IS YOUR CAT A PICKY EATER

It’s so maddening, isn’t it? You have that one cat who is just so fussy about food. They either reject most new foods you offer them, or even turn their nose up suddenly at a food they have loved for months or years. Why does your cat do this?

Cats may be, or become, finicky about food for a variety of reasons. Here are seven of them.

A medical condition. If a cat that was usually pretty easygoing with food preferences suddenly becomes finicky, the most likely reason is an illness, like kidney disease or dental disease. If your cat is showing other signs of illness along with a loss of appetite, make a veterinarian appointment ASAP.

Natural instincts. Your cat’s picky nature may stem from their wild ancestors, who hunted small, frequent meals, and fresh prey was warm and moist. Maybe your cat would do better with smaller, more frequent meals and warmed-up wet food.

Learned preference. A mother cat’s diet can influence the types of foods her kittens prefer. If you get your cat as a kitten, feeding them a variety of foods–with different flavours, textures, and shapes–can help set the stage for an adult cat that is less likely to be finicky.

Negative associations. Just like we may lose our appetite for a certain food if it is associated with a bad memory, like hospital food, cats may start avoiding foods associated with a time of illness or stress.

Cleanliness/location. Cats will not like eating out of a dirty bowl or near a litter tray. Washing bowls frequently and moving them far away from the cat’s litter tray can fix the problem.

Enabling/too much choice. If you give your cat treats when they refuse dinner, they learn that they may get a tasty reward when they’re being picky.

Pickiness about flavour. Just like we have our favourite foods and flavours, some cats don’t like certain types of food. Some love chicken but turn their noses up at lamb. Some cats love fish. Experiment with different foods of a certain flavour to see which works best.