What to Do If Your Cat Is Picky About Food? A Must-Read Scientific Feeding Guide for Cat Owners

Cats getting tired of their food and being picky about it are two different concepts. It is normal for cats to get tired of eating the same flavor of cat food for half a year to a year, and it is not surprising that they no longer like it. So, what does it mean for a cat to be picky? Some cats only eat chicken breast, some only eat cat food, and others only eat shrimp, not even touching canned food—this is what is considered picky eating.

So, as a cat owner, how can we effectively prevent this from happening at home? And if picky eating does occur, how should we correct it?

Preventing Picky Eating in Cats

Avoid Spoiling and Establish Correct Feeding Habits

First, if you want to prevent this from happening, remember one thing: “Don’t spoil your cat.” If you can’t change your habit of spoiling your cat, even stray cats outside will become picky under your care. You need to make your cat understand that food is not that easy to come by. However, you also can’t be too strict, as being too harsh will cause stress for the cat, which they cannot bear.

In the daily process of feeding your cat, when the food in the bowl is finished, do not immediately refill it. We should not let the cat have the illusion that there is always food in the bowl. After the cat food bowl is empty, you can leave it empty for a while, such as 1 hour, 2 hours, or even 3 hours, which is completely fine. We should not get into the habit of letting the cat have access to food at any time.

Arrange Snack Feeding Reasonably

Snacks can be given to cats. Your cat’s picky eating is not because of snacks, but because it prefers delicious food. Picky eating in cats is not because you feed them too many snacks, but because you feed them too many tasty things.

You need to have a clear goal in mind for raising your cat and what you want as the main food for your cat. If you want cat food to be the main food, then canned food and freeze-dried food can be given as additional supplements or rewards, and should not be fed in large quantities at will. If you choose to feed only canned food, then canned food should be the main food; if you choose to feed only freeze-dried food, then freeze-dried food should be the main food. Do you understand what I mean?

Correcting Picky Eating in Cats

There is no particularly effective solution to this problem, and the key is gentle guidance and moderately creating a sense of hunger. The usual method is to let the cat feel hungry. However, cats should not be left hungry for too long, as liver problems may occur after more than 48 hours, which we as cat owners must pay special attention to. As the saying goes:

“If a child doesn’t eat this or that, let it go hungry for two days and it will behave.”

But for cats, we can’t let them go hungry for 1-2 days; we need to be gentle. You can put the food in front of the cat, and if it doesn’t eat it after a while, take the food away. This is similar to dealing with a picky dog, taking it away so the cat can’t see the food. Try again after 1-2 hours, and if it still doesn’t eat, take it away directly. If it doesn’t eat a bite of food all day, you can feed it some of its favorite food, but pay attention to the amount and don’t let it eat too full. Don’t let it eat too much, always keep it with some sense of hunger. At the same time, ensure that there is still something in its stomach to digest to avoid it getting hungry and sick. As long as you create a sense of hunger for the cat, the picky eating problem will eventually improve. But remember, never feel sorry for the cat when it meows from hunger and start spoiling it again. If you give it canned food or freeze-dried food again, all your previous efforts will be in vain.