Have I been starving my cat?

some cats don't like raw meat, msO.

I once gave Stinky a piece of steak, and he just stared at me like I had lost my mind.

he just left it there, and whinged until I fed him his canned chicken and salmon shreds...

Spooky and Nermal agree with Stinky. Steak and most hamburger just curl their lips, to the extent they have lips. Oddly, a really greasy Lot A Burger works better than catnip does on most of the critters. How they can all look so much alike, and be so different. . . .

I think I'm glad they can't talk.

can you imagine putting a voice to all that attitude...?

stinky doesn't give a rats about catnip. bubba goes batshit on it.

I guess that's because Stinky didn't eat raw meat as a kitten, Rocky?
A friend's cat, which I look after when she's away, is the same.
Turned up her nose at a perfectly good piece of chicken wing I supplied as a treat for her.
A pity. Chomping on a raw chicken wing is great for their teeth.
My cat loves em!

I didn't know him as a kitten.

he was a year old, living in a dark room all by hisself when we met.

he was eventually glad I removed him from the kitty prison.

I would guess he ate wally's dry cat chow exclusively before he became my wingman.

we tried lots of flavors, but he only likes the one.

gram's giant cat Molly prefers it as well. gram has given her every thing under the sun, but she comes back to what she was eating at my place when I found her as her fave. (she wasn't giant then, that's gram's fault. bigger than stinky, and SPOILED rotten)

It actually looks kinda tasty as cat vittles go. they neither one care for pate...

Aw, that was very good of you, Rocky.
He'll be your best friend for life now!

Poppy, who I adopted at (estimated) age 3 from a shelter (after being told they were all out of one year old grey tabbies, which is what I actually wanted. Can you believe this? No, me neither! ) has always been happy to eat a mixture of cooked, raw & dry food .... though I've discovered that there are some tinned & dry brands she will not deign to even contemplate! Just WILL NOT!!
I mean, who does she think she is, going all fussy & uppity like that?

But yes, as you say, some cats are fed exclusively on dried cat food & flourish.

I wanted a kitten. and a female.

I went to look at Stinky because a guy I worked with begged me to. once I got there and saw how he hadda live, I couldna leave him there.

bestest cat ever...

but he thinks the world is coming to an end if he doesn't get his 1/3 can of wet food at night. we usually eat together. or he eats first, depending on annoyance levels. you would think he was starved half to death to hear him if I sit down to eat and he still has a dry plate.

Of course!
And you deserve him!

Why on earth was poor Stinky living in such an awful situation, Rockhead?

Why not ask the vet next time you get him his shots. My cats are always hassling for food, but the vet says their weight's spot on. You can only get so much off the internet, get your moggy examined by an expert.

Dogs, cats will always ask for more food, they prey on us feeling guilty..

Getting them into a routine, such as a specified amount in the morning and same at night with zero snacks teach them that's their routine and honestly they are happy... It's us when they do their google eyes at us, when we eat or got to the fridge that makes us "feel" they are hungry, it's not so.

I have a Diabetic Dog, Husky 6am food and insulin same at night, stuffs my life up but she's worth it:) She used to get snacks or part of my meal, she doesn't look for it now at all.

I HATE pet food... I really do, google them, alot have so many chemicals and fat in them.

Lean mince or chicken breast, en-riched pasta, kidney beens, broccoli and carrot chopped made into a log, lasts along time isn't expensive and gives the shiny coat as well as carps, protein to keep them full...

Please google tin food... it's such a con in my opinion.. .Even a Diabetic Dog got the approval of this diet as just as good as the can food, although they haven't read what I read, regarding what else is in those cans.

Also fish oil, a teaspoon over the food is really good for the dogs/cats.

It's a pain to do but it's worth it for your pet...

The size of the pieces is often the issue. Domesticated don't really know what to do with a piece of steak besides lick it a few times. With my cats, I had cut up the steak pieces small or ran it through a food processor. Then there was no issue. Instinctively they know what fits down their throar or makes them have to work too hard. If all their lives the food has been shredded or made into small flakes, they aren't about to do what some feral cats MIGHT do.

That probably describes my guys. Chewing big pieces is just too much work.

Poor babies.

we were in rural Tennessee. horse country. building fancy cars where land and life is cheap. and Nashville was around the corner...

the guy's fickle teenage daughter had him fixed, and had his paws butchered, then decided to join the armed forces.

her dad (my co-worker) put him in an office off his garage, and kept a giant bowl of food for him, and a big litter box (peww). it was pretty sad. he has huge eyes, I think from growing up mostly in the pitch darkness. dunno.

fate sent me bubba to show me the flip side.

she's neurotic and crazy. but very affectionate...

gee...that souds like an ex of mine. See what happens when you call her Candy.

That's really sad....

I'm glad he has someone like you to erase such a memory... Well, most of it anyway.

Shocking. How can people DO that?

Fig finally deigned to wait until 5:30 am for breakfast, and we both go back to bed afterward. But she not only cries all day at regular and irregular intervals, but goes from getting my attention to her poor starved state by patting me and when that doesn't work, by patting me with her claws out which is not good for my sweaters.

Rockhead - what a horrible year that poor thing had! It's great you came along. I'm with dlowan - how can people DO that?

My goddess! I've never seen anything that like that behaviour!

They sure aren't backward in letting their feelings out!