Is cat really eating or just moving food around the bowl?

[Sue & Emma]

Okay, really really dumb question here. I put 2 cans of FF on the counter each day for Emma. I open 1 at a time and put some in her bowl to eat. When I look in her bowl it looks like she pushes it around, licking it, which pushed it kinda flat to the bottom of the bowl. I take a spoon and scrap it back into a pile in the middle and I swear that the pile is now bigger than the scoop I originally put it. (I know I sound crazy but I really mean this) Since I can't leave the bowl out, (other cat scarfs and barfs it) I pick the bowl back up when she's done and scrap the "leftovers" back into the can and put a lid on it. Well, when I do that the leftovers seem to fill the can up along with what's already in there! I know she eats. I see her do it. But I'm freaking out because I've never seen an absolutely clean bowl.
I don't know. I think it's just me being silly. But the other cat licks his bowl clean and Emma always leaves enough mashed in the bottom to make a pile. Anyone else dealing with this?

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

Hi Sue , unless I put enough water in his FF pates and then he gets to the bottom of it, I can see it starts to dry out and he won't pick it up and it just flies off the end of the dish and he just walks away.
I use a flat dish.
With him I have to get it the right consistency for him or he doesn't like it
Too much water no good, not enough no good.
So I add water and start to smash it down with a fork back and forth until its/a creamy texture, then I see he licks the plate clean
They can be real pain in the butts

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

Sue I just noticed in your pic of Emma when I go to your profile I see the little orange kitty, what's his or her name.
Both are adorable
The cat napper that the orange kitty is laying on, I have the same exact one
I wanted to buy more but they discontinued it years ago
I was so mad, that was the best one ever.
I still have 2 of them but ,one for Tyler and the other one for his brother Perry
I just wanted to get 2 more since the ones I have are so old
You can't even buy the replacement covers anymore

Why discontinue a good thing

 

[Wendy and Millie]

Okay, really really dumb question here. I put 2 cans of FF on the counter each day for Emma. I open 1 at a time and put some in her bowl to eat. When I look in her bowl it looks like she pushes it around, licking it, which pushed it kinda flat to the bottom of the bowl. I take a spoon and scrap it back into a pile ...
I don't know. I think it's just me being silly. But the other cat licks his bowl clean and Emma always leaves enough mashed in the bottom to make a pile. Anyone else dealing with this?

Millie does this too and it is so frustrating! I usually just let her adopted sister Martha finish what is in the bowl as this is a routine that we have settled into. Millie eats some of it but it looks like she has just licked it around and then she wants to go get some dry. We are currently transitioning from dry to wet s l o w l y cuz Millie loves the dry! My 4 other cats will clean their bowls and then I have one that won't touch the wet stuff. I have 6 cats and meal time can be challenging.

 

[Sue & Emma]

Hi Sue , unless I put enough water in his FF pates and then he gets to the bottom of it, I can see it starts to dry out and he won't pick it up and it just flies off the end of the dish and he just walks away.
I use a flat dish.
With him I have to get it the right consistency for him or he doesn't like it
Too much water no good, not enough no good.
So I add water and start to smash it down with a fork back and forth until its/a creamy texture, then I see he licks the plate clean
They can be real pain in the butts

Maybe I should try your method. I have added water to the pate but I feel like she licks the water and gets fuller faster and won't finish the food. But maybe I need to really stir it around? I'll try that out. Thanks for the idea and not calling me crazy!

 

[Sue & Emma]

Sue I just noticed in your pic of Emma when I go to your profile I see the little orange kitty, what's his or her name.
Both are adorable
The cat napper that the orange kitty is laying on, I have the same exact one
I wanted to buy more but they discontinued it years ago
I was so mad, that was the best one ever.
I still have 2 of them but ,one for Tyler and the other one for his brother Perry
I just wanted to get 2 more since the ones I have are so old
You can't even buy the replacement covers anymore

Why discontinue a good thing

Wow, you really did have 1 of these!! Yes, they no longer make them. And I had to sew another cover for it. I used an old pillow case which gave me a good head start. Never give up the old one that you have. We tried to get a 2nd 'new design' one and it didn't work at all.
And Tony, aka "Little Man" says thanks for the compliment! He is extremely loving and it's been wonderful now that Emma is getting active again to see them messing with each other.

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

Maybe I should try your method. I have added water to the pate but I feel like she licks the water and gets fuller faster and won't finish the food. But maybe I need to really stir it around? I'll try that out. Thanks for the idea and not calling me crazy!

