Cat Food Question

[TreasonousBastard]

Howcum I can get cans of cat food at all different prices, but he turns up his nose at every one?

At the same time, I can get cans of tuna for 50 cents, and he'll eat them till he bursts. Don't ask what happens when I take some meat or cold cuts out of the fridge. That nose knows down the hall and he comes running.

Why does cat food not appeal to cats, while actual food does?

[Valerie5555]

1. Finicky as Morris I guess.

Meow meow meow MEOW.

[newscaster]

3. dont feed the cat

let him miss a meal. He'll get hungry and eat anything you put in frpont of him. My wife and I have one of the finiskiest cats alive and thats what we do. we also take away dryg cat food and nibbling stuff un5til he starts to eat again.

[TreasonousBastard]

9. Yeah, when he's actually hungry...

and not just bugging me out of habit, he'll eat the stuff.

When I'm here, he'll turn his nose up in the expectation of getting something better. Then, when I'm out all day, I come back and find the dish empty.

Tricky little bugger.

[DemWitch]

2. Only give him the cat food...

After a few days of not eating and turning his nose up at it... he'll think it's Lobster... went through the same thing with my two... during thier hunger strike, they discovered the dogs food was pretty good... so that's what they eat now...

[SharonAnn]

5. Dog food does not caontain all the nutrients cats need. We had

to rescue my son's cat who was emaciated and sick and pay for treatment at the vet's. Turns out he'd been feeding the cat dog food for about 6 moths.

Vet says we're lucky we didn't lose the cat, but 2 months on cat food and he (the cat) is helathy and his fur is glossy and he's full of energy again.

[DemWitch]

7. Both mine seem to be doing fine...

2 years + on it... I don't use cheap food though... I use Solid Gold Millenium.

[TreasonousBastard]

8. Taurine's the big one...

and most authorities say if you don't feed a commercial cat food, get some taurine at the pet store and add it according to the directions.

Some grains and vegetables are necessary, too. Corn, rice, and peas work.

[shraby]

10. Why are grains and vegetables

necessary? Cats are carnivores. Carnivores eat meat.

[TreasonousBastard]

12. They do, but...

in the wild all cats munch on grasses, and eat the stomach and intestinal contents of their vegetarian prey. It's not much vegetable matter, but it gives them the missing nutrients they need.

Last I checked, and that was admittedly a while ago, the Cornell vet site and a few others still were pretty much up in the air over cat nutrition. There are a lot of unknowns, but you'll notice that corn is the base of many, if not most, dry cat foods, even the prescription ones.

My vet isn't all that much help, either. She goes to these seminars where the experts qualify everything they say, and she gets back more confused than she was before.

[SoCalDem]

4. Tuna=mercury..be careful

Your body size compared to his is quite different..

Too bad they don't make minced mouse or birdie tidbits.. That's what would be best for cats..:)

I feed mine a special "indoor catfood"..supposed to keep them slim.. (so far it hasn't)...just my wallet.. it costs more..and we feed 11 cats.:(

[TreasonousBastard]

6. He doesn't get much...

and I never get the white meat tuna-- that's the one with the mercury problems. Chunk light is apparently much less of a problem.

Back when I had two cats, I made "kittie stew."

Chicken livers, corn flakes, rice, and various other things I had around the house. They loved it and seemed to thrive. A couple of possums managed to find their way in, and they seemed to like it, too.

Doesn't work for this guy, though.

[Baja Margie]

11. That cat has put a spell on you....

Bandit, our 15 year old does the same, except he will eat Fancy Feast, but holds out for high protein fresh fish, chicken and steak off the grill. Maybe try to sprinkle a little dry over the tuna, and include a kitty vitamin crushed and added to the tuna. Sometimes I think Bandit thinks that steak is really "mouse meat" and that when I bring chicken or meat home from the store, I've been out "hunting" just for him. Out of gratitude, he will leave an 'offering' of a bird or lizard or whatever, onetime it was a mole, usually on the kitchen floor for us.

[TreasonousBastard]

13. When I had two outdoor cats...

I got a lot of "gifts."

Once in a while they would actually eat the catch, but it was usually in trade for the stuff I fed them, which was much easier to eat without hair, feathers, or bones.

[zanana]

16. I have strays who will eat nothing but Fancy Feast.

These are real strays--feral cats. When I started feeding them, I was giving them 9-Lives canned food and Meow Mix. Now, they won't eat anything but Fancy Feast (certain flavors) and Deli-Cat. Did they see me coming, or what?

[Rhiannon12866]

14. If he was my cat, I'd ask my vet for advice

Though my vet did prescribe special food for my cat and she rejected it in favor of Fancy Feast Grilled Chicken or Turkey. I'd feed him what he will eat, but check with his vet, in case he needs additional vitamins. I sympathize with you. I've been there. Cats will be cats. Maybe he prefers his food to be less processed, which would make him a very wise consumer.:shrug:

[samplegirl]

15. My Cat is opposite

He does not care for people food just cat food. However he will try
to stick his face in your cereal bowl if your not watching. Yeah
my daughter sneeks him tuna now and again...be careful thats not
good for them either.