There is no getting around the fact that finicky cats addicted to dry food can so stubborn and resistant to that lovely raw food you prepared that you feel like burying them in their litter box. However it is a serious mistake to engage in a food fight with your cat, even though you are genuinely concerned about Kitty's health and well-being. It is my personal opinion that directing frustration and anger towards your cat is more detrimental to its health than the food in its dish.
Cats are very sensitive to emotion
Don't be fooled by those cats who seen immune to your blandishments, and indifferent to your coming and going. Cats are extremely sensitive to emotional atmosphere, and they react badly to disapproval in any shape or form. Someone wrote, and I believe it was Anitra Fraser in her book "The Natural Cat" that cat owners should love and praise their felines into desired behaviors.
When I stared my three cats on a raw food program, Gouda-Buddha, the shy and elusive one of the group, refused to have anything to do with raw food, and furthermore he refused canned wet cat food as well. Since I was cautioned about the dangers of allowing a cat to go more than fifteen hours without food, I had to resort to dry food. As I continued to pick up the untouched raw food and dole out the dry food day after day, frustration and annoyance began to consume my day. Regardless of what I was doing during the day, feelings of resentment about a nine pound little furry creature was dominating my entire day.
it got to the point that I couldn't see Gouda-Buddha as the graceful, playful charmer that he was. All I could see and think was "bad cat won't eat the food that is good for him." He immediately picked up on that attitude and made himself scarce, spending most of his time under a bed. He started regurgitating his food and losing weight.
Fortunately I came to my senses. I was ridiculous to spoil my entire day because a little animal refused my attempts to control his diet. Just because I agreed with the opinions expressed in a book or two, didn't necessarily mean that I was in the right and entitled to force myself on another living creature.
I simply relaxed and allowed Gouda-Buddha to have his dry food, and made special efforts to praise him extravagantly throughout the day. We are friends again, and once again he spends hours playing with his special toys. And I am happy to report that I discovered he does enjoy raw chicken liver. It will take longer than I planned, but progress is being made.
In summary don't endanger a harmonious relationship trying to force your cat to eat what he doesn't eat. Praise, patience and more praise will win the day.