Yes give it a try, I even sometimes smash it up between my fingers, if I see it start to dry up and I can tell he wants to eat more I'll just add more water to it.
But he likes the flat dishes better to eat out of , you know a saucer dish
Good luck

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

Wow, you really did have 1 of these!! Yes, they no longer make them. And I had to sew another cover for it. I used an old pillow case which gave me a good head start. Never give up the old one that you have. We tried to get a 2nd 'new design' one and it didn't work at all.
And Tony, aka "Little Man" says thanks for the compliment! He is extremely loving and it's been wonderful now that Emma is getting active again to see them messing with each other.

Lol I made a new cover also, how funny
They never should have discontinued it, it's nice and roomy
I saw a brand new one on E-Bay once long time ago, when I went back to buy it, it was gone.
Have a good night and let me know how using the flat dish and smashing the crap out if it works lol

 

[Sue & Emma]

Lol I made a new cover also, how funny
They never should have discontinued it, it's nice and roomy
I saw a brand new one on E-Bay once long time ago, when I went back to buy it, it was gone.
Have a good night and let me know how using the flat dish and smashing the crap out if it works lol

I tried the saucer method and Emma actually sat a foot away from it and wouldn't go near the saucer. So I put it in a bowl and she started chowing down. Silly cat. I have added water and kinda smashed it back into a hill and she will start eating it again. ... Oh and you are going to love this. I weighed her this week and she gained. So she's not hurting for food like I thought. She's at 14.5 lbs. !! She needs to loose some more weight so I'm not going to keep putting food down all the time. She has a healthy appetite now so I'm going to stick to very specific eating times and just use the bowl.
I can't thank you enough for sharing your tips with me.
Thanks!!!

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

I tried the saucer method and Emma actually sat a foot away from it and wouldn't go near the saucer. So I put it in a bowl and she started chowing down. Silly cat. I have added water and kinda smashed it back into a hill and she will start eating it again. ... Oh and you are going to love this. I weighed her this week and she gained. So she's not hurting for food like I thought. She's at 14.5 lbs. !! She needs to loose some more weight so I'm not going to keep putting food down all the time. She has a healthy appetite now so I'm going to stick to very specific eating times and just use the bowl.
I can't thank you enough for sharing your tips with me.
Thanks!!!

Hi Sue that's too funny, I'm happy she's eating out of her bowl again, as long as you keep making it into a hill for her to finish ,that's what you will have to do says Emma
What we don't have to do for our kitties right?
They are something else
You think Emma weighs a lot, how about 19 lbs, I've been trying to get him to lose weight forever.
He only eats 2 cans of FF Pate a day 200 calories
He used to with 23 lbs, then was 18 when he was diagnosed.
He is just a lazy blob, I try and get him to play, that lasts for about 5 minutes
My vet said he just isn't burning calories
Once in awhile I hear him playing with his toys flinging them up in the air.

He has a brother who is just the opposite, very active

When Tyler is looking for more food I chase him away, he doesn't need more food either.
I'm going to put him on a treadmill soon lol
Well I'm happy Emma is doing good and keep in touch ok
Give Emma kitty hugs for me, have a good night Sue

 

[Roberta and Chloe]

Hi Sue , unless I put enough water in his FF pates and then he gets to the bottom of it, I can see it starts to dry out and he won't pick it up and it just flies off the end of the dish and he just walks away.
I use a flat dish.
With him I have to get it the right consistency for him or he doesn't like it
Too much water no good, not enough no good.
So I add water and start to smash it down with a fork back and forth until its/a creamy texture, then I see he licks the plate clean
They can be real pain in the butts

My cats do the same. I think it's something about their anatomy. I do what Diane does. When Chloe walks away from her bowl, I put a tiny bit of water in the can and swish it about to get the gravy. Then I pour it over the food and scrape it down with the lld. My cats also won't eat it if it's too diluted. If I have to put it back in the can, it gets aerated, that's why it looks like more.

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

My cats do the same. I think it's something about their anatomy. I do what Diane does. When Chloe walks away from her bowl, I put a tiny bit of water in the can and swish it about to get the gravy. Then I pour it over the food and scrape it down with the lld. My cats also won't eat it if it's too diluted. If I have to put it back in the can, it gets aerated, that's why it looks like more.

