How to get your fussy cat to eat
You might think your cat is a fussy eater, but often you have trained them to be - here's why.
If you’re cycling through cat food in a desperate bid to find “the one,” here’s the truth: your cat may be playing you.
Here are five tell-tale signs of a picky eater – and how to outsmart them at mealtime.
- Eating slowly doesn’t mean they don’t like the food
What may seem like finicky eating may just be your cat taking her time. Many cats are nibblers and prefer to have a mouthful of food now and again. Just because they don’t eat the whole bowl right away doesn’t mean they don’t like the food.
- Seemingly not eating enough
Your cat may be avoiding their food because they’re getting extra treats somewhere else. If you treat your cat a lot or feed them scraps from the table, you need to stop. Your cat will complain for a while but eventually they’ll understand that the only food they’re going to get is from their bowl.
Try to make sure no one else is treating the cat – either in your household or in the neighbourhood. It only takes one person to change how your cat expects to get her food.
- Repeat until they eat.
Put out the food you want your cat to eat for half an hour. If they don’t eat it, take it away. After a day or two of this your cat may start howling for extra treats. Don’t give in. Your cat isn’t starving; they’re just using their charms to get what they want. You may have to put up with a couple weeks of complaining, but this treatment will soon put a stop to fussy eating.
- Switching to a new food
If you’re changing your cat’s food you should do it gradually. Start by mixing a little of the new food with their regular food, gradually increasing the amount until only the new food is fed.
If you tried giving your kitten several different foods to see which they preferred, you may find that by the time they grow up you have given them the impression that you’ll always do this. If you’re opening multiple cans of food and trying to coax your cat into eating something every meal, then your cat has got you trained.
- When to call the vet
If your cat suddenly becomes very finicky after not previously displaying that kind of behaviour, or appears to be losing weight you should talk to your vet. Sometimes behaviour that appears fussy can be caused by an underlying medical reason like a dental problem, a digestive upset or hairballs.
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