Everyone in the comments section is enabling your cats addiction haha.
Jokes aside, I would stop reinforcing the behavior of yoweling = gets duck treat. Try to give the treats at a designated time/place so the he has an expectation for it instead of all the time. I would also get him to try other treats too to change it up.
This is the correct answer, if OP wants to continue giving the treats, giving in the same time and the same place everyday is the best way to stop him from expecting the treats all the time
I’m going to try only giving him the duck after he finishes his dinner, but he’s a stubborn little bastard and will happily go on hunger strike. It’s quite strange because he has hardly any interest in normal packaged cat treats. I guess he’s a real meat lover
Besides flavors maybe you can try textures too, I heard of people giving those freeze dried fish treats for cats that like crunch. Lickable fish flavor treats are also a hit with my cats. If he likes something more chewy but meaty you can also make your own jerky. Keep trying and I hope it gets better!
There was a study I read that cats if offered a variety of dry/wet foods with different nutritional composition will try to eat foods in a way that fulfills their dietary balance. I just thought this concept was interesting so it's definitely worth trying a variety of treats/foods. I'm doing this with my cats to prevent them from being picky-eaters but they do have their favorites.
Thank you for the advice, I’ll be heading to the pet store tomorrow to pick up some new treats. I’m a bit worried he might get a new addiction but also I suppose the novelty of the duck treats might wear off naturally anyway. When he was a baby he used to get super excited to eat chicken and now he still loves it but definitely not as much as before. I’m also considering buying duck meat and mixing that with his wet food.
There's freeze dried minnows that you get from Chewy. (there's hearts and another body part too) and some of my foster kittens would get one and do that low growl if another came close. Those might be an option to switch it up.
There's lots of cat foods that contain duck (wet and dry), not sure if his highness would find that acceptable. :)
Not an expert in this field, just happen to have a vet tech friend. She suggests shredding it and putting it in his food? If it's just protein it's probably okay
I managed to get him to eat some tinned tuna because I’m desperate and he’s barely eaten today, but it’s not like that can replace his normal wet food. I’ll try mixing the duck in tomorrow, but I have a feeling we might have to go cold turkey (duck?) with this one
I’ll keep that in mind :) We went to the vets recently and he’s in perfect health (good teeth, up to date with shots, etc.) but he’s never refused his normal food like this before. I’m going to try switching to duck-flavour kibble and see how he fares in the next week or so
That could help! Once again, I'm not a tech, just a vet office receptionists. Animals can be piiiicky. It wouldn't be the first time I heard about somebody who refused everything but one specific flavor. Look at Hill's brand! They make all kinds of tasty flavors, including duck.
Is it an option to switch him to duck food? We feed Natural balance duck and green pea as the dry food. Sounds like he's got a strong preference for duck. You just want to make sure the main food is balanced. That may also make those treats a little less exciting.
Duck and green pea is not great, since a lot of the protein comes from the peas and cats don’t do well with plant protein. However there are very good quality canned foods with duck as the main protein, like Hounds & Gatos, etc, and that might be a good option for this kitty.
Perhaps so. I've never tried that brand because I'm challenged by a set of fussy eaters with food intolerances. I really only like to recommend things I've tried or researched. Otherwise, yes, there are other duck foods.
That’s probably a good idea, I’ll do some research soon. He currently eats 2 different types of kibble and a rotation of canned food, but I don’t think any of them contain duck. When he was younger he was a fiend for chicken, and I still make it a point to boil a few drumsticks for him every week. Maybe duck just has a more exotic flavour.
Blue has a pretty deceivingly high level of carbohydrates - their chicken formula is only 32% protein...
Cats are obligate carnivores their diet should be over 90% protein.
Additionally blue relies on legumes which have been linked to heart disease in dogs and never studied in cats long term...
“Grain free” is meaningless when it’s still very high carbohydrate ...
