Herd your cats here

[clean]

This may (or may not) help. 
When I was a kitty servant, and kitty was chewing my pencil as I worked, I wadded up a (now messed up) page, and threw it for him!  He Fetched it Back!  We did that until my arm gave out! 

It may be enough to entertain the kitty, but it may not actually let you get any work done!

[Puget]

Anyone else's cats periodically reject their food? Little Calico occasionally will just turn up her nose at the wet food for several days in a row (maybe nibble the dry food, which she generally doesn't eat much of anyway), causing me to worry something is wrong with her, then resuming chowing down on it like nothing happened. She hasn't otherwise acted sick during these episodes so I wonder if there are sometimes batches of the cans that smell or taste different? Panther Boy will eat anything at any time, so he's no help.

[the_geneticist]

Anyone else's cats periodically reject their food? Little Calico occasionally will just turn up her nose at the wet food for several days in a row (maybe nibble the dry food, which she generally doesn't eat much of anyway), causing me to worry something is wrong with her, then resuming chowing down on it like nothing happened. She hasn't otherwise acted sick during these episodes so I wonder if there are sometimes batches of the cans that smell or taste different? Panther Boy will eat anything at any time, so he's no help.

Do we have shared cats?
Lady Jane will sometimes give the wet food a sniff, disapprove, and walk away.  Why?!?  It's the same flavor she liked before, same style, same bowl in the same spot.  Sometimes even the SAME CAN that she was willing to eat at breakfast.  Maybe it's less tasty when cold? And she nibbles the dry food all day "Kibble shall suffice".
Sir Puck aka "Sir Chomps A Lot The Bold" will eat anything.  He eats so fast I don't think he even tastes the first few bites. "He who chomps fastest chomps most".

[Larimar]

Anyone else's cats periodically reject their food? Little Calico occasionally will just turn up her nose at the wet food for several days in a row (maybe nibble the dry food, which she generally doesn't eat much of anyway), causing me to worry something is wrong with her, then resuming chowing down on it like nothing happened. She hasn't otherwise acted sick during these episodes so I wonder if there are sometimes batches of the cans that smell or taste different? Panther Boy will eat anything at any time, so he's no help.

HerMajesty sometimes rejects her royal repast too. She did it this evening, in fact. She showed her royal disapproval by knocking over the kibble dish, scattering kibble all over the floor. Sigh. I don't know why cats do this. I wish I knew. Maybe they're bored with the food? Maybe the food dish needs washing? It could be anything you've mentioned or something we incompetent humans are too dim to think of.

[Puget]

Good to know Little Calico is in good company! Maybe they do it to keep us, their servants, on our toes?
This week the wet food is delectable, last week it was trash-- same flavor.

[smallcleanrat]

My boys get kibble in the morning and wet food at night.

Caramelo has never rejected any food, and neither of them has ever rejected wet food. However, there is the occasional morning when Maestro will eye his breakfast and get a “ho-hum, kibble again?” expression on his face.

I’ve found a couple of ways to entice him to eat:

1) Hand-feed him the kibble, one-by-one.

I was very worried about him when he first started turning up his nose at meals, so I did this many a morning before SO insisted I experiment with letting him get a bit hungrier to see if he would willingly come back to the food. He always did. He wasn’t sick; just a bit bored with the kibble.

SO once caught me hand-feeding a reclined Maestro and said, “Anything else, Caesar?”

2) Throw the kibble, one-by-one.

This livens up his breakfast by adding a chase-and-catch element. He sprints and pounces, and often will use his white-socked paw to pick up the kibble and feed himself. It looks so delicate and proper; like he’s saying, “Well, I’m certainly not going to eat if off the ground like some kind of animal.”

[clean]

I think that there is a ball you can get an fill, with some holes in it and they have to roll the ball around until the food comes out.  So that is supposed to entertain them.
I heard another way, that I probably would not want to try... hide the food in different places and make them hunt for it. 

My fear would be that they would not find it all but the invertible six legged critters would

[Volhiker78]

Our wet food eater, Booboo, prefers a fresh can. She will still eat leftovers but when she hears the sound of a new can opening, she goes WILD, howling, rubbing against your leg, and running around her bowl!  She’s pretty big (nearly 15 lbs) and we give her less than a half a can a day so she never refuses food.

[AvidReader]

Ours will eat dry food out of the treat ball when it is otherwise boring. We also use it when we think Hestia is eating too quickly; it slows her down.

AR.

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

Ours will eat dry food out of the treat ball when it is otherwise boring. We also use it when we think Hestia is eating too quickly; it slows her down.

AR.

I really need to get one of these for my senior cat. He inhales his food and gets so upset, if he isn't fed immediately, that he will sometimes vomit.

[clean]

https://www.chewy.com/petsafe-slimcat-interactive-cat/dp/48573?utm_source=google-product&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=17874858853&utm_content=PetSafe&utm_term=&gclid=CjwKCAiA_6yfBhBNEiwAkmXy5yM4gG8q7PcYOH5GU9LcFTTgBqAaUdpK2Y5YTf_I54-2d6HHkkbFuRoCuPgQAvD_BwE


https://www.chewy.com/catit-senses-20-food-tree-cat-feeder/dp/178226

Those should be entertaining!

[the_geneticist]

Buddycat was so overly domesticated that he would not eat food or treats or catnip that touched the floor.

“You expect me to eat That? It’s contaminated!”

[AvidReader]

I really need to get one of these for my senior cat. He inhales his food and gets so upset, if he isn't fed immediately, that he will sometimes vomit.

Oh my! Hestia vomits when she eats too fast (we think). The balls have made a big difference, and are entertaining as well. After the first two from the pet store broke, we ordered a larger cheaper pack on eBay and they are still going strong.

Hestia uses treat balls by whacking the ball with a paw so that it skitters across the patio and then walking the path of the ball, sniffing for food and treats. Artemis uses treat balls by placing the top of her head against the ball and walking it in a slow circle until the food drops out. Watching them try to share a ball is hugely entertaining.

AR.

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

I really need to get one of these for my senior cat. He inhales his food and gets so upset, if he isn't fed immediately, that he will sometimes vomit.

Oh my! Hestia vomits when she eats too fast (we think). The balls have made a big difference, and are entertaining as well. After the first two from the pet store broke, we ordered a larger cheaper pack on eBay and they are still going strong.

Hestia uses treat balls by whacking the ball with a paw so that it skitters across the patio and then walking the path of the ball, sniffing for food and treats. Artemis uses treat balls by placing the top of her head against the ball and walking it in a slow circle until the food drops out. Watching them try to share a ball is hugely entertaining.

AR.

Yep. Actually, I meant to say that if he isn't fed at the 'appropriate cat time', then he will vomit in protest. He will also vomit if he eats too quickly. In the past, we had a small carboard box with holes and some dry food in it that they could bat around. I think I need to make a new one.

[AvidReader]

Yep. Actually, I meant to say that if he isn't fed at the 'appropriate cat time', then he will vomit in protest.

Oh my gracious. Bless you. That sounds so frustrating!

AR.