On 2006-03-24, Christina Websell penned:

"Monique Y. Mudama" wrote in message
...

Yes, but your cats do have the option to hunt for themselves (well,
Boyfie might hunt for KFC, lately, it sounds like).

Well, yes, that is true although I didn't notice more than the
normal amount of hunting going on during the time I was calling
their bluff over their pickiness.

I just meant, if all else failed and they really hated your food, they
have options. Your cats would never starve to death. (Then again,
even if I let Oscar out, I strongly doubt she'd know how to hunt. And
she might capture the cute little rabbit that likes to eat the plants
in our front yard.)

leaves it for KFC. Two young rats this week that she apparently did
not fancy and which I stepped on first thing in the morning...

Eeeyuck! I think, if I had outdoor cats, I'd be tempted to wear
hard-soled slippers around the house.

If I fed Oscar
food that was somehow contaminated, she would have no options.

Do you suspect that this food might have been contaminated in any
way?

There's no reason to think so, other than Oscar's absolute refusal to
eat it.

Also, how long did it take for them to break down and eat the food
you provided?

To eat everything I provided, with gusto, about 10 days. They
didn't starve in the meantime, they did pick at the food and it was
there for several hours after each mealtime. I don't mind at all if
they take several hours to eat their meal, I think this is normal
for a cat, but mine were beginning to take the p, forcing me,
almost, to get really expensive stuff all the time and continually
changing their minds over what was the favourite of the day.

I also leave the food out for a while (actually, I just leave the food
out in the morning, then put down a new plate with new food in the
evening). Oscar has always been a "grazer," and I don't see any
reason to try to force her to eat all her food in one sitting. In
fact, she seems to prefer to wait at least half an hour to eat, which
also makes it hard to monitor her tastes.

Oscar is pretty consistent, I think -- she either likes a flavor or
doesn't. The trouble is her stupid human, who just can't keep them
all straight.


It's a pity really as I was shopping today and saw a tin of pink
salmon for 32p. I wanted to get it to treat them, but treating them
was how this whole food game started, so I didn't.

I guess they outsmarted themselves, taking too much advantage of a
good thing.

I can't imagine that a cat would allow itself to starve when food
(even if of the not-preferred flavour) was available. This would be
the ultimate in manipulative behaviour ;-) Maybe there was something
wrong with the food.

Maybe. Or maybe she's just crazy. She lost weight and didn't eat much
when I switched her to wet food, and also scared me, but I stuck to it,
and eventually she ate. Maybe I just don't have the nerve to go through
that again.

He's right, she will, but unless you can rule out for definite that
the food was bad you have done the right thing to get her something
else. I don't buy cases of food any more, just in case of this very
thing.

That's an interesting point. You just get several different flavors
every time?

--
monique, who spoils Oscar unmercifully

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