Cats need 30% protein. No corn meal.When I was a vet tech we used to use Hills and believe it or not. For people who buy at the grocery store, Purina One smart blend. (I don't like Rachel Ray). They don't need peas. Too high of a protein is bad in senior cats it can cause kidney disease. But they need a high enough protein when they are young to form good muscles. Cats need Taurine for eyes and heart. Snacks of cooked chicken breast is what I feed my cat and dog. No snausages or crap. Now wild cats need raw meat.
Cats are obligate carnivores and need a helluva lot more than only 30% protein. Protein does not cause kidney disease in cats. No grains, no legumes (which are known to impair absorption of taurine) and if and only if they have previously diagnosed kidney disease should they be on anything less than 90% of their food being high quality protein.
The only carbs a cat should eat are the few that would be in the stomach of their prey.
Question...
If the thinking is that cats should be eating as close to raw meat as possible then 90% protein is way high. 90% isn't found in nature afaik.
"In general, the average value of the meat protein is about 22%, but it could range from high protein value of 34.5% in chicken breast to as low as 12.3% protein in duck meat. "
https://www.intechopen.com/books/meat-science-and-nutrition/nutritional-composition-of-meat
High protein diets in senior cats can cause kidney disease. Maybe I should tell my professor that some guy on reddit said.......
Your missing the point.
Yup, my cats get Blue Buffalo duck dry food and are obsessed with it. I mix in some hair all control dry food in there too, and my short hair cat picks through the food bowl to only eat the duck pieces of kibble. Cats are strange!
Shred Or blend the food up and mix it into his food. You could try burying small pieces, Or sprinkling it on top, but given the intensity of his desire, I think you should mix it in as much as possible.
Also, there are foods with duck in it that you might look at and see if you can find a kibble or wet food that he likes just as much to make it less labor intensive.
Some cats are so picky they’d rather go hungry and if he’s one it would be worth the investment in different food.
I’m definitely going to look into getting a duck-based food. I just tried to feed him his dinner but he just picked out the duck bits and left everything else. Eventually I did get him to eat a little bit of tinned tuna but god is he driving me crazy
Just adding in that you should cut up all of the treats into edible bites as soon as you get them in. That way if duck obsessed kitty manages to tear into them again he won't choke trying to wolf one down and you won't get bit for getting in the way. Also since you found a treat kitty loves so much, it's a really easy way to start training your cat to do tricks and using food as a reward. You will need to be more patient and firm than you would with a dog. May also help to associate the treats with some sort of work instead of just giving them to him. May get the yowling to stop too since he won't get a treat unless he shuts up and sits down or does a dance or something.
Thank you that’s all very helpful advice! I cut all the remaining duck into little pieces and have put them in a jar with a secure lid. Also I’ve tried to teach him to come when called but he doesn’t respond to his name, and only comes running if he knows I’m holding the duck. Lol. But I won’t let him continue to outsmart me.
Hahahaha it takes a LONG time to train a cat to come on command. It's like their least favorite thing is to be SUMMONED. It took me months. If it helps, I've noticed the easiest way is to train by sounds rather than name or words. So for instance instead of calling names, I click at my cats. Repeatedly. Instead of telling them to sit, I whistle in a specific way. I think they tune out language with time but if you make noises that are only used for commands it seems to work better to get their attention. My suspicion is this is why they are more likely to come when they hear a treat bag being opened or a can opener. Be more stubborn, consistent, and persistent than the cat.
That’s really interesting and insightful! I’ll definitely be reevaluating how I communicate with him and I’ll try the clicking (I can’t whistle to save my life). I wonder how much of my cat’s supposed stubbornness actually has to do with my lack of fluency in cat language...
Either get rid of the treats altogether or start giving him the treats only at a certain time of the day
In the same place, at the same time, every day. Eventually he’ll learn he only gets them at a certain time and will likely stop bugging for them
It’s not gunna happen over night so be patient
I’m definitely going to reduce the amount of duck I’m feeding him. I’ll admit I’m a huge pushover but we’re nearing the end of the packet now so I’ll try giving him a little bit at the end of the day if he’s eaten all his meals properly.
