We've all heard about how certain foods or drinks can alter a persons personality or character. For example: A bloke can be a happy drunk on beer but a right agrressive git on whisky....

Would it be right to think that the same can be said of cat foods? Can some cat foods have an adverse effect on a cats character or personality?

The reason for asking is thus....

For years I have fed the boys RC Fit 32. However, for a couple of reasons, the time had come where I had decided to change it. I still have about 2kgs left in a 10kg bag but, with Abbys arrival, I have started the change over sooner than planned - hence the left-overs.

To cut a long story short - the cats haven't been getting fed the RC 'AT ALL' for about 3-4 days now. It has all been Smilla & Applaws. Peace & quiet has reigned. Merson would have the occasional hissy fit with me or Abby but, over all has been REALLY good and much better than we expected at this point of the introduction.

Last night, whilst I was looking at the bag of RC & trying to work out how much was left, Merson started going nuts for the smell & was jumping up trying to get at it. He has always loved the RC when it is dry & before I soaked it. So as a wee treat, I gave him a small handful - a dozen kibbles at the most which he scoffed up immediately.

Well, I'd say barely 20 mins later, he had a go at Abby & gave her a clump. For no reason. She wasn't doing anything to merit it. He then had a hissing fit at me a few minutes after that (didn't last long when I hissed right back at him mind you!!!) and then, about 10 mins on again, he had ANOTHER go at Abby & she got a 2nd clump. She was sitting quietly and again did nothing to merit it. He has made a point of running over to her to land one on her!!!! He then went off under the table growling away like a right bad-tempered wee sod!

Could something in the RC have triggered this behaviour? Can cats be affected like this? It just all seems TOO much of a coincidence that he suddenly became a little sod again SO soon after being fed this. Absolutely NOTHING else was going on to have made him change. OH was watching tv & I was getting ready for bed. All very routine stuff.

Even the OH commented on the change in him and he never notices anything!!!!

This morning, Merson was perfectly behaved again!!!

So I is just wondering if anyone else has noticed this or is it just me?

__________________
.

Difficult to tell really. Did Merson exhibit any of these tendencies when being fed the RC before? If so then it could well point to the food.

However, I'm sure it's perfectly possible that animals like humans can suffer adverse reactions to different foods in the same way they do so to drugs and medications.

Interesting that you ask this.About this time last year I asked hobbs the very same question in relation to my Raggie Meeko and his aggressive behaviour.hobbs agreed that yes the grains in some of the food he was eating could be affecting his behaviour.So we swapped on to Orijen and he seemed to improve.Now it is hard to say for sure as we had feliway diffusers plugged in,Rescue Remedy/Flower essences in his water but there was definitely a change in his mood.He no longer has feliway plugged in/stopped the RR ect but is still on grain free food and he is loads better.I'm not prepared to test it but I think the food helped Even if it hasnt he is healthier for it.

__________________

Yes, he did. Not ALL the time, but he would have occasions of being 'shitty' and now that I think about it more, it would always be worse just after getting fed - in the mornings after being fed & at nights, again after being fed. Most other times in between, he would be ok. Well, except when rolling about on the grass in the garden and then he would morph into big white attacking tiger!!!!!

I've probably really become aware of it now due to monitoring his behaviour so closely with Abby to ensure he wasn't bullying her. I'll keep watching and see how things go.....

__________________
.

WOOHOO!!!!! So I'm NOT off me trolley then!!!!

THANK YOU Buffie!!!!!

He will NOT be getting the remaining RC. He is now on the Smilla & Applaws & so it will stay. Did try to feed Orijin but neither Merson nor Oscar were very keen. They don't mind the Applaws though so that will have to do.

I still have the Feliways plugged in but don't attribute those to the mellow change that we have seen because of the way he behaved last night.

__________________
.

Well then it certainly sounds as if the food could be the trigger and of course the longer he's on the Smilla etc with no adverse affects the greater the likelihood of this being actually true. Judging by the onset as well, I'd suspect the kibble is causing him some sort of discomfort/tenderness somewhere along the digestive tract...too early for anything else really. Cats like other animals do lash out when in pain.

Maybe the way they digest grains provokes gas or other abdominal discomfort that might cause them to be cranky....

.... or....

... food that is higher in protein have a slow digestion, thus making them have a steady glicemia, while one high in grains may do too much of ups and downs causing crankiness.

__________________

They don't call it 'kitty crack' for nothing you know!
I really noticed the bad effects of grains with both the kittens last year. I had them mainly on raw or some Bozita as soon as they came home and at first they were not interested at all in the dry that I sometimes give the oldies.
Both of them, on separate occasions had REALLY unpleasant, frantic, almost hysterical reactions after eating grain based dry food. It was horrible to watch as they flung themselves around the house with a manic energy.

__________________

Nellie Paddy Mitzy Milo Peggy Murphy

Millie and Monty, the White Devils!

That is what Meeko did and I just assumed it was part of his "disturbed "behaviour ,you describe it so well .Manic,hysterical ,wide eyed fearless running from room to room,scary to watch,thank good he is a calm(ish)young man now.Looks like the grains were making his problems worse.

__________________