Cat Stopped Eating and Drinking: Causes, Dehydration Signs & What to Do Now
A cat that has stopped both eating and drinking needs a vet within 24 hours. See a vet now if it's a kitten or senior, or has vomiting, weakness, pale or yellow gums, or isn't passing urine. Refusing food and water together usually points to illness, and dehydration can develop quickly.
A cat skipping a meal is common. A cat that ignores both the food bowl and the water bowl is a different situation. It usually means your cat feels unwell, and it removes the two ways cats normally take in water: drinking and eating moist food. This guide explains why the combination matters, how to check for dehydration at home, the most common causes, and exactly when to stop watching and go to the vet.
How Long Can a Cat Safely Go Without Eating and Drinking?
Not long. When a cat has had no food and no water for 24 hours, call your vet. Don't wait for the 48-hour mark that's often quoted for appetite loss alone. A cat on wet food gets much of its daily water from its meals, so when it stops eating and drinking, its water intake can drop close to zero.
Here is a practical guide for when to act:
When to act if your cat stops eating and drinking
Act sooner for kittens (under 6 months), senior cats (over 10 years), overweight cats and cats with existing conditions such as kidney disease or diabetes. For these cats, a same-day call is sensible as soon as you notice they've stopped both eating and drinking.
Key Takeaway
When a cat stops eating and drinking at the same time, call your vet at the 24-hour mark at the latest. Kittens, seniors and cats with health conditions need help sooner, and any emergency sign means go now.
Why Do Cats Stop Both Eating and Drinking at the Same Time?
A picky cat that dislikes a new food will usually still drink. A cat that refuses both food and water is more likely to be unwell. That's why vets treat this combination seriously.
The most common reasons:
Nausea: one of the most frequent drivers. Many illnesses cause nausea, including kidney disease, liver disease and pancreatitis, and a nauseous cat often turns away from both food and water.
Pain: mouth pain makes eating and swallowing uncomfortable, and pain anywhere in the body can reduce interest in food and water.
Fever and infection: a sick cat with a fever often feels too unwell to eat or drink, even though it is losing more fluid.
Poisoning: lilies, some human medications and many essential oils are toxic to cats. Lilies can cause sudden kidney failure.[5]
Upper respiratory infection: a blocked nose means the cat can't smell its food, and a sore throat makes swallowing uncomfortable.
Severe stress: a major fright or upheaval can put a cat off food and water for a short time.[7] Stress should never be assumed, though. Rule out illness first.
Key Takeaway
Refusing both food and water usually means a cat feels unwell, not that it's being fussy. Treat it as a medical problem until a vet says otherwise.
If you're not sure what's behind it, you can run your cat's symptoms through our free cat symptom checker, which flags warning signs that need a vet first. If your cat has had no food or water for 24 hours, or shows any emergency sign below, skip the checker and call your vet now.
What Does Dehydration Do to a Cat's Body?
Dehydration means the body has lost more water than it has taken in. It isn't simply "being thirsty." Water makes up more than half of a cat's body weight, and when intake stops, the body has to work hard to protect blood flow to major organs.
Vets estimate dehydration as a percentage of body weight, based on physical signs.[3] The figures below are rough clinical estimates, not exact measurements:
Under about 5%: Usually no visible signs. The body conserves water by producing less, more concentrated urine.
Around 5–8% (mild to moderate): Gums become tacky or dry, and the skin at the scruff is slow to fall back into place. The cat may be quieter and less active.
Around 8–10% (moderate to marked): Skin stays tented for longer, the eyes may look sunken, and the cat is clearly lethargic. Blood flow to the kidneys falls, and waste products such as urea and creatinine start to build up in the blood (called prerenal azotemia).
Over 10–12% (severe): Weakness, a fast heart rate, cold paws, pale gums and collapse. This is shock, and it needs emergency fluid therapy.
Wet cat food is mostly water, so cats on a wet diet get a large share of their daily water from their meals. When these cats stop eating, they lose that water at the same time. Don't be reassured just because your cat "doesn't usually drink much."
