Feline Friday: Miss Picky

Ah, the joys of dealing with a picky eater. Over the years, Tinsel has tired of her food from time to time. When dinner is served, she takes one look at it, puts her nose in the air and walks away. We're in that frustrating phase right now. In addition to her finickiness, she's very skittish when it comes to eating -- always fearful that Lily is lurking around the corner (she sometimes is) ready to steal her food (she always will).

Tinsel is a senior cat and also has a blood abnormality. It's important for her to eat well because it could be difficult for her to fight off an illness. So it's not an option to just wait until she gets hungry enough to eat. I need to do everything I can to be sure she's getting enough NOMS.

Getting Tinsel to eat can take a bit of cajoling. Some might say she's a bit of a princess when it comes to dining. CONDITIONS MUST BE EXACTLY RIGHT. Here's what must happen in order for Tinsel to eat:

 -- Shut Lily in the basement.

-- Make no sudden moves! 

No noise -- no drumming, no loud TV or music.
-- Put the food on the carpet. Trust me, Tinsel will not eat on the wood or tile floor. Comfort is a must! :)

-- Provide two types of food to choose from (depending on the day, she'll prefer one over the other).

-- Pour fresh food onto the plate at each meal.

-- Canned food? Yes, she'll have it. But only salmon, please.

-- This is a new one: ELEVATE the plates so she doesn't have to bend over as far.

Bless her heart. Tinsel has issues, but don't we all?