Don’t let that stop you – dry food is always bad for cats! Dry food is actually addictive for many cats. If you are moving to a carnivore-appropriate diet, the benefits will be WAY worth it.Ĭats coming off kibble may have a harder time. It DOES mean you’ll need a plan (and possibly moral support.) It generally takes around 3 weeks to get past neophobia, as long as you never give in to the begging. Neophobia is NOT being “finicky.” It’s being a cat.Ī neophobic response doesn’t mean your cat will never accept a new food. He may eat it right off the bat, if you’re lucky… chances are better that he won’t. The love and trust your cat feels for you does not extend to any new food you offer him. Most of all, it helps to understand why your cat acts as he does.Ĭats are wild animals. Your cat might lose her appetite if she feels that the natural order of her life is disrupted. As a cat parent feeding a new diet, you need a saintly level of patience and perseverance. At times of stress, however, most cats will prefer the familiar.
Neophobia keeps cats alive in the wild, but it can make your parenting job tough. When did you first notice a change in your cats eating habits Examples include: Eating less showing less, or no, interest in meals, time spent at the food. This is normal cat behavior, a positive survival trait, called “neophobia.” This means that, on one hand, a cat may naturally reject a new food offering or. So you avoid it until you have no other choice, then eat as little of it as possible. Additional influences on cats dietary choices include neophobia and monotony. In the wild, an unfamiliar food might kill you. Because of this behavior (and Morris!), cats are now commonly viewed as being “finicky.”Ĭats are not “finicky.” They ARE naturally leery of unfamiliar foods. They cover it up or refuse to eat it, and beg for the old stuff with pitiful mews and huge eyes. Cats offered an unfamiliar food often react with apparent disgust. Morris the Cat, “The World’s Most Finicky Cat.” That ad campaign created one of the most harmful cat myths around - the Myth of the "Finicky" Cat. The Truth: Cats Are NEOPHOBIC (and may be addicts!)