How To Feed A Picky Cat: 4 Solutions For Your Finicky Eater
As a pet owner, you want what’s best for your cat — and that means making sure they get the nutrients they need. But it’s no secret that cats can be fussy, especially when it comes to eating. One day they’ll devour every morsel of food, and the next day they won’t touch it. If you’re wondering why, you’re not alone. Let’s look at what you can do to solve the issue.
Location Is Key
If your cat has stopped eating, you might want to look at the location of their food and water dishes. If they’re near the litter box, that could be the reason. Cats are clean creatures, and they have a strong desire to keep their eating and elimination areas separate. They don’t like their food and water dishes near each other, either.
Solution: Keep your cat’s cleanliness in mind and create separate spaces for your cat to eat and drink, and to eliminate.
Peace And Quiet Are Essential
Cats don’t like eating in crowded areas in front of people or other cats. They like to dine in the comfort of their own quiet space. If you have multiple cats, be sure to give each one their own feeding station. If you have kids or dogs, you may want to put your cat’s food in an elevated area.
Solution: Create a stress-free, relaxing mealtime routine that will help keep your cat calm and chowing down.
Scraps Are Off-limits
It’s tempting to treat your cat with tasty table scraps from your own dinner. But feeding them pieces of fish, chicken or other meat will only raise their expectations and make them lose interest in their own food.
Solution: Stick with feeding cat food, but don’t be afraid to change up the flavor, texture and shape of the food to keep your cat interested. And consider feeding them a mix of dry and wet food to keep them coming back for more.
Switch It Up
Your cat may have suddenly stopped eating because they’ve decided they don’t like the taste of their food. Or maybe you recently tried giving them a new food and they’re not digging it.
Solution: If you think your cat's tastes have changed, it might be time to try something else, like NUTRO™ Adult Indoor Formula with Chicken & Whole Brown Rice Recipe or NUTRO™ Beef Recipe Cuts in Gravy. Try serving your cat the new food along with the old food. Once they’ve started eating the new food, put out less and less of the old food.
Visit The Vet
Obviously, your cat needs to eat. If none of these solutions work and you simply can’t coax them into it, visit your vet to rule out underlying health issues.
