Your Siamese cat Lexie has recently become a dinnertime diva. In fact, those Hollywood red carpet divas could certainly take a lesson from your super-picky cat. While Lexie has agreeably eaten her food for several years, lately she glares at her kibbles with disdain. Lexie nibbles here and there, so she isn’t starving herself, but you can’t remember when she emptied her bowl. Since you can’t figure out what’s wrong, you’ve asked your veterinarian from Lawrenceville to determine what’s behind Lexie’s picky eating behavior, and develop a strategy to correct it. Read more about potential reasons for Lexie’s reluctance to eat.
Noisy, Busy Restaurant
Like humans, Lexie wants to enjoy her meals in a calm, quiet restaurant. Instead, you’ve placed her bowls in your busy kitchen, which is a high-traffic gathering place for your family. To give Lexie some peace, consider changing your family’s meal schedule so it doesn’t conflict with Lexie’s pre-scheduled dinnertime.
Poor Menu Choices
Perhaps Lexie has become disappointed with her food, and she’s emailing those social media restaurant review sites right now. If Lexie has eaten the same dry food for awhile, she might be desperate for a new brand. If your home’s air seems to be a bit humid, Lexie’s food might have become stale from too much moisture absorption.
Or, perhaps you store Lexie’s wet cat food in the fridge. When you open the can, and scoop the mushy wet food into Lexie’s bowl, the cold blobs don’t have that appealing cat food smell. Barely heat the food so it produces the smell Lexie wants; however, don’t allow the food to burn her sensitive mouth. Finally, remember that Lexie occasionally escapes through open doors, and she likes to dine on mice and birds. In that case, Lexie’s just not hungry.
Bacterial and Dental Concerns
If you don’t wash Lexie’s food bowl daily, she might be eating fresh food from a dirty bowl that harbors bacteria. Also, Lexie might have a dental problem that makes eating very painful. Once your vet diagnoses and treats Lexie’s ailment, she should start to savor her food again.
Now It’s Your Turn
Since this is a battle, use some creative tactics of your own. Purchase a top-of-the-line cat food, but adhere to Lexie’s preference for dry or wet food. Don’t bribe your feline diva with human food, as it’s not appropriate for her system. In addition, giving Lexie human food will make her even more unlikely to prefer her own kibbles. Eventually, Lexie should give in and chow down on her new cat food.
If Lexie doesn’t eat for a whole day, ask your Lawrenceville vet to test your cat for a hidden medical problem or food allergy.