When cats have got a sickness, water and food are all that they need to get over. But they will often do not drink an adequate amount of water and sometimes, eat enough food. In fact, we don't know what to do and what is the best thing for the health of the sick cat because cats can take care of themselves very well and they always do that without people's care. Today, we will discuss one popular concern for all pet owners, the cat acts hungry but won't eat?

Overview of the situation that your cat acts hungry but won't eat

If you think that having a pet like a cat will not waste much of your time so you are wrong because species like cats are vulnerable and they need taking care of carefully, particularly while they are ill. The biggest issue people have to face when a cat is sick is that he or she doesn't want to drink any water during this period. This is common with cats as they refuse to eat more food or drink more water or some other liquid like that because of tiredness.

The thing you have to worry about is several serious issues that result from an insufficient amount of water and food. So, how to get a cat to eat food and drink water when sick? In order to tackle this problem, we have listed many things which you are able to try to provide more water and food for your ill cat.

Before we come to solutions to encourage a sick cat to eat more food and drink more water, we need to know that illness in cats will lead to dehydration which is very dangerous for cats. Therefore, we need to know a few things about dehydration in cats first.  

1. Definition of dehydration and its consequences

Dehydration happens in cats as well as in people's body when the balance between water and electrolytes or minerals is lost and may lead to a serious side-effect.  The body of the cat is made up by the majority of water, up to 80 percent. Cats need water for their biological processes composing of digestion or circulation, it helps to remain its good health. It also takes the place of fluids which are daily lost through respiration, feces, urine. Therefore, water is extremely necessary for cats.

Dehydration occurs as soon as fluid level went down and is lower than normal level. This is owing to declined fluid intake or increased water loss. Some reasons may stem from diarrhea or a bout of vomiting. Especially, in summer when the weather is so scorching and stuffy, cats are often overheated or they act so much, which also bring about serious water loss.

In that case, many cat owners are nervous because they see their pets not want to drink water but in fact, cats can live without water until eight percent of the water that they store in their body has been lost. This is really a meager proportion so it is essential to observe your cats carefully to supply them fresh water in time or any time to maintain the water amount in their bodies.

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2. How to get a cat to eat and drink water when sick?

2.1. Put cat bowls everywhere in your house

You should place the bowls everywhere, especially near the water place such as the sink, the bathroom, near their beds or on the counter in the kitchen..., which might increase incentives for cats to drink. Instead of putting their bowls in a boring area which can discourage them from drinking more water, we should place a water bowl in some familiar areas.

• Assure that the bowls are placed in some areas that your cat often notice. For example, if your cat enjoys taking nap on the kitchen counter, you can put a water bowl near this place.
• You may also put a bowl near the bathroom or bathtub if your cat often sleeps on this room. It is indeed a good way to resolve the issue that your cat acts hungry but won't eat.

2.2. Always clean bowls and change water regularly

Keep the bowls clean by using soap daily, you also can rinse them in the dishwasher to sterilize weekly. Besides, you should take notice of changing the water twice per day and check out carefully to assure that the bowl has not anything strange which has been dropped in during the day in case the bowl is near the place having many pieces of furniture.

• Your pets may not want to drink water if their pots have some strange things or it is dirty. In particular, some cats are very picky, they will express their displeasure about dirty water and choose to not drink as a way to inform the owners.

2.3. Flavor the food and water

There is a trick that is very simple for owners. This can create a huge change when your pet is sick or feel tired. We can flavor the water to trick the cat. They will think that it is a different thing, taste more delicious than fresh water then it can attract the cat to drink much more water.

Some research showed the results of the way above, they are all excellent results because almost cats begin drinking water frequently after adding a flavor. It showed a result that is completely different from the old. 

Obviously, you should find and add some special flavors which can stimulate your cat's taste such as fish flavor. There are many unique flavors made for cats or simply you can make tuna juice and add it to the water because of the majority of cats like tuna. It will be the best choice to attract cats.

Moreover, in summer, the water will become hotter when you place it for a long time because of the temperature. So, in this situation, you can put some ice in water, they can help the water keep cold. As I observe, cats also like ice cubes, they find them interesting and enjoy licking them.

Hope this article provides you sufficient knowledge regarding cat acts hungry but won't eat and how to deal with it.

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