Once upon a time we had six cats who were not finicky and pretty much ate whatever wet food they were given. We would alternate brands/flavors so they had some variety and they ate fine like this for many years.
Then Buddy came along. He is a Very Picky Kitty! He has been this way since he was a kitten. So we usually had to open several cans before we hit upon the brand/flavor combo that he preferred for that meal. The other cats would eat his rejects.
Over the past 6 months the other cats have been growing more and more picky themselves. We open sooo many cans now, trying to get everyone to eat! They very rarely will eat leftovers out of the refrigerator either, even if I warm them and add a topper. This is resulting in a LOT of wasted food.
There probably isn't a solution to the problem, but I was wondering if the others learned to be finicky from Buddy (who seems determined to be the alpha cat even though he is the youngest) or did I possibly teach them to be picky by offering too many options?
Then Buddy came along. He is a Very Picky Kitty! He has been this way since he was a kitten. So we usually had to open several cans before we hit upon the brand/flavor combo that he preferred for that meal. The other cats would eat his rejects.
Over the past 6 months the other cats have been growing more and more picky themselves. We open sooo many cans now, trying to get everyone to eat! They very rarely will eat leftovers out of the refrigerator either, even if I warm them and add a topper. This is resulting in a LOT of wasted food.
There probably isn't a solution to the problem, but I was wondering if the others learned to be finicky from Buddy (who seems determined to be the alpha cat even though he is the youngest) or did I possibly teach them to be picky by offering too many options?