310 776 5544Patient Portal / Book Now
Book a Visit About UsAbout Paw Priority Our Doctors Our TeamNeighborhoodCareers Contact Services & PricingServices & PricingCost EstimatorUrgent CareGeneral PracticeAcupunctureEmergency CareSurgeryDentistryHouse CallsTravel Certificates VIPP Membership ResourcesAsk Us AnythingAsk Us AnythingPet Health ArticlesPet Poison GuideChocolate Toxicity CalculatorShould I bring my pet in?Senior Pet Care Call Us · (310) 776-5544

My Cat Hasn’t Eaten in 24 Hours. Should I Worry?

/ Urgent & Emergency / By
Cat next to untouched food bowl — signs of loss of appetite

Short answer: yes, sooner than you think.

Cats are not small dogs. When a dog skips a meal, it is usually nothing. When a cat skips meals, they can slide into a real problem called hepatic lipidosis (fatty liver disease) within 48 to 72 hours. Once the liver starts breaking down its own fat for energy, the disease is life-threatening and requires hospitalization.

The 24-hour rule for cats

Any cat that has not eaten in 24 hours needs a vet visit. Not an ER necessarily, but a real evaluation. This is doubly true for:

  • Overweight cats (they are the highest risk for fatty liver)
  • Cats over 10 years old
  • Cats with any underlying disease (kidney, diabetes, thyroid)
  • Cats who have suddenly stopped eating after a stressful event

Why cats do this

Cats hide illness. Their instinct is to appear normal until they physically cannot anymore. By the time you notice your cat is not eating, they have often been feeling bad for days. Common causes:

  • Dental pain (very common, very missed)
  • Constipation (also very common)
  • Urinary blockage in male cats (this is an emergency, not just anorexia)
  • Kidney disease flare
  • Foreign body obstruction
  • Pancreatitis
  • Nausea from any underlying illness

What to do right now

  1. Check that food and water are fresh and accessible.
  2. Offer something high-value: warmed canned food, plain cooked chicken, a lick of tuna juice.
  3. Watch litter box output. No urine in 24 hours is an emergency. No stool for 3 days is a vet visit.
  4. If your cat is male and appears to be straining in the litter box, that is a true emergency. Go now.

When to call

If your cat has skipped 2 meals in a row and has not eaten in 12 to 18 hours, book a same-day appointment. If they have not eaten in 24 hours, do not wait for the weekend to end.

We see cats for this exact issue almost daily. Most of them go home the same day with a diagnosis and a plan. The ones that come in on day 4 often end up in the hospital.

Trust your instinct. Cats are stoic. If yours is off, something is off.

Not sure whether to bring your cat in? Try our triage tool.

Scroll to Top