Thursday, May 25, 2006
Cat care feeding cat
Cat care feeding cat: "If my cat is finicky about food, should I give in to him?
You need to give your cat a variety of food - first, to prevent him getting bored, and, second, to make sure he doesn't get addicted to a particular food, e.g. liver, and thus risk not getting a balanced diet. However, he will soon make it very clear what he likes and what he doesn't. Every single cat has his individual likes and dislikes. As long as he is getting a proper balanced diet, I see no problem at all with giving him what he likes. In fact, I see no point in trying to force a cat to eat something he doesn't like - he can hold out longer than you. It is simply not true to say 'If he's really hungry he will eat it' - he won't. Eventually you will have to take it away as it will start to smell, and he certainly won't eat it then. It is essential to remove stale food completely and wash the dish before putting more food in it - if it still smells of the rancid food, it will put him off. Your cat likes clean dishes and a clean eating area, just as you do.
"
You need to give your cat a variety of food - first, to prevent him getting bored, and, second, to make sure he doesn't get addicted to a particular food, e.g. liver, and thus risk not getting a balanced diet. However, he will soon make it very clear what he likes and what he doesn't. Every single cat has his individual likes and dislikes. As long as he is getting a proper balanced diet, I see no problem at all with giving him what he likes. In fact, I see no point in trying to force a cat to eat something he doesn't like - he can hold out longer than you. It is simply not true to say 'If he's really hungry he will eat it' - he won't. Eventually you will have to take it away as it will start to smell, and he certainly won't eat it then. It is essential to remove stale food completely and wash the dish before putting more food in it - if it still smells of the rancid food, it will put him off. Your cat likes clean dishes and a clean eating area, just as you do.
"