Why is my cat not eating and grinding her teeth? Is she in pain?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Shorthair | Female | unspayed
My cat hasn't been eating for the last couple of days so we've been force-feeding her. When I do manage to get food and her mouth is sounds like something is grinding
3 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on November 18th, 2017
So sorry that Winnie is not feeling well! Winnie can be refusing to eat for a variety of reasons, however, from what you have described, it sounds like Winnie is grinding her teeth. Cats typically grind their teeth if their mouth is painful, and likely are unwilling to chew which could be causing her to not eat. This can be due to damage to the jaw, either from trauma, infection, or bone destruction. Depending on her age, different dental diseases could be causing these signs as well. Cats are also prone to developing conditions such as stomatitis (or inflammation of the mouth and gums), or she may have fractured a tooth. As all of these conditions are painful, Winnie should be examined by a veterinarian as soon as possible, especially if she is refusing to eat. Her veterinarian will be able to diagnose the condition and treat her to make her more comfortable. Her veterinarian will also be able to rule out other causes of decreased appetite, such as intestinal disease or a different condition affecting her jaw or mouth. In the meantime, you can try to offer her soft canned food, or even dilute the food with some water so that she does not have to chew, but rather can just swallow the food. I hope Winnie feels better soon!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
-
Published on August 24th, 2018
Since Winnie is actually interested in food, goes to thee bowl several times a day and tries to eat, there is a very likely chance that Winnie has severe gingivitis, bad teeth, serious tartar or mouth ulcers. THis would make it very painful for him to eat, especially eat kibble. I suggest you make an appointment with your vet ASAP for an exam. Should he have a tooth problem or severe gingivitis he will need a dental cleaning under anesthesia in order to be able to eat without pain. In the meantime, until the appointment, feed him wet (canned) food, even add some water to make it a bit soupier, so eating does not hurt Winnie so much.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
-
Published on April 16th, 2020
If your TiTi is hungry but she won't eat her food, most likely it is because of mouth problem. It could be, for example infected teeth, broken tooth, gingivitis, mass on the gums or on the tongue. Please, take TiTi to your local vets for full clinical examination. If she does have mouth problem, your vet will likely advise dental work under general anaesthesia or/and antibiotics and pain relief treatment.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
My 2year old male cat has reduced his food intake in the past 2/3 months and has lost quite some weight. All other behaviour seems normal except this. He visits his food tray and nibbles a little and gives up several times a day. I give him wet food
Snaggles has not eaten dry food in a couple weeks. We have been feeding him canned cat food several times a day but sometimes even that seems difficult for him. I can hear a grinding sound sometimes and he sometimes cries and even hisses. In June I h
It doesn't look like my cat is chewing her biscuits. she will still eat it but instead of chewing she swallows it whole, and that mustn't be good for her digestion. I think her teeth must be sore because she struggles to even eat grass. I tried givin
My cat is grinding her teeth and only drinking water. She ate one bite of soft food and threw up right after taking the bite of food. Please help?!
My cats hasn’t been eating going on forth day. Today she started licking can food but not eating it. She is clearly hungry. She isn’t touching the hard food. She tried a treat today but broke it down into three pieces which she never does. Been sleep
I have noticed that after eating, my cat's mouth gets dirtier than usual. It looks like dark brown liquid on the side of her mouth and this morning it was on her chin. This happens with both wet and dry food. Yesterday, she left some dry food in her
my 15 year cat is eating very little. she also has 1 broken front tooth. i have been feeding her kitten wet food or kitten mousse. is this ok for her? she is gaining weight slightly as she sleeps most of the time. thanks
six & 1/2 yr old Merri my rescue cat had 7 teeth extracted two weeks ago and she is obviously losing weight; a weight scale is in another part of the apartment building. the missing teeth are: lower rt rear molar, lower first and last left mola;
My cat, a feral stray, is not eating... well. He tries but will cock his head side ways, ear down after every attempted bite. He is obviously uncomfortable and in bad shape. Any ideas?
my cat is not eating anything ....she chews the food but spits it out later
Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.