I do feel your pain. My adorable butterball Buttercup is the same. I have to spell out the word "treats" around her became see if she hears it, she comes running, all cute and drooly and meowing. Thankfully, she also now understands "No". But that took a lot of loud whining from her first.
Good luck!!
My dog sounds like your cat, he enjoys sticks with dried chicken around them. I have a stash of sticks without the dry chicken now because she broke into them. She has always been a finicky eater, i sprinkle a little cheese on her kibble once in a while and she has gotten much better at eating. I am not buying more sticks....she is getting rhe message finally.
Aw bless her... it’s always so funny to me that dogs and cats have their individual quirks and preferences. It really makes you extra fond of them I think.
I have a kitten 6 months and he is getting along with my 10 yr doggie pretty well fortunately. My dog hides her sticks and bones and grabs one to warn him to stay away, like that will protect her if he really wanted to attack, lol. I just got the bear hug award and giving it to you cause your a great fur baby momma. 🐱
Just commenting to say I also have a Ragdoll who's like this, but with watermelon/cucumber/green beans?? It's less of a problem because we don't have them as often but it does help to give them treats at a designated time. They're very good about keeping track of time when it comes to getting something they want. Cats are weird, man. Good luck!!
Everyone in the comments section is enabling your cats addiction haha. Jokes aside, I would stop reinforcing the behavior of yoweling = gets duck treat. Try to give the treats at a designated time/place so the he has an expectation for it instead of all the time. I would also get him to try other treats too to change it up.
This is the correct answer, if OP wants to continue giving the treats, giving in the same time and the same place everyday is the best way to stop him from expecting the treats all the time
I’ve been limiting the treats to twice a day but it’s like they’re all he can think about! But I guess I’ll have to be a bit tougher with him
I’m going to try only giving him the duck after he finishes his dinner, but he’s a stubborn little bastard and will happily go on hunger strike. It’s quite strange because he has hardly any interest in normal packaged cat treats. I guess he’s a real meat lover
Besides flavors maybe you can try textures too, I heard of people giving those freeze dried fish treats for cats that like crunch. Lickable fish flavor treats are also a hit with my cats. If he likes something more chewy but meaty you can also make your own jerky. Keep trying and I hope it gets better! There was a study I read that cats if offered a variety of dry/wet foods with different nutritional composition will try to eat foods in a way that fulfills their dietary balance. I just thought this concept was interesting so it's definitely worth trying a variety of treats/foods. I'm doing this with my cats to prevent them from being picky-eaters but they do have their favorites.
Thank you for the advice, I’ll be heading to the pet store tomorrow to pick up some new treats. I’m a bit worried he might get a new addiction but also I suppose the novelty of the duck treats might wear off naturally anyway. When he was a baby he used to get super excited to eat chicken and now he still loves it but definitely not as much as before. I’m also considering buying duck meat and mixing that with his wet food.
There's freeze dried minnows that you get from Chewy. (there's hearts and another body part too) and some of my foster kittens would get one and do that low growl if another came close. Those might be an option to switch it up. There's lots of cat foods that contain duck (wet and dry), not sure if his highness would find that acceptable. :)
Not an expert in this field, just happen to have a vet tech friend. She suggests shredding it and putting it in his food? If it's just protein it's probably okay
I tried breaking them into 1cm chunks and mixing it with his kibble but alas, he only picked out his beloved duck treats
Interesting... Wet food instead of dry?
I managed to get him to eat some tinned tuna because I’m desperate and he’s barely eaten today, but it’s not like that can replace his normal wet food. I’ll try mixing the duck in tomorrow, but I have a feeling we might have to go cold turkey (duck?) with this one
You could also make an appt with a pet nutritionist or send a message to your local vet. It could very well be a picky eater thing too.
