Whisker fatigue causes stress and overstimulates their senses. Using a flat bowl or plate will relieve this issue and allow your cat to eat all their food without stress.
You can also search for "whisker fatigue" bowls specifically made for cats.
My cat only eats out of wide bowls for this reason!
She has wet food too, not all dry :)
Is this also why my cat drinks from the far side of the bowl?
Yes, and also they have a hard time seeing water. They prefer wide, shallow dishes for both food and water.
they have a hard time seeing water
When my cat was a tiny kitten learning to drink from a bowl he would always dip his face in too far and get a nose full of water, causing him to sneeze. He learned to always dip his paw in the water first to see where the surface is before putting his face in. He still does it every single time. It's pretty cute.
Sometimes moving water, too - and some are funny about material I think!
My current cat won't drink from metal bowls, and loves a water fountain most.
How about dogs? My Maltese doing exactly the same thing. :D
hot dogs
Tell that to my cat who's preferred drinking vessel is a small cup she's gotta stick her face into
I... actually always thought that my cat didn't like stale food, and that the stuff on the bottom of the bowl had just been breathed on with hot, wet cat breath enough times that he thought it was disgusting.
I'm going to try a wider bowl and see how that goes.
cat didn’t like stale food
That's a thing too. Dry food in bags has more odor than food that's been sitting out for a while. The fats in food left out in the open air will eventually go rancid too, but that takes a long time and shouldn't happen if you're cleaning the bowls periodically.
Huh. That explains some things. I thought my cat was just picky.
Same with some dogs, especially those with long snout hair, even if they also have whiskers.
Meanwhile my cats will literally lick the bowl after all the food is gone
Sorry, but this is pseudo-science bullcrap akin to healing crystals. Whisker fatigue is just some BS a mom group on Facebook came up with to sell products. It has zero scientific backing and frankly I would appreciate not spreading false information like this here. Leave that garbage on reddit
My cat will only eat from a bowl when there is Amethyst and Rose Quartz crystals arranged to promote calmness, love, and emotional healing. It is literally science.
Looks like its real but potentially exaggerated. https://schertzanimalhospital.com/blog/whisker-fatigue-in-cats/
Ranting on a soap box without providing any evidence is very "reddit" of you.
Burden of proof is on the person making the BS claims
Yes, thank you. You claimed whisker fatigue is pseudoscience. Go!
I did need to know this! Maybe I'll buy my cat a flatter bowl to eat off.
This is called whisker fatigue. Try to pick food bowls designed to alleviate this. You'll want a design that's wide and shallow. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08L97TF8S/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00 I ordered these last year and my baby boy will happily finish his food to the very bottom of the bowl. If your cat's eating from their usual bowl just fine, then you don't need to go out of your way to get them special bowls or anything. Every kitty is different and has different needs!
Threads like this are great!
Not for infromative purposes, but as a reminder how whipped and nonsensical cat owners can be.
I never noticed until I got my own cats though. Used to be a dog person, through and through. Still am, but now I also love my cats.
Now like dogs, they are individuals so there are adjustments needed but let me just list all that I do with my cats that works amazing for them...
These 2 cats are healthy af, not overweight and well they eat and drink well.
I'll add, I grew up with ad libitum dog feeding too. That said my 3 dogs currently are on a 2 meals a day regiment. This is purely due to the fact we have some overly food motivated breeds who will fight and we need to have them seperate when food is involved in any capacity (their food and food in general)
This rant just to say, cat owners very often come off as the type that try to sell chunks of gypsum and amethyst to heal your woes.
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