Gagging at novel foods?

[Batfink]

Hi,

To cut a long story short I've been pet sitting this week and the cat is coming home with me when I finish today (all agreed with the owners as he is having to live shut away in a small space for fear of their dogs).

Kitty has been my little shadow (when the dogs aren't in the room) and as I've been starting the bonding process I've offered him the smallest lick of a couple of foods. First was marmite (not recommending feeding a cat marmite I might add) but he gagged at just the smell of it. I didn't try again with the marmite but a few days later a tiny smear of margarine on my finger. This time he sniffed and then at the first tentative lick gagged.

He is otherwise healthy, eats his wet and dry food well, is bright active etc. I will be looking to change his food to an all wet high quality grain free food after he has settled with us. So really hoping it isn't all new foods. Although I'm well versed him how to slowly change a cat to a new food. I've just never seen this in a cat and wondered if it is a known reaction to novel foods or perhaps something more sinister? I have a cat with kidney disease (chronic after an acute injury) so know all about inappetence due to the nausea that brings.

He also eats plastic bags/wrappers if given the chance but I've read this can be a problem with indoor only cats due to boredom or lack of a suitable grass etc substitute. Obviously this is easily rectified in the home by keeping such items hidden away but thought it was worth mentioning in case the gagging may be linked somehow.

Thanks for reading,
Clare

[Kay]

gagging with distaste is quite normal - humans do it too

one of mine goes one step further and eats stuff she doesn't really like and then projectile vomits it back up

a word of advice on feeding your soon to be new kittie - cats often turn their noses up at the best quality wet foods - I went through a spell of trying them all - Grau, Feringa, Aniconda and more - none of my 3 would even try them

as a compromise I feed them top quality dry and whatever wet they will eat, which is mostly Gourmet pate

[MarkB]

I think also cats have an idea of appropriate foods. Neither Marmite or margarine have any animal products in. I can't imagine any cat wanting to eat them. Possible butter and Bovril would have been tasted -although I would avoid any high salt treats.

I have tried all kinds of premium foods, but basic Felix and food like that seem to be preferred.

[Batfink]

Thanks both for your replies. Good to know it is a normal reaction. Just surprised I've not seen it before in an otherwise healthy cat.

As I said I don't advocate feeding cats marmite, despite all 5 of ours loving it. It can be useful as an aid to getting them to take a tablet as a one off. I don't use it as ours are all trained to take tablets hidden in sausage meat style treats.

So far all of ours have taken well to high quality protein wet foods thankfully. We made the switch from Burns dry after research in to the cause and prevention of kidney disease after one of ours was diagnosed. Perhaps we are just very lucky ours took so well to the new wet food. Fingers crossed we will have as much luck weaning our new boy (name tbc) off the carbs, at least he is part way there being on wet and dry. I've learnt lots of tips and tricks over the years encouraging our kidney disease boy to eat and managed to switch him to a quality protein low phosphorus food in time. So I hope I can switch our new boy too but cats will do as they please so he'll probably be the one of buck the trend!

[bobbys girl]

one of mine goes one step further and eats stuff she doesn't really like and then projectile vomits it back up

Oh how I know it! The other thing is eating too fast - Willow did it the other day, all over the clean throw I had on the sofa.

Recently, while buttering some bread, the 'phone went. When I got back to the kitchen opportunist Gracie was licking the butter off the bread, with the most blissful look on her face! Little rat bag.

[MarkB]

Lazarus never liked ordinary cat treats, but her adored a knob of Lurpak - however, he wasn't to be fobbed off with Anchor, Kerrygold etc