Old habits

[Coosh67]

Having had 50 year old Fred for a month now I have a diet question. He has spent decades eating cabbage, broccoli and dandelions, and is not interested in much else. I am slowly managing to tempt him with some home grown SW weeds but he is not that thrilled. He has never eaten fruit, cucumber or tomato. I do use Arkvits on his food a couple of times a week. Any thoughts on the long term effect this diet may have caused on his life expectancy or long term health welcome?

[Pussygalore]

was he outside in the garden with his previous owner? if so he probably found other bits and peices and his diet can't have been that bad as he's made it to a good age. Personally if you can let him out in your garden I'd not stop what he likes but add other things, sometimes the stress of just moving can take them a while to get over so trying to change his food as well can wait. Let him wander around and find his own food they are very good at knowing what they like and dislike, mine will go around tasting this and that and rarely sit in one place eating the same thing. Cucumber or tomatoe are good at getting a bit extra water into them but are only really good for that, the odd strawberry when in season doesn't harm but again as a treat not part of the diet.

[Coosh67]

Thanks, yes, he has been outside all his life. He has settled in really well and has the run of the whole garden with lots of different areas. He does pick at the odd bit in the lawn and I will sow some clover etc.

[Alan1]

if you have a garden then you most likely will get sowthistle and plantain growing in it somewhere, they are good additions which given time I'm sure he will eat eventually, probably has eaten it all his life too