Ask the expert… July-Aug 2014

Dr KG Umesh (MVSc, MSc (UK)) is a Postgraduate in Clinical Medicine. He is working for WALTHAM as Regional Associate for South Asia.

Q: I have a three-month-old Persian female cat – Tacco – weighing 0.95 kg. She is avoiding food nowadays.Please help.
– Agha Salar, Varanasi

Dr KG Umesh: Normal, healthy cats are slow, discriminating eaters with a keen sense of taste; for example, cats do not have ability to taste sugars. It is important to recognise that cats, more than other domestic animals, are strongly influenced by habit in their selection of foods and are less likely to switch easily from one type of food to another. There are number of reasons for your pet to behave like this. For example, she may have fear for new food, previous bad experience with the food, poor palatability or simply, she may be a fussy eater. Food aversion appears to be an important component of anorexia in cats, especially when the cat is offered food immediately before or after the administration of a drug or treatment. Cats are especially likely to develop anorexia when they are ill, necessitating a thorough search for the primary cause. If she is healthy and fit, consider using prepared wet (pouch) kitten food or mix of dry and wet kitten food.

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