Hey Roberta, these cats are something else, why can't we just put the food down and that's it.
I think of the poor kitties that just roam around outside and think to myself it wouldn't matter how their food is, they would just eat it up

 

[Roberta and Chloe]

other cat scarfs and barfs it

lol. I have a cat who's like a garbage disposal and eats everything. Then he barfs it up and if I don't shove him to the side, he barfs it back into the bowl. He also begs for food when I'm eating. I call him my bulimic kitty.

 

[Roberta and Chloe]

Hey Roberta, these cats are something else, why can't we just put the food down and that's it.
I think of the poor kitties that just roam around outside and think to myself it wouldn't matter how their food is, they would just eat it up

Actually, Stray is very picky about what he eats. Wet food doesn't impress him.

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

Actually, Stray is very picky about what he eats. Wet food doesn't impress him.

Aww I just read about Stray on your profile, he wakes you up for his breakfast.
So happy he has you to feed him

 

[Roberta and Chloe]

Aww I just read about Stray on your profile, he wakes you up for his breakfast.
So happy he has you to feed him[/QUOTE
He hasn't been doing that lately. Today, he wasn't in the yard when I let my boys out. I hadn't seen him for a couple of days and was sure the coyotes finally got him or a neighbor had called Animal Control. I was doing my gardening and then saw Cheddar chase him across the yard. I got Cheddar and Chico inside and then Stray was able to eat. I suspect someone else is feeding him, too.

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

God forbid a coyote

 

[Roberta and Chloe]

God forbid a coyote

I've lost 2 cats by coyotes and another by a bunch of dogs that a brain-damaged person let run loose. So I worry about Stray if he doesn't show up for a couple of days.

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

That is just heartbreaking, I read you lost Holstein by coyotes on your profile.
How did that happen, was he also a stray
When you let your kitties out what are they fenced in do you have to stay outside with them

 

[Roberta and Chloe]

Now, I let them out only in the mornings, when I do my gardening. The cats I lost were let out in the afternoon and didn't come home when I called after it got dark. Chico and Cheddar stay in my small backyard mostly. There is a six-foot wall surrounding the yard, but the cats can jump over it if they want. Cheddar sometimes jumps from the wall onto the roof. Chico doesn't like to be outside unless I am there, but Cheddar is more of a hunter and will stay out longer.

 

[jt and trouble (GA)]

Roberta, I had a stray come eat for over 8 years Tux Kitty. He disappeared for 2 of those years. He showed up again and resumed like he had never left.Then the day came when he showed up sick. I knew he was sick cause he let me touch him. He had come back to the place that actually cared. I wound up having to release him from his insurmountable pain. I didnt know I could care for a creature that hated being touched so much. That little thief stole my heart.

 

[Roberta and Chloe]

That is just heartbreaking, I read you lost Holstein by coyotes on your profile.
How did that happen, was he also a stray
When you let your kitties out what are they fenced in do you have to stay outside with them

Holstein was a stray cat that I adopted when I was living in Ohio. I didn't want him at first, but when he disappeared for 2 weeks and came back bloody like he'd been in a fight, I realized that I had missed him. At the beginning, he wouldn't let me touch him, but I finally caught him and got him neutered. After that, he eventually let me pet him after watching me pet Chango. A few months later, he would sleep on one side of my pillow and Chango would sleep on the other side. However, if I left him in the house when I wasn't there, he would hurl himself at the window ad knock over all my plants. I brought both of them cross-country to Tucson. Chango had been diagnosed with hypertropiccardiomyopathy and died not long after. Holstein would sit on the wall where Chango had died until I would carry him inside for the night. Holstein was such a gentle, loving cat and I miss him terribly.

 

[Roberta and Chloe]

Today, Cheddar chased Stray across the yard again. When I went to pick up Cheddar, his tail was all fluffed up. I put him inside. I don't think I'll let Cheddar out when Stray is here from now on.

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

Holstein was a stray cat that I adopted when I was living in Ohio. I didn't want him at first, but when he disappeared for 2 weeks and came back bloody like he'd been in a fight, I realized that I had missed him. At the beginning, he wouldn't let me touch him, but I finally caught him and got him neutered. After that, he eventually let me pet him after watching me pet Chango. A few months later, he would sleep on one side of my pillow and Chango would sleep on the other side. However, if I left him in the house when I wasn't there, he would hurl himself at the window ad knock over all my plants. I brought both of them cross-country to Tucson. Chango had been diagnosed with hypertropiccardiomyopathy and died not long after. Holstein would sit on the wall where Chango had died until I would carry him inside for the night. Holstein was such a gentle, loving cat and I miss him terribly.

Aww so sad, I'm so sorry about both of them