What is she doing??

lisasha3

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I'm a bit worried/confused as to what my Snickers is doing.
I posted a thread a while back looking for tips on how to reduce the weight of some of my babies safely (cause I've got a couple of fatties and another one on their way
). It was suggested to add in some canned food and then eventually switch their dry food to a better brand.
I've added the canned food and if some of you remember my other thread, I couldn't get Snickers to eat any of it. She comes running and meows and meows, but then won't touch it. She's actually this way with a lot of foods (cat treats, chicken, turkey, beef, anything else we try to give her). She comes running and meows, but then never touches any of them. Well, now she's started a tiny bit of strange behavior with her food. She sniffs it, then will scratch all around the dish. Like she's trying to cover it up. (just like they scratch in their litter box).

Now tonite she started doing that with her dry food too. Scratched all around it like she was covering it, then laid down next to the bowl, then started eating from the bowl while laying down.

So my immediate thought was, maybe she'd rather be eating it at her level (raised), so I raised the bowl. Again she did the scratching ritual, then laid down next to the thing I had put it on and sat there.

She then got up a few minutes later and went to another bowl and started eating. What the heck is she doing? Is she trying to claim that bowl as hers? If so, why is she claiming the canned food, but never eating it? Why claim the dry food but only eat a bit then go to another bowl?
I wish she could talk to me.
 

larke

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She probably hates the smell - try another brand or flavor. She's scratching because she's trying to bury it like she would in her litter box. Our cats have done this when they don't like something. She's going to the other bowl looking for food she can eat... she is hungry, but can't stomach the first kind. Also, when introducing new food, put a tiny dab on her mouth to encourage her to taste it and see if she likes it, but never force feed her.
 

epona

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I agree - it's either that she doesn't like the smell and is trying to 'bury' it, or that she has eaten enough for now and again is trying to bury the remains.

Radar does this to food that he likes but that he is finished with for now, but he once spent 30 minutes frantically trying to bury a dish of wet that he'd not touched (while I looked on puzzled) - I realised that the manufacturers had changed the ingredients and he doesn't like the smell of it any more.
 
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lisasha3

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ARrrrgghhhh!
She doesn't like it? The dry food isn't new though. It's what she's eaten her whole life. I havent' switched the dry yet. Poor thing
I guess I better get on that. Maybe she'll like the new one better.
 

epona

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Maybe there's a lingering smell of the wet she didn't like in the area where you gave her dry? Odours in the air can linger a long time and their sense of smell is so sensitive! It doesn't necessarily mean she has gone off the dry.
 
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lisasha3

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Originally Posted by Epona

Maybe there's a lingering smell of the wet she didn't like in the area where you gave her dry? Odours in the air can linger a long time and their sense of smell is so sensitive! It doesn't necessarily mean she has gone off the dry.
Never thought of that. I'll see if I can put the wet food away from that particular bowl.
 

fr gregg

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Dulcinea does the 'burying food' thing all the time...it seems instinctive. You might also try the occasional Fancy Feast Medlys (for which someone here is bound to beat for saying)...but I've found that our cat LOVES eating them down to the very last morsel...and if your cat doesn't like them...you can always spread them on crackers and have them for appetizers yourself
because they actually look good enough to eat and there's no strong smell.

Just a suggestion.

Good luck.

fr. gregg
 
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lisasha3

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Originally Posted by fr gregg

Dulcinea does the 'burying food' thing all the time...it seems instinctive. You might also try the occasional Fancy Feast Medlys (for which someone here is bound to beat for saying)...but I've found that our cat LOVES eating them down to the very last morsel...and if your cat doesn't like them...you can always spread them on crackers and have them for appetizers yourself
because they actually look good enough to eat and there's no strong smell.

Just a suggestion.

Good luck.

fr. gregg
I could serve it up at parties! It might be a hit!
 

pami

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Lisa, cats dont bury food they dont like, they bury it when they are saving it for later. Its an instinct to hide their food from predators. My Laura does this all of the time.

But I cant figure out what Snickers is doing laying down beside the bowl
Maybe she wants you to come feed her, by hand, like shes royalty
 
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lisasha3

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Originally Posted by Pami

Lisa, cats dont bury food they dont like, they bury it when they are saving it for later. Its an instinct to hide their food from predators. My Laura does this all of the time.

