My cats are driving me crazy!!

[ailsagirl]

Maybe not crazy, but I'm heading in the direction of the nearest poorhouse for sure.

I have two kittens who have the habit of licking up all the gravy from the food I give them and then just walking away. (Actually they're 1.5 years old.) Does anyone have a solution to this problem? It's not an unusual one, I understand.

At least twice a day I have the disgusting task of throwing away the meaty bits they don't eat.

Any advice would be appreciated.

[Ocelot II]

1. This is their job.

[ailsagirl]

2. To bankrupt me??

[Ocelot II]

4. To drive you crazy. Bankrupting you is secondary.

[ailsagirl]

16. As long as it's secondary, I can live with that

[wnylib]

3. Try switching to a pate?

[ailsagirl]

5. I can try switching to pate-- have any of you noticed how the prices are skyrocketing??

Of everything??

[Blue Owl]

6. That was my solution

Some 'chunky' foods can be mashed up into a lumpy gravy they would sometimes eat, but pate-style food is the easiest -- I add a little water to mine and make it into a nice runny gravy they love to lap up!

[liberalla]

7. Yes, prices are ridiculous! My cats are the same way with the gravy, and pate is their favorite

so I try to stick with that.

[johnp3907]

14. We stir water into the pate.

The cats go for it.
“Makes its own sauce when you add water.” -Frank Zappa

[Midnight Writer]

15. The only wet food my cats will eat is pate style. Shreds, morsels, bits? They lick the gravy and go.

They do pretty good with dry food. We've settled with a bowl of Fancy Feast dry that they nibble on through the day, then in the evening they split a can of Fancy Feast pate. I'm not pushing Fancy Feast, but that is what they seem to consistently like.

[ailsagirl]

17. I give my cats Fancy Feast all the time

That and the crunchy stuff

I have three cats total-- I must go through 5-6 cans of FF per day-- and it's not cheap.
(of course, nothing is)

[japple]

19. I have 5 cats that eat pate. I split 2 cans between them morning & evening. Then I free feed

Purina Cat Chow. Maybe if you fed them pate mixed with a little water and reduced the portions--1 can per meal divided 3 ways. If they don't eat all of it, keep reducing the portions until they do. Keep us posted.

[ailsagirl]

20. I love hearing how other cat people...

deal with cats’ tendency 🙄 to be picky eaters!!

I’ve heard some great ideas—thank you, all

To be continued…

[Sky Jewels]

8. Mine do that.

I liken it to kids licking the frosting off cupcakes.

[3catwoman3]

9. Maybe mush it up and add water...

…to make a slurry/thick soup with no chunks in it so they can just lap it up?

[Leghorn21]

10. All my cats have been gravy-suckers, too, girl,

so I started mashing the chunks up in a bowl and adding water and more or less making a pâté — at which point I started getting pâté, along with a mixer, and I’d throw the pate and water in there and make, basically, a big batch of gravy!!

This ^ was a terribly-written sentence, but anyway, it worked for me and the kittehs!!

[SharonClark]

11. When I had cats they ate kibble.

If your cats only like soft food, add water to soften the kibble and twirl the softened kibble in the food processor with a little tuna or cheese or cooked ground beef, whatever they like. It keeps for several days in the fridge.

Hope this helps.

[TexLaProgressive]

12. Our 3 sometimes do the same.

They Mainly eat dry food, but one of the 3 will insist on me opening a can of Fancy Feast with gravy. The saving grace is that the insistent one tends to clean up the other’s bowls. If there is a bit left over the dog Rocky likes a little on his food.

None of the 3 will eat much pate. But try it like someone said with a little water and form a sort of slurry.

[TigressDem]

13. Lil Soups are mostly gravy/sauce.

https://www.purina.com/friskies/wet-cat-food/lil-soups-variety-pack-30-count


My cat is 22 years old and we had to feed her this kind of diet for a bit as she was having stomach issues and she couldn't eat a lot of solids.

Also, if they are just being picky, try crunchy treats as that might get them to lean back into the solids.

BUT.... it's slightly possible the solids in the food aren't good and they know it. Like maybe that batch of cat food was off or went bad.

[ailsagirl]

18. Thank you, everyone!

You gave me some great tips!!

[CaptainTruth]

21. Sorry for the late response, hope you see it.

I've had the same problem & discovered Friskies extra gravy pate. Compared to their regular pate the round "puck" of pate in the can is a bit smaller & there's extra gravy, so you get the same amount by weight.

Once you stir up the pate in all the gravy it's pretty soupy & my cats will finish it all. If I leave the pate in chunks & pour the gravy over it they will lap up all the gravy & leave chunks of pate behind.

Cats! You gotta love them.

https://www.chewy.com/friskies-extra-gravy-pate-chicken-in/dp/169471]

[ailsagirl]

22. That's a great idea, Captain

Thank you for taking the time to write a response. I have a number of things to try now, thanks to all you cat people out there.

😻🙏😎