Many tutors find it curious to note that their kittens do not want to eat during their absence or “demand” their vigilance while enjoying their food. In general, this behavior derives from an acquired habit during the breeding of your feline. However, it is also important to find out if your kitten feels safe and comfortable at home or if he is very shy, scared or spends much of his time hiding.

Do you feel identified with this situation, let’s talk about a sociable cat or one with fears? Why does my cat want me to come with him to eat? Find out in, below we explain the reasons for this feline behavior and also offer some tips to make your pussy cat eat when he is alone. Do not miss it!

Cats are animals of customs

Cats have gained an extended “bad reputation” of being demanding and somewhat capricious in relation to their palate and their eating habits. However, we must consider that many of these supposed “whims”, in fact, are created or favored by some customs that we ourselves add to the routine of our pigs. If your cat wants you to go with him to eat or observe him while feeding, it is very likely that this habit has been implemented during his parenting and early education. But why does it happen? We explain .

First, it is important to understand that felines cling to a routine as a way to preserve their health and well-being, as well as to avoid dangerous or unfavorable situations. While habits comprise a large part of the cat’s routine, it also includes their food, their schedules, their toys, the stimuli and objects of their environment, and even the other individuals that make up their environment.

When we adopt a pussycat, it is natural that we want to ensure that our new partner receives the best care and receive adequate food to strengthen your body and develop in good health. For this reason, many tutors usually observe and accompany their cats (especially puppies) while they feed.

While this attitude is not wrong or “bad” (since it is really essential to ensure that our pets eat regularly), it may be the explanation of why your cat wants you to come with him to eat. Kittens get used to having their guardian present during their feeding and maintain this habit during their adult phase. Then, they can refuse to eat when they are alone at home.

All animals need a safe environment to feed

In the wild, the time to feed is extremely delicate for felines, as they become more vulnerable to various hazards, such as attack by predators. To eat their food, the animal must be exposed and their senses may not be so focused on their environment (eating also requires a dose of concentration and dedication). At this time, any “surprise attack” could be lethal, since the animal is somewhat distracted with its food and can become slower than usual, not having time to escape or defend.

Although our home does not look almost like a wild habitat, our kittens will also feel more vulnerable at the time of feeding. Therefore, they must have a calm and positive environment, where they feel safe to consume their food and enjoy optimal nutrition. For many cats, the presence of their tutor is essential to generate this feeling of security They need to enjoy their food.

We know that it is very gratifying to feel that our cats love us and that our presence generates good feelings, such as security, trust and peace. But it is important to ask ourselves why a cat can not feel safe when he is alone at home.

If you recently adopted a pussycat, your little one may not yet have adapted to his new home, so he may not feel totally safe or comfortable to feed himself when he is alone. In, we tell you how much time a cat needs to adapt to a new home and we offer some tips to favor its adaptive process. Do not miss it!

What should I do if my cat wants me to come with him to eat?

While many tutors “normalize” the fact that their cats do not eat when they are alone, it is important to have Be careful when reinforcing this behavior. On a day-to-day basis, it may seem that this habit does not negatively impact your pussycat’s nutrition. However, the problem usually appears when tutors want to go on vacation or when they spend long hours away from home.

If you are absent for a long time and your cat does not want to eat alone, it means that your organism must experience a prolonged fasting. After many hours without eating, the animals accumulate digestive fluids in their stomach. This causes intense irritation and inflammation of the stomach mucous membranes, and can make your cat vomit bile. If prolonged fasting is frequent, this inflammation can also generate ulcers in the intestinal tract, damaging the health of your pussycat.

So, what should we do that our cat does not want to eat alone? First of all, we need to have a lot of patience, because changing habits is never easy. To remove this habit from our pussycat, we’ll start by change your place feeder inside the home. For example: if your cat’s trough is usually in the dining room, we will move it to the kitchen or another room. It is important to choose a clean, safe and well-conditioned environment, where the cat can feel safe to enter and feed. It must also be far away from the sandbox or the water.

In principle, we will make this movement of the feeder while we are at home, but we should not stay in the same room where we place the feeder. The goal is to make your pussy learn, little by little, to eat in a place where you do not have your company. When you notice that your feline is already comfortable eating alone in the other room, you can move on to the “next level” of adaptation. Now, you will leave your favorite food served at your trough (in the same room chosen during the first stage), but you must leave the house.

To stimulate your appetite and your curiosity, we can offer you some pâté or a tasty homemade wet meal, which has its favorite aromas, flavors and textures. The felines, in the wild, eat the meat of their prey while still maintaining their body temperature (between 36,5ºC and 38ºC). Therefore, if we can gently temper the food before offering it to our pussycat, it will be very beneficial to awaken your interest in food.

If this process is not effective, it is best to seek the professional guidance of an expert in feline ethology. As we always mentioned, each feline is a unique individual, who demonstrates a unique personality. Therefore, it is important to have the help of a professional to better understand the behavior of your pussycat and establish an adaptive process suited to your specific needs.

Enriching your pussycat environment will also help .

By having an enriched environment, where you can find toys, scrapers, accessories and sensory stimuli that allow you to exercise your body and your mind, your cat will spend more energy and, then, you must feel the need to eat to satisfy your hunger and replenish the essential nutrients for your body. In addition, good physical and mental stimulation is essential to preserve good health and prevent behavioral problems associated with stress and boredom.

Does your cat not eat and have other symptoms?

If you see that you cat does not want to eat or present symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy or behavior changes, do not hesitate to consult your trusted veterinarian. Some diseases can alter your pussycat’s appetite and affect its digestive tract. In addition, the accumulation of hairballs In your intestinal tract you can also make a cat stop eating suddenly. In both cases, it is essential to have the experience of the veterinarian to establish an adequate treatment.

It is also important to pay attention to the quality of the food that we provide to our kittens. If you offer a low quality feed to your cat, it is very possible that he will refuse it. Therefore, remember to prefer high-end feed (Premium line) as the basis of your cat’s diet. In addition, you can consider starting on a BARF diet, which offers numerous benefits for your health, such as facilitating the digestive process, avoiding the formation of tartar and strengthen your immune system.

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