...just not "ready" or hungry -- yet?
Bearing in mind that in general, most guidelines are suggested by the manufacturers of foods they have no business consuming in the first place, also gotta wonder how far off people (in general) are in regard to
just how much (or little)
is necessary?
This appears to be consistent with all the larger Felids:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cougar#Hunting_and_dietA successful generalist predator, the cougar will eat any animal it can catch, from insects to large ungulates (over 500 kg). Like all cats, it is an obligate carnivore meaning it needs to feed exclusively on meat to survive. ...Kills are generally estimated at around one large ungulate (hooved animal) every two weeks. The period shrinks for females raising young, and may be as short as one kill every three days when cubs are nearly mature at around 15 months.[26] The cat drags a kill to a preferred spot, covers it with brush, and returns to feed over a period of days. It is generally reported that the cougar is a non-scavenger and will rarely consume prey it has not killed; but deer carcasses left exposed for study were scavenged by cougars in California, suggesting more opportunistic behavior.[43]
Explains why they have to add animal digest and other disgusting things to "entice" the cat to eat when it is convenient for
US, but is it
truly a matter of being "finicky", such as when healthier meals are introduced? Or is "finicky" just another cliche' conjured up in our endless attempt to conform a creature into something it simply is NOT?
Cats on high fiber diets don't seem satisfied, said Dr. Greco. They don't lose weight, and they become less active. But if they're fed more along the lines of what they would eat in the wild-high protein, and less grain, they seem more satisfied. "You don't see any cats out eating carrots on their own."
Because of its biology, a cat may eat dry food constantly-its brain never responds to the carbohydrates enough to tell the cat it's satisfied. Presented with a high protein, moderate fat canned food, the same cat may take 10 bites and walk away, Dr. Hodgkins said.
"Clients say, 'I don't think he likes it,'" Dr. Greco said. But their perception is colored by knowing how much he usually eats. "Here's an idea-maybe he's full."
http://fdlibrary.yuku.com/topic/72#.TqeMpnI0quM
Had tried googling for a cat's natural eating habits in the past only to be inundated with pet food ads, so it is my belief that most (if not all of the truth) lies with the Lions, Tigers, Cougars, etc... whose
only difference is that they are larger.