Cat's Strange Eating Habit... Help Please?

Question

I will set a bowl of food out for her. It is the correct size bowl and she has eaten out of it since she was a kitten and through early adulthood. Now however, instead of eating like a normal cat, she uses her paw to pull out one piece of food at a time. She eats the food over the floor and lets the crumbs fall onto the floor but doesn't even try to eat the crumbs even when the bowl goes empty.

I have experimented and put the crumbs back into the bowl, and she still pick only the whole pieces of food out to eat. I've also tried squirting her when she does it, so now, if I'm present, she eats normally or sometimes she waits until I've gone out of the room to eat. It's as if she knows that she isn't supposed to do it, but she does it anyway.

Does anyone else's cat do this?

Is she doing it just because she's picky and doesn't like crumbs or is there another reason?

How can I fix this problem?

Answer 1

My cats don't like the crumbs either. Just clean them up and forget about it. Whatever you do don't punish the cat for it's peculiar eating habits. It may cause him to stop eating. Then you'll really have problems.

Answer 2

Nothing is wrong with your cat! Honest! We have one that does this too and has for years..they just dont like the crumbs, I guess crumbs arent good enough for cats.( go figure} we have never found away to make this stop so I just keep a dust pan and broom kind of handy for cleaning up...

Answer 3

I've seen cats do this before.  I've never seen anyone try to "discipline" a cat for the way it eats, though.  What a messed up cat you will have if it thinks it is doing something wrong just by eating.  Leave the cat alone and sweep up the crumbs.

Answer 4

just get her cat food with whole pieces. if she doesnt like crumbs, then dont add them. check with your vet in case somethings wrong