Cats Preferences Vs. Mine

[lorie williams]

I have 5 beautiful, picky cats! This cute little meme represents mine exactly! I try to find the best food for them, and they tend to like it until I break down and buy it by the case, then decide "no more"! I just recently did that with Solid Gold - I bought a few cans and they could not get enough - then bought a case of several flavors and it is now noses up!

 

[Neo_23]

This is unfortunately typical of many cats, they tend to be finicky eaters. You might try rotating different brands and flavours of wet food (could be as few as 3 different flavours) so you’re not feeding the same thing every day.

 

[Furballsmom]

I asked a local small pet food store what they thought about that particular phenomenon, she said they'd heard this a lot, of cats loving the individual cans or pouches, then not eating anything out of an ordered case of the stuff.
Their best guess was warehouse time combined with storage conditions.

 

[LAL]

So, it isn't a conspiracy on the part of cats? Sometimes feels that way...........

 

[lorie williams]

So, it isn't a conspiracy on the part of cats? Sometimes feels that way...........

I think so too!!! I just put it in the "rotation" they will like it again after awhile! haha

 

[lorie williams]

I think so too!!! I just put it in the "rotation" they will like it again after awhile! haha

Look at the guy in my picture by my name, he is 28 lbs - he isn't doing too bad

 

[Furballsmom]

My nearby animal shelter pretty much knows me and the Big Guy by name, although lately we seem to be having better results. I noticed a couple days ago that some orijen treats that he loved but didn't get very often (so I hadn't had to buy any for a while) now has quite a different listing of the ingredients. I went ahead and got some, we'll see if he still likes them.
So, in addition to everything else including cats simply getting bored with whatever food, we also have to deal with the manufacturers revising their formulas frequently.

I've started to think that rather than stalling out with finickiness, maybe it's more a case of us working to convince their noses that just because something smells different/new, that doesn't mean it isn't a bad thing.

With that said, maybe consider using some of these things, added to the canned food as tempting toppers or mixed in;

• Chicken or beef flavored baby food - make sure it doesn't contain any garlic or onions

• Tuna and/or the juice

• Salmon

• Sardines (make sure there are no bones)

• boiled cut up chicken or turkey with no seasonings

• kitten food - it's usually smelly. See if it's eaten on its own, then mix it in or put on top

• Try mixing in Kitten Milk Replacer - there are recipes on the internet

• Fish, tuna or BBQ flavored canned wet food (I personally have never seen BBQ flavors, but...)

• Lickable cat treats or pouch treat gravy poured over the food

• Pouch cat foods - these typically have more gravy

 

[duckpond]

My cats do this a lot too. I try to feed enough variety that i can just wait and feed it again later. Or you can find me at the pet store buying 1 or 2 cans of everything...lol I also order online stores where i can get individual cans. the big bad woof and only natural pet.

 

[ArchyCat]

I have a question about cats and their being bored with a type of food. What did cats do prior to domestication? I assume one mouse tastes pretty much like another. There might be a difference between adult male and female mice. I know that adult male pigs (uncastrated) can taste quite rank when slaughtered and prepared for table. Also adult male whitetale deer can be rank.

So what did a feral cat eat when bored with mice? I have read that feral catskill eat grasshoppers and other large insects. But it would take a fair number of grass hoppers make meal.

 

[Neo_23]

Maybe feral cats would eat the mice anyway because they worked for it... I have a feeling that domestic cats know the power they have over us and therefore feel like they can be picky and choosy because their slave--- *ahem* caregiver-- will just bring them something else.

 

[tangers40]

I have a question about cats and their being bored with a type of food. What did cats do prior to domestication? I assume one mouse tastes pretty much like another. There might be a difference between adult male and female mice. I know that adult male pigs (uncastrated) can taste quite rank when slaughtered and prepared for table. Also adult male whitetale deer can be rank.

So what did a feral cat eat when bored with mice? I have read that feral catskill eat grasshoppers and other large insects. But it would take a fair number of grass hoppers make meal.

I would think pre-domestication/feral cats would have a huge variety in their diet. They wouldn't be eating mice for every single meal...One day they have mice, the next day they might catch a bird. Then a lizard or two, or some grasshoppers, and maybe some other small critters. And then there's variety in each category too...I would bet one species of bird tastes different than another, and a vole tastes different than a regular housemouse. Feral cats have endless possibilities of things to eat.

 

[epona]

I have a question about cats and their being bored with a type of food. What did cats do prior to domestication? I assume one mouse tastes pretty much like another. There might be a difference between adult male and female mice. I know that adult male pigs (uncastrated) can taste quite rank when slaughtered and prepared for table. Also adult male whitetale deer can be rank.

So what did a feral cat eat when bored with mice? I have read that feral catskill eat grasshoppers and other large insects. But it would take a fair number of grass hoppers make meal.

It simply stops them over-hunting one particular type of prey - cats naturally eat up to 2000 different species in the wild. Sticking to one or having a favourite for long while ignoring all the other options, would result in a shortage of that one prey species and possible starvation when level of that particular prey was low. So they naturally lose interest in one food (or type of prey) after a while and switch to another - keeps them in a constant supply of food if in the wild.