Many years ago, our first cat used his paw to drink and eat. His favorite was a few drops of eggnog at Christmas! He and the dog used to eat half their dinners and then swap bowls to finish. They were both healthy and lived to old ages, so I guess it didn't hurt them. They also licked the kids ice cream bowls every night which included chocolate syrup. So much for the new ideas about feeding pets! New cat just eats cat food because we don't eat ice cream!