Why does my cat licks food but doesn’t eat it?
This cat blog will answer the main question, “Why does my cat licks food but doesn’t eat it?” we will also discuss the major reasons for cats not eating their food, why the cat will eat gravy instead of food, and what you can do to enrich the food.
Why does my cat licks food but doesn’t eat it?
Your cat licks the food but doesn’t eat it because of the following reasons:
- Food is not tasty
- Food is spoiled
- Medical condition
- Not appropriate place
- Too much dry food
These are the major reasons for cats not eating their food. You should rule out each and every one if your cat is not eating food.
What are the major reasons for cats not eating their food?
Following are the major reasons for cats not eating their food:
Food is not tasty
They do not like the food. Cats have different habits. They like the food one day and refuse to eat it another day. It is one of the natural behaviors of your cat so you need not worry about it. You just need to change the food or enrich it.
Food is spoiled
Your cat will lick the food but will not eat it because they have realized that the food is spoiled. Cats are clean creatures, they don’t like to eat spoiled or dirty food. You should be aware of it. Some cats in the wild might eat spoiled food due to the scarcity of food in the wild.
Food is changed
If you change your cat’s favorite food, it will not accept the new food easily. The right way to change the food is gradually adding it to the old food. This will give your cat the time to adapt to the new food.
If the cat eats the new food it will not be digested in the stomach of your cat because the cat’s digestive system is not adapted to digesting this food. It will lead to stomach upset in your cat.
Medical condition
If your cat is suffering from any medical condition such as constipation, or liver and kidney problems, it will not eat the food. If your cat doesn’t eat the food for a longer period of time, you should visit your vet so that he can tell what is the problem with your cat.
If you see the following signs in your cat, it is suffering from some medical condition:
- Vomiting
- Restlessness
- Lethargy
- Weakness
- Diarrhea
- Dehydration
- Pale mucous membrane
- Pica
Too much dry food
Cats are not able to consume too much dry food. They like the mixture of wet and dry food. If you are giving too much dry food to your cat, it will refuse to eat it.
Not appropriate place
If you are not offering the food in the right place to your cat, it will not eat it. If the place is noisy or there are too many people in that area, the cat will not feel secure and will not eat it.
Why does the cat eat gravy but not cat food?
It is because the cats like pate-style cuisine. Gravy is not healthy to give your cat because it has a high amount of sodium and seasonings which are toxic for your cat.
Consuming high amounts of sodium can cause high blood pressure problems in your cat. Persistent high blood pressure can lead to a heart attack in your cat. High salt intake can also cause dehydration in the body as the salt content increases outside the cells which draws water from the cells.
Seasonings like onion and garlic are not healthy for your cat because they can cause red blood cell lysis which can cause anemia in your cat. The anemia can lead to a shortage of oxygen supply in the body which can cause tissue necrosis and death of the organ.
How can you enrich the food of your cat?
Cats love to eat protein that is from animal sources so you need to add fish and other types of meat to the bowel of your cat. The other thing is a well-balanced diet which is very important for your cat. You should put your cat in the appropriate place with no noise and fewer people.
You can also boil the food which increases the aroma of the food which can attract your cat to eat the food. Adding broth to the food is also helpful.
Conclusion
In this cat blog, we answered the major question, “Why does my cat licks food but doesn’t eat it?” we also covered the major reasons for cats not eating their food, why the cat will eat gravy instead of food, and what you can do to enrich the food.
