Petco Text Logo
Petco Pet Logo

  • Two Easy Ways to Start Earning Rewards!

My cat has an upset stomach and won't eat. How do I help him recover?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Bombay | Male | neutered | 9 lbs

I took my cat to the vet yesterday since he has not been eating they told me he might have eaten something that made his stomach upset. His stomach is pretty much kind of empty. They gave me a liquid medicine to give him after we force feed him. He is not drinking alot off water either. My questions are how long should we force feed him for, when can I make sure he is doing better, how do I give him the liquid medicine without him spitting it out, and how do I get him to drink more water. Thanks

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Image profile

Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on August 25th, 2017

I'm sorry Leonidas isn't doing well at the moment! It is concerning that you have to force feed him and if you still have to do that tomorrow, I would take him back into a vet right away. There are medications that the vet can give that may stimulate his appetite. He may also benefit from IV fluids to keep him from getting dehydrated. You can see if he will eat canned food, that has a higher moisture content. I wouldn't recommended trying to force him to drink water, as he could easily aspirate the water. IV fluids at the vet are best. I don't know what kind of liquid medicine he is taking, but check with your vet to see if you can mix it with food to keep him from spitting it out. I hope this helps and he feels better soon!

Vote icon

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Questions

Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My kitty threw up this afternoon so I withheld food & water for 3 hrs. The vomiting stopped so I gave her a few tablespoons of water which she threw up again. My husband said she did not get sick while I was at work so I just tried to give her a few
I am sorry to hear about Bast's tummy ache. The first thing you should do is fast her for significantly longer than just a few hours. Give it 18-24 hours without any solid food. After this time period, start by feeding in frequent but small quantities of something like boiled chicken / hamburger and rice. Do this for at least a couple of days before recommencing the regular diet. If this doesn't work of the vomiting continues or worsens, a visit to the vet is likely to be required. Some of the more common causes of vomiting besides dietary indiscretion in kitties include pancreatitis, gastroenteritis, infectious diseases, parasites, various toxins, liver / kidney disease, and some cancers (the latter two being very unlikely in a six month old animal). In terms of medications to soothe the tummy, things that can be given at home would include medications such as famotidine oromeprazole. However, you may have difficultly finding a proper dose for such a small animal at your local
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
What’s the best thing to give a cat with a stomach ache?
Hello, sorry to hear about Mo. You can allow his GI tract to rest by removing food overnight and then starting a bland diet (plain white rice, skinless and boneless boiled chicken) for 3-5 days. If Mo develops any vomiting, diarrhea, or a decreased appetite, then he should be evaluated immediately by your veterinarian. Potential causes for this included a dietary indiscretion, ingestion of foreign material, inflammation of the bowel, pancreatitis, and less likely liver or kidney disease. Hope this helps and best of luck.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Hello my cat has been very unwell today he vomited about 30 times I took him to the vet they gave him a needle to stop all the sickness and she said he needs to be on a I/D diet until his better which he won’t eat so he just had shredded chicken it’s
Thank you for submitting your question regarding Levi. I recommend that he sees his veterinarian again. He will need a thorough work up to determine the cause of all of his vomiting. I would recommend x-rays of his belly and blood work including testing for pancreatitis. Is there a chance he has eaten a foreign object such as a piece of toy? This can cause profuse vomiting. I hope this information helps and he is feeling better soon!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My 11 y/o cat got diagnosed thurs w/ a URI. The vet did X-ray, blood work and urinalysis all WNL. He had an antibi inj, fluids & w/ pred. Sat came and he’s still hasn’t ate/drank. Took him back to the vet and he got fluids and anti diarrh/naus meds.
Hello, sorry to hear about Otto. He may not be eating because he does not feel well. He has an upper respiratory infection and likely feels very congested, he also now developed diarrhea and vomiting. So over all he likely feels very sick. He needs to continue his medications and be given time to get over his illness, unless his signs are getting worse. What you may talk to your veterinarian tomorrow about is starting Otto on an appetite stimulant to get him to start eating sooner. The sooner he eats, the better he will likely feel. Additionally, if he is not getting better you may need to consider other diagnostics including an abdominal ultrasound. Hope Otto feels better soon.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My cat was prescribed medicine to be taken with food, but he refuses to eat. Should I give him the medicine in an empty stomach?
