​Is your cat a picky eater?

Is your cat a picky eater? Nowadays, there are so many different types and flavours of cat food on the market, that it should be possible to find a food to satisfy even the pickiest of eaters! However, for those of us that do struggle to find a food that suits our cats, it can be quite worrying.

Pet owners can sometimes help create picky eaters. With so many types of food out there, each with their own unique textures & flavours, selecting one of these for your cat can become overwhelming. Offering your cat different choices, or chopping & changing its diet, can lead to them becoming picky eaters. Lots of variety is not necessarily a good thing.

By nature, cats are hunters, whereas dogs are more commonly seen as scavengers. This means that cats are more naturally fussy with what they eat. As obligate carnivores, they biologically require a diet that is high in meat protein and high in moisture. However, cats rely on their owners to provide them with their diet, so finding a healthy, nutritious diet, that they will eat is extremely important, but can be challenging.

In the wild, cats do not tend to graze like some animals. They will kill their prey, eat enough to feel full and then not eat again until they are hungry and even that will depend on when they get their next kill. Therefore, it is not necessary for cats to be given food to graze on throughout the day. Assuming they are being given the right type of food, they should be very happy with two meals a day, morning & evening.

Illness

A cat who will eat one food for a period of time and then suddenly stops, may not necessarily be a picky eater. They may have digestive problems, a hairball, or be unwell.

It is a good idea to take steps to assess if there are any other behavioural changes to help rule out the chance of any illness, before changing its diet and labelling it a picky eater, especially if this goes on for an extended period of time.

A healthy cat can go several days without eating, but for most cats it won’t take long before their natural survival instincts kick in and they start eating again. However, it is essential to try and establish as quickly as possible, the reason why they may not be eating. Trying to get a cat to eat by holding out, may cause them to become dehydrated very quickly, particularly if they do not have a tendency to drink water from a bowl or fountain. Also, if they have any predispositions, this can potentially make them ill.

What can I do?

Once you have ruled out any health issues, there are steps you can take to entice your cat to eat.

The most popular approach and one which holds a lot of success with our fussy eater’s, is to offer the food in small amounts to avoid wastage and leave it out for 15-30 minutes at one time. Whatever food is not consumed within this time period, should then be taken away and offered again later in the day.

You should then be able to gradually increase the amount of food you offer your cat until it reaches the appropriate amount for them. When first starting this technique, you may have to offer your cat 4-5 meals a day for them to reach the appropriate amount of food for their size and activity level. As your cats starts to eat their small meals, you can slowly start to increase the quantity per meal and decrease the number of meals you are giving them.

Most cats are instinctively good at monitoring their own nutritional requirements. Therefore, if they suddenly stop eating a food they have eaten for some time, it may be that they have an over-saturation, or require a different nutritional composition. If this happens, it is best to continue feeding the same type of food (ie. raw, wet, dry etc), but alter the flavour for a few days or weeks. After this time, gradually start to re-introduce the original flavour, which they should then start eating again.

It is not necessary with cats to consistently change the flavour of food they are eating. They do not get bored of eating the same food, in the way that we do. Cats eat more with their sense of smell, than with their taste buds. If they are happy with the smell & texture, and it provides them with the calories they require to remain satiated, they will be content eaters!

Just remember that it is essential to ensure you are feeding a ‘complete’ food that provides the cat with all the essential vitamins and nutrients it requires on a daily basis. Always check the labelling for the composition of the food, to assess if it may contain too much carbohydrate, oils / fats and sugar or salt.

Human food

It can be tempting to feed a cat human food, especially as we all tend to view them the same as any other family member. This also becomes more appealing if the cat is being picky about its own food!

Something to consider when feeding your cat human food, especially from the table, is that cats are very clever and quickly realise that if they can get this, they may hold out for it.

This is not a good idea, as our food does not contain the correct nutrients that your cat needs to maintain a healthy balanced lifestyle and may even contain things that can be harmful to them.

Once they become used to this, it may become very difficult to transition them back onto their own food. This aside, possibly some human foods, such as chicken or vegetable broth with no added salt, and the occasional dry scrambled egg may increase the appeal of your cat’s normal food without causing harm. But, if they are being fed a natural, highly digestible diet for cats, this should not be necessary.

Other things that affect cats eating

Another point to consider when feeding your picky eater is that cats have extremely sensitive whiskers. If they are eating from a deep dish, this may affect them wanting to eat. Instead, try feeding them from a shallow dish that does not touch their whiskers as they eat.

Location can also affect your cats eating. As a rule, cats are not group eaters, so if you have more than one cat, it may be a good idea to keep their eating space apart.

As with some humans, cat’s eating can be affected by stress and anxiety. Try to feed your cat at a time when the house is quiet and calm. They can pick up on human emotions, so if you’re stressed, this may well cause them to become stressed.

As lovely as it is to see your cat wharfing down their favourite meal and some cats will literally eat out of your hand, other cats prefer to be left alone and don’t like an audience. Try to give your cat personal space at feeding times.

Conclusion

Remember, cats are very sensitive animals and be affected by both health and environmental factors.

Once any illnesses or conditions have been ruled out, focus on selecting a high protein diet and ensure you are giving the right amount for the age, size & weight of your cat.

Always consider the nutritional benefits of the food you are feeding your cat, where it is being fed, the type of bowl used and proximity to other cats or people.

Ensure you are patient with your cat. Never get stressed or anxious if it doesn’t eat the amount you think it should, or if its eating habits start changing, and never rush to alter its diet. Make small changes to quantity or flavour, for a short period of time, and hopefully its usual eating pattern will then resume.