Dry cat food usually comes in a box or bag, neither of which reseals very well. To keep the food fresh longer, treat it as you would your own. Transfer it to a jar with a lid, an airtight plastic container, or a tightly sealed plastic bag.
 

One sure way to encourage fussy cat behavior in the kitchen is to switch brands and flavors of cat food frequently. Some cats will latch onto a particular flavor or texture. Then they’ll avoid all the other flavors and eat only what they like. If your cat exhibits this tendency, your safest bet is to buy one kind of food and stick with it.
 

If your cat normally has a healthy appetite for her dry food dinner but has suddenly become finicky, you may need to replace the food with some that’s fresh. Especially in humid summer weather, dry food left down too long tends to absorb moisture and become stale, which could turn even the least discerning cat into a fussy eater.
 

If your cat’s turning up his nose at the canned cat food you just gave him, it may be because you just pulled it out of the refrigerator. Cold food doesn’t have much of an aroma, and cats won’t eat what they can’t smell. You can make cat food more appealing by heating it over very low heat or in the microwave just until it’s warm to the touch. The heat will release the food’s aroma and stimulate even the most stubborn cat appetite.
 

Some cats are finicky enough that they won’t eat out of a bowl that has bits of old food in it. So before you dash out to the store to purchase a new brand of cat food, give your kitty a clean bowl and see whether that solves the problem. And get into the habit of washing out food and water bowls after each use, just as you do for yourself. Rancid fat and bacteria are no better for cats than they are for humans.