Cat Refuses to Eat Without a Side Salad and Everyone Gets It
Just like humans, pets can develop odd (and sometimes funny!) habits that seem to come out of nowhere. TheShags2021 is a black cat who loves fruits and vegetables. He likes these things so much that he refuses to eat a meal without them!
Somewhere along the way, Shags decided that he wouldn't eat dinner unless it was served with a side salad. His mom shared a video at the end of January 2024 of him enjoying dinner, with a salad on the side. It looks like maybe a spring mix with some carrots. I couldn't help but laugh at the video because I've never seen a cat eat a salad before!
Apparently, I'm not the only one who has never seen a cat enjoying a salad. @Shag's video has more than 7.6 million views, over a million likes, and 15.1 thousand comments. People had a lot to say about the black cat and his meal choices. @Jess got 80 thousand likes for her comment when she pointed out, "He’s trying to have a healthy balanced diet LOL!" and @Azriel got nearly 72 thousand likes for adding, "He’s dining not eating." @TarasWorld laughed, "He tearing that salad up, do y'all hear that crunch though?!" and Shag's mom replied, "A total open mouth chewer!"
Related: Cat's Odd and Hilarious Way of Eating His Food Has TikTok in Stitches
What Is Whisker Fatigue?
Many commenters, like Lauren Barksdale, mentioned that Shag might have 'whisker fatigue' and 35 thousand people agreed and liked her comment when she said, "He might have whisker fatigue from the deep bowls and prefers eating from a flat plate." Like me, Shag's mom had never heard of it, "I have never heard of whisker fatigue. Is that a thing?"
We all know that much like people, cats use body language to express their feelings. One of the things they use is their whiskers to indicate their emotions. When they are pushed forward, they're happy, but if they're pushed back towards their face, they are not happy and it's a sign of aggression. Those whiskers are very sensitive too. Research has shown that food dishes with high walls that constantly touch the whiskers can cause overstimulation to them. This makes it hard for them to drink or eat from their bowls. This is what "whisker fatigue" means. That's why some cats prefer to eat and drink from a shallow bowl or plate.
Is that why Shag must have a side salad with his wet food? Maybe. It could give his whiskers a quick break in between bites. But his mom has shared a lot of videos of him enjoying fruits and veggies that aren't on any kind of plate, so maybe he really does just enjoy having a side salad! Hopefully she'll try feeding him the wet food on a shallow dish and let us all know if there's a difference.
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