Expert: Tina - 11/11/2007

Question
Hi I have become frustrated with my 6 month old cat Saya. She always drags her food out of the bowl and plays with it all over the house. I cannot get her to stop and I cant keep track of how much of it shes actually eating. She is a short haired tabby and I got her off a farm. She plays with it pice by piece like it was alive! maybe a wild instinct? I just wish she would eat it out of the bowl. Any advice?

Answer
Hi Monique,

Cats play with their food because they are hunters - but it's also likely that she's not really happy with the dry food. Dry cat food is not a good choice for any cat, for a number of reasons. All dry foods are far too high in carbohydrates for our strict carnivores. Cats can't metabolize carbohydrates as well as other mammals. They evolved to eat meat - raw and whole bones and all. Dry cat food with it's high carbohydrates and plant content and it's low moisture is a recipe for obesity, chronic bowel problems, and diabetes.

I recommend feeding your cat canned food or a raw meat diet in 2-3 meals a day (not free feeding). When fed properly, your cat will finish her meal within 15 minutes, and you won't need to worry about it being take all over the house (if that was still somehow a problem you could confine her in a bathroom while she eats).

Please read the following for some excellent info on cats nutrition, why grain-free canned food or a raw meat diet is best for your cat, and what the recommended options are for these foods.

http://www.catinfo.org

http://www.littlebigcat.com/index.php?action=library&act=show&item=whycatsneedca...


http://www.catnutrition.org

http://www.felinenutrition.net/recipe.html

http://maxshouse.com/feline_nutrition.htm