Day 63: Who wants ...

Between You, Me and the Lamp Post

Day 63: Who wants ...

Isn’t that the most adorable picture you’ve ever seen? It’s like someone asked ‘Who wants food?’ or ‘Who wants chicken?’

Mind you, if you were to put that question to my cats, the answer might be ‘Can I get back to you on that one.’

My cats are notoriously picky eaters. Over the years I’ve tried just about every brand on the shelves and it’s been an uphill struggle.

For years my cats got fed on Whiskas and Purina and they lived anywhere from 13 to 20 years. Then someone said that neither of those brands was very good and that I should switch to a more quality food. So I did. Instead of the supermarket I went to the pet store, talked to the proprietor and bought everything she recommended. 

Feeling thoroughly chuffed I went on my way. No more Whiskas or Purina for my cats. From now on they were going to get the good stuff. My feel-good mood didn’t last long. When I spooned the quality meat on the cats’ plates that night they took one whiff and turned their backs on it.

'Introduce the new food gradually,' a friend said. 'Give them a can of the old food and mix in a quarter of the new food. That will do it.' She was wrong. Charlotte, Holly, Halley, and Greyson eagerly ate everything on their plate ... except for the new food. 

I went back to the pet store, explained what happened and the woman smiled and nodded in understanding. ‘Yeah, cats can be finicky,’ she stated. ‘Try something different. Sometimes when switching cats to better food it can be a hit and miss.’ Yeah, no kidding.

‘Give them raw meat,’ another friend suggested. ‘I give my cats raw food. Not always, but as a treat.’ I agreed to try it and she brought me a type of bird (can’t remember the name) all neatly cut up. ‘Don’t worry about the bones,’ she said. ‘The cats won’t choke on them. Mine eat this all the time.’

When I spooned the raw meat onto plates I thought Charlotte, Holly, Halley, and Greyson would be all over it and go nuts to get a piece, but I was in for a surprise. Not only were they not interested in the raw meat, they ran away from it. They didn’t just turn tail, they actually ran.

Eventually, after trying several brands, they seemed to like Weruva, especially Mac & Jack. Not on its own though, I still have to mix the meat with Whiskas, Purina, or Iams.

‘Don’t feel bad,’ a colleague said. ‘My cats are even worse. They won’t eat anything except 9 Lives. I mean really, 9 Lives! That’s just about the bottom of the barrel, but they like it.’

I guess there’s no accounting for taste and it’s the same with humans. Some people love the taste of seafood, meat, and veggies, others won’t touch it.

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