Wont Eat...

[Donna]

CAT FOOD.

Posted before about Chloe, but she is really starting to worry me.

Gave her Whiskas Salmon in Jelly this morning and turned her nose up, put down some biscuits, turned her nose up

Came running everytime I looked like I was offering food but turned away.

Then I cooked a cod fillet and she ate it all.

Are there cats that just dont like cat food???

[Mags]

Donna, I'm wondering if she could possibly have something wrong with her mouth. The cod fillet is soft and doesn't take much chewing so it is easier for her to eat. If it continues it may be worth a visit to the vet to get her checked.......

[bobbie3917]

who old is she Donna?
if it keeps on for a few days then i would get her to a vet but some cats dont like "there" food

[CJK]

hmm could be mouth like suggested.
Hope she is ok thoguh donna

[Fran]

Donna, I think I suggested taking her to a vet in your other post just to rule anything medical out. I really think it would be worth just getting her checked over..

[Donna]

Yes, think I will take her to the vets as soon as I can for a checkup. She is only 18 months old.

I keep trying to think of reasons why she is not eating much - wrong bowl, wrong brand of food, wrong place, wrong flavour etc etc.

But its getting a bit silly and she is only a tiny thing anyway so cannot afford not to be eating.

[Donna]

Well so much for the sore mouth - just layed on the floor with her and hand fed her chrunchy cat biscuits and she ate them from me. But would not eat them for herself. Misty was there and soon barged in to see what she could get but I kept on offering Chloe her own bits and Misty some further away from Chloe.

[Donna]

This makes interesting reading... what do you think??

THE FUSSY CAT

Many owners overestimate how much food their cat actually needs. Cats are small animals and are not noted for strenuous physical exercise. These factors reduce their food requirements.
Consistent overfeeding leads to loss of appetite, fussiness and contributes to toxin production.

The main reason why a cat refuses food is that IT IS NOT HUNGRY!

However, the owner concludes that the cat no longer likes the food and decides to try something else (usually tastier) in order to get the cat to eat. The cat will eat this tastier food for a time until it tires of that. The owner will then seek out something else in order to stimulate the cat's jaded appetite. And so it continues. The owner does not seem to realise or care that the cat is simply not hungry.
The Feeding Programme below offers advice on organising the feeding of the fussy cat.
THE FUSSY EATER
Feed 2-3 times daily, on demand ensuring that the quantity offered is such that the cat will consume the whole amount. For most cats a few pellets at a time will suffice. This ‘rationing’ helps to avoid overfeeding and should stop the cat from seeking food elsewhere.
Any food uneaten after 10 minutes should be removed and none offered until the cat next demands feeding. Occasionally your cat may ask for more food but refuse Burns. Resist the temptation to try an alternative food. If you give in at this crucial stage all will be lost.
You will probably find the cat will eat happily a few hours later confirming that he/she wasn’t really hungry in the first instance.


SOME QUESTIONS ANSWERED
I CAN'T BE OVERFEEDING BECAUSE MY CAT IS NOT OVERWEIGHT
NO! ! ! Many cats which are overfed do not put on weight but discharge the excess giving rise to the symptoms described in the Development of Disease Stage 1 in the Guide to Natural Health Care.
I CAN'T BE OVERFEEDING BECAUSE MY CAT ONLY EATS WHAT HE NEEDS AND LEAVES THE REST
NO !!! If your cat regularly picks at his food and leaves food behind then this means that he is eating as much as he wants rather than as much as he needs. It is likely that he could manage with a little less each day, his health would improve and he would probably enjoy his food more if he was eating less.
IS IT HARMFUL TO ADD OTHER THINGS TO THE CAT FOOD
This depends on the individual cat and what you want to add. I do not recommend adding other pet food to the Burns but home-made food may be acceptable.
If the cat has a health problem it is best not to add anything to Burns without discussing this first with your veterinary surgeon or Burns Pet Nutrition.

A prepared pet food cannot by its nature be tailored exactly to suit every circumstance and we sometimes even recommend adding other home-made foods depending on the individual's needs. I do not necessarily agree with the advice which other manufacturers give that adding to the diet will "upset the balance". But it is not advisable to add things regularly to the food in order to get the cat to eat more.

[Fran]

I have never in 20 years of owning cats had a cat that wouldn't eat cat food. I have had some fussy eaters in that they were choosy over brands but never had one that wouldn't entertain any form of cat food. Has she always been like this Donna? or is this a recent change?

[Donna]

She has always been fussy Fran, but recently has got a lot worse. Although saying that I have been keeping a close eye on her. I have moved her bowl away from Misty as she is a gannet, and I tend to sit with her when she eating as she is very nervous (not sure of what).

Today she has eaten a small bowl of steamed cod fillet with a small amount of milk mixed, a few pieces of real chicken, small amount of dry cat food. She is a tiny cat and is as light as a feather so worry when she doesnt eat much.