How Do You Know If Your Cat Is Dehydrated? The At-Home Checks
Two quick checks give you useful information before you call the vet. Neither replaces an exam, but both can tell you how urgent things are.
Check 1: Gums (moisture, color and refill)
Gently lift your cat's upper lip and touch the gum. Healthy gums are pink and wet. Tacky or dry gums suggest dehydration. Next, press a fingertip briefly on the gum and release. The pale spot should turn pink again in under 2 seconds. A slower return can mean poor circulation, which is serious. Gums that are already pale, white, gray, blue or yellow are an emergency.
Check 2: The skin tent test
Gently lift a fold of skin at the scruff, between the shoulder blades, then let go. In a well-hydrated cat it falls back into place almost immediately. If it's slow to return, or stays tented, your cat is likely dehydrated. This test is less reliable in senior cats, thin cats (whose skin is naturally less elastic) and overweight cats, so use it together with the gum check.
Check the litter box too. Note how many urine clumps there are compared with normal, and whether there's any stool. Small or very few clumps fit with dehydration. A cat, especially a male, that strains in the litter box with little or nothing coming out has a different emergency: a possible urinary blockage. Tell your vet what you find.
Key Takeaway
Tacky gums and slow-returning skin suggest dehydration and mean a vet visit today. Pale, gray, blue or yellow gums mean go to an emergency vet now.
What Are the Most Common Causes of a Cat Refusing Both Food and Water?
Cause
Why both may stop
Other signs
Urgency
Pancreatitis
Nausea and abdominal discomfort
Lethargy, hiding, sometimes vomiting; belly pain is often hard to spot in cats
Same-day vet
Kidney disease (chronic or acute)
Waste products in the blood cause nausea and mouth ulcers
Weight loss, bad breath; often increased thirst and urination before appetite drops
Same-day vet
Liver disease, including fatty liver
Nausea and general illness
Yellow gums, skin or eyes (jaundice), vomiting, lethargy
Emergency if jaundiced
Poisoning (lilies, medications, essential oils)
Toxins cause vomiting, nausea and organ damage
Drooling, vomiting, wobbling, collapse; known exposure
Emergency
Dental or mouth pain
Chewing and swallowing hurt
Drooling, pawing at the face, bad breath, dropping food
Vet within 24 hours
Upper respiratory infection
Can't smell food; sore throat
Sneezing, nasal or eye discharge
Vet within 24 hours
Diabetic ketoacidosis
A serious diabetes complication that causes nausea and weakness
Recent increase in thirst and urination, vomiting, lethargy
Emergency
Gut blockage
Food and water can't pass, causing vomiting
Repeated vomiting, belly discomfort, no stool; string or toy may be missing
Emergency
Severe stress
Fear can suppress appetite and thirst for a short time
Known upsetting event, hiding, trembling
Vet within 24 hours if no improvement
Not Sure How Urgent Your Cat's Situation Is?
Our free AI symptom checker flags warning signs that need a vet first, then helps you understand possible causes and natural next steps to discuss with your vet.
Which Symptoms Mean You Need an Emergency Vet Right Now?
A cat that has refused food and water for 24 hours needs a vet visit the same day. If your cat has any of the signs below, don't wait for an appointment. Go to your vet or an emergency clinic now.
🚨 See a Vet Now If Your Cat Also Has:
Yellow skin, gums or whites of the eyes (jaundice)
Pale, white, gray or blue gums
Gums that stay pale for more than 2 seconds after you press them
Skin that stays tented when lifted, sunken eyes or cold paws
Drooling, wobbling, tremors or seizures, or any chance of contact with lilies or medications
A kitten or senior cat that has stopped eating and drinking
What Can You Safely Do at Home Before the Vet Visit?
If your cat stopped eating and drinking less than 24 hours ago, is alert and has no emergency signs, these steps are safe to try while you watch closely. They support your cat but don't treat the cause, so use them alongside a call to your vet, not instead of one.
Encouraging drinking
Water fountains: many cats seem to prefer moving water, and a fountain is worth trying for a cat that ignores its bowl.
Several water bowls: put fresh water in a few spots, including near where your cat is resting.
