Dina Moeller, residing in Boston, Massachusetts, shared with Newsweek an intriguing insight into her cat Shaggy’s discerning palate, revealing his insistence on having a side salad with his meals since she adopted him from the Northeast Animal Shelter in Salem in May 2021.
Moeller recounted her initial observation of Shaggy’s peculiar relationship with food, noting his keen interest in her meals from the outset. “I noticed right away that he was really into whatever I was eating,” Moeller remarked. She recalled an incident where Shaggy vocally protested for 20 minutes after waking up to the scent of a chicken parmigiana sandwich she had consumed while he slept.
Having recently lost her cherished 21-year-old cat and amid the ongoing pandemic, Moeller sought solace in adopting a new feline companion. Although initially drawn to a tortoiseshell-colored cat showcased on the shelter’s website, her attention shifted to Shaggy, a black kitten captured in the background of the photograph.
“It was meant to be,” Moeller reflected on her decision to adopt Shaggy, despite his initial classification as shy and fearful. However, upon bringing him home, Shaggy promptly dispelled any notions of timidity by confidently scaling a large Mass Cane tree in her dining room, demonstrating his adventurous spirit.
Moeller acknowledged Shaggy’s dietary idiosyncrasies, attributing them to various factors such as his prior struggle with worms, which necessitated a regimen of plain chicken and rice. Subsequently, she encountered challenges finding cat food that suited Shaggy’s sensitive stomach, leading to his unconventional preference for salad ingredients.
Despite concerns raised by veterinary professionals regarding the introduction of human food into a cat’s diet, Moeller emphasized Shaggy’s improved digestive health following his salad consumption. She speculated that Shaggy’s early upbringing in a feral colony may have influenced his affinity for atypical foods.
However, Moeller ensures that all food items offered to Shaggy are cat-friendly, incorporating a variety of vegetables and fruits alongside his regular cat food. She noted Shaggy’s occasional preference for certain flavors of wet food, which can prompt a “food strike” if not supplemented with salad.
While Shaggy’s culinary interests extend beyond salad to include various human foods, Moeller remains steadfast in accommodating his preferences, guided by the advice of her veterinarian and Shaggy’s overall well-being.
“As long as I make sure he’s not eating anything like chocolate, raisins, grapes or anything from the allium family, it’s OK in moderation,” Moeller affirmed. “He’s happy and healthy, so I just go with it. It’s very hard to change a cat.”
