When did we get a finicky cat?

So, I'm driving down the street, with the express mission of buying a reasonable supply of the one brand of canned cat food that Mack will eat. I've already called our local natural foods coop - the Outpost - and they say they don't carry any canned Wellness brand products, just dry. So the only store I know that carries the stuff is Beans & Barley, where I happen to have had dinner with a friend on Friday night. Before we had dinner, I picked up samples of canned cat food, to see whether they would appeal to Mack's appetite.

The good news is that I picked TWO WINNERS.

The weird question is: what if I hadn't scheduled dinner at Beans & Barley on Friday night? What would Mack be eating????

The bad news is that I only bought two cans. I did get a can of some other brand, as well, but Mack won't touch it, after a few initial licks.

So, I'm on my way to B&B to buy more Wellness canned food. And I realize I'm passing Pet Supplies Plus. I wonder if THEY carry the Wellness brand canned food -- that would save me several miles and several more minutes on my errands. So I pull into the parking lot of Pet Supplies Plus. They do not carry the Wellness brand, but they have a fabulous selection of Purina Fancy Feast products -- none of which were on the recent recall list of foods contaminated with melamine. (Remember melamine plates, from the 50s and 60s? they were just plastic? why didn't they just call them plastic?)

Aware that this is a risky business, I decide to buy about a dozen different flavors of Fancy Feast, hoping one or two will appeal to Mack, and that I can save 60 cents per can over the Wellness brand, which is also several miles farther away.

Quite pleased with myself, I bring my selection of Fancy Feast home, and crack open a can of Salmon Feast -- Sue's recommendation when we were trying to get Mack to eat prior to intubation. I mix it up and call Mack to the dining room -- he follows eagerly because he's hungry ... he hasn't had anything but Kitten Chow since 7 a.m. when he finished off the first can of Wellness brand.

Mack jumps up on the bed, eager, excited. He sniffs the food in the can I'm holding. He bumps my other hand so I'll pet him.

I stir the Salmon feast with my finger (eeew), and offer it to Mack. He bumps my hand so I'll pet him.

I try again. He bumps my hand for petting.

Salmon Feast is rejected.

I try a can of Purina Friskies Kitten Formula, which I picked up on a whim because Mack liked the Wellness Kitten formula. This, too, is painfully rejected. (Well, not painful -- just smelly and messy.)

Sigh. I will not open the other ten cans to see if any of them appeal to Mack. It's just too wasteful and frustrating!

John and I get in the car and drive down to Beans and Barley, have a nice early dinner, buy 14 cans of Wellness brand canned food in the two flavors Mack has not yet rejected -- aware that, at any moment, his taste may change and this investment, too, may be wasted.

When we get home, the first thing I do is pop the top of a can of the Kitten formula, call the cat to the dining room, and offer it to our recuperating cat (I have to remind myself of why I'm going through this trouble ... he is still recuperating ... he is still recuperating ... he is still recuperating!).

Same procedure, very different result: Mack dives into the can, nose first, and gobbles about a half ounce of the canned food. I'm relieved. He will get his nutrition today. But I'm puzzled, too. How does he know this is the right one!?!?

More importantly, what the heck would he be eating if I hadn't found the "right" one?

Wow. I just don't know the answer to that.