Trinket: weird eating behavior

[Traci and Boomer]

I feel like I keep doing the same thing over and over just with different cats. nailbite_smile

Since I've had Trinket she's always been a great eater. Something has happened.

For about a week Trink's been acting very weird around food time. She's very excited to eat. I put down their FF and they both run to it. Every time she takes two bites, starts feverishly "burying" it, and walks away. Then she comes back a little later eats a couple bites and does it again over and over.

I've tried several flavors of FF and none seems better than another when she's acting like this. I tried Friskies a couple weeks ago and it gave both cats gas and smelly poop-but they did eat it. Then I tired raw and got a so-so reaction, then refusal to eat it. Then back to FF. The only reason I left FF is because it was a smaller can.

When I first adopted her she was eating Kitten Chow dry and liked it. I got rid of it as soon as I could. After that she always ate and enjoyed her wet food. Then I switched to Friskies because they were such big eaters I got bigger cans! I just bought her some Kitten Chow and she eats that more than she'll eat the FF. I am glad she'll eat, you know? I've given her Wellness Core and she doesn't really eat it. She likes junk food! :roll:

I noticed she doesn't do as much burying when she eats her Kitten Chow. Then I add some Core to it (to sneak it in) and there she goes burying it again. She does eat a little wet, it just takes forever and I need to keep Merlin the Mooch away.

Does the burying mean she doesn't like the food? :?:

 

[mybuddybinks]

The only bury-er I've got is my Adoptogirl Annie...
but I believe it comes from having lived alone here in this house for six years with Smudge
and no human intervention...
(my mom & nephew stopped by once a week to fill huge buckets with dry food & empty the LB ) poor babies :sad:

Smudge is very aggressive & dominant & older than Annie.

Annie buries her food immediately if there is another cat in the room...
and always buries the dish when she is through- even the foods she loves.
I haven't completely transitioned her from dry, and she buries the dish after eating some of that as well. :roll:

i think it comes from a deep-seated need to protect her food...
but she is a ferocious hunter, and ALWAYS offers her kills to me. Totally confusing :?

I can't imagine that Trinket's behavior is motivated by Annie's issues, though.

celi

 

[Squeaky and KT (GA)]

ShuShu buries some food then comes back to eat it later - others, he continues to bury and finally refuses to get on their table until it's gone. What's THAT mean?

KT just looks at me like "what? you're serving me THAT? and walks off..."

Good luck's all I can say...and send a HUG,

 

[arozeboom]

Ruby never buried her dry food, but if you would put a plate of "human" food near her, she'd try to bury it.
When we first switched to canned food, she would take a few bites and try to bury it. Eventually she ate more than she buried but she'll still do it on occasion.
One thing I've noticed with her is that while she's eating, she'll mash the food down flat against the bottom of the bowl and can't get it to very well.
Then she'll start to bury it. If I take a fork and fluff it up a bit again, she'll eat until its mushed down. And then bury it.

I've just chalked it up to her being weird because she's Ruby.

 

[dian and wheezer]

with a quick search, seems as though this is an instinct from wild cats. they eat what they want and then bury their food so predators cannot get to it and save it for later to eat. I have a few that do that but with 8 cats, there is no saving. I usually pick it up and offer to said cat later

 

[Traci and Boomer]

You guys are awesome! I love this place. Where else can I go with these kinds of concerns and get responses from people who actually care?

I think the theory of her burying it for later may be right. She DOES come back all night long to continue to nibble on her food. She's gone from an engulfer to a nibbler. Mer's still an engulfer so I need to watch the situation or he'll turn into a chub and she'll be skinny! :shock:

She IS pooping however, and her poop doesn't stink as badly. So - if she's pooping she's eating. Aren't I brilliant? :lol:

 

[dian and wheezer]

:thumbup

 

[mybuddybinks]

Where else can I go with these kinds of concerns and get responses from people who actually care?

:lol: :lol: :lol:

Where else can I proudly post a picture of Binksy's Manxie butt with the tag line
"Ain't this cute??"

and get 20 admiring responses, plus 10 other pics of cute kitty butts?? :lol: :lol:
(and NOT get reported to the 'Weirdo Authorities')...

T'ain't no wonder we love this place!!!

celi

**click on the attachment to get a closeup of silly eating behavior