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Harlos Healthy Pets 11 years, 3 months ago.
My cat has always phases where he doesn´t want to eat his canned food and complains, especially when we are eating with the family.I tried it many times with different flavours, but he didn´t like them either.
Is he just choosy or is it a reason to worry?
Is your cat always indoors or in and out? I have heard neighbors say their cats that go outside some times eat something weird and it takes them a little time to get their eating habits back to normal. Also, are you sticking to the same brand of food or constantly changing. Some cats are very picky. It’s also not unheard of for a cat who may have loved one brand for years to all of the sudden want something else. I wouldn’t be worried if the phases where he is not eating are short and as long as he isn’t losing a lot of weight. If he stops eating for long periods then I would definitely make an appointment with your vet.
He is always indoors. I´ve tried new brands, also expensiv ones, but it doesn´t matter to him. It seems he only likes the meat and fish that we eat, because every time we eat or cooking he complains about his food.
But it´s good to hear that only my cat is choosy 🙂
It seems your cat has trained you well 😉
Cats are opportunists – and so they will make the most of a situation. Your cat has figured out that if he meows at you – something that all cats use almost exclusively with humans for this reason – he can get your attention and prompt you to change his food and even include him in the meal you re having with your family.
I doubt that there is anything to worry about, but you could always have him checked with the vet. Good rule of thumb is 2 days. A cat who doesn’t eat for over a day, at the most 2 days needs a vet pronto.
In this case though, I’m banking on your cat being a skilful puppeteer and knowing your family, his humans so well that he knows how to get his way at any time.
…up to you to decide if you want to indulge him. If you do want to teach him not to do this anymore and stop being fussy, you ignore the *** out of him. Not even a caress, eye contact, talking to him, zip. No acknowledgement whatsoever. Change out the food when he *does not* ask for it, so it is fresh and appetising if he decides to be pouty in the beginning and so he doesn’t get rewarded for meowing at you. Before long, you’ll have a cat who realises that this is the way things are and his old tricks won’t work. Expect them to test them out from time to time, as he’ll keep them in his back pocket since they have worked for him in the past. After enough time though ,that too will fade.
Enjoy your mastermind of a kitty 😉
We have two cats. One LOVES wet food, the other could care less. He also doesn’t like it if we try to save some for more than a day in a bag and give it to him. They’re just like that. But I agree with Faye, you can sort of ‘train’ them out of being like that over time.
Yes, it seems so.
My mum was trained by him, because she thinks he is so pityfull, when he meows.
I tried to ignore him but he thinks if my mum give him something maybe we give him something too.
It seems I must train my mum, but it would be a problem with her big heart for kittens 😀
Hah, yeah they’re sly that way.
Best to let it be then. Ignore him yourself, he’ll learn to bug your mom instead – they are acutely in tune with what they can get from each individual. Just make sure you yourself are consistent in what you want him to do with you coz if you re not, you’ll do interval training with him without realising it (iow, you’ll teach him to work for it and hang in there), and it is ten times harder to break a habit that has been trained in that way.
Faye hit the nail on the head with this one. We have a “beggar” cat too, and she’s learned that we have a soft spot for giving her adorable butt scraps. It’s kind of bad because it’s developed into a habit where if we go into the kitchen or sit down at the table, she’s following at our feet or perched on a nearby chair. Just be vigilant – that’s the key. If you decide you want your kitty to eat their cat food and not your dinner, you have to stay firm. Don’t stick with it one day and then cave and give them treats the next. Or at the very least, if you do want to give them treats on occasion as a snack, wait until after you and your family have eaten, and preferably after your kitty has already eaten some of their own food earlier on. And remember, keep the portion small! Good luck. 🙂
And I thought only dogs could beg. 😀
Oh, I hope I can break this habbit, because it´s the worst when we have guests. Sometimes when we leave the table to chat with our guests, he also tries to steal meat !
LOL. Yeah, make sure at any time that he cannot get to the food. Remember to cover it up. Don’t ever let him succeed.
Stealing food is self-rewarding behaviour so it is something that is inherently motivating and therefore impossible to prevent. The only thing you can do is make it very clear that that table is off limits and bad things will happen if you find him there. But even then, the food might be worth the punishment, so all you can do is make it harder and be a deterrent 😀
It´s hard to cover it up every time even if it is for minutes.
How do you punish your cats for bad behaviour?
🙂
There is no way to effectively punish him for this as it is self-rewarding behaviour. The only way to diminish the behaviour is by keeping him from ever getting his reward.
You could however use a water spray bottle for if you catch him in the act, or to stop him from getting to the food when he is already going there. My cats also respond to my nasal ‘Noooooo’ as they’ve learned I tend to become unpleasant (stomping, shouting and generally scaring them) when I make that sound and they continue what they were doing. But with food…they’ll occasionally keep going coz to them the food is worth the punishment.
So you’re better off just ensuring you have a system that keeps the food safe at any costs. If you do this for a couple of months, he is also a lot less likely to still be trying to get on the table, but it will take some effort, diligence and tenacity.
Have you tried raw food with your cat? Primal has some good options; Stella & Chewy’s also has freeze dried raw (which you can add warm water to as another alternative to canned)
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