She learns to never want that food again even if that food had nothing to do with why she feels badly.” Dealing with food allergies and catsĭr. There is a reflex learning that occurs when a cat eats something and then feels badly. “People should never try serving large varieties of food if a cat suddenly stops liking her food. “Abrupt dietary changes can cause GI upset, diarrhea or loss of appetite,” she said. At each transition, pay close attention to your cat’s actions and attitudes. Colleran recommended following this formula:įor the first few days: Serve your cat a mixture containing about 75 percent of his current food with 25 percent of the new food.įor the next few days: Dish up a meal consisting of 50 percent current food and 50 percent new food.Īfter about a week: Provide your cat with meals containing 75 percent new food and 25 percent current food. If you plan to introduce a “rotation diet” to your cat, introduce new quality commercial foods slowly. How to introduce new cat food into your cat’s diet “Muscle loss over the spine of the back, top of the head or rear limbs is the most important sign that the cat’s diet is inadequate,” Dr. Too many carbohydrates and too little protein in their diets can result in muscle loss, dull or itchy skin coats and even obesity. They need a diet containing at least 40 percent protein to maintain lean body condition. What is crystal clear is that cats are obligate carnivores, which means their bodies need high-quality protein to operate efficiently. But if they learn early on that the food they receive will rotate, they will not have as great a chance to develop bad habits.” What cats need to eat For these cats, it can be more challenging to change or expand their diets. Vogelsang added, “There are some cats who have strong preferences for flavors, textures and temperatures. Some variety is helpful, but it is important to look at all factors that can affect appetite, including surroundings, stress, other cats and health issues.”ĭr. “They learn preferences from even before birth, so some of what they like is beyond anyone’s control. “Cats are drawn to certain foods by three factors: mouth feel, odor and taste,” Dr. How cats choose what cat food they like to eat Cat licking her nose after eating by Shutterstock.
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