Feeding a cat

[mesmerred]

I have had my cat for a few years and always had a problem feeding her. I give her sachet food, which she is very interested in, and maybe eats a little of, but will often just lick and leave. It then dries up and is wasted. But she worries me for food every half hours or more. I have tried putting it down in small amounts until she stops eating it, but this takes ages and then she still comes back and worries. When I am out for a long time or during the night I leave down James Wellbeloved biscuits, about half a yoghurt cupful. She usually eats these over a few hours, but sometimes ignores them and worries again. I have tried picking up the soft food when she leaves it, but she still worries. I have tried putting it down just morning and evening. She is very healthy and just slightly overweight but not badly so. Its the constant worrying for food that gets me. None of my other cats did this. Any advice please?

[snigsthecat]

You dont say what make of pouches you give your cat .... i have had the same problem with my cats they will only eat the ones in gravy. Try kitten pouches( 3 pounds for 12) for a couple of days and kitten biscuiscuits ( 49p tescos own ), then go on to Tescos select cuts in gravy ( 1.89 for 12 ). these have extra nutrients for cats. thats my advice hope it helps ...cats are funny creatures but once you get the right combination you should be the owner of one happy moggy

Chris

[makemesmile]

I have had much the same problem with my cat. The only way I manage to get her to eat more is to have different types of food of the go, giving her a different one each meal. I buy 3 different types of sachet (box of 12 of each) and rotate the type I give her. She can be such a fussy eater - it's most annoying. But, as my husband always says, if she was really hungary, she'd eat anything. But can you ignore you cat's request for food? Nope, niether can I.

[Loon76]

Hi there,

Just thought I'd let you know that you are not on your own, my cat is exactly the same with satchets of food all she'll do is lick the jelly stuff off and leave the chunks tinned food she won't touch and like only one kind of dry food Vitacat from Aldi. She does like some pretty bizarre stuff though like tomato ketchup and cheesy wotsits (not together) and she won't touch milk or cream in fact she'll only drink water!

The advice my vet gave me was always make sure there is a good supply of clean water, and feed as required, I know this can be expensive in the long run but you will slip into a routine, she also said don't watch your cat eat, they see you as the alpha cat and feel you should eat first!

As for the worrying! Try fussing her, play with her before you feed her (i.e. build up an appetite) also you don't mention if she's been spayed, this also can affect appetite as a neutered cat, especially a female needs less "energy" as she isn't producing milk etc!

I hope this helps ease your worries!

[makemesmile]

Something else that I've just thought of..... it might sound strange but my cat started to eat more when I stroked her head a little, just after I'd put her food down. Much later, I read in a book on cats that a nursing mother cat licks the head of her kittens to encourage them to suckle. Could have just been a coincedence, but hey, if it works, don't knock it! : )

[Barmaid]

My older female is 10 and I have had this problem with her since she was a kitten. She licks the gravy off and then leaves the meat (although I now have a 7 month male who will eat ANYTHING and he clears up behind her!). She will then whinge for more food. My ex used to pander to her whims and would constantly change her food for her. I decided that I would HAVE to ignore it. It was so so hard, but it worked and she doesn't whinge for food anymore but she is still a fussy madam. I found that I have to change her cat food regularly and never give her the same thing two days running (Just because I liked it yesterday doesn't mean I will like it today). She always has a full plate of biscuits which she grazes on when she wants and she does like them. She also has a full bowl of water (spring water I might add since she wont drink tap water!!!) I buy her a "special" treat once a week (ie a really posh tin of cat food or some prawns) which she loves and will eat in one hit.

[Illyria54]

Cats are notoriously fussy eaters, but we still love them aye?
Have you tried really stinky food like canned sardines and even pilchards in tomato sauce? I had to alternate a lot with my last cat, sometimes cat food sometimes human cans of fish and tuna she liked very much but all of them only for a short time, have you wormed her recently? she may have worms & that might be the reason for the constant 'worrying', try her with just biscuits for a few days and then try with the soft food again, if none of this works, it might be time to seek advice from your vet.

[mesmerred]

Thanks for all this help everyone. In answer to some of the questions, she has been spayed, she's 6-7 yrs old now and was wormed recently. The pouches are Felix fish selection in jelly, but I buy different ones, for adult cats. Occasionally she will catch and eat a mouse. and I have tried pilchards, tuna etc. She tends to eat that, but only for a meal or two. She does like me cooking her a treat of white fish and would eat loads of it, but if I don't give it to her in teaspoon portions she sicks it up. Its not very convenient for me so I don't give it to her all the time. I think the idea of variety sounds right, I've been told that cats will go very hungry before they eat, unlike dogs. When she was a stray she would eat anything though. Recently she had a very severe stomach upset for 4-5 days and just had a special food which she ate up completely. But now I'm trying to wean her off that with a few biscuits and normal food, she is back to leaving food again. I wondered if she is just not that hungry because she snacks on the biscuits. I just went to pick up her left food and she was there like a shot, but won't eat it. She's now sitting by me, waiting. Yes cats are definitely fussy.