 Dealing With Finicky CatsFinickiness
is one of the most famous of all feline traits. According to many
behaviorists, however, it's a learned behavior and not an inborn one.
Cats will happily eat the same food twice a day for their entire lives, provided it's nutritionally complete and tastes good enough. Indulging in your cat's finicky eating habits will only make them worse
Surprisingly, a lot of feline finickiness is taught to cats by their
owners. Thinking the cat will get bored with a single flavor or brand,
owners stock up on a variety of foods, trying different ones with each
meal to determine a pet's favorites. If a cat walks away from a
particular brand or flavor and the owner immediately opens another can,
box, or bag, the cat quickly learns that finickiness pays. As a professional pet sitter in east Boca Raton, Florida, I take care of many house cats when their guardians go away so I get to observe their eating habits and also the many varieties of cat food on the market chosen by my clients. If
you feel you must vary the flavors in your cat's diet, adopt the
old-fashioned approach of, "Eat what's put in front of you. If you don't
like it, you don't have to eat it -- but that's all there's going to be
until the next meal." Unless a cat eats absolutely nothing for a couple
of meals running, there's no danger to her health if she has a few lean
meals now and then. Try the 20-minutes-and-up method 
If you find yourself opening six cans at every meal and following your
cat around the house, trying to coax her to have a nibble, you've got a
serious finickiness problem going. At the next meal, put down a food you
know the cat has eaten before. Wait 20 minutes, and then pick up the
food and do not give any other food, snacks, or treats until the next
meal. Repeat the process at that meal and every subsequent meal. Be
prepared for an all-out tantrum by your cat -- loud meowing, attempts
to steal food, being an incredible pest, the works. Be strong and don't
cheat to try to appease her. This method has a remarkable success rate.
Many owners see improvement after three days, although some cats may
persevere for several weeks. When to Call the Vet If
a previously good eater suddenly becomes finicky or finickiness
persists despite the 20-minutes-and-up method, your cat may have a
physical problem and need veterinary care. Any cat who quits eating
completely or has a loss of appetite accompanied by other symptoms of
illness should be seen by the veterinarian right away. |
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