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Cat Forum / Health and Behavior / April 2006Cats Suddenly Picky About Food
Have 2 cats, male & female. All of a sudden, like a screeching halt, after months of eating any hard food of any price level I gave them, they suddenly refuse to eat anything at all except soft food. A few days ago we couldn't find the stash of hard food we had on hand, and picked up a small can of soft, and went back to the hard afterwards. They immediately started rejecting the hard they had previously been fine with. Thinking maybe the hard food we had left was old--it was 2 months old--we bought a fresh box and they started eating it fine, and we gave them no soft food. But, after about 3 days, all of a sudden they're rejecting in--and protesting loudly. Sorry to not be a "cat lover," but I have no intention of indulging their pickiness. If need be, I have a cat carrier and can confine them to that out of the house so it's not noisy--they protest quite frequently and loudly--until they get the point. I'm not worried about them starving to death, I figure sooner or later they'll have to eat or else. Even so, though, what in the world would make them snap like that so suddenly? I know we did give them soft food for a day or two, but for them to readjust to hard food and then suddenly 3 or 4 days later snap back to being picky, just doesn't make sense. > Have 2 cats, male & female. All of a sudden, like a screeching halt, after > months of eating any hard food of any price level I gave them, they [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > loudly--until they get the point. I'm not worried about them starving to > death, I figure sooner or later they'll have to eat or else. Are you posting this to be an a.s because what you wrote it sounds just like that > Even so, though, what in the world would make them snap like that so > suddenly? I know we did give them soft food for a day or two, but for them > to readjust to hard food and then suddenly 3 or 4 days later snap back to > being picky, just doesn't make sense. > > Have 2 cats, male & female. All of a sudden, like a screeching halt, after > > months of eating any hard food of any price level I gave them, they [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > Are you posting this to be an a.s because what you wrote it sounds just like > that Damn, Matthew, you and I must have gone to the same school of diplomacy. :) That is exactly what I wanted to say. > Have 2 cats, male & female. All of a sudden, like a screeching halt, after > months of eating any hard food of any price level I gave them, they suddenly > refuse to eat anything at all except soft food. A few days ago we couldn't > find the stash of hard food we had on hand, and picked up a small can of > soft, and went back to the hard afterwards. They immediately started > rejecting the hard they had previously been fine with. Many cats will do this once they've had a taste of "the other side". > Thinking maybe the hard food we had left was old--it was 2 months old--we > bought a fresh box and they started eating it fine, and we gave them no soft > food. But, after about 3 days, all of a sudden they're rejecting in--and > protesting loudly. They wanted the canned food back. Give in. > Sorry to not be a "cat lover," but I have no intention of indulging their > pickiness. It isn't pickiness, they just know which food is better for them. The canned food is better for felines because it contains much more moisture than the dry food. > If need be, I have a cat carrier and can confine them to that out > of the house so it's not noisy--they protest quite frequently and [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > to readjust to hard food and then suddenly 3 or 4 days later snap back to > being picky, just doesn't make sense. What really doesn't make sense is your self proclamation that you are not a cat lover, yet you have two of them. > Have 2 cats, male & female. All of a sudden, like a screeching halt, after > months of eating any hard food of any price level I gave them, they suddenly [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > to readjust to hard food and then suddenly 3 or 4 days later snap back to > being picky, just doesn't make sense. if you dont love them, why even bother with the questions? I can tell you do love them or you wouldnt be here........... Try mixing a little can with the dry and see what happens. I wish you the best of luck :) > I can tell > you do love them or you wouldnt be here........... SORT of true. I do love them, but I'm not a "cat lover" per se. They don't sleep with me (I'm married, bedroom is sacred), I feed them on the cheap, I will NOT let them on the kitchen table/counters even if it means booby-trapping it, and if a friend who visits doesn't find them to be the second coming of Jesus I don't take offense to it (so long as they don't hurt it obviously). I do spoil them in that the female likes to suck on my fuzzy housecoat for some reason, and I've been known to remove the housecoat while wearing it even if it was cold in the house and plopping it on the couch so the female can enjoy sucking on it. I do hold & cuddle them often. I just don't think of them as the second coming of Jesus and being more important than my wife or friends, I'm just clarifying that I don't go that far with it. > Try mixing a little can with the dry and see what happens. No problem, so long as they do eat ALL of it not just the soft. As I said to another (although I was more snide with them, maybe shouldn't been), I don't mind endulging them a little "treat" every now & then, especially with Family Dollar selling one brand (don't recall what it was, but the cats liked it) for only 25c a can. I just don't want them turning their nose up at what they were