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Fussy Eaters and Contra-freeloading
I have a darling chihuahua staying with me now and she is a very fussy eater. Her mom commented jokingly about her having an eating disorder. She frequently switches up her gourmet fresh food and also sprinkles treats atop the meals sometimes as added enticement. Mind you, Allie is the perfect weight, so she is doing just fine eating exactly the number of calories she needs.
Out of love and worry, I think many pet parents create fussy eaters. When I first adopted WildeBean, the foster mom said she needed canned food added to her kibble to get her to eat. Well that wasn’t going to fly in my household, and WildeBean quickly learned to eat what was offered, and now even eats with gusto. (She also now eats fresh foods more than kibble, but I needed that to be my choice.)
Anyway, the interesting thing about Allie is that she often eats her very same food out of a stuffed Toppl while ignoring the exact same food freely available in a nearby bowl! The fancy people call this contra-freeloading, which means that some animals prefer the food that requires effort.
So, all you lobster lovers, would you rather work through the shell to the tasty meat or would you prefer someone else to do that work for you?
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8 Replies
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Hmmm, I wonder if the preference has to do with the material/texture of the toy, vs. what looks like a stainless steel bowl. Would she eat out of a rubber or ceramic bowl, or off a paper plate?
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I like your outside-the-box thinking, @Halberry124 ! Allie does, however, eat many meals from her SS bowl so I don’t think it’s the SS. And she doesn’t wear a collar with tags, so nothing is clanking on the bowl.
Really good sleuthing!
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Hmmm…. Back to the drawing board.????
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Lobster lovers! OMD, I think this is a superb analogy. I love crab, even though I’m MOSTLY a vegetarian…I rarely eat that though, but love the work.
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@bernerlabreclectus , do you think the delayed gratification is what makes the work of unstuffing the crab leg enjoyable?
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Personally, yes. I think you’re spot on in the delayed gratification. Also, the complexity of the puzzle of the where to crack the leg is probably why I love that, too. Then, it melts in your mouth! Crazy how rewarding it is and I didn’t even realize it.
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My husband loves to cue a couple tricks and then toss my dogs treats from the cookie jar. Occasionally, he’ll just toss them a treat, no tricks. My GSD has been known to spit out the treat (she’s a great catcher), and look to my husband for a trick cue. Then she’ll perform the trick and eat the treat.
Another interesting food related thing about my GSD. She’s older and needs carprofen for pain at every meal. For a long time she’d eat the cheese, and spit out the pill. I’d give it to her again, and then give the meal. Now she eats the pill every time and immediately gets her diner. Premack. She still doesn’t like it but she’s figured out that if she eats her broccoli, she can have dessert.????
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I love the examples you shared, @Cyn ! Especially cool is the story of your GSD needing to perform a trick before she wants to eat her treat. ????
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