should go away in 48 hours or less.
However, if your cat is still avoiding food after that time, contact your pet’s veterinarian, as this may be a sign of an adverse reaction to the vaccination (although this is rare).
4. Too Hot
You tend to eat lighter when the temperature is very high, so wouldn’t it make sense for your cat to do so? When it’s too hot, your cat is likely to eat less than usual. In fact, one study found that cats eat 15% fewer calories during the warmer months. Apparently, cats eat less when it’s hot because they expend less energy, so they need fewer calories.
There’s not much you can do to convince your cat to eat when it’s hot, especially if their body doesn’t really need the extra calories. But you can ensure your pet stays hydrated by keeping fresh, clean water available at all times.
5. Minor Gastrointestinal Issues
If your cat is suffering from a minor gastrointestinal issue, they may stop eating but continue to behave normally. Of course, if the problem is a big one, your cat probably won’t be cursing and will instead show symptoms other than simply skipping a meal or two. But if your cat is still purring and isn’t having issues like vomiting, diarrhea, or weight loss, it’s probably just a mild stomach ache or irritation.
As long as the problem is mild, it should go away on its own in a day or two, but if symptoms worsen, you should visit your vet.
6. Sacred Dental Issues
The same is true for mild dental issues. You probably don’t want to eat a lot if you have a toothache, and neither does your cat! Mild dental problems such as toothache or loose teeth can cause your cat to avoid eating (especially if they are fed dry food).
If the problem is with your cat’s teeth, a visit to the vet to find and resolve the issue is advisable. You may also want to talk to your vet about regular dental cleanings for your cat to prevent further dental problems.
7. Colds or Allergies
Cats can suffer from colds and allergies just like us, and when this happens, there is a chance that they may start refusing to eat while continuing to purr and act normally. In this case, the avoidance of food is likely due to having a stuffy nose; if the cat is crowded, they can’t smell the food, so they probably don’t want to eat it. When this happens, you can try heating up some wet cat food for them (doing so will make the food stink). You can also try giving them fish that is very smelly.
If your cat does not recover from their cold or allergies after a few days, or if they are lethargic, have runny eyes, or run a fever, a visit to the vet is in order.
Drug side effects
Like vaccines, some medications can cause side effects in cats. A common side effect is nausea, which can lead to the cat not eating. Just a few of the types of medications that can cause stomach upset in cats include antibiotics, hypertension medications, pain medications, and anti-parasitics.
If you believe medication is the cause of your cat’s avoidance of food, you have a few options. If they only take the medicine for a short time, it’s better to wait it out while trying to get your pet to eat (and make sure they stay hydrated). But if the medication needs to be taken long-term, talk to the kitten’s veterinarian to determine if there are other medications your pet can take.
1. Experiencing Stress
It is common for cats to experience stress and anxiety. Cats are big fans of routine, so the most minute changes can create a lot of anxiety for them. And if the cat is stressed, they may stop eating or eat less, even while breeding.
What are some causes of stress and anxiety in cats? The loss of a family member (human or animal), new furniture, a new home, new animals in the house, new people in the house, and much more. The best way to help your cat with this is to try to help them deal with the stress they are experiencing.
2. Mild Pain
A cat experiencing pain can certainly stop eating, and if the pain is only mild, it will go unnoticed for them to continue purring and acting normally. If your cat is experiencing pain, you will likely see other signs of it, though these signs will vary by illness. A cat with its eyes closed may have something stuck in its paw, while a cat experiencing abdominal pain may vomit shortly after. If you can’t figure out where your pet is experiencing pain, have their vet take a look at them.
3. Early Stages of Undiagnosed Disease
This is probably the least common reason why a cat won’t eat but still purrs, but there’s always the possibility that your pet is in the beginning stages of an illness or disease. Some conditions, even in the early stages, can cause a kitten to have less of an appetite. These conditions include viral and bacterial infections, diabetes, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
If your cat is feeling down, they will also likely isolate themselves from the rest of the family, sleep more, or become aggressive if disturbed. If other signs appear, it’s time for a visit to the vet.
Conclusion
If you have a kitten that purrs but won’t eat, there are many reasons why this could be. Remember, purring can also be a sign of illness, so just because your cat is still purring isn’t always a good thing. Sometimes purring indicates a bad cat, and in many of the examples above, the purring may not be quite a happy purr, but one of a cat that is, just the same, not feeling well. So, if you suspect any of the above, monitor your cat carefully, and if they skip more than one or two meals, it’s time to talk to your vet!
Featured Image Credit: Elena Kutepova, Shutterstock
