Cats are notoriously finicky about what they will eat. Even our cat, who spent a fair amount of her life pretty much eating what she could catch, can be picky about her cat food. And her kittens, having never known such a hard life or really anything except the ready availability of Mom are much more particular. I have been trying to teach them the wonders of solid food, and while Tornado was pretty much amenable, eating neatly from a pie plate right from the first time I blended kitten-formula with canned kitten chow, Hurricane has been another matter entirely.
He’s decidedly the bigger kitten; he’s going to be a big boy when he’s grown by all indications, while Tornado takes after her mother and is small, delicate, and already, at 6 weeks age, quite graceful. Hurricane has the classic kitten pudgy tummy and tumbling clumsiness. And he has not been at all interested in any food source other than Sophia. I had tried the same kitten food Tornado would eat, holding it on my finger for him to sniff. His mouth stayed resolutely closed and he turned his head away. I repeated the attempt several times daily over the course of a week or so. Same result. Sophia got to lap up a lot of kitten-gruel, which made her very happy. I tried dry kitten chow. Same result. Kitten chow soaked in either formula or water was disdained as well, as was a bit of fresh raw salmon that Tornado couldn’t get enough of. I’ve been hoping to deliver the kitten to his new human-mama this coming weekend, before we’re busy for the next two in succession, so I was getting a little desperate.
So yesterday, while at the store, I looked at the illustrations on cans of regular adult cat food, looking for one that did not show any chunks. One looked promising, so I purchased a package of four cans. I’ll be going back for more. It comes in a sort of broth, so I just mashed it up a bit to get it to kitten consistency. Then I picked Hurricane up, tucked him into the crook of one arm, and put a bit of the new stuff on my finger.
He sniffed. His tongue came out and licked around his lips. He sniffed again, then leaned forward to lick what he could get off my finger. That performance was repeated, with me holding the finger closer to the pie-plate each time. Finally I let the finger hover over the food, and he brought his nose down. Wow, a whole pool of this yummy stuff! He all but inhaled a quarter of a can, eating very neatly, without even getting a paw in it. Then he sat back to wash, and I lifted him down from my lap. (That’s the only way I can keep Sophia from snarfing it all before the kittens can get to it.) Tornado’s turn came next, and she was similarly enthusiastic, demolishing another quarter can, and this probably not long after they’d nursed. Sophia was just as pleased with the remaining half can when it was presented for her delectation. Unlike prior attempts, I had no leftovers to refrigerate.
So now Hurricane knows he can eat solid food. I’ll be repeating this performance three or four times a day until Saturday, when I’m planning to take him to Indianapolis. I’m sure eventually he’ll have to learn about dry food, though he’s a little young for it yet. But at least now I know he won’t stage a hunger strike, deprived of his mother’s mammaries.