"A man is like a cat; chase him and he will run, sit still and ignore him and he'll come purring at your feet." - Helen Rowlan

There are many reasons your cat may not be eating. If she isn’t ill, you must do a little investigating to find the reason why.

A cat may in fact have a problem eating from a bowl that is overly small or too flimsy. If the bowl moves too much, your cat may find it not worth the energy. And some cats don’t like where their food bowl is placed. Try simply changing its location.

If you have other cats or pets, other animals may intimidate your cat. A cat may find it difficult to eat from a bowl placed close to a dog’s bed, near a loud appliance, or near an occupied area of the house. Some cats will put off until a room is entirely empty before eating. Also, many dogs will instinctively try to eat cat food once it is placed down.

And consider how long a bowl of cat food has been left out. Food left out overnight or in hot weather may be tasteless to your cat. And cats, even indoor cats tend to eat less in warm weather.

Some cats don’t like varying their food. If you choose to change your brand of cat food, do so gradually over several days. Blend a little more of the latest food into the old food each day until you have totally changed over.

If your cat’s diet consists of mostly dry cat food, try giving it a treat of canned cat food occasionally, or include a little broth in its food. A number of older cats or cats with sore gums or teeth can find dry food difficult to chew.

With a bit of investigation, you will be able to figure out just why your cat isn’t eating. An adjustment here or there can change your finicky cat completely around.