The Finicky Cat Meme – More than just Food Choices?

Posted on January 17, 2021 by felinepurrspective_u3q4o6

Daily Food Portion Cat — Gus looks at his daily food allotment. Treats count!

Cats are notorious for being picky about their food. Googling “finicky cat meme” brings up pages of cats turning down food after the owner has offered 3-4 different types. Morris the Cat was the focus of the 9Lives cat food advertising for years – he would only eat 9Lives. The pet food industry has capitalized on this image of a picky eater with many selections of food – textures, tastes, flavors.

Cats in the wild have far ranging tastes and will eat anything from bugs to bunny rabbits. So, what is this “finicky cat meme”?

In a previous post, we visited some facts about cats and how they are designed to eat – small stomachs digest mainly meat and cannot hold a lot at once. Hence the cat’s lifestyle – most of his waking hours are spent prowling and looking for prey.

You say, “OK, I get it – I need to feed 4+ meals a day and puzzle feeders can help.”

Is there more to the “finicky cat meme”? Look at the “Feline Facts” below.

Mom knows best…

Kittens learn food preferences from their mothers.

Cats have good taste…

Cats can “taste” amino acids and will head to food that will satisfy their needs (in general)

What does my cat taste?

Fresh is best…

Bitter receptors on your cat’s tongue and in her oral cavity alert her to the bitterness resulting from decaying meat. A solitary hunter cannot risk a bad meal – she will not be able to hunt if sick and will starve.

The Need to Feed…

Your cat requires protein every day. Protein cannot be stored like fat, if your cat does not eat, his body will start to get protein from his muscles. Cats cannot fast more than 2-3 days.

The Pleasure of Dining Alone…

Although cats can live in groups, they are not social eaters and prefer to take their prey to a secluded place where they can eat in peace.

The Dining Experience…What’s on the Menu

How to feed the “finicky cat”…

Offer a SELECTION of high protein foods – see what your feline gourmand prefers. (try 3 foods at a time -you can use one of those divided plates).
CHOOSE FOODS WITH STRONG AROMA (e.g. fish), again playing on the cat’s well-developed sense of smell.
OFFER WHAT YOUR CAT WILL EAT IN ONE SITTING. Once protein starts to deteriorate, the food may become bitter and she may not eat it.
OFFER BOTH CANNED AND DRY FOODS – textures and size of food can be important; if your cat ate dry food as a kitten she may prefer dry food.
Because taste receptors work best at 86 degrees F (30 degrees Celsius), refrigerator cold food may not be appealing. A little HEATING (careful with that microwave – a few seconds is often all you need) will release the aroma of the food and make it more appealing

The Dining Experience…Where to Feed Your Cat

Cats prefer to dine alone. Choose a place out of the way where your cat can view things while she eats – perhaps a corner near the kitchen. If you can, keep cats out of sight of each other when feeding.

The “Kitty Diner” – feeding and carrier training all at once!

This is a solution I arrived at having 4 cats and a small townhouse. The cats eat their canned food meals in their carriers. Because they are in their boxes eating, they are out of sight of each other and I can feed them in a relatively small area. The bonus is that they have a better attitude toward their cat carriers when we need to travel.

Unsightly carrier? Try a carrier cover. Pick something that coordinates with your decor. If you use fleece or felt, you don’t have to hem anything. You just cut a square and cut a slot for the handle, if you like. This also helps with vet visits since the cover makes the carrier dark like a wildcat’s den and your cat feels more secure.

When to call in the veterinary team…
If your cat is losing weight
If you cat is vomiting frequently
If your cat has frequent diarrhea or you feel she may be constipated
If your cat has not eaten for 24-48 hours – So is she truly not eating? Is she producing poop?
If she is pooping, she is eating something – maybe not enough. Consult your vet if there is no poop in the litter box for several days

Feeding Your Cat – Choosing a Food

Posted on October 4, 2020May 7, 2023 by felinepurrspective_u3q4o6

Feeding Your Cat – Choosing a Food

Cats evolved as predators. They get most of their nutrition from meat. They have small stomachs and short gastrointestinal tracts designed to digest animal protein (meat). Cats are what we call “obligate carnivores” -they must eat meat, unlike dogs and humans who are omnivores (eat a combination of plant and animal foods).

