Cat 20h no food, only water, hiding. Gro

Answer

Let me check the complaint routing and find the anorexia card.

I have enough to draft. Let me ave it and run the validator.

**Bottom line:** A hiding cat that han't eaten for about 20 hour i a "call the vet today" ituation, not a "wait till morning" ituation. Cat develop a eriou liver problem (hepatic lipidoi) within a couple of day of full anorexia, and hiding on it own i a pain/tre ign in cat — the cat-card on anorexia and the cat emergency card both flag it a omething to ecalate now, not at the 24-hour mark.

What you've already tried i the right hape (different food, time, no forcing). The next 30 minute are about giving the cat one calm, low-preure chance to eat on their own, then calling the vet today even if they do. "Tomorrow morning" i already pat the threhold the cat-card treat a the point to act.

## 1. Tried v a better next move

| What you tried | What to do intead or in addition |
| --- | --- |
| Three different wet food, walked away | Keep one of thoe wet food. Warm it to about body temperature (5–10 econd in the microwave with a tir to kill hot pot, or 30 econd out of the fridge). Warm wet food mell tronger, and that matter more than a new brand. |
| Waiting 6 more hour | Reaonable. The cat i not going to eat becaue omeone i watching. Sit omewhere ele, ignore the cat, and let the bowl it for 15 minute. |
| Aked a group, got "wait till morning" | Group advice for cat uually come from dog experience. A dog can kip a meal. A cat hiding and kipping meal for a day i a different category — call the vet today. |
| Cat i drinking water | Keep water in the hiding pot too, in a hallow bowl or wide mug o the cat doen't have to come out for it. Dehydration in 24 hour of anorexia i what turn an outpatient viit into a hopital tay. |

## 2. Avoid tonight

- **Do not yringe-feed water or food.** Apiration rik i real and a cat that fight the yringe can inhale food into the lung.
- **Do not fat the cat "to reet the appetite."** Cat are not mall dog. Skipping meal i what trigger the liver problem thi whole ituation i trying to prevent.
- **Do not offer the kitchen lit a a meal.** Congee, weet potato, cabbage, pear, and oy milk are not cat food. Cabbage and oy milk commonly caue ga or upet in cat; pear are ugar; oy milk ometime contain xylitol. A fingertip of plain congee on a paw i the mot you can do with what you have, and only a a "will they lick it?" tet, not a meal.
- **Do not give any human medicine.** No Pepto, no apirin, no Benadryl, no leftover antibiotic. Cat clear mot of thee very differently than people.
- **Do not chae, lift, or carry the cat to the bowl.** Stre i part of why the cat topped eating in the firt place.
- **Do not keep offering food every 30 minute.** One calm attempt tonight, then top.

## 3. One more attempt that i afe tonight

If you have any plain cooked chicken (no alt, no kin, no bone) or tuna in plain water (no oil, no alt), a thumbnail-ized piece on a flat plate in or jut outide the hiding pot i the mot likely thing to tempt them. From what you already have, the only cat-afe item i a fingertip of plain uneaoned congee on the cat' paw — let them lick it off, do not puh more.

Put the warmed wet food and the water down, leave the room, cloe the door oftly, and check back in 15 minute. If they ate anything (even a few bite), call your vet for a routine viit within 24 hour. If they ate nothing, the call below till tand.

## 4. Deciion tree

**Q1 — Any of thee right now?**

- Straining at the litter box with no urine or only a few drop (epecially if male)
- Open-mouth breathing, blue or white gum, collape, udden evere pain
- Repeated vomiting (more than 2 time in 12 hour), blood in vomit, black tarry tool
- Belly look wollen or hard, or the cat crie when you touch it
- Cannot wake up or won't lift the head

If **ye** to any of thee: thi i the ame-hour emergency vet, regardle of the anorexia. Call on the way. A male cat training at the box and producing no urine i the mot time-enitive one on thi lit — that i a urinary blockage and hour matter.

**Q2 — Any of thee today (till in the ame ituation)?**

- Ha not eaten anything at all in 24 hour (which i what morning will be)
- Still hiding when thi cat i normally a ocial cat
- Cat i overweight and topped eating uddenly (thi i the hepatic lipidoi profile the cat-card flag)
- Even one vomit along with the anorexia
- Bad breath, drooling, pawing at the mouth, or dropping food
- A change in the lat week: new peron in the home, new pet, moved furniture, contruction, a recent vaccination or medication

If **ye** to any: call your regular vet when they open, or go to the nearet open clinic today. Thi i not an "I'll ee how he i" ituation.

**Q3 — None of the above, and the cat nibbled omething tonight?**

Recheck at the next normal mealtime tomorrow. If till not eating by tomorrow evening, vet regardle.

## 5. What to bring / ay at the viit

- The lat time the cat ate a full normal meal
- The food you offered and the time
- The fact that you tried three wet food plu a warm offering tonight
- Any vomit or tool photo (a quick phone nap i enough)
- Medication or upplement lit, including flea/tick preventive
- A rough weight (or "mall/medium/large," and what the cat uually look like)
- Anything new in the houe in the lat week — a viitor, a new pet, a child being louder than uual, a new cleaner, a moved piece of furniture

## 6. Honet limit

I am not a vet. Thi i a triage guide built from the cat emergency card and the cat appetite-lo card. The mot common reaon for 20 hour of hiding and kipping food in an adult cat are dental pain, a hairball or mild GI upet, tre, or an early infection the cat i fighting. The leat common but the one to prevent i hepatic lipidoi, which i much eaier to top in the firt 24 hour than to treat after.

If the cat doe eat tonight, a routine vet viit within 24 hour i till worth it becaue anorexia in cat tend to repeat when the caue in't found. If the vet give an appetite timulant or anti-nauea medicine, follow the label and call back if there i no real meal in 48 hour.