OK with before. > No problem, so long as they do eat ALL of it not just the soft. As I said to > another (although I was more snide with them, maybe shouldn't been), I don't > mind endulging them a little "treat" every now & then, especially with > Family Dollar selling one brand (don't recall what it was, but the cats > liked it) for only 25c a can. I just don't want them turning their nose up > at what they were OK with before. If you can afford better than food from Family Dollar, it would be in the cats' best interest, and yours. A cat fed a better quality food will be healthier, which equals less vet visits, which equals more money in your pocket ultimately. Secondly, cats are obligate carnivores, and if you think about it, dry food is not appropriate for them. Better for them and their health (and utlimately your pocketbook) to feed them a canned diet. > Have 2 cats, male & female. All of a sudden, like a screeching halt, after > months of eating any hard food of any price level I gave them, they suddenly [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > to readjust to hard food and then suddenly 3 or 4 days later snap back to > being picky, just doesn't make sense. Find your cats a good home with someone who will want to feed them the food that is best for them and who IS a cat lover. They deserve better than you. Does anyone own a cat who's not picky about their food? -hehehe-- Mind decided they didn't like canned food and stopped eating it (except maybe a small spoonful a day). Had to switch back to dried with lots of fresh water. Anyday, they may change their little kitty minds/taste buds again. --maryjane >> Have 2 cats, male & female. All of a sudden, like a screeching halt, >> after [quoted text clipped - 28 lines] > the food that is best for them and who IS a cat lover. They deserve better > than you. > Does anyone own a cat who's not picky about their food? -hehehe-- Really. :) > Mind decided they didn't like canned food and stopped eating it (except > maybe a small spoonful a day). Had to switch back to dried with lots of [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > --maryjane One of my cats will eat any cat food. The other began by eating one flavor of canned Fancy Feast (half a can twice a day) PROVIDED I keep Purina One Salmon dry food down at all times. (She is skinny ...) Then she would eat only another flavor, and has had two additional favorites since. Sure, I could force her to get hungry enough to eat anything, but why would I? She makes me happy so I want to make her happy. > Sure, I could force her to get hungry enough to eat > anything, So it DOES work, huh? Thank you. That's what I'm going to do then. Why? Not for meanness, but because they always had been just fine with dry until just recently, and it's not called for. I don't mind indulging them with a little "treat" every now & then, that's fine--but not if it turns them into picky little snobs, in that case the treats are abolished. noone <noone@email.com> wrote in rec.pets.cats.health+behav: >> Sure, I could force her to get hungry enough to eat >> anything, [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > fine--but not if it turns them into picky little snobs, in that > case the treats are abolished. I found that it absolutely does NOT work. They can hold out longer than I can. In the beginning, I would give Kami half a can a week as a treat. She would starve all week long untill she got it, and then started all over again. Of course now she won't eat much of anything. But I found a way to get her more interested. I have started adding the tiniest sprinkle of salt to her food. I think it makes it more savory and like *my* food she likes so much. She's eating it now, so I think that's the lesser of the evils.  SignatureBrandy Alexandre --Everything tastes better with cat hair in it. =^.^= > > Sure, I could force her to get hungry enough to eat > > anything, > > So it DOES work, huh? Thank you. That's what I'm going to do then. > > Why? Not for meanness Sure it is. Find them homes. a.shole. Troll > Path: newssvr25.news.prodigy.net!newsdbm05.news.prodigy.com!newsdst01.news.prodigy.com!newsmst01b.news.prodigy.com!prodigy.com!newscon02.news.prodigy.com!prodigy.net!news.glorb.com!newsfeed-east.nntpserver.com!nntpserver.com!statler.nntpserver.com!be5.nntpserver.com!not-for-mail > From: "cybercat" <boagrrl hotmail.com> [quoted text clipped - 27 lines] > > *** Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com *** "John Doe" <jdoe@usenet.love.invalid> Being an idiot again I see Idiot. > Idiot. i hate to say it, but dude is like chinese water torture omG! is aight, we have other methods >> Idiot. > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > >is aight, we have other methods And they too are failures. > And they too are failures. is true! is awful but sho was fun trying >> And they too are failures. > >is true! >is awful > >but sho was fun trying It's always fun, usenet is a great way to play without making a mess. I have a toothache, it sucks. I have Vicodin and weed. If I do things just right. My cat's might want to play with me again. > It's always fun, usenet is a great way to play without making a mess. > I have a toothache, it sucks. I have Vicodin and weed. If I do things > just right. My cat's might want to play with me again. vicodin,never hoid of it orajel maximum strangth works excellent, get the bubble gum flavor i only get one my pressure is skyaaahigh and when i haven't eaten much in days weed is good; but probably makes ache worse go eat a bunch of food.. blood will be forced to stomach instead of tooth your body is removing poison, but food digestion is priority works. just abuse your cats, that makes them want you more >x-no-archive:yes > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > >vicodin,never