Many cat owners have experienced it: After buying a bulk package with a food that your cat practically inhaled, he suddenly couldn’t be less impressed. Is he snobby? Is he sick? Is there anything wrong with the food? It can be all three or a number of other options. Read on to learn how to crack the case of the discerning cat.
What should a cat eat?
A cat is a mandatory predator, which means they need to eat meat to meet all their nutritional needs. In general, their diets should mostly be protein with some fat and carbohydrates. They also require certain vitamins such as preformed vitamin A, minerals, fatty acids and amino acids, including taurine.
Cats should normally not require supplements because they should be able to get all their nutrients from food formulated for cats. To make sure their food is nutritionally complete, you can check the ingredient list and/or discuss the best options with your veterinarian. You want to buy foods that have meat or meat products like the primary ingredients. Your cat may also require another formula based on their life phase or health problems.
While cats can get most of their hydration from wet food, it is also important to always have fresh, clean water available to them.
Why are cats so discerning about food?
When a cat suddenly stops eating and this lasts for at least 24 hours, there is a chance that they are dealing with health problems. Dental problems can make eating painful, arthritis can make it difficult for a cat to reach their food bowl, a digestive block can get in the way of eating, and kidney or gastrointestinal problems can cause a disturbance of the stomach. When cats, especially those who are overweight, do not eat or eat very little for several days, they can also develop something called fatty liver disease. While it is likely that there is something less serious, remember that a veterinary visit may be in order.
Apart from health problems, your cat may be exposed to food. This may be because it is too cold, they would rather eat smaller meals all day, as they would in nature, food may have been out of date or not very fresh, their dishes can be a little too dirty, or you could try a food they ate when they were sick in the past. Sometimes they just aren’t excited about a new food when they were happy with the old one, or they could get such a number of different ones that they stand out for their favorites. There is a chance that they could also overeat, especially if they have outdoor access, and they snacks on mice or treats from the neighbors.
Often, stress can also be a factor. Your cat’s food bowl may be in a busy area or one of the other pets may be trying to get to it. It can be too close to the litter box or in a new place completely. Changes around the house can also be disgusting, like extreme weather as heat waves.
How do you feed a picky cat?
So how do you work around these problems and get the discerning eater to enjoy a meal? After excluding health problems, you will be sure you are feeding your cat away from other pets in a quiet, quiet room without a cold box nearby. While they may not enjoy having other pets nearby, they can want to eat with their human being around, so they may want you to sit with them while eating.
Make sure their bowl is cleaned after each use and that all their food is kept properly to ensure freshness. If you need to move their food bowl, do it gradually, not at once.
Apart from the environment, make sure the food is tasty. Sometimes heating food, especially if stored in the refrigerator, can help. Sometimes you can tempt them to dig in food by putting broth or a few goodies on top. The texture can also be a problem, so try different kinds of wet food to see if your cat prefers a pate, strips or wand in sauce.
Because cats naturally eat smaller meals all day, try leaving small quantities for 15 to 30 minutes several times during the day and then remove what they are not done. Moving from free feeding to scheduled feeding will also let your cat know that food will only be available for a limited period of time, so they should rather eat it, so if they want it. To allow them to “chase” on their food by using a puzzle can also nurture their natural instincts.
During a food transition, make sure to ease your cat properly into it as shifts at once can cause digestive problems. Start with a small amount of the new food with mostly the old food, and over a week you have to gradually change these amounts until it is all the new food. Always make sure to feed the label and use treats sparingly so your cat is not already full for the meal.
Finally, if you have your cat from a young age, exposing kittens to a wide variety of foods can make them more acceptance of them later.
Although Finicky Eating is another tense of these already quirky animals, would you really have them in any other way?