If your cat is a picky eater

Until I invited a stray kitten to move into my apartment I had no idea how to take care of a cat. Fortunately the kitten had no idea what what it was like to be taken care of. So Koosi and I were meant for each other.

I figured that cats would be happy on a diet of canned sardines and the occasional bowl of milk. Koosi did not seem to mind, but then she’d been living out of garbage cans and the neighbors’ charity. This went on for a month, and then a visitor observed that Koosi was skinny. Skinny?!

I took offense at this slur upon my feline-nurturing skills. Were they calling me a bad parent? Immediately I went to a pet store and the first brand of dry kibble and canned cat food that I saw. (Which was one of two cat food brands in the store. The variety has not improved much in the last 13 years.) 

Koosi took to the cat food, ate heartily, and put on weight. People remarked on how healthy she was, and how her coat shone. Apart from the health benefits, cats who eat only cat food are less likely to jump onto the table and sample what you are eating. I was raising a well-nourished cat with good manners, so I considered myself a success at cat parenting.

Then the diva nature of the feline exerted itself. You would think that a kitten you’d picked up from the street and given a comfortable home to would be happy with whatever you served at mealtimes. (This is also the plot of many telenovelas: “Pinulot kita sa lansangan, pinakain, dinamitan, etc.”) You forget that cats consider themselves superior beings. Having grown accustomed to ruling the household, Koosi began to reject the usual menu. She expressed her disapproval dramatically, by sniffing the dish, turning up her nose literally, and then pawing at the floor. This is also how she behaves when using the litterbox, so what it mean was, literally, “This kibble is for me to poop on”.

Thus began a long and harrowing process of finding cat food Koosi liked. I tried all the brands sold in local pet stores and supermarkets, and whenever I travelled I brought her a bag of kibble. Some brands she liked for a few weeks, and then refused; others she declined outright. (The rejects were donated to friends with cats, neighborhood strays, and the dog who lived in the guardhouse.) 

To compound the problem there were all these scary news reports on the Internet about contaminated pet food or the horrid stuff that goes into commercial pet food. I didn’t consider preparing Koosi’s meals myself—it’s not as if I can cook my own meals (The cat doesn’t like sandwiches and oatmeal).

My sister was particularly susceptible to emotional blackmail by Koosi. She would buy squid flakes, cut them up, and serve the pieces one by one to the skinny, picky cat. Koosi was like those women playing mahjong in Oro, Plata, Mata, whose butong pakwan (watermelon seeds) were shelled by housemaids.

Meanwhile I adopted two more pusakal (pusang kalye), Saffy and Mat. They do not have Koosi’s dietary issues. They have good appetites and have always been nice and round. Mat, who lived on the street for a year, had a way of staring at you pitifully while you were eating so you had to give him a tidbit. He still does this sometimes, except that he turns up his nose at the tidbit.

Cats usually put on weight after they’ve been spayed or neutered. Not Koosi, who only became crankier after the procedure. Finally I asked our veterinarian Mayem Yao for something that would improve Koosi’s appetite. Mayem recommended 1 ml a day of any children’s vitamin syrup that contained Zinc.

Giving vitamins to a cat requires stealth and fortitude. I am especially proud of my technique. When the cat is not looking, prepare the medicine dropper containing 1 ml of vitamin syrup. Then approach the cat casually, keeping the medicine dropper out of sight. Pretend that you were about to do something else and only stopped to pet the cat. Tickle the cat under the ear, and then hold her by the scruff of her neck.  

Keep your wrist firm, as if you’re hitting a volley to Roger Federer. Then when the cat opens her mouth to protest being grabbed, squeeze the contents of the medicine dropper into her mouth with your other hand. 

The first few times you try this the cat may bite and scratch and your wrist may seem like the site of several suicide attempts. However, cats respect strength and will eventually offer only token resistance. 

The vet’s prescription worked: Koosi’s appetite improved. My eldest cat is in excellent health and has become less fussy about the menu. She still paws at the floor to express her disdain, but she will eat whatever she is served.