Appetite Booster For Cats

Is your cat refusing to finish their food? Do they become very finicky and start losing some weight? This behavior could be caused by many factors, from an underlying medical reason to hairballs in their stomach.

In nature, cats love delicious foods. Hence, you might want to talk to your vet when your cat becomes a picky eater. A professor at the College of Veterinary Medicine at Ohio State University, Tony Buffington, told WebMD that cats can eat 10-20 meals daily in the wild.

Hence, something might prevent natural feeding behaviors if your cat is finicky. There are many factors for cats to stop eating, from something related to their emotions to physical health. Ensure to visit your vet when your fur baby doesn’t eat for 24 hours or more. The vet will identify the cause and rule out any underlying health problems. 

However, you could still encourage your four-legged buddy to eat their food by giving them a feline appetite stimulant. Appetite stimulants for cats come in a variety of forms. The most common are prescription medications from a veterinarian. However, you can also have at-home and over-the-counter options like supplements and natural meal toppers. 

You can try luring them with a few pieces of their favorite wet food or chunks of fresh tuna for a more natural feline appetite stimulant. Adding low-sodium broth or tuna juice to your cat food might also help. 

Natural ways to stimulate your cat's appetite

Not only is it easy to get, but natural appetite boosters for cats are also safe and ensure they get all the nutrients they need. Here are some natural appetite stimulants for cats that you can try out. 

1. Sticking to a feeding schedule

   Providing natural appetite stimulants for cats does not require you to add some supplements. Try sticking to a feeding schedule. VCA Animal Hospital states that the number of meals a cat eats daily depends on the family schedule. Cats should eat at least two meals a day, 12 hours apart. More than 12 hours gap between meals will upset their stomach and become hyper acidic, which can cause nausea.

2. Try new food

   Providing variety in their meal plan can also stimulate your cat’s appetite. Trying a new food out is one of the most natural appetites stimulants for cats. Cats prefer buffet-style offerings rather than mixing foods. This lets you offer different textures and flavors, like wet and dry food.

3. Make their food more appetizing

   Just like humans, warm food is more attractive than cold food. Try to heat wet food and serve warm food as an appetite booster for your cat at home. You can also add warm water to dry kibble.

4. Move food bowls around

   Another appetite stimulant for cats is to feed your cats in different locations. This way will allow your cat to bring out their natural hunting instincts. Try to put the food bowl in the kitchen one day and move it to the living room the next morning.

5. Stimulate their instincts

   Using food toys is a great appetite stimulant for cats. You can fill the food toy with dry kibble or crunchy cat treats like Temptations™. Then, throw the food toy, let your feline friend catch it, and find some delicious surprises.

   You can also creatively create a mini box with some dry kibbles inside and let them flip the box to find the tempting treasures! This little game will prevent boredom and become your cat’s food stimulant.

6. Catnip

   Another appetite stimulant for cats is catnip. Yes, the plant that can make your fur baby act high. This native plant to Europe and Asia is also called Nepeta cataria. Cats get high off catnip by inhaling the live, dried, or oil extraction plant.

   The chemical binds to receptors inside your fur baby’s nose. This stimulates sensory neurons leading into the brain. Besides getting them to act high, catnip is also an enhancer of appetite for cats.

   Besides stimulating your fur baby’s appetite by letting them sniff some dried catnip, you can treat your four-legged buddy with crunchy snacks from the Temptations Cat Treat Mix Up with catnip, chicken, and cheddar flavor! It contains only 2cal per treat, which is perfect for your cat.

Encourage Active Blood Flow

Besides all the natural enhancers of appetite for cats, have you ever heard of active blood flow? Yes, getting your cat’s heart rate up can boost your feline’s appetite in a natural way. 

Encouraging active blood flow doesn’t require many sets of pet workouts. You can encourage them to run more around the house. Use your cat toy to make them run for a few minutes. Cats also love observing human activity. Open the bedroom window up and let them peer into the great outdoors. Setting up a sturdy viewing seat or shelf will also help this simple and free appetite booster for your cat works very well. 

Prescription Appetite Stimulants For Cats

As mentioned before, your vet may prescribe your cat some cat food appetite stimulants. Here are some common prescription medications as your cat and kitten’s appetite stimulant.  

1. Mirtazapine

   This cat and kittens’ appetite stimulant is a drug that was initially developed to control nausea. Though, this drug is also an effective appetite stimulant in cats.

2. Cyproheptadine

   Cyproheptadine is a prescribed drug used as an appetite stimulant for sick kittens and cats, including those undergoing chemotherapy. Be noted that it may take 2-3 days for the drug to reach full effect.

3. Corticosteroids

   VCA Animal Hospital states that most cats can safely use this appetite enhancer for cats. However, you need to avoid using glucocorticoids daily. Consult and visit your vet before giving any drugs to your feline friends.

4. Diazepam

   Another appetite stimulant for kittens and cats is diazepam. Although safe, you can only give it to your cats under your vet’s prescription. This drug should not be used in pets that are allergic to it.

5. B12 Injection

   As a cat food appetite stimulant, your vet might inject a dose of vitamin B12. This is an effective way to help cats feel livelier. This supplement is even more effective in cats than another synthetic counterpart, cyanocobalamin.

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