How do your cats like their food?

emilymaywilcha

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
May 15, 2012
Messages
1,338
Purraise
29
Location
Gainesville, Florida
I have read some posts about cats refusing to eat a certain food just because it is pate or preferring one food over another based on textures. Do your cats prefer pate, diced, or sliced cans? Why do you think they care about that?

Wilbur and Patricia did not care, so I would have fed them chunks and gravy if he did not have to eat a prescription food that is in pate form. It was difficult to scoop out - the food stuck to my spoon, so I needed to use another spoon to wipe it off. But portion control is easier that way in my opinion.
 

melesine

TCS Member
Alpha Cat
Joined
Aug 2, 2011
Messages
541
Purraise
20
My boys will eat anything. Our new girl though, is 5 and I think she was only ever fed dry food. She will not eat canned. Luckily she will eat raw though!
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #3

emilymaywilcha

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
May 15, 2012
Messages
1,338
Purraise
29
Location
Gainesville, Florida
My boys will eat anything. Our new girl though, is 5 and I think she was only ever fed dry food. She will not eat canned. Luckily she will eat raw though!
I am beginning to wonder if it is sometimes the caretaker's fault cats are very picky eaters. Of course it was not my fault I did not know cats do not need dry food after years of reading the myth that kibbles help with tartar control, but what if I did know to feed wet food instead?
 

Willowy

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Mar 1, 2009
Messages
31,886
Purraise
28,287
Location
South Dakota
I am beginning to wonder if it is sometimes the caretaker's fault cats are very picky eaters.
Well, yes, of course. If YOU had been fed only one kind of food your entire childhood, you'd be extremely reluctant to try anything else, and that would be mostly your parent's fault (although you wonder where to place the blame if it's what their pediatrician advised them to do, like vets tell people :/). Cats imprint on what qualifies as food very early. So if they never learn to recognize meat or canned food (or dry food) as something edible, it can be pretty hard to convince them they really can eat it.
 

dianeandbooboo

TCS Member
Young Cat
Joined
Nov 5, 2011
Messages
46
Purraise
13
I feed BooBoo Rad Cat raw food and she licks her dish clean.  She loves her food and I feel good providing her excellent nutrition and it shows in her attitude, coat, body condition and her recent blood work was excellent.  Even her vet remarked how good she looked for being 12 years old.
 

riccadawn

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
Jun 18, 2012
Messages
188
Purraise
12
Mine won't eat pate. They'll eat anything else as far as food goes, though. I've been mixing lots and lots of water in with the pate lately though, as someone here suggested, and it has seemed to increase their interest a bit. They'd still rather have the other stuff at this point.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #8

emilymaywilcha

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
May 15, 2012
Messages
1,338
Purraise
29
Location
Gainesville, Florida
Mine won't eat pate. They'll eat anything else as far as food goes, though. I've been mixing lots and lots of water in with the pate lately though, as someone here suggested, and it has seemed to increase their interest a bit. They'd still rather have the other stuff at this point.
Why did someone suggest that? No matter how much water is in there, it is still pate.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #10

emilymaywilcha

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
May 15, 2012
Messages
1,338
Purraise
29
Location
Gainesville, Florida
I would rather just buy chunks so they won't have to wait for me to stir it. That is much easier to scoop out of a can anyway.

When a cat refuses to eat wet food, is it more likely the smell or appearance that causes the rejection?
 

jcat

Mo(w)gli's can opener
Veteran
Joined
Feb 13, 2003
Messages
73,213
Purraise
9,851
Location
Mo(w)gli Monster's Lair
It probably depends on the cat to some extent, but cats (and dogs) usually sniff their food carefully before digging in or rejecting it, so my guess would be that appearance plays a subordinate role.

To get back to the original question, Jamie has always preferred cat food consisting of shredded meat in spring water, but will eat chunky style if it's lamb or something exotic like kangaroo, ostrich or buffalo and there's not much jelly in it. He rarely deigns to eat pâté, especially if water is added. Miezi could care less about the food's consistency, but she doesn't get pâté because he doesn't eat it.
 

southpaw

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
Jul 27, 2007
Messages
117
Purraise
15
Location
Minnesota, USA
Jinx is not picky at all. He ate kibble for the first 10 years of his life, nothing else. Never had a problem getting him to eat wet food, he really LOVES it and doesn't mind what style it is... he'll eat any of it. Transitioning him to raw was a piece of cake too.  He's pretty low maintenance when it comes to food lol.
 

He does like having water mixed in with his food so that it's more of a soupy texture, but he'll still eat even without that.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #14

emilymaywilcha

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
May 15, 2012
Messages
1,338
Purraise
29
Location
Gainesville, Florida
Jinx is not picky at all. He ate kibble for the first 10 years of his life, nothing else. Never had a problem getting him to eat wet food, he really LOVES it and doesn't mind what style it is... he'll eat any of it. Transitioning him to raw was a piece of cake too.  He's pretty low maintenance when it comes to food lol.
 

He does like having water mixed in with his food so that it's more of a soupy texture, but he'll still eat even without that.
You are lucky Southpaw. Emily would not even sniff wet food when I fed it to Wilbur and Patricia. I learned from her it is important to feed cats wet food early because a lifetime of kibbles is the only cause I can think of for her kidney failure.
 

southpaw

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
Jul 27, 2007
Messages
117
Purraise
15
Location
Minnesota, USA
You are lucky Southpaw. Emily would not even sniff wet food when I fed it to Wilbur and Patricia. I learned from her it is important to feed cats wet food early because a lifetime of kibbles is the only cause I can think of for her kidney failure.
Oh I know I am! I read all the troubles people on here have, or the customers that come into the store I work at that have tried every brand under the sun and their cat won't eat it, or will only eat for a few meals before getting sick of it.... and I just thank heavens that Jinx does not play those games!
 

kittylover23

TCS Member
Super Cat
Joined
Jan 29, 2012
Messages
948
Purraise
41
Location
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Cookie only eats shredded, minced or cubed food....will not touch pate. Cuddles likes pate, will not eat anything else! Picky girls. My Candy ate absolutely anything.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #18

emilymaywilcha

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
May 15, 2012
Messages
1,338
Purraise
29
Location
Gainesville, Florida
Cookie only eats shredded, minced or cubed food....will not touch pate. Cuddles likes pate, will not eat anything else! Picky girls. My Candy ate absolutely anything.
Maybe because Weruva is shredded so she is used to that? Or did you try pate before switching her to Weruva?
 
Top