hoid of it Hydrocodone, not as good as Percocet but it will do. >orajel maximum strangth works excellent, get the bubble gum flavor No thanks. >i only get one my pressure is skyaaahigh >and when i haven't eaten much in days > >weed is good; but probably makes ache worse Don't know, but sure makes the day go by nicely. >go eat a bunch of food.. blood will be forced to >stomach instead of tooth Not a bad idea. >your body is removing poison, but food digestion is priority >works. I got antibiotics for that. >just abuse your cats, that makes them want you more That's what I thought about my wife. >> Sure, I could force her to get hungry enough to eat >> anything, [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > with a little "treat" every now & then, that's fine--but not if it turns > them into picky little snobs, in that case the treats are abolished. No, No, No, No, No................. Cat's metabolisms are not like dogs. If a cat goes too long without eating anything (4-5 days) their liver can start shutting down. Believe me some cats are stubborn enough to do that if they don't get their favorite food. (Dogs in the wild share prey animals with the pack - may go quite a while without eating, then get a big big meal.) So, like it or not, as a cat owner you do need to find a food they enjoy and eat consistently. I've found that the smellier the food is, the better mine seem to like it. If you want to treat your cats like dogs, you really would be better letting someone else take care of them. -- maryjane whose cat almost died of liver failure > >> Sure, I could force her to get hungry enough to eat > >> anything, [quoted text clipped - 23 lines] > > whose cat almost died of liver failure Good points, all. I never meant to suggest this as a way to get her cats to eat that cheap disgusting food she wants to pawn off on them, but of course you, and she, both know that. > > Sure, I could force her to get hungry enough to eat > > anything, [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > with a little "treat" every now & then, that's fine--but not if it turns > them into picky little snobs, in that case the treats are abolished. This sounds suspiciously like a "regular" here who likes to think he's in "control." SignatureWeb site: http://www.slywy.com/ Message board: http://www.slywy.com/phpBB2/ Journal: http://slywy.blogspot.com/ > In article <1%_%f.15985$tN3.3318 newssvr27.news.prodigy.net>, > [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] >> with a little "treat" every now & then, that's fine--but not if it turns >> them into picky little snobs, So reduce the frequency of treats. Cats can be a mental challenge, but they don't intentionally play mind games. > This sounds suspiciously like a "regular" here who likes to think he's > in "control." Not that it matters, but who would that be? >> In article <1%_%f.15985$tN3.3318 newssvr27.news.prodigy.net>, >> [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > >Not that it matters, but who would that be? You JD, You think you're the big troll buster. > > > Sure, I could force her to get hungry enough to eat > > > anything, [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > This sounds suspiciously like a "regular" here who likes to think he's > in "control." Right!! Lawrence somebody? Or Larry? I know exactly who you mean. What a loser. Whether or not this is him/her, it's a major loser nonetheless. (I am gender confused because what man wears a "housecoat?" And what woman except our grandmas who are over 80? > > > Why? Not for meanness, but because they always had been just fine with > dry [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > what man wears a "housecoat?" And what woman except > our grandmas who are over 80? Yes, but I wouldn't suspect whomever it is of telling the truth, either. Same story, different setting. Yanking chains. SignatureWeb site: http://www.slywy.com/ Message board: http://www.slywy.com/phpBB2/ Journal: http://slywy.blogspot.com/ "D." <delenn@nospamatmindspring.com> wrote : > Yes, but I wouldn't suspect whomever it is of telling the truth, either. > Same story, different setting. Yanking chains. Yep. Let's get a rise out of the stupid cat people by saying "I have a cat, I am not a cat lover, why can't I get him to eat cheap sh.t food that is not good for him," hahaha. Ugh. > "D." <delenn@nospamatmindspring.com> wrote : > > [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > "I have a cat, I am not a cat lover, why can't I get him to eat > cheap sh.t food that is not good for him," hahaha. Ugh. It's more of, "I will bend my cats to my all-powerful will." Oh, so impressive. ;) SignatureWeb site: http://www.slywy.com/ Message board: http://www.slywy.com/phpBB2/ Journal: http://slywy.blogspot.com/ > > "D." <delenn@nospamatmindspring.com> wrote : > > > [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > It's more of, "I will bend my cats to my all-powerful will." Oh, so > impressive. ;) And then the cats wait until a.shole is out and pee all over is stuff. Poop in his shoes. Heh. That's one of the things I love about cats. Successful guerilla warfare. > And then the cats wait until a.shole is out and pee > all over is stuff. Poop in his shoes. Heh. That's one > of the things I love about cats. Successful guerilla > warfare. If that is something to LIKE about any animal, you have sick tastes. But even so, if it came to who "wins," ultimately I would; all I'd have to do is shut them up in the shed outdoors and confine them to that; there's nothing there they can destroy and I wouldn't hear their constant meowing. They'd have the water & food they need, with the option of eating or dying. So how successful would THAT guerilla warfare be, I ask? > > And then the cats wait until a.shole is out and pee > > all over is