The benefit of obtaining a variety of nutrients.If your cat develops a food sensitivity, narrowing down the culprit will be crucial.Health issues in the future can’t always be predicted or ruled out.Perhaps you’re being advised by your holistic or integrative veterinarian to switch to a particular diet to support a recent diagnosis.You’re accepting defeat right now - After all, you have a routine, what’s the big deal? Well, there are a lot of things to consider about your cat’s diet that may motivate you to make changes: Whether your cat is exhibiting one of these behaviors, or a little of both, you’re likely accepting the fact that these picky behaviors are instinctually derived and you might be feeling like you’re in a lose-lose situation. They can get away with that because they are so good at hunting! Why it Matters And you never know when the mood is going to hit! When hunting for their food, cats naturally vary their diet from day to day. Instinctually, they begin to crave something different. He loves new food and gets bored if he eats the same thing for too long!” And you’d be right too! This is what’s known as the monotony effect when a cat has been eating the same thing too frequently or for too long, they suddenly go on strike. You might be thinking “My cat isn’t like that. If you’ve ever been shunned when offering your cat a piece of your juicy steak, you can thank imprint eating. This develops during weaning age (between 3 and 8 weeks old). Like many other species, cats learn from their mother what is safe to eat at a very young age and once they imprint on something, they develop a very strong preference for the taste, texture, and temperature of that food. It’s known as imprint eating and it affects cat parents across the globe. You just witnessed one of the feline’s most powerful defense mechanisms at work. What you just experienced wasn’t your fault.
You know one thing is for sure-you’re never straying away from her old food again. Is my cat just picky?” You err on the side of caution and exchange the remaining cans for her old food the next day, still unsure of what went wrong.
As you open it, you think to yourself, “What do I do with the other cans? Was it just that flavor? Do I try again? Was it bad food ? What if she won’t eat the other cans? What a waste of money. Luckily you had a couple of cans of her old food stashed in the cupboard. You put the bowl down and watch in awe as kitty gives it a sniff and WALKS AWAY?! Dumbfounded, you put her in front of the bowl, and again, she walks away, now looking at you as if to say, “where’s my dinner?” You give her some time, hoping she’ll eat when she’s hungry, but you don’t wait long before scraping the food into the trash in defeat.
A new canned food catches your eye and even though it’s a little more expensive than you’re used to, you spring for a few cans in various flavors like “beef wellington” and “chicken a la king” because your cat is going to LOVE it! You bring it home and excitedly crack it open as your cat rubs on your legs in anticipation of dinner. These days you don’t bother with dry kibble and speed past it straight to the canned food, nothing but the best for your kitty (you’ve heard great things about raw, maybe next time). You’re at your local independent pet retailer to pick up cat food. How Many Times Has This Happened to You When Buying Cat Food?