Cat Not Eating Wet Food From The Bowl

[Tagrendy]

Hi, my cat recently acquired a very strange habit. Whenever I put wet food in the bowl - he licks the sauce and leaves the meat!

I thought maybe it's the bowl so I changed it, still the same. Then I thought maybe it's the food - changed it to something he used to eat with no problem for the past year - still the same.

Then yesterday I tried to feed him by hand - taking each meat piece from the pouch and he ate the whole pack! My best guess is he eats it only when there is sauce on it, while in the bowl he licks all of the sauce and is not interested in the left "dry" meat.

Anybody had issue with this? I don't mind feeding by hand but I am just dumbfounded why all of a sudden eating from the bowl is not working =/

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. Have you tried smashing the meat up into the gravy and see if that makes a difference?

My experience is not exactly like yours, but has some similarities. Feeby, up until about 2 or so years ago ate exclusively dry food (don't ask). I started to add some canned wet food to her meal regimen. And, although she likes it, she laps at it like she would liquid. All I know to do is once she has 'lapped' up as much as she can, I scoop the remainder back into a little pile, and then she will do the same thing. Hence, this is repeated multiple times with just 1/3 can of food. At the end, there is nothing left but a little bit of canned that is now completely dried out by her lapping. I add water and mix best I can, and she will generally find a way to lap up most of it.

As I said, not the same, I realize, but may be a habit unique to your cat. Of course, if he eats the meat smashed up into the gravy, you could have the same issue I have - lol!

 

[Tagrendy]

Hi. Have you tried smashing the meat up into the gravy and see if that makes a difference?

My experience is not exactly like yours, but has some similarities. Feeby, up until about 2 or so years ago ate exclusively dry food (don't ask). I started to add some canned wet food to her meal regimen. And, although she likes it, she laps at it like she would liquid. All I know to do is once she has 'lapped' up as much as she can, I scoop the remainder back into a little pile, and then she will do the same thing. Hence, this is repeated multiple times with just 1/3 can of food. At the end, there is nothing left but a little bit of canned that is now completely dried out by her lapping. I add water and mix best I can, and she will generally find a way to lap up most of it.

As I said, not the same, I realize, but may be a habit unique to your cat. Of course, if he eats the meat smashed up into the gravy, you could have the same issue I have - lol!

That actually does sound a lot like what he's doing, I have tried smashing the meat but didn't do the scooping into the pile part. Will try tomorrow, thank you for the suggestion!

 

[GGG]

Hi, my cat recently acquired a very strange habit. Whenever I put wet food in the bowl - he licks the sauce and leaves the meat!

I thought maybe it's the bowl so I changed it, still the same. Then I thought maybe it's the food - changed it to something he used to eat with no problem for the past year - still the same.

Then yesterday I tried to feed him by hand - taking each meat piece from the pouch and he ate the whole pack! My best guess is he eats it only when there is sauce on it, while in the bowl he licks all of the sauce and is not interested in the left "dry" meat.

Anybody had issue with this? I don't mind feeding by hand but I am just dumbfounded why all of a sudden eating from the bowl is not working =/

Mine is exactly the same... a lot of times I have to hand feed her or mix it with some of her dry food.
Try mixing the pieces of meat with dry food ( if you feed dry).

 

[kmoulus]

My cat is the same, she licks the gravy and leaves the meat behind. I put her on pate, you might try it.

 

[Jcatbird]

I have some that just want the gravy too but I also have some that eat it better off of a flat plate. It would seem easier for them to eat it from the bowl but..... cats! Go figure. Maybe the gravy just spreads out more on a flat plate! Lol

 

[FeebysOwner]

but I also have some that eat it better off of a flat plate.

Man, if I used a plate, most of the food would be on the floor all around it! She even now manages to get some of it over the edge of the bowl!!

 

[Jcatbird]

FeebysOwner I understand that! I do use a plate with a small raised edge but they can still make a mess. I have one that likes to step on the edge of the plate and tip it up to lick it! Talk about mess! I’m just grateful they eat it! Especially Mister Picky Eater!

 

[lisahe]

I have some that just want the gravy too but I also have some that eat it better off of a flat plate. It would seem easier for them to eat it from the bowl but..... cats! Go figure. Maybe the gravy just spreads out more on a flat plate! Lol

Yes, one of our cats much prefers plates or nearly flat bowls, too. I bought a small stack of appetizer plates at Target for $1.50 or $1.99 each and they're just right.

Some cats get whisker stress if they eat out of bowls so it's almost always worth trying a plate if a cat just isn't eating well out of a bowl.

 

[Tagrendy]

So the cat started to eat from the bowl again. I need to first heat up the wet food, smash the meat, then let it sit for a minute while the gravy sinks into the meat and there is no separation of meat & gravy.

Feeling like a scientist with this cat eh.

 

[Jcatbird]

Good thinking! Dr. Targrendy ( cat scientist!) Sometimes it just takes some creative thoughts!

 

[Kflowers]

I'm wondering if there is something about their 'bite' that makes it difficult for the cats mentioned to scoop up the food. Perhaps a slight under-bite? With the sizes involved it wouldn't have to be much, probably a mm would be enough to make it difficult. Can anyone look without getting smacked? If you look can you tell the fit of the bite? It seems to me the vet checked that when SG got her adult teeth, but maybe not. She had no problem eating and other things.

 

[EmersonandEvie]

My Emerson does that too. He will eat 75% of his food and then walk away. The only way I can get him to eat the rest is to put it on the floor, then he happily laps it right up...sigh.

 

[lisahe]

My Emerson does that too. He will eat 75% of his food and then walk away. The only way I can get him to eat the rest is to put it on the floor, then he happily laps it right up...sigh.

Our Ireland is sort of like that, too, though it's the opposite: flipping a little food on the floor will often get her started eating. Part of the trick is to get the dish under her nose at the right moment. (I need to get more plastic place mats!)

 

[jen]

I add water and make it soupy so she eats it all.