Plain broth: a little room-temperature chicken broth that is low in sodium and has no onion, garlic or seasoning. Many store-bought broths contain onion or garlic, which are toxic to cats, so check the label or make it plain at home.
Wet food with extra water: a cat that won't drink may still lick moist food. Stir a spoonful of warm water into wet food.
Try different bowls: some cats prefer a wide, shallow dish or a glass or ceramic bowl.
Don't syringe water or food into your cat's mouth unless your vet has shown you how and told you to. A nauseous or weak cat can inhale liquid into the lungs, which can cause aspiration pneumonia on top of the original problem.
Encouraging eating
Warm wet food to around body temperature (about 100°F / 38°C) to release more aroma, since cats choose food largely by smell. Stir well and check for hot spots. Offer a teaspoon-sized portion rather than a full bowl, which can put off a nauseous cat. A small amount of plain cooked chicken or sardines in water (rinsed) can tempt some cats. Avoid tuna as a regular food, though a little as a one-off is fine.
If a household change seems to have triggered the problem, give your cat a quiet room with food, water and a litter box, away from other pets and noise. Pheromone diffusers are low-risk and some owners find them helpful, although scientific evidence for them is limited.[8]
If you can only get one thing into your cat in the short term, focus on fluids: water bowls and a fountain placed right beside your cat, and wet food with added water. But remember that eating matters too, because cats that go without food for several days are at risk of fatty liver disease.[1][2]
Key Takeaway
Fountains, extra bowls, plain broth and moist food can help an alert cat. Never force fluids by syringe without your vet's guidance, and set a firm 24-hour limit before calling your vet.
What Does Veterinary Treatment Involve?
At the clinic, your vet's priorities are to work out how dehydrated your cat is, find the cause, and replace lost fluids. Depending on what they find, this may include:
Physical exam: gum color and moisture, skin tent, weight, temperature, heart rate, and feeling the belly and bladder.
Blood tests: a complete blood count and biochemistry, including kidney values (urea and creatinine), liver values, blood sugar and electrolytes, plus a thyroid test for older cats.
Urine test: shows how concentrated the urine is and checks for infection or crystals.
Imaging: X-rays or ultrasound to look at the liver, kidneys, pancreas and gut, and to check for a blockage.
Fluid therapy: fluids under the skin for mild dehydration, or through a vein (IV) for moderate to severe dehydration, so electrolytes can be corrected more precisely.[3]
Anti-nausea medication: maropitant (Cerenia) is a commonly used anti-nausea drug in cats, and has been shown to reduce vomiting in cats with chronic kidney disease.[4] Easing nausea can help some cats start eating and drinking again.
Treating the cause: for example, pain relief for dental or abdominal pain, insulin for diabetic complications, treatment for poisoning, or a feeding tube for cats at risk of fatty liver disease.
The outlook depends on the cause and how quickly treatment starts. Many cats improve once fluids are given and nausea is controlled, which is why calling your vet early makes a real difference.
How Do You Prevent This From Happening Again?
The best prevention is noticing small changes early, before a missed meal turns into a day without food or water.
Feed scheduled meals rather than leaving dry food out all day. Scheduled meals give you a daily signal: a cat that doesn't come for dinner has told you something the same day.
Weigh your cat every couple of weeks. Weigh yourself holding your cat, then subtract your own weight. Unexplained weight loss is worth a vet visit, even if appetite seems normal.
Get to know your cat's normal drinking. A fountain with a reservoir, or a measured bowl, helps you spot both decreases and increases. Increased thirst can be an early sign of kidney disease, diabetes or an overactive thyroid.
Keep up with regular checkups. Veterinary guidelines recommend at least yearly exams for all cats, with more frequent visits and routine lab tests as cats age.[6] Kidney disease, diabetes and thyroid disease are easier to manage when found early.
Look after dental health. Regular dental checks help catch mouth pain before it stops your cat eating. Our guide to a cat not eating for 2 days covers dental pain as a common, often missed cause of appetite loss.
Keep lilies out of the house. True lilies and daylilies are dangerous to cats, and small exposures can cause kidney failure.[5]
Frequently Asked Questions
How long can a cat go without eating and drinking before it becomes dangerous?
