cat not eating/drinking well

Question
Our 10-12 year old short hair is not eating/drinking well. This started on Friday. We had our 4 year old grandson for the week and have attributed this to his visit.  Since boy returned home on Saturday, cat has slowly resumed moving to different level of house (she only would stay on lower level while boy was here)She has been meowing when I call her and lets me pet her and purrs, but is eating very little.  As of yesterday p.m. she has not used litter box.  She is moving from under beds to different closets to under drapes, but not her usual self.  What should I do.  I've offered treats, dry and soft cat food, tuna juice.

Answer
Hi Margaret,

Your kitty needs to see a vet.  There are too many reasons why a cat might not be eating to try to narrow it down without a physical exam.  An infection, cancer, kidney failure or constipation, along with a slew of other things, could all be the potential cause.  And they will all have different treatments.  Your vet can start with a physical exam to decide what may be the most likely cause.  If necessary, some blood tests may be run to help further determine the problem, or a treatment may be sent home.  The vet might also give you a prescription food that's good for stimulating appetite or one that's easy on the stomach.

I hope it all works out well!

Jessica