In this blog we will look at how you can support your cat showing signs of food anxiety and how to help a picky eater.
Is your cat showing signs of food anxiety? Do they:
If your cat shows any or all of these signs they could have food anxiety. The great news is you can support them to clear their bowl or plate.
On a recent live that I did with Penny Wood aka Dr Zoolittle she shared that cats can taste individual proteins (every day is a school day!) So when we try a new food with our cats, they eat it, we buy a boat load of it, then they don’t eat it (sound familiar?!) It’s because they don’t need that protein anymore. Who knew!?
So if your cat is showing signs of being hungry but then demonstrates some of the behaviours listed above, perhaps they don’t need that food type/brand/flavour anymore. And it’s up to us to pay attention to this, if we keep forcing them to have a specific food they may develop food anxiety.
Rotating brands, flavours, textures and proteins is a great way to support not only the nutritional needs of our feline friends but also to support their mental health. This can be easier said than done though as most cats don’t like change! It is possible but may take a little time and conscious effort on your part.
If you have a cat with food anxiety, or you are trying to introduce a new food it’s going to take a little patience and TLC.
Remember that cats are sentient, sensitive beings and they have emotional needs just like we do. When you are feeling a little down in the dumps you find ways to show yourself a little more love, and that’s what our cats need from us. Patience, love, compassion and grace.
You may need to sit with your cat while they eat, hand feed them, stroke them or talk calmly to them, bring in a little of their favourite treats to stimulate their appetite or mix two brands/flavours etc together.
It’s all very well to say that we need to give our cats a little more TLC but there are times when we want to shout and scream because we just need the cat to eat their food! You know the times I am referring to, when your cat is around your legs in the kitchen, clearly hungry, you put the plate of food down, they sniff and walk away and you want to scream, shout and throw the plate out the window! The energy that we bring to preparing and sharing our cats food is crucial.
When Leo is showing food anxiety the last thing that will help him feel like eating is me putting the plate down with a sense of fear, worry and anxiety “He just needs to eat something, I know he’s hungry, why isn’t he eating, what if he gets sick, how can I make him eat, what’s wrong with him”. And the list of worried thoughts and heavy energy from me goes on and on.
So put a plate of food down and walk away. Don’t stand guard or keep watch. Try to lean into trust that your cat knows what they need. And if they don’t eat this plate, believe they will eat the next.
If you need more support with your anxious cat be sure to check out my playlist on YouTube: Help for anxious cats
I hope you have enjoyed this blog.
If you know someone who would enjoy this topic please share this article using the buttons below and help to give cats a voice.
With love,
Julie-Anne
Holistic Cat Therapist, empath, author and cat mum.
Helping anxious humans with anxious cats.
Giving cats a voice and changing the world's perception of cats.
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