Cat-chuteries: Fancy Boards for Fancy Cats
~ About a 7-minute read ~
I am one of those people who loves a good charcuterie board. Bonus points for a mix of cheese and meats! And the pickled cauliflower! So yum. The great thing about charcuteries is that it gives you a wide selection of different options, even if you or the person you are dining with isn’t into every single item. And with smaller portions, you get to try a lot of different foods! At least, that’s my measure of a good board. It’s also very fancy and fancy always equals better.
With this concept of small but many, we can adapt this fun and fancy board for our cats. Whether you are just getting to know what your cat likes or are up against pickiness, cat-chuteries serve as a useful data collection tool that can help make life a bit easier when it comes to food. And variety is the spice of life… we often feed our cats the same thing, day in and day out. Enter: The cat-chuterie!
Picture this: you know what your cat loves to eat, hates to eat, and you also know what they will do absolutely anything for. Maybe it’s cottage cheese, maybe it’s beef liver… you’ll never know until you offer it to your cat!
And why not make it fancy and put food on a board?
Every cat is different with individual needs and preferences. You may not like blueberry pie, but I can assure you someone else loves it! Travel down this path of discovery and you might end up somewhere you’d never expect.
The benefits of the cat-chuterie:
Know what your cat loves and hates to eat (all data is good data!);
Expand your cat’s horizons and discover new tastes and textures;
Provides mental stimulation and a fun activity;
Have more diet options in case a brand gets discontinued or is out of stock at your store;
Controlled testing of new foods in small quantities for those picky eaters or those with food intolerances;
Find out what motivates your cat to work. Then you can do some training!
The possibilities are endless. I break it all down below so that you can get started on your own cat-chuterie.
What is a cat-chuterie and how do I use one?
A cat-chuterie is a selection of different types of protein, textures, and tastes that are offered to your cat at once. If you have a board, go for it! Plates work great too… or use your cat’s food bowl. The best thing about a cat-chuterie is that it is adaptable. Use what you already have and make it work for you.
Think of a cat-chuterie as a gentle introduction to something new. Small portions are best to limit food wastage, prevent stomach upset, and keep additional calories to a minimum. A dime-sized amount of wet food. 2-3 kibbles. A very small piece of a treat. These are only meant to be small tastes.
Offering a few different options at the same time also establishes what your cat prefers over others. Think of it like a pecking order… pun intended. Maybe your cat will go for the churu first and leave the freeze dried chicken for last. Even if your cat eats everything on the board, you will likely see a pattern. Maybe the churu wins out every time. This is great data to have because this is the food for which your cat will work. Then the training fun can begin.
I like to offer a cat-chuterie around dinner-time so that they have their usual meal at the same time. This limits the hunger variable - that they’ll eat anything in sight. We want to know if they like a particular food and are not just in hunger mode.
Cat-chuteries also provide a clean slate for foods, without the influence of bad-tasting medication, in a low-pressure scenario. Often, cats will pick up our own stress around food. This in turn will limit their appetite. Cats are sponges and pick up our feelings very easily.
I like to offer 3-5 different foods at once. I often repeat foods to confirm preferences. If they don’t eat the beef liver three times in a row, we know they are just not into it.
If you have a multi-pet household, offer your cat-chuterie to your cat on their own with a door closed. These “private dining rooms” can help a cat feel more comfortable eating. Cats have complicated social relationships, even if they have a really close friendship. Make meal time sacred: feed in a quiet place, where they can enjoy on their own.
Remember to collect the data! Did they like the chicken breast? Did they hate it? Did they sniff it and then walk away? Or maybe they tasted it and then spat it out a few seconds later. All data is good data. Use your phone to keep track of what you try. Use a smiley face to mean they loved it and a sad face if they didn’t.
Monitor for vomiting or regurgitation and keep an eye on the litter box. We don’t want any tummy upset. This is why we use small tastes - it gives the body a chance to adjust to a new food.
What food should I choose for my cat-chuterie?
Now comes the fun part: Choosing the food! The key is to not limit yourself. Borrow from the dog and human world. I like to choose high protein foods with mid-to-high levels of fat. Those are the foods that cats love and are biologically designed to eat. Don’t worry about the fat content (unless for medical reasons) at this stage. Remember: only small tastes!
Here is a list of common proteins that are found in cat food. Cross off the ones that you try:
Beef
Buffalo
Chicken
Crocodile
Duck
Eggs
Herring
Kangaroo
Lamb
Lobster
Mackerel
Pork
Salmon
Sardines
Shrimp
Tuna
Turkey
Venison
Whitefish
Here is a list of textures and types of cat food. Cross off the ones that you try. Try these in combination with the above proteins.
Canned food
Cooked
Dehydrated raw
Kibble
Kibble mixed with raw
Freeze dried
Frozen raw
Blend
Broth
Consomme
Cubed
Flaked
Gravies
Minced
Morsels
Pate
Shredded
Sliced
Stew
Here is a list of a few different cat and dog treats and supplements. Cross off the ones that you try. Try these in combination with the above proteins and different textures and types of cat food.
Beef liver flakes
Bone broth
Cat food toppers
Churu
Frozen sardines
Goat milk
Nutritional yeast
Pumpkin
Purebites
Temptations
TikiCat Stix
Tuna flakes
Here is a list of a few foods from the human world that would likely go over well. Try these in combination with the above lists. One day I’ll calculate the factorial… Hopefully you can see why I say that the possibilities are endless!
Any grocery store meats, cooked
Anchovy paste
Baby food
Baby shrimp
Bonito fish flakes
Canned salmon
Canned tuna
Cottage cheese
Cream cheese
Deli meats
Egg (raw or scrambled)
Goat cheese
Parmesan
Yogurt 2% fat or higher
If you feel stuck or overwhelmed with choice, pick a brand of treat and buy two or three different proteins within that brand. Better yet, ask your local pet store for samples of a few different foods. Bonus points if you do this with a friend so you can pass along the food your cat doesn’t want to eat.
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You are all set to start on your cat-chuterie journey! Make sure to tag #catchuterie in any social media posts. I would love to see your cat-chuterie adventures and what discoveries you make along the way.
-Gillian
