On 2006-03-24, penned:

Wow! That's a lot of cans. I wonder if there was something not quite
right about that food? I would expect a cat to eat anything edible
if it's really, really hungry (to the point of actually losing
weight), but maybe if the cat thinks there's something wrong with
the food, they won't eat it no matter what.

Well, I was trying to guess at the number of cans in the case. There
were 5 left over when I finally gave up. Probably the initial several
cans of the case were interspersed with other flavors that I still
had.

DH also says that if she's really hungry, she'll eat. But she got
skinny enough that I was afraid to call her bluff.

I think you did the right thing by changing the food. This isn't
just a case of a cat being finicky and manipulating you. After she
refused the food over and over, I think you correctly interpreted
that she does not want it! But please don't feel guilty about it -
if she appeared to be eating it, and continued to act normally, then
you would have no reason to think anything was amiss. Once you
noticed her weight loss, then you were alerted to her eating
patterns. I can't imagine how you would have figured it out any
other way.

Well, I knew she wasn't eating much -- but it did look like she often
took a few bites off the top. I don't know. For all I know, she
really did "play" me and just didn't like the flavor, but in the end,
it doesn't really matter.

I just wish I'd twigged to it sooner; I could have traded in a bunch
of those cans for a flavor she *did* like.

--
monique, who spoils Oscar unmercifully

pictures: http://www.bounceswoosh.org/rpca