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My cat stopped eating her new food. Is she sick or just being picky?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Female | unspayed | 1 year old | 6.5 lbs

Bonnie and her 3 litter mates just turned 1. They have always eaten together and with their other siblings. Everyone has their own food and water dishes. Recently; since her birthday, Bonnie waits until the others leave the feeding area before eating. Then she barely eats anything. She's not skinny, but is on the thinner side. We purchased a new brand of food, but it's still "salmon as the first ingredient" like the other 2 brands. I even tried canned food and treats, but she wouldn't eat them.

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on August 26th, 2017

I'm sorry Bonnie isn't doing well at the moment! Cats can be picky about their food, and she may not like this new brand of food even though it has salmon as the first ingredient. It will still be a different formulation of food, and the taste may not appear to her. It could also be that she is sick, and that is causing her to not eat. Anorexia is a very general sign of illness in cats, and it can by caused by systemic illness, infection, inflammation, or injury. I recommend having Bonnie seen by a vet for a health check to rule out a medical cause behind her not eating. If one isn't found, I would switch her back to the old brand to see if she will go back to eating as normal. I hope this helps!

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