But I cant figure out what Snickers is doing laying down beside the bowl
Maybe she wants you to come feed her, by hand, like shes royalty
Actually tried that.

She just looked at me like "what are you doing?"
 

jessy

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Villy 'burys' her food too. I think they are hiding it from 'predators' so that they can come back for it later. (she's trying to make sure you don't take a sneaky bite out of her food! As if you would!
)
 

pami

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Originally Posted by Jessy

(she's trying to make sure you don't take a sneaky bite out of her food! As if you would!
)
I guess Laura thinks Im going to eat her food, too!
 

laureen227

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Originally Posted by lisasha3

I wish she could talk to me.
it would make life easier, wouldn't it?
i often wish that about mine, too.
just keep an eye on her, make sure she is eating something. another possibility for wet - meow mix wet, either the pouches or tubs, is a favorite of many cats here on the board, & it's not too bad of a food as long as your cat is ok with fish. [it's very fish-heavy]. it does have a strong odor, so if she's stopped up & can't smell her regular food, she might do better with it.
 

epona

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It's also true that cats bury food they like to save for later, but whenever Radar has tried to bury food frantically without even touching it that it means he doesn't like it.

Radar often steals pieces of paper to put on top of his bowl when it's his favourite flavour. I am toying with an idea of inventing a bowl with a swivel top so that he can cover his food easily and cleanly - maybe it could be like a sort of thermos that keeps his food from spoiling...
 

carolpetunia

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I wonder if Snickers might not be feeling well. When cats don't eat, but just linger around their food (even lying down as you describe), it's often because they WANT to eat, but instinctively feel they shouldn't when they're sick.

When one of our fosters was refusing to eat, a vet told us to give her a little baby food -- completely plain chicken, NO SALT (very important!), just chicken and water. It worked like a charm! Got her used to the idea of eating again, and within a few hours, she was starting back on kitten food.

So you might try that if you feel sure Snickers is in good health... but if not, I'd let the vet check her out.

She sure is a beauty, by the way!
 
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lisasha3

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Originally Posted by CarolPetunia

I wonder if Snickers might not be feeling well. When cats don't eat, but just linger around their food (even lying down as you describe), it's often because they WANT to eat, but instinctively feel they shouldn't when they're sick.

When one of our fosters was refusing to eat, a vet told us to give her a little baby food -- completely plain chicken, NO SALT (very important!), just chicken and water. It worked like a charm! Got her used to the idea of eating again, and within a few hours, she was starting back on kitten food.

So you might try that if you feel sure Snickers is in good health... but if not, I'd let the vet check her out.

She sure is a beauty, by the way!
Thanks!
I've been keeping an eye on her and she is eating. She's acting normal as well, playing, jumping, snugglin with me at night
, but I'll definitely continue to watch her. She's a skittish kitty when you're walking around, but when I'm sitting or in bed she'll lay down next to me and stretch out a paw. That's my signal to "hold her hand".
All she wants me to do is grab her paw and hold it. We hold hands all the time.

She is a big girl though and could use a little weight loss, so I've got to figure something out. She hasn't lost an ounce, so I know she's still eating - plenty!

I've already decided on a massive vet visit for all 5 as soon as my taxes come back. Zoey is at the end of her 3 year period, Chance is coming up in April, Pebbles is suppose to be in May, but will move it back, and Snickers and Peanut were suppose to be first week in December, but that's tough right before the holidays so I'm waiting. Will be nice to have them all on the same schedule, but with 5 going at once I'm expecting a big bill and just figured I'd use my tax money.
I'm definitely going to spend some time with the vet on Snickers weight and Pebbles attitude.
She's taken up hissing at everyone. She's become a real pain in the butt. I know Chance is the root cause - she hates him! and he insists on continued surprise attacks, but I figure a vets opinion on her health and well being will put me at ease knowing it's just Chance and not health issues.
 

carolpetunia

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"...She hasn't lost an ounce, so I know she's still eating - plenty!"

Great! But just for the sake of thoroughness: a few months ago, my father put on a few pounds, and we thought he was doing great, regaining some weight he had lost after a surgery. But on our next checkup, we discovered that he was not gaining WEIGHT, but retaining FLUID -- well on his way toward congestive heart failure! Sheesh!

But it sounds like your darlin really is feeling better, and that's wonderful. Give her a pat for me!
 
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