Rehomed Cats Hunger Strike

Question
Through my vet I met a woman who was in the military and needed to rehome her momma cat and 2 kittens. I took the kittens and my brother who has a huge house, 4 other cats and a little dog, took the momma cat. She hasn't eaten or drank anything in 3 days and is in the back of a cupboard. Will she start eating soon? Would a visit from one of her kittens help? Are her kidneys going to be ok? We're worried about her. Thanks.

Answer
These are all valid worries.  Some cats do become so stressed that they refuse to eat or drink for a few days.  But it certainly isn't healthy.  Dehydration may begin in just 12 hours without a drink.  After three days, she is going to be suffering some pretty serious dehydration.  This can give her real urinary tract/kidney problems.  It also results in an electrolyte imbalance, leading to muscle and brain problems.  And since the heart is a muscle, dehydration can cause heart failure.

Also, when a cat doesn't eat anything for over 48 hours, their bodies will start metabolizing fat stores.  Cats don't metabolize fat very adequately, and all this fat ends up trapped in the liver.  It can cause liver failure, called hepatic lipidosis (Fatty Liver Disease).  This is deadly without intensive vet care.

Personally, I wouldn't allow her to see her kittens at this point.  I think that would just renew the stress she's feeling from being separated from them once the kitten goes home.  Unless you'll be able to leave the kitten there for some time (probably a few weeks, until she settles into the new home), I think it would do more harm than good.

I would urge your brother to get the mama to the vet.  At this point, if she really hasn't had any water, she will definitely need some fluids under the skin to rehydrate her.  An exam should be done to make sure this is all stress-related.  And the vet may advise your brother to feed a more tempting diet, like boiled chicken or some tuna, or force feed the kitty if necessary.