My lovely but demanding cat!

Hello. I have just the one cat. His name is sandy. He's a smashing cat & i love him to bits. He has just the one fault infact. He never seems to be satisfied with my choice of food for him. He takes one mouthful of a fresh tin, decides he dosn't care for it, demands that i open another tin & then has just a few mouthfulls of that! It drives me nuts. Ofcourse i realise that if he truely were hungry he'd gobble it all up, but if i ignore him it makes me feel so guilty! I can't win. I wonder if many other owners have similar problems?

He has you wrapped around his little paw, doesn't he? I've never had this problem becuase I've never given my cats a choice (unless they truly don't seem to like it, and when that happens they rarely cry for more, they just walk away from it). My mom, however, had a houseful of bratty cats (I'm not saying your smashing guy is, but hers were). It started when they began to realize that she would do anything they wanted, and after while they seemed to forget what it was they really wanted! My best advice is to give him no choices - offer one thing and one thing only. I would choose whatever there is that you know he likes. It'll be tough for you becuase he will try his best to make you feel guilty, but cats can and will manipulate you just like a spoiled child, so you have to harden up and practice a little tough love. Or, you can keep letting him manipulate you! http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/biggrin.gif

[This message has been edited by 4 feline house (edited June 09, 2001).]

The "guilt thing!"...yes, I know it well! I have 8 cats, and they are all on kibbles, prescribed for one of mine, but it's a nighmare to try to feed them all different stuff. Willow is allergic to most proccessed cat food additives. Ofcourse, by the end of each week, guilt grabs me and I go and buy a couple of chickens, roast them, and dish out the meat. Pat, my other half, thinks I'm nuts, and tries to get some before it goes to the cats! http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/biggrin.gif

I'm just a big softy I suppose!

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Originally posted by SpencerTheLion:
Clare,

unless it was Friskies.

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It was 9 lives! I still have the calendars! Can't stand to throw them away 'cause they're too cute!

Actually my vet says that frequently changing your cats brand of cat food makes them picky. Ours eat storbrand dry food and that's it! Ofcourse they get a little fresh meat too!

I read that cats will try the food you give and then if they don't like it, they won't eat it even though they are really hungry. So then you have to give them another bramd and keep trying until they eat! :) :D guess that's my 2 cents' worth. Hope it helps...