Taking Care of a Picky Cat: How Olga’s Eating Habits Have Changed

Hi, I’m Christopher! Read my introduction to learn more about me and my silly Russian Blue cat, Olga.

When Olga was a kitten, she wasn’t as finicky and always ran to the kitchen when she smelled my cooking. I gave her dry food every day and wet food a few times a week, and I made the mistake of replicating my previous cat’s diet. Free feeding isn’t recommended for most pets, but my Siamese cat never became overweight when allowed to graze all day on kibble.

Free-Feeding Frenzy

I shouldn’t have free-fed Olga; her head was much larger than her body when she was young, and her belly was starting to catch up. When my veterinarian said she was a little heavy for a kitten, I changed her diet and only gave her dry food in the morning and wet food in the evening.

It took several months, and by the time she entered adulthood, she no longer had a bulging belly. She loves wet food but only eats formulas with chicken or turkey. I discovered early on that seafood and beef weren’t kind to her gut, and until recently, she liked dry food.

Kibble Conundrum

She stopped eating her kibble, and when I tried to introduce new brands gradually, she ate them for a few days until they made her vomit. I’ve tried limited-ingredient diets and too many brands to remember, but nothing seems to agree with her stomach. She only tolerates wet food, and I no longer give her treats.

I don’t know why, but she eats more when I’m in the same room. If I go outside to fill up the birdfeeders after leaving a bowl of food for her in the morning, she waits at the window until I return and then runs back to her bowl to eat.

She doesn’t like to eat alone, and sometimes, she leaves most of her food uneaten and walks away. If I call her back and tap on her bowl, she returns to her food and devours it. Some dogs and cats become irritated or aggressive if you stand too close to them or pet them on the back when they’re eating, but Olga prefers it. She eats all her food now, but I still have to encourage her.

Picky and Proud

Living with a picky cat is annoying, but Olga is healthy. She doesn’t bother me when I’m eating and doesn’t consume foreign objects, plants, or toxic chemicals. Being selective and indecisive may be an advantage for her. Since she has such a sensitive stomach, she may be less likely to eat something harmful.

That’s not a statement from someone with veterinary expertise, but it applies to my stubborn cat. Before dinner, she stares at me and whines if I look at her. She acts like a starving animal and tries to intimidate me by slamming the closet door or knocking my pen off my desk.

Her begging is relentless, but as hungry as she appears, she doesn’t eat all her food unless I join her in the kitchen. Olga is a freak of nature, but she’s a good cat.