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Starving Cats to Picky Eating: How Long is Safe?

21. December 2024
One: Should You Let Your Cat Starve to Solve Its Picky Eating Problem?Wrong! Prolonged hunger in cat

One: Should You Let Your Cat Starve to Solve Its Picky Eating Problem?

Wrong! Prolonged hunger in cats can easily lead to fatty liver disease!

When a cat's protein intake is severely insufficient, the liver lacks the necessary amino acids to function properly. This results in a buildup of excessive fat in the liver, causing nutritional hepatic lipidosis in cats. Fatty liver is quite common in obligate carnivores like cats, especially those that are picky, dislike eating, and go without food for extended periods. If a cat doesn't consume enough protein for three days or more, it's highly susceptible to fatty liver. If fatty liver is not treated promptly, it can directly threaten the cat's life.

Two: How to Deal with a Picky Eater?

If starving your cat isn't the solution to its picky eating, how can we change its habits? Don't worry, Dr. Oxygen Pet is here to help you out with some tips.

1. Switch to a New Food Gradually

Each type of cat food has its unique composition and flavor. If your cat gets tired of one, you can switch to another brand for a while. This also helps prevent your cat from lacking certain nutrients due to longterm consumption of the same food, which can affect its normal development.

2. Add Probiotics

Picky eating in cats might be due to gastrointestinal discomfort and poor appetite. You can give your cat some probiotics to regulate its gut, promote peristalsis, and make the cat more willing to eat when its gut feels better.

3. Enhance the Aroma of the Cat Food

The smell of food is crucial in stimulating a cat's appetite. Cats are particularly fond of the strong odors of meat and fish. If the cat food doesn't have a strong enough smell, the cat may not be interested in eating it. You can mix the cat food with some canned food and heat it up to release a more potent aroma, which can attract the cat's attention.

4. Pay Attention to Food Temperature

Cats have specific preferences for the temperature of their food, especially during cold weather. If you continue to feed your cat dry, hard, and cold food, it won't stimulate its appetite and could also affect its digestion. Try softening the cat food with warm water or warm goat's milk before feeding it to your cat.

These are the correct ways to deal with a picky eater. If you have any other suggestions, feel free to discuss them in the comments. For any other questions about your cat's health, you can always consult an online pet doctor.

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