Call your vet if an adult cat has had no food or water for 24 hours, and go sooner for kittens, senior cats, overweight cats or cats with existing health problems. Losing the water normally found in food and in the bowl at the same time means dehydration can develop quickly, and several days without food also raises the risk of fatty liver disease.
What are the signs of dehydration in a cat?
Signs include dry or tacky gums, skin at the scruff that is slow to fall back into place, sunken or dull eyes, lethargy, and less urine than usual. Severe dehydration can cause weakness, cold paws, pale gums and collapse, which is an emergency.
Why has my cat suddenly stopped eating and drinking?
When a cat stops both eating and drinking, illness is the most likely reason. Common causes include nausea from conditions such as kidney disease, liver disease or pancreatitis, mouth or body pain, upper respiratory infection, gut blockage, diabetic complications and poisoning, including lily exposure. Severe stress can play a part, but it should never be assumed.
Can I rehydrate my cat at home?
You can encourage drinking in an alert cat with fresh water in several places, a water fountain, plain low-sodium broth with no onion or garlic, or wet food with a little added water. You can't treat real dehydration at home. A cat that hasn't drunk for 24 hours, or shows signs of dehydration, needs a vet, who can give fluids under the skin or into a vein.
What happens if a cat doesn't drink water for 24 hours?
A cat that has had no water and no wet food for 24 hours may start to show early dehydration, such as tacky gums and less urine. As dehydration worsens, blood flow to the kidneys falls and waste products build up in the blood. Call your vet at the 24-hour mark rather than waiting to see if it gets worse.
Should I force-feed or syringe water into my cat?
No, not unless your vet has shown you how and told you to. A nauseous or weak cat can inhale liquid or food into the lungs, which can cause pneumonia, and forcing food can create a lasting dislike of it. Offer food and water gently and call your vet.
What does it mean when a cat stops eating and drinking and hides?
Hiding is a common way cats behave when they feel unwell or in pain. A cat that is hiding and has stopped eating and drinking should see a vet the same day.
How do I check if my cat is dehydrated at home?
Lift the lip and touch the gums: they should be pink and wet, not tacky or dry. Then gently lift the skin at the scruff and let go: it should fall back quickly. Skin that is slow to return suggests dehydration, although this test is less reliable in older, thin or overweight cats. Pale, white, gray or yellow gums are an emergency.
Want more help? Our free AI symptom checker gives you emergency warning signs first, then possible causes and natural support ideas for your cat's specific situation.
PetWellness AI is run by a lifelong animal lover and dog owner who has spent years researching natural, evidence-informed care for real pet health problems. Every article is checked against published veterinary research, drafted with the help of AI tools, and reviewed before publishing. We're not veterinarians, so we always point you to your vet for diagnosis and treatment. Our story →
Citations & Sources
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Pardo M, Spencer E, Odunayo A, et al. "2024 AAHA Fluid Therapy Guidelines for Dogs and Cats." J Am Anim Hosp Assoc. 2024. PubMed
Quimby JM, Brock WT, Moses K, Bolotin D, Patricelli K. "Chronic use of maropitant for the management of vomiting and inappetence in cats with chronic kidney disease: a blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial." J Feline Med Surg. 2015. PubMed Central
Langston CE. "Acute renal failure caused by lily ingestion in six cats." J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2002. PubMed
Quimby J, Gowland S, Carney HC, DePorter T, Plummer P, Westropp J. "2021 AAHA/AAFP Feline Life Stage Guidelines." J Feline Med Surg. 2021. PubMed Central
Amat M, Camps T, Manteca X. "Stress in owned cats: behavioural changes and welfare implications." J Feline Med Surg. 2016. PubMed Central
Frank D, Beauchamp G, Palestrini C. "Systematic review of the use of pheromones for treatment of undesirable behavior in cats and dogs." J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2010. PubMed
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute veterinary advice. If your cat has not eaten or drunk for 24 hours, or shows any emergency signs, seek veterinary care immediately. Read our full disclaimer.
