[DISCLAIMER: I am in no capacity a veterinarian or a medical professional. The following doesn’t constitute professional advice and is not intended to be used as medical advice. I am not responsible for any harm that comes from using this article as medical advice.]

Before I got my first cat, I had obsessively researched. Anything and everything about cat care. Ranging from scratching posts to litter and litter boxes to food. Especially food. I prepared as fully as I could before even adopting a cat.

And then I brought home my then 10-month-old, 5-pound weird nut of separation anxiety that is my cat. The very first day, he was proving that the norm is merely a suggestion. Exhibit A was the fact that he was raring and ready to mingle from day one. I fully expected an acclimation period for him to get used to us. Nope.

So, he seems to have made it his life mission to not be the norm. Which leads to the title.

With the first fainting episode, I thought it was heatstroke or heat exhaustion. It was in the morning, I was still in bed, and all I knew was that, on that California summer morning, he was by the foot of my bed like normal. Then he pitched sideways off the edge of the tall bed I had. I, like the cat momma I was, was up and out of bed instantly.

I didn’t realize what it was then, but, with time, some personal detective work, critical thinking over records and results from vet visits, I’ve narrowed things down.

The vagus nerve. I had no idea what it was or that it existed. But having Bixby led to me learning well what it is. It is a simple nerve, one that can run near the stomach. It also has the potential of freaking out. When it does? It affects blood pressure and blood flow. Blood rushes away from the head, and that can cause fainting.

With my cat? There are two situations I have observed so far that result in the loss of consciousness:

·       Hairballs (I have been blessed with a cat that doesn’t have a hairball on the regular.)

·       The normal ‘the stomach was empty for too long’ upchuck.

And it is grand number 2 that has caused the most issues.

You see, I feed my cat on the regular. But he will throw up that normal, clear liquid stuff and then faint (thank you, diva queen of a vagus nerve…) if something like him going on a hunger strike happens. And it was with that situation that I learned something important: Pet care has two factors, not one. The first is the research on quality. The second one is the pet.

The pet is a big factor.

Now, I read and know that wet cat food is better for cats. More hydration and fewer carbs on average. Seems simple, right?

Wrong. Oh, how young, research-intensive me was oh so wrong. Because my cat, my wonderful, insane, too-stubborn Bixby, didn’t agree. Don’t get me wrong, he’d eat the food. The first time. But I bought in bulk to save money for my half-past-broke self. I’d try different flavors, different brands, and different textures. I’d also mix wet food with dry food to maximize the nutrition for the dollar. He’d even have things that I didn’t eat on the regular: quail eggs, lobster consommé, lamb, duck, ahi tuna, shirasu, and crab. On. The. Regular.

Yet, a week of switching out flavors to keep things interesting, and then my cat would decide, “Nope. I don’t want even a nibble of this garbage. Hunger-strike time.”

Now, you and I probably see the very bad issue that this causes. He still doesn’t. He’s fainted over it and still would pull the same kind of blackmail on me. So I was faced with a cat that would go on a hunger strike when he really shouldn’t and the fact that, because wet food will dry out and get crusty after a while, I was throwing out more food than not.

I bit the bullet. I bit the bullet and went all dry food with wet food as an occasional treat. Is it the most recommended thing to do? Nope. Is it the path my cat forced me to take to ensure that we don’t play the ‘will he faint and empty his bowels this time’ game? Yes. Absolutely, yes. So my cat taught me one of the number of lessons that he has imparted during my time caring for him: All of the best research and best products are highly reduced in effectiveness if the pet himself decides that he doesn’t like this way of doing things.

And so, I’ve come to the conclusion that ‘pet care’ is not linear. It is highly based on the animal’s individual preferences and needs. There are many paths to care, and your pet will no doubt make their opinion known after a while. So, really, the only metric is something that sounds a little basic. If you are caring for your pet’s needs, and they have a generally clean bill of health (chronic or unavoidable illnesses or issues excluded from this), then you’re doing it right.

Now, excuse me as I go and give Bixby his portion of dry food for the day. The same flavor he’s enjoyed already for the past month nonstop.

© 2025 Jasmine Steinbach