Occasionally you may find that your cat isn't eating his meal as soon as it's put down, or is only eating part of it and walking away. Perhaps he's not eating at all and seems disinterested in anything.
Knowing your cat's habits will help you recognize when his behavior changes and you can work out why he may be unwilling or unable to eat as instinctively as he did before. Cats are so sensitive to changes in routine and atmosphere and it may be something as simple as your having introduced a new cat to your household and he's feeling insecure, or you've changed the furniture around and he feels unsettled.
If he's portly round the waist and has been used to being given tibits and carbohydrate rich food he might not like it all that he's now on a weight reducing diet. Refusing to eat shows a bit of attitude in not being given what he wants. He's under the impression that if he waits for long enough you may relent and give him something he's used to; sadly you know he's in for a disappointment if he's going to be healthy in the long term.
Have you been on holiday recently and left him with a cat kennel, or perhaps someone came in every day to feed and look after him? It might be down to a simple case of depression that will only be relieved once you've coaxed him back into being his old self with some TLC and a few healthy nibbles.
All these reasons are easy to deal with. It is simply a case of getting your cat interested in eating again, and this is easy to do by offering a little healthy treat to tempt him into having a mouthful or two, or perhaps putting a little bit of meat jelly onto his gums to persuade him to have just a little something. You could try offering a taste of something your cat really does like, to see whether he's turning his nose up at what he's been offered or whether it really is the case that he doesn't feel like eating. Minor issues like these need not cause you any worry.
There may be an underlying problem though, and if your cat persists in not eating for more than a day or two he should have a veterinary examination.
It may be that there is something wrong with his teeth or jaw which makes eating painful or difficult, as would any problems associated with his digestive system. Perhaps he has an inflamed or broken tooth, a cut in his mouth, or an abscess in his jaw from a deep scratch. He might have stomach problems or be developing an intestinal condition which will take away his appetite.
Alternatively, if you have a fat cat and he has either been put on a crash diet or is simply refusing to eat low carbohydrate food, a period longer than a couple of days is likely to result in liver problems as your cat draws on his fat reserves and doesn't take in the protein which he needs.
However, keeping an eye on him and knowing his behavior will help you deal with any problems before they get worse or chronic, and you and your veterinary surgery can make sure he has a full and happy life.
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