Fussy Felines

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Fussy Felines.

Why is so difficult to satisfy the needs of our furry friends, especially the felines? It is clear that felines know what they like. It is often an expense in trying to find the perfect pouch in the hope that their claws will remain retracted away, instead of being dug in to the side of our legs, an event that occurs on a daily basis.

As ‘True obligate carnivores’ cats obtain the majority of their energy from protein, a much higher amount than dogs. Studies have shown that cats remain true to the feeding behaviours of their wild ancestors in that they will vary their consumption of prey. This is to ensure that their food resources are not depleted. Cats use their advanced sensory abilities such as smell, taste and texture in order to detect certain nutritional qualities of certain foods. If a food is lacking in a certain amino acid or specific nutrient, cats will often limit their intake of this food in order to avoid creating a deficiency in said nutrient. It has been shown that cats lack sweet taste receptors therefore will not determine their food intake based on sugar content.

Studies have also shown that maternal influence will also have an impact of certain foods consumed by our feline companions. So it is extremely important to vary the mothers food choices during pregnancy and once the kittens have been born. Although studies suggest genetics and mothers influence has this effect on food intake of their offspring it is a pretty small percentage in the grand scheme of things.

So we may think our feline friends are just fussy they do have their reasons. So the best thing you can do is create a variety in your cats every day feeding routine. I find that a choice of both dry (biscuits- preferably the kind that aids good oral health) and wet (pouches - in either jelly or gravy) will allow your cat to fulfil their natural behaviour, and this could also reduce unwanted behaviour (more on that to come in future blog posts).