What to do With a Finicky Cat

In theory, no cat owner should have a finicky cat - as most cats, if they are hungry enough will eat whatever is put in front of them. But as every cat owner knows, cats can be notoriously finicky and if a cat won抰 eat, it doesn抰 necessarily mean that it is sick.

If your cat is finicky, there may be other reasons than the actual food. A cat may actually have trouble eating from a bowl that is too small or too light. And some cats don抰 like where their food bowl is placed ?try simply changing its location.

If you have other cats or pets, a finicky cat may be intimidated by other animals. A cat may find it difficult to eat from a bowl placed near a dog抯 bed, near a noisy appliance or near a busy area of the house. Many dogs will instinctively try to eat cat food when it is placed down.

And consider how long a bowl of cat food has been left out ?food left out overnight or in hot weather may be unappetizing to your cat. And cats ?even indoor cats - tend to eat less in warm weather.

If you are changing the type of food your cat eats, one effective method is to gradually mix in the new food with the old over a period of several days. On the first day, the serving should consist of ?old food and ?new food, on the nest day ?and ?and so on, until it consists of entirely new food.

If your cat抯 diet consists of mostly dry cat food, try giving it a treat of canned cat food occasionally, or add a little broth to its food. Some older cats or cats with sore gums or teeth can find dry food difficult to chew.

Variety really is the spice of life ?even for cats. A finicky cat may simply just be bored if it is eating the same flavor of food all the time. To prevent your cat from becoming a finicky eater, try to vary the flavors and varieties of food ?ideally, starting when your cat is a kitten.