How Long Can Cats Survive Without Food And Water ? Here's The Explanation !

How many days can a cat endure not eating ? This question often arises for cat lovers or for people who are just curious about how strong a cat's resistance is when they are experiencing hunger.

Unlike people who are just curious, for cat lovers this question arises not without unclear reasons or mere curiosity. This arises because of certain conditions that make the owner feel worried. This condition is usually caused by a lost cat, a stray cat or a cat that has not returned home in a few days.

This is generally the case for cat owners who used to let their cats wander out of the house. Most of those who do this are local cat owners or mixdome cat breeds. For pure breed cats, owners usually prefer to confine their cat in a cage or special room.

Back to the main discussion, which is how long a cat can survive without eating, of course Good Readers are curious about the answer. So how long can a cat live without eating ? Read to Angora's explanation below until the end to find out.

How Long Can Cats Survive Without Food And Water ?

According to a study, humans can survive up to 3 weeks without food in cold temperatures. But if the human is in a hot place without eating and drinking, it is most likely that it can only survive for 1 week.

Then what about the cat ? How long can a cat survive when the cat does not eat or drink? For cats themselves, they will be able to survive without food for 2 weeks.

If you don't believe that cats can survive without food for 2 weeks, you can see one of the real proofs that cats can survive for more than 1 week. The proof is Madix a black cat trapped in the rubble can survive for 9 days without eating.

Quoted from Kompas.com that Madix is ​​a cat from Kentucky, United States. This black cat (Madix) was trapped in the rubble due to a violent tornado that struck Kentucky, United States, on December 10, 2021.

This cat managed to survive the storm and was trapped for 9 days in the rubble without eating or drinking. Fortunately, when found by the owner ( Sonny Gibson ), Madix was not injured, only he was weak from hunger and dehydration.

Although based on scientific facts that cats can survive for 2 weeks without eating, their body condition will slowly deteriorate. Cats that do not eat for a long time will experience weight loss.

Namely a condition in which the body will be thinner, less body weight, dull hair, dirty and experiencing hair loss. This happens because the body does not get nutrients and energy from food as a result the body will take energy reserves from the body.

While dirty, dull and smelly fur occurs because the cat does not get the protein nutrition that its fur needs and because the cat does not take care of his body at all due to the hunger he suffers from and because his body is very weak.

The longer the cat doesn't eat, the thinner it will become, the more neglected it will be and the weaker its body condition will be. If this condition continues to be left in the worry the cat will soon lose his life.

In another study, it was stated that cats can only survive for 3 to 4 days if the cat does not get protein intake for its body. It will only last 3 to 4 days even if it has water to drink.

How Can Cats Survive Hunger ?

Maybe the way is almost the same as when humans experience hunger and can't eat at all. When the cat's body needs energy and the cat can't find food, the only way to survive is for the cat's body to be forced to release certain compounds.

The function of this compound is to break down fat in the cat's body and make it a kind of compound that can be used as a substitute energy source that can make the cat survive for a while until he finds food.

But on the other hand, if the cat does not get food immediately, this will make the cat's body that was fat and has a lot of fat gradually become thinner and weaker. It's like a double-edged knife that can give life as well as death.

How To Help A Hungry Cat ?

When you find a cat that is hungry but still seems able to eat, you can help him by simply giving him proper food to eat and giving him water.

Then take it home to be cleaned and cared for properly. But if you feel you can't take care of him then give him as much food as possible until he feels full and has enough energy so that later he can go back to looking for his own food.

But if the cat is dying and his condition is very weak, what you can do is take him to the vet to check his condition. Next, the vet gives medicine and vitamins as well as tells how to take care of the cat so that it returns to health.

Additional Information

Cats can indeed survive for a long period of time, which is 2 weeks without eating. But cats can't survive long periods of time without drinking water. At most cats will only survive 2 to 3 days without drinking water.

This is because the cat's body consists mostly of water content. The condition of the cat's body is similar to the condition of the human body. Cats who lack water will experience dehydration, decreased health and even death.

Maybe that's all the discussion about cats can't stand not eating for how long and how to help a hungry cat. With this article, hopefully it can make you understand more about cats. And add your insight and can be useful for you.

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