Outdoor cats not eating for 3 days in cold weather, what to do?

Question

We have 3 outdoor cats. They live in an old doghouse that the run is all covered in chicken wire. We insulated the house and put a lot of straw in it and made a door for them of heavy floor linoleum that has a half circle cut in it. We have had a cold snap and they seem to be warm enough, but they are not eating. I'm concerned as it has been 3 days and other than a few bites of dry food, we haven't seen them eat anything and their food is left on the floor of the run. Is this normal? Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Male | neutered | 8 months old | 7 lbs

Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS · Accepted Answer

No, it's normal for cats not to eat, and it could be they have gotten sick from being out in the cold. They could have developed a respiratory infection, making them congested. When cats are congested, they can't smell their food, and that will keep them from eating. The problem with cats not eating is that if they go longer than three days without eating, they are prone to developing a fatty liver. I would take all three cats into the vet tomorrow for an exam. If they do have a respiratory infection, they may need antibiotics to treat it. You can try to tempt them to eat, in the meantime, by gently warming up really smelly wet food, such as sardine or fish based. You can also starting them on an L-lysine supplement - this is an amino acid that has been shown to help the immune system fight off respiratory infections more effectively. Enisyl and Viralys are both good brands, and can be purchased over the counter without a prescription - just follow the dosing instructions on the label based on your cat's weight.

Outdoor cats not eating for 3 days in cold weather, what to do?

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