Picky Cat Purrdicament

Picky cat? You’re not alone! One of the most common questions we get from cat owners is in regards to their picky cats.

“What is a cat food that cats just seem to love?” “I can’t use that because my cat is picky.” “I have tried everything and my cat just won’t eat it!!” We’ve heard it all and we are here to help.

Food imprinting

Picky cats aren’t born, they are made. As far as we can see, there are several reasons a cat is picky. The most glaring is the lack of exposure at a young age to a variety of foods. Cats do what is called “food imprinting” which is essentially a safety behavior instilled by mother cats. This all comes down to exposure, while we can control it of course. Momma cat (or the shelter/breeder we got our cats from) shows them only one type of cat food, or only one texture or flavor of wet food. The baby cat understands this to be safe food. When exposed later in life to a new food, the cat may turn away because it doesn’t recognize it as that safe food their mother showed them. This can greatly vary depending on the cat and may not be an issue for some cat owners. To combat this we should be exposing our cats to as much variety as possible, whenever possible.

Icky tummy

Another phenomenon we encounter with some cats ties into this “food imprinting” behavior and comes into play when our cats may be feeling under the weather. Let’s say they are not feeling well and have tummy troubles for a prolonged period. We have noticed cats, some of our own even, go from loving a food their whole lives to never wanting to touch it after a spell like this. Something that they deemed safe has now made them feel sick. We see this tied to inflammatory responses in our cat’s tummies as well, especially in relation to diseases like pancreatitis. Their digestive system is inflamed, so they don’t want to eat THAT food even if it could be a completely different food type or environmental issue that is causing it.

Feeding Styles

The way we feed our pets may also impact how they take to new food. Cats and dogs are opportunistic feeders. They will always eat as much as they can when food is in front of them because they don’t know when their next meal opportunity will come along. This is simply biological but can be trained out of our pets when food is kept down often. Let’s say we put down dry food all day for our cats and occasionally meet them with some wet food for dinner time. If they prefer dry food, why would they go over to this new food that they are not so sure about? Giving them freedom in options can certainly lead to a picky cat. What’s the solution here? Simply put food away. None of us HPS Rangers keep food down for our pets. Instead, they are met with regular mealtimes. This prevents our pets from defaulting to other food while still meeting their food requirements and keeping their palates as pliable as possible.

Tough Love

Another common pitfall we see with pet owners is that they are unwilling to wait out their picky pet. If they know they will get another shot at something they “like” why would they eat the new food that is in front of them. Being persistent and strict with our pets can go miles. Also, make sure to always put away uneaten food to keep that opportunistic feeding switch in their brain. Essentially maintaining the “If I don’t eat this now, it will be gone” behavior is not only healthy and natural but can keep your pets from developing picky tendencies. It is worth noting, that this is a more useful tool for dogs than cats. Cats should never go more than 48 hrs without food or water and can cause digestive issues and potentially the onset of organ failure. While dogs can undergo regular prolonged periods of fasting safely. Knowing when to wait it out is key, but it is not to say that cats cant undergo short periods of fasting.

Transitions

Transitioning your cat properly to a new food can also be a key tool in getting them to love a new food. Many styles of foods vary drastically in richness. Kibble is notoriously bland due to the lack of animal-based ingredients, whereas canned or raw food is full of predominantly animal-based ingredients. A cold turkey switch can cause digestive upset. A gradual transition over a week period between kibble and wet or raw food is key to allowing your cat's tummy to get used to the change.

There is a myriad of other issues that may cause our cats to turn down food. Pancreatitis, urinary issues, constipation, blockages, respiratory infections, leaky gut syndrome, etc. can all result in our cats turning down food. If you notice a significant difference in your cat's appetite, you may want to take a visit to the vet to be sure there are no underlying issues.