stuff. Poop in his shoes. Heh. That's one [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > So how successful would THAT guerilla warfare be, I ask? *yawn* Right, you de stud. lol Cyber don't even bother with his responses he does his best to get a rise out of everyone it just makes him moves lower and lower on the trolls' status. Soon he will be just another sneeze just to wipe away right now John Doe is more impressive and he ain't worth nothing except to his momma and to us as a big joke And you are sick girl you did the ham I am sure Barry would have came over and took care of the problem instead >> > And then the cats wait until a.shole is out and pee >> > all over is stuff. Poop in his shoes. Heh. That's one [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > > lol > And you are sick girl you did the ham Matthew, can you try not to be disgusting on Easter Sunday? Ugh. Shame on you. I had to get it out of my system before I asked for forgiveness and blessings >> And you are sick girl you did the ham > > Matthew, can you try not to be disgusting on Easter Sunday? > > Ugh. Shame on you. > But even so, if it came to who "wins," ultimately I would; all I'd have to > do is shut them up in the shed outdoors and confine them to that; there's > nothing there they can destroy and I wouldn't hear their constant meowing. > They'd have the water & food they need, with the option of eating or dying. > > So how successful would THAT guerilla warfare be, I ask? And then someone reports you to animal welfare. :) SignatureWeb site: http://www.slywy.com/ Message board: http://www.slywy.com/phpBB2/ Journal: http://slywy.blogspot.com/ > > But even so, if it came to who "wins," ultimately I would; all I'd have to > > do is shut them up in the shed outdoors and confine them to that; there's [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > And then someone reports you to animal welfare. :) And there are much, much worse things than that in store for those who abuse creatures weaker than they who depend on them. There are natural laws that govern such things, and they are much more powerfully enforced than any man-made laws. <G> All in good time, alllllll in good time. There is justice in the natural order of things, it is just sometimes hard to prove cause and effect. The measure of a man is how he treats his pets. Some man you are. Oh, and please don't have children. >...all I'd have to do is shut them up in the shed outdoors and confine them >to that; there's nothing there they can destroy and I wouldn't hear their >constant meowing. > The measure of a man is how he treats his pets. > Some man you are. > > Oh, and please don't have children. A big "meeee toooo" to that! But I bet she already has. For what it is worth, I am noticing that they are eating the hard food. They eat it in far less amounts than before, which indicates they're sort of "picking" at it like they're eating enough to maintain but not eating the normal amounts--as if they're "holding out" until the "real thing" in their mind (the soft food) arrives, which it won't. But they ARE eating it. I did, in fact, read at one website (cat professor?) that it was best to give a cat hard food, and that in fact if you ever gave them soft food they'd get picky on you. Sure enough. So I guess I learned my lesson. Again, I do NOT hate the cats, I don't have any meanness intentions at all, don't have any intent to starve them, don't have any intents to shut them up in a cat carreir outside (just saying that I COULD do it if they made life in the house hard enough, which they haven't by a long shot). I just want things back the way they used to be, when they ate the hard stuff and didn't complain. To me it's no different than (say) spoiling a child by giving it cake & ice cream for dinner because it's "what it likes and I love them" only to have them, what else would you expect?, complain and "pick at" the food when you return to meat & potatoes. And again, if I could simply give them soft food as an occasional "treat," something like (say) one can for each cat every three days or so, and it didn't contribute to their pickiness then I would have NO problem doing that. But given that I've read enough at other places that say hard food is just fine for them, then I figure what's good enough for other cats is good enough for mine. Doesn't mean I don't love them and want them to do well, I just don't have any intent on "spoiling" them. Loving them, letting them suck on my housecoat when I'm at the computer trying to type, no problem--heck, that's cute even. But they don't walk on water, either, that's all I'm saying. Thanks for the tips. : For what it is worth, I am noticing that they are eating the : hard food... Actually canned food is better for their health. At Petsmart, good quality 5.5 oz cans (~1 can per cat per day) are about 50c, cheaper ones 30c. If you cannot afford even that, give them 1/2 dry and 1/2 canned. You will have to experiment whether it works best to give both kind of food every meal, or morning dry and evening canned, or something else. Cats are by nature independent and picky. They depend on you for food and it is not too much to ask if they show preference for one kind, the kind they instinctively know to be better for them (because it has more protein which they need and less grains which their body can't use). If you too got nothing but pretzels all your life you'd be used to them until one day you tasted what your body told you was real food. They are just being cats: their little bodies know they need proteins, not grains. If that is too much for you, find them another loving home and get a dog instead. Dogs are more obedient, and also able to digest grains, so they can and will eat what you give them. |
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