It's best to get the medicine in him, especially if it is an antibiotic. If there is something your cat cannot resist, such as cheese, or yogurt, try giving it to him after you give the medicine. That way he will come to associate getting the pill with getting a treat. Yogurt is especially good if your cat is getting an antibiotic as it helps reestablish the gut flora that antibiotics remove. Just make sure the yogurt you give does not have any artificial sweeteners. Plain or vanilla is best. Not eating is a serious matter in cats. They cannot go more than a few days without eating or they risk liver damage. Try enticing your pet to eat with beef or chicken baby food that does not contain onion or garlic power as an ingredient. Onion and garlic causes anemia in dogs and cats. Warm it in the microwave for a few seconds. Stir it with your finger first to make sure there are no hot spots and that it isn't too hot. This makes it more aromatic and appealing to your pet. Wetting dry food o
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My 10 month old cat is not eating and I'm not sure what to do! She became paralyzed from the hind legs down last week due to what the vet thinks is a spinal disk rupture and has been taking steroids (prednisone) and sulfactate suspension (ulcer prote
Oh no, poor Alice! You are absolutely correct she has to eat and get fluids asap and it sounds like to me you have tried a number of tasty foods to get her to eat. At this point in time, there is nothing else you can do a home, she needs veterinary care. She likely needs IV fluids for hydration and an appetite stimulant. If she hasn't been eating for a couple of days, then she is at a huge risk of developing a fatty liver which is fatal without treatment. The best thing to do is take her into a vet now, and hopefully your vet is still open. If not, please take her into an ER vet clinic; if there isn't one in your area, there will be a vet on call for emergencies. The information to reach that vet is found on a clinic's answering machine or website.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My cat hasnt eaten her dinner and seems to be having stomach pains, not that sure
I would continue to monitor Cleo and maybe offer her some tuna and white rice to help settle her stomach. If she goes more than 24 hrs without eating or seems to get worse st any point then it's best to take her to your vet for evaluation and treatment depending on the underlying cause. She could have eaten something that upset her stomach or have an internal illness that is found out through diagnostic testing (bloodwork, radiographs, etc). I hope that she feels better soon and is able to make a full recovery. Best wishes and take care.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My cat went to the vet yesterday because of constipation and got an enema. The vet was surprised as to how healthy he was and didn’t see anything wrong other than just the constipation itself. My cat came home and kind of went poop, I was mainly liqu
Keep Lucky hydrated. If he eats dry food, mix in some warm water or low sodium chicken broth. Warm the food slightly to stimulate the appetite. Mix in a teaspoon of plain canned pumpkin (NOT pie filling) once or twice daily. Unflavored PediaLyte can be mixed with water to make a 50/50 solution. Monitor for straining to defecate, lethargy or loss of appetite. IF he doesn't eat for 2+ days have him rechecked by your veterinarian to prevent serious liver related complications. An appetite stimulant can be dispensed to jumpstart his appetite.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My cat has never had diarrhea, but 2 days ago he did, and today he had a second one. He is in good spirits, but he is eating very, very little. Is there anything I can do to help him?
Make sure he is getting plenty of fluids. I would syringe him water and feed him wet food to get more moisture in him. I would feed a diet of chicken and rice and add in a probiotic such as Purina fortiflora which can be found online quite easily or at your local pet store. If there is no improvement or he worsens, I would recommend having a veterinarian examine him so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My cat has diarrhea and doesn't eat even though he seems to hungry (by smelling the food and walking away or just having a bit and then leaves). He doesn't drink and plays very little. He also sleeps a lot and can get agressive sometimes. What can be
Thanks for using Boop by Petco! This is a classic sign of nausea. Loss of appetite, diarrhea and nausea can be observed with many conditions such as gastroenteritis, dietary indiscretion, pancreatitis, among many other possibilities. I am concerned that he could be becoming dehydrated. I recommend that you have Aslan evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They would be able to check for these possibilities and others depending on the findings on exam. Treatment would be based on findings. Good luck and have a great day! Hoping for a speedy recovery!
Updated on September 24th, 2025

Related Searches

Cat Food Cat Supplies Wet Cat Food Sensitive Stomach Cat Food Electrolytes for Cats Cat Laxatives Canned Cat Food Cat Urinary Tract & Kidney Medication UTI Cat Food Diuretics for Cats Science Diet Sensitive Stomach Cat Food Royal Canin Sensitive Stomach Cat Food MedalSeries Sensitive Stomach Cat Food Metoclopramide Cat Laxatives Pumpkin Patch Up! Sensitive Stomach Cat Food Solid Gold Sensitive Stomach Cat Food Lactated Ringers Electrolytes for Cats Holistic Sensitive Stomach Cat Food Hill's Prescription Diet Sensitive Stomach Cat Food Famotidine Cat Laxatives
image
Have A Vet Question?

Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.

Book Now

Sponsored