Bella is exactly the same way!!! She would not eat out of bowls (unless she got desparate, and then she'd eat a little), but she hates it! She drinks out of a bowl just fine, although I have noticed that she sometimes will stand far away from it and stretch to reach it, so maybe she is afraid of bowls??! Weird! Anyway, the only way I could get her to eat was to hand feed or to dump in on the floor, but my vet suggested using a short rimmed dish. I haven't been able to find a dish like that yet, so I just use a small dessert plate. It works...she eats now, but I still think she'd eat more if it were on the floor. I don't want to give in to that yet though....as long as she's eating, the plate will do! Another trick I've tried is, when I'm "training", e.g. practicing tricks with her--sit, down, pirouette, etc..., I sometimes use her individual kibbles as her "training treats" and it works!! She eats more of her real food and anxiously awaits being hand fed (obviously what she really wants), but she has to do a trick to get it. I only do this on days she hasn't eaten much on her own. She also absolutely wants me to be at the very least in the room with her while she eats, but she'd prefer me to sit right next to her--I don't give in though! She eats better now, and will even eat from her plate after I've gone to work!! Yay, victory! Good advice from all...I hope some of the things mentioned in this thread help you. Let us know! |