Feed me, Seymour! |
Although you may find it cute when Tiddles is miaowing loudly by its bowl, or rubbing up against your leg for food, a group of vets claims those are actually signs of a severe eating disorder. They say cats that're too eager to be fed may well need psychological treatment more than their dinner.
The study was made by veterinary researchers at the University of Padua in Italy, and concluded that a cat's gentle ankle stroke at feedtime is not a sign of affection, but a symptom called 'excessive solicitation of interspecific interactions' (seriously!) which indicates the cat suffers from a new form of eating disorder.
Feed me NOW, or the goldfish dies! |
If you think your cat may be suffering from PAFB, the study advises you to introduce strict rules for feeding times, ban begging and ensure your cat cannot watch you eat. As the cat's behaviour improves it may be slowly re-introduced to watching you having food, but should never be fed from your plate.
Study leader Paolo Mongillo says unless the cat gets really obnoxious, most owners probably won't complain about these changes in routine. He added that, just like humans, animals can become victims of eating disorders if they're subjected to stress.
If your cat's behaviour problems include ankle-biting, it may have predatory aggression - in other words, it's not getting enough play and exercise to simulate its hunting
Feed me now...or YOU die! |
...before it develops a taste for human flesh!
1 comment:
And here I was thinking my cute little pussy's ankle biting & agression was hunger....after discovering the dog pushes in & scoffs his food.....it turns out he just needs some "play time"...perhaps the members of our household will take this on board & play with him more....hint.. hint :-)
Post a Comment