Take this potentially life-threatening problem seriously.

By Susan Lang

If your cat suddenly loses interest in eating for more than a day, you should seek veterinary counsel.

Although you might think it’s not the end of the world if your obese cat avoids the food bowl for a few days, the truth is that this “diet” can prove to be fatal. When a cat stops eating — particularly if she’s overweight — it can trigger a dangerous condition called hepatic lipidosis, also known as feline fatty liver syndrome.

“Regardless of age, gender or breed, a cat that stops eating may begin to develop hepatic lipidosis in as little as a week,” says Richard Goldstein, DVM, an internal medicine specialist at the Cornell University Hospital for Animals. “Although hepatic lipidosis is most common in obese cats, not all…

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