Hi, I’m Dr. Karyn! Read my introduction to learn more about me and meet my five funny cats: Clutch, Cyril, Alex, Zelda, and Zazzles.
One problem I have never had in my house is picky eaters. The most likely reason for this is competition. I’ve only ever had one pet at home, and that was Clutch, a cat who came to me from the mean streets of Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, UK, and a street cat will never go. to pass the meal!
Although this is not always the case, most cats and dogs who are picky eaters, or leave their food to return to later, are just children. As soon as another mouth can steal your food, learn to eat what is given to you when it is given to you! Another reason many pets become picky is because they are in the process of training their humans.
While it’s okay, and not dangerous, for a cat or dog to miss an occasional meal (as long as they’re not bad or do it regularly), many owners will be concerned if their take care eat their food. So what do they do? They rush to the kitchen to find something more tempting, like fresh chicken or fish, or some leftover rice pudding…you get my point.
Animals aren’t fools, and once they realize that turning their noses up at their regular food will bring them something better, it’s only a matter of time before their cat or dog food is replaced with swirling that smorgasbord of Michelin star-worthy. foods. Fortunately, I’ve never been a victim of that particular form of manipulation, and my cats remain unaware that things like cooked pieces of chicken are anything other than an ‘after-dinner digestif’.
However, they managed to work out a way to manipulate their way into the occasional second breakfast or dinner.
Cat and Hobbit
Unless you live in a (Hobbit) hole, you’ll hear about Lord of the Rings, and even those of you who haven’t seen the movies (many times, in extended versions, and with cast commentary) like there is I, may have heard the quote from mischievous Pippin:
We had breakfast, yes, but what about the second breakfast?
Not to mention ‘elevenses, luncheon, and afternoon tea.’
We have found that my cats do not shy away from a feed, and in fact, they can be downright greedy. But, they are also quite cunning.
Twice a day, all five cats come together to meow and make noise to make sure Mister and I don’t forget to feed them. We never have, but obviously, they don’t want to leave anything to chance. If one of us beats the other house, or leaves for work early, we usually know if the cats have been fed in the enthusiasm of the group’s requests. Most days, one or two would come begging later, but foodie Cyril wouldn’t fool us into feeding them again.
Every once in a while, maybe once or twice a month, I swear the cats get together and agree to go for a second meal. They would approach either the Husband or me, whichever one had not eaten them, asking, in all five voices, to be fed. It wasn’t until the food was falling that a voice came from below, saying “I’ve eaten enough of them!”
The Conspiracy Theory
You might think I’m reading too much into the behavior of a group of greedy cats, but here’s why I believe this was a coordinated attack:
In order for their plea for ‘second breakfast’ (or about eleven, dinner, etc.) to work,
- all five cats have to be together – if only a few (usually Cyril or Zelda) come begging, we can assume that they are all fed, and they only rely on the second helping.
- they have to target the person who hasn’t fed them yet – for obvious reasons.
- they can’t do it often – if they’re all asking for extra food every day, we’ll never be fooled. It’s because they only do it occasionally that they can do it.
It may seem far-fetched to think that my cats are capable of high-level espionage, but unless you prove otherwise, I’ll keep believing it!
Are your cats manipulating you? Tell me about it in the comments below.
This article is part of a series by Dr. Karyn with her five funny cats.