Cat hunting treat ball — Zelda “hunts” some dry food from a treat ball

So what do I feed my cat? A diet high in protein.

How much protein?

Feral cats consume of diet of about 52% kcal of protein and 46% kcal of fat.
Nutrient Profiles of Feral-Cats
Adult domestic cats when given the choice, eat 52% kcal protein, 36% kcal fat and 12% kcal carbohydrates
Protein and carbohydrates provide about 4 kcal per gram of food, while fats supply 9 kcal per gram of food.
A 100 kcal portion of food of choice for an adult domestic cat would contain about 13 g protein, 4 g fat and 3 g carbohydrates.
The guaranteed analysis on the pet food label refers to weights of the nutrients.

The Label on the Cat Food

Pet food is regulated somewhat loosely – the The Association of American Feed Control Officials or AAFCO is an organization with no actual regulatory authority although individual members may have jurisdiction in their countries. The FDA is a member of AAFCO and has regulatory authority in the United States.

AAFCO sets recommended standards for nutrient levels and ingredients in pet food.
Most pet food manufacturers make their food to meet or exceed these requirements.
AAFCO also provides models for feeding trials.
AAFCO recommends a minimum of 26% crude protein in cat foods.

Don’t Forget the Water!

The label on a can of Purina Pro Plan canned cat food reports a minimum protein of 10%. The food has a maximum moisture level of 78%. The canned food has 100%-78% = 22% dry matter. Per 100g, 10g are protein, 78g are water resulting 12g of dry matter. 10g/22g = 0.45. Multiply by 100 to get 45% of crude protein dry matter.

Comparing Pet Foods

Maintenance Diet Label

Label Maintenance Cat Food — This a label for a maintenance diet for Maine Coon cats.

Note the protein exceeds the minimum of 26%. This food is for maintenance of adult cats.

Restricted Diet Label

AAFCO cat kidney food — The feeding statement on this label says the food is for intermittent feeding.

This is a label from a food designed for cats with kidney disease – it is lower in protein than a maintenance diet. It should be fed under the direction of a veterinarian. You may see this type of label on food toppers and other products that are not a balanced diet.

Feeding Trial Label

This food was tested by being fed to a cats in a research setting. Cats are monitored by evaluating their weight, stool, urine, and blood periodically.

The feeding trial is the GOLD standard to evaluate a pet food. Most pet foods are recipes and few pet food manufacturers can afford to maintain colonies of cats to feed the food to and monitor their health. This falls to the larger, more established pet food manufacturers who can afford this expense. If you see the feeding statement on the bag or can, you know cats have eaten the food and thrived.

Canned or Dry?

Cats will thrive on an all dry diet as well as a 100% canned diet. Cats appreciate variety and feeding your cat a mixture of canned and dry may fit the bill.

Canned Foods

canned cat food meal feeding — Canned foods lend themselves to meal feeding.

most of the time (but not always) has more protein than dry food
provides water to your cat
cats in the wild get most of their water from the prey animals they eat
Canned foods lend themselves to meal feeding

Dry Foods

Dry cat food in puzzle feeder — Dry foods are easy to use in puzzle feeders.

convenient
do not spoil when left out
work well in puzzle feeders, that can provide your cat with some much needed stimulation while you are away
Like potato chips for humans, dry cat foods are formulated to be tasty and are often high in calories.

Feeding Your Cat – Which Food?

Choose a food that lists meat and/or fish at the top of the ingredient list.
Choose a food that meets the AAFCO nutritional minimums.
Choose a food from a reputable manufacturer, one that employs a veterinary nutritionist
Beware of marketing that targets us, the owners. For example, some brands offer cranberries or blueberries in their foods. While not harmful, there are no clinical studies at this time that show the benefits of these ingredients to cats.