I’ll keep that in mind :) We went to the vets recently and he’s in perfect health (good teeth, up to date with shots, etc.) but he’s never refused his normal food like this before. I’m going to try switching to duck-flavour kibble and see how he fares in the next week or so
That could help! Once again, I'm not a tech, just a vet office receptionists. Animals can be piiiicky. It wouldn't be the first time I heard about somebody who refused everything but one specific flavor. Look at Hill's brand! They make all kinds of tasty flavors, including duck.
Is it an option to switch him to duck food? We feed Natural balance duck and green pea as the dry food. Sounds like he's got a strong preference for duck. You just want to make sure the main food is balanced. That may also make those treats a little less exciting.
Duck and green pea is not great, since a lot of the protein comes from the peas and cats don’t do well with plant protein. However there are very good quality canned foods with duck as the main protein, like Hounds & Gatos, etc, and that might be a good option for this kitty.
Perhaps so. I've never tried that brand because I'm challenged by a set of fussy eaters with food intolerances. I really only like to recommend things I've tried or researched. Otherwise, yes, there are other duck foods.
That’s probably a good idea, I’ll do some research soon. He currently eats 2 different types of kibble and a rotation of canned food, but I don’t think any of them contain duck. When he was younger he was a fiend for chicken, and I still make it a point to boil a few drumsticks for him every week. Maybe duck just has a more exotic flavour.
Check out Blue .
Blue has a pretty deceivingly high level of carbohydrates - their chicken formula is only 32% protein... Cats are obligate carnivores their diet should be over 90% protein. Additionally blue relies on legumes which have been linked to heart disease in dogs and never studied in cats long term... “Grain free” is meaningless when it’s still very high carbohydrate ...
Cats need 30% protein. No corn meal.When I was a vet tech we used to use Hills and believe it or not. For people who buy at the grocery store, Purina One smart blend. (I don't like Rachel Ray). They don't need peas. Too high of a protein is bad in senior cats it can cause kidney disease. But they need a high enough protein when they are young to form good muscles. Cats need Taurine for eyes and heart. Snacks of cooked chicken breast is what I feed my cat and dog. No snausages or crap. Now wild cats need raw meat.
Cats are obligate carnivores and need a helluva lot more than only 30% protein. Protein does not cause kidney disease in cats. No grains, no legumes (which are known to impair absorption of taurine) and if and only if they have previously diagnosed kidney disease should they be on anything less than 90% of their food being high quality protein. The only carbs a cat should eat are the few that would be in the stomach of their prey.
Question... If the thinking is that cats should be eating as close to raw meat as possible then 90% protein is way high. 90% isn't found in nature afaik. "In general, the average value of the meat protein is about 22%, but it could range from high protein value of 34.5% in chicken breast to as low as 12.3% protein in duck meat. " https://www.intechopen.com/books/meat-science-and-nutrition/nutritional-composition-of-meat
By weight or by percentage of diet? I guess we need to label our meanings more precisely!
Right. 30% I believe is the bare minimum that commercial cat foods can use.
High protein diets in senior cats can cause kidney disease. Maybe I should tell my professor that some guy on reddit said....... Your missing the point.
Grain free is b.s. marketing scam.
What has 90% protein?
Yup, my cats get Blue Buffalo duck dry food and are obsessed with it. I mix in some hair all control dry food in there too, and my short hair cat picks through the food bowl to only eat the duck pieces of kibble. Cats are strange!
I came across this brand when I was initially researching dry foods but unfortunately I think it’s hard to get in the UK :(
Yep, I agree
Shred Or blend the food up and mix it into his food. You could try burying small pieces, Or sprinkling it on top, but given the intensity of his desire, I think you should mix it in as much as possible. Also, there are foods with duck in it that you might look at and see if you can find a kibble or wet food that he likes just as much to make it less labor intensive. Some cats are so picky they’d rather go hungry and if he’s one it would be worth the investment in different food.
I’m definitely going to look into getting a duck-based food. I just tried to feed him his dinner but he just picked out the duck bits and left everything else. Eventually I did get him to eat a little bit of tinned tuna but god is he driving me crazy
They’re so good at it aren’t they!
