this post was submitted on 17 Jun 2025
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Your mind will be blown once you learn about 'different flavours'. I wish I could ask my cat which he prefers.
I finally figured out mine doesn't have a favorite and he rotates through multiple flavors. Variety is the spice of life and all that. I mostly have it figured out now and only have to give away about a bag a month. Took nearly $200 of food research to get here though I hope he knows how much I care
Couldn't you have multiple flavors out to eat in order and see which one they eat first?
I don't have a pet but I think I'd do that. Food is mostly fuel for pets so they'll eat what's available unless there's a problem. These things are manufactured to be appealing to your kitties. If they won't eat it you won't buy it.
Mine goes off fish every now and then. Sometimes during these times she will still eat salmon, but not tuna, cod or her freeze dried minor treats.
Other times I have to be careful not to get my hand attacked for not putting the fish dish down fast enough.
The other night she had chicken “stew” for first dinner, reluctantly. When I tried to serve the same flavor for 3am dinner, she sniffed it and then reached out and scratched my leg and yelled at me.
I haven’t gotten rid of that flavor, she may change her mind later.
She’s currently only excited about beef and rabbit flavor. I’m extremely disturbed about canned rabbit, so I hope she starts accepting poultry again soon.
Wait... Now I'm remembering about that dog that got trained to talk with a sound board.
If you had that for a cat with water, chicken, fish and beef I wonder if it would work...
Edit: It can be done...
Holy crap that's nuts
a cats favorite flavor is whatever they feel like it is at any particular moment
And/or whatever you’ve just given up on and thrown away
What Whisker likes today might not be appealing to him tomorrow, and he will ask for it in 2 months when you thought he didn't like it. Don't get me started on which brands he favors depending on which direction the wind blows. That being said, I got mine to eat his wet food by mixing pumpkin purée for human babies with it. It worked for almost an entire week.
Fun fact, pumpkin purée is the #1 vet recommended cat laxative.
That is a fun fact!
I could present him with multiple options at once, but since he only gets wet food, this would involve a lot of waste.
There's also the added problem of changing taste. Depending on my mood, I prefer different food on different days. Until proven otherwise, I just assume the same for him, which is why I would ideally have everything in stock and he could choose every day.
Maybe I should get more cats, give them multiple options and see who goes for what. Ideally, everything gets eaten and I learn more about their preferences.
Maybe you can try to associate the food with a label? So that the cats can point at a label or color or whatever the association with a flavor is, to show you what it wants in the Moment?
I do this, and it’s still only like a 60% chance it’ll appeal to my cat in the moment. I just let it sit until she either eats it or it’s been 6+ hours (she’ll generally eat it within 1-2 hours, though). I use wet food pouches, and only put a little in the dish at a time, so it’s not a huge waste, but it’s annoying when she chooses a flavor and still doesn’t want it.
Evey time I entertain the thought about adopting a cat I think about stuff like this and nope right out.
If a person would act like that you would hate their guts :D
Tbh, it’s not even a question in my mind about whether she’s worth the hassle. I’m not an especially patient person, and I grew up with very tolerant and well behaved dogs, so I had much the same thought before I adopted my cat, but she’s absolutely delightful. She’s sometimes picky, but she communicates pretty well to me, so what she’s thinking is not normally a mystery.
Coming home to her climbing all over me and aggressively nuzzling my face is one of my favorite things in life and it’s totally worth a little guesswork on her preferences. That obviously isn’t totally universal, but I didn’t consider myself a cat person before, so it might be true for you as well.
I decided to get a cat after hanging out with my sister’s friendly cats and realizing that I do love cats, as long as they’re not the shitty stereotype I had of a standoffish, hissing, scratching asshole.