My cat only eats the gravy on pouch food Why?

[kangapants]

Hi there, I see there was a thread about this in the past. This is my first ever message on line, so be gentle!
Basil is a year old, healthy and neutralised as my daughter says.
He keeps howling & bothering everyone for food but only licks the gravy off - I always have dried food and water available. I've tried different brands but to be honest, he's taking the pXXX.
He used to eat it. As a fearsome hunter who can catch frogs with his eyes closed, I do mash it up for him like a baby - it works sometimes.

Any advice?

Thanks!

My sisters cat only ate jelly off the meat. He wouldn't eat anything else but that! And would only drink milk! Sorry I'm not much help but just saying cats can be as fussy as humans. X

Mine does that on the flavours he doesn't like

I had a cat that only ate chicken flavour wet food. Any brand, but only chicken flavour. At the time, few brands sold only chicken packs, they were all mixed. The other one got sick of lamb and beef because we had to save the chicken for the fussy one.

Basically, cats are little sods, we live to serve them, and they expect what they like at all times. We don't feed any wet, just good quality dry and plenty of fresh water. They wasted so much wet food it became crazy. Now they are much happier and with food down all the time, no more begging.

One of my cats does this! They used to have jelly and then we swapped to gravy because it's easier for them to pick jelly off rather than gravy.

Does he ever eat the meat at all? Mine sometimes eats the meat. I would stop buying it if he never eats it.

Have you seen Lik-a-Lix (I think it's called that), you can buy them in Asda and they're sachets of creamy milk mixed with chicken, liver etc? He would probably like them if he likes gravy.

Late Dcat started off eating any flavour, then whittled it down to duck and tuna only. A change in taste usually began just after I’d bought a box of the previous favourite! I always left dry food down for her and lots of water.

I think it’s quite normal. I guess it is often the tasty bit. Have you tried changing brands or types of wet food?

Mine did this when their useless slave bought ORDINARY Felix instead of the AGAIL they are used to. Luckily only a box of 12 pouches (fish, their breakfast type). DSis's cats had the rest of the box, and mine had meat breakfast as well as supper until I got to the shops...

Thanks Guys - I didn't expect any replies!
They made me laugh - I think The Slave will try Licki-Lips or whatever it's called or else the shit can catch his own food!
If you're interested, the sod was on the One Show with John Cleese the other week - only a picture but from Basil in Newcross! Ha ha.

How lovely OP, I may have to watch the episode to see Basil!

I've just searched it and it's called 'Lick-e-Lix' and the make is 'Webbox'. It's not proper food if you know what I mean. They're classed as treats. But if he's only eating the gravy, I'm sure he'd enjoy them!

My Dcat is 17 and getting fussier. The only thing he will always wolf down is Tuna in Spring water, and seriously wondering if we just give in and feed him a tiny amount if this once a day.
He also has Purina sensitive biscuits (gave up on anything else apart from the odd few Dreamiest) and lots of water,.
If we leave him with a feeder for a weekend he is happy with biscuits and a few bits of those treat stick things, and maybe some lik-e-Lix (pea size amount) but he can be sick if too much of that.

Hellooo! I Previously worked in the cat and dog nutrition industry.

The “gravy” is largely sugars. Cats may lick the liquid off but not eat the “meat” if they have dental issues or if they are simply addicted to the sugars and not interested in the fillers

Certainly not worth feeding the cat anything that gets this response

The vet told me yesterday not to feed our cats any wet food, as it is bad for their teeth.

My cat will only eat fish flavoured whiskas pouches in jelly, it's ridiculous, this is why cats have the reputations they they do as little dictators. I wouldn't worry as long as cat is in good health.

Because cat.

It’s probably because the ‘meat’ isn’t actually meat so not appealing to them.

My cat does exactly the same. The only meat she will eat is royal canin or real fish. It think with mine it's the size of the chunks of meat. She is fussy. We give her Purina Pro Plan biscuits and she seems to like them.

Mine does this. I mentioned it to the vet. He’s Spanish and gave a very Mediterranean shrug! Cat now mostly eats dry food, and a bit of tuna occasionally. I give her a foily packet or 2 every day,but it’s rare she eats much.

It’s probably because the ‘meat’ isn’t actually meat so not appealing to them.

This!!!
Having got up close to this stuff in trying to get my elderly cat to eat I can vouch that it looks and feels more like bits of clay!

Also right about them going off a brand/flavour when you've just stocked up!

Mine ate Felix in the tins for about 15 yrs...then I had to get a different brand one day and the fussiness began - they absolutely make the rules up as they go along

At one point DH was donating his raw steak to them

...and let's not talk about the water situation
...drinking stagnant water out of watering cans or from the bath's dripping tap rather than lower themselves to drink from their bowl of tap water

I have to keep on chopping and changing brands as cat gets sick of the same one. Have you tried the Felix "as good as it looks" one? Seems to be liked the most.

Love your cats name btw, we used to have a Basil too

Glad he's been neutralised.

*I usually cover the bowl with a bag so it doesn't dry out, then when cat wants more he can finish off the previously licked meat

chish it probably is clay tbh. Felix, whiskas etc are crap, have a look at the ingredients. Most contain 4% meat derivatives, the rest is sugar and cereal and fillers.

The thing is with the main cat food brands, most cats live long and healthy lives on them.

This is another one Lord Font will have sometimes:

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3rd try.