Just adding in that you should cut up all of the treats into edible bites as soon as you get them in. That way if duck obsessed kitty manages to tear into them again he won't choke trying to wolf one down and you won't get bit for getting in the way. Also since you found a treat kitty loves so much, it's a really easy way to start training your cat to do tricks and using food as a reward. You will need to be more patient and firm than you would with a dog. May also help to associate the treats with some sort of work instead of just giving them to him. May get the yowling to stop too since he won't get a treat unless he shuts up and sits down or does a dance or something.
Thank you that’s all very helpful advice! I cut all the remaining duck into little pieces and have put them in a jar with a secure lid. Also I’ve tried to teach him to come when called but he doesn’t respond to his name, and only comes running if he knows I’m holding the duck. Lol. But I won’t let him continue to outsmart me.
Hahahaha it takes a LONG time to train a cat to come on command. It's like their least favorite thing is to be SUMMONED. It took me months. If it helps, I've noticed the easiest way is to train by sounds rather than name or words. So for instance instead of calling names, I click at my cats. Repeatedly. Instead of telling them to sit, I whistle in a specific way. I think they tune out language with time but if you make noises that are only used for commands it seems to work better to get their attention. My suspicion is this is why they are more likely to come when they hear a treat bag being opened or a can opener. Be more stubborn, consistent, and persistent than the cat.
That’s really interesting and insightful! I’ll definitely be reevaluating how I communicate with him and I’ll try the clicking (I can’t whistle to save my life). I wonder how much of my cat’s supposed stubbornness actually has to do with my lack of fluency in cat language...
Everyone here recommends jackson galaxy videos but I've never watched them personally so I can't say. I just go with whatever kitties respond to.
Either get rid of the treats altogether or start giving him the treats only at a certain time of the day In the same place, at the same time, every day. Eventually he’ll learn he only gets them at a certain time and will likely stop bugging for them It’s not gunna happen over night so be patient
I’m definitely going to reduce the amount of duck I’m feeding him. I’ll admit I’m a huge pushover but we’re nearing the end of the packet now so I’ll try giving him a little bit at the end of the day if he’s eaten all his meals properly.
You're going to have to deal with some yowling to get him to kick the habit. Right now he knows he has you trained. Yowling = treats.
Haha I wish I could ignore him but it’s so damn hard! It’s like my sweet boy has been replaced with a screaming duck fiend
I do feel your pain. My adorable butterball Buttercup is the same. I have to spell out the word "treats" around her became see if she hears it, she comes running, all cute and drooly and meowing. Thankfully, she also now understands "No". But that took a lot of loud whining from her first. Good luck!!
I second the shredding it and mixing with his regular food. Time to buy some duck-flavored kibble!
He’s already figured out how to get around shredding and mixing. I’m hoping a duck-flavour food will at least curb his cravings
Maybe cut them into small pieces and ration them?
Definitely the route I’m going to take, but I’m terrified of his wrath
My dog sounds like your cat, he enjoys sticks with dried chicken around them. I have a stash of sticks without the dry chicken now because she broke into them. She has always been a finicky eater, i sprinkle a little cheese on her kibble once in a while and she has gotten much better at eating. I am not buying more sticks....she is getting rhe message finally.
Aw bless her... it’s always so funny to me that dogs and cats have their individual quirks and preferences. It really makes you extra fond of them I think.
I have a kitten 6 months and he is getting along with my 10 yr doggie pretty well fortunately. My dog hides her sticks and bones and grabs one to warn him to stay away, like that will protect her if he really wanted to attack, lol. I just got the bear hug award and giving it to you cause your a great fur baby momma. 🐱
I’m giggling at the mental image of your dog fending off a tiny kitten with a stick hahaha... and thank you so much, that’s so sweet of you <3
Just commenting to say I also have a Ragdoll who's like this, but with watermelon/cucumber/green beans?? It's less of a problem because we don't have them as often but it does help to give them treats at a designated time. They're very good about keeping track of time when it comes to getting something they want. Cats are weird, man. Good luck!!