My cat fell into a pond, was treated at the vet, but hasn’t eaten for nearly three days—what should I do?

After a cat drowns and refuses food, first consider whether it is experiencing a stress reaction from fright; a cat’s stress response can show as lowered energy and poor appetite. Besides spending time comforting and staying with the cat, help it get through the fear period. You can also give some probiotics and cook a little chicken breast to tempt it.

Second, observe whether, besides poor appetite, it also has fever, abnormal breathing, vomiting or diarrhea, which could mean it aspirated water into its lungs or caught a chill, causing discomfort and infection. Take it to the clinic for examination and follow the vet’s instructions.

Finally, since the cat has gone nearly three days without eating or drinking, do not delay any longer. Give it some nutritional fluid and glucose water to restore strength, and seek prompt veterinary care if possible.