Re: 4/6 AMPS 571
Just to throw in my 2 cents, I found that a big issue was that my cats have trouble actually getting the food in their mouths. When I feed, I cut the 5.5 oz can in quarters, then flip a quarter onto a saucer, then slice it in 3 slices, cut each slice lengthwise and cut those pieces into cubes a little bigger than dry food pieces. It seems to make a major difference for them.
I can't remember who first explained to me, when I came to the boards, about the way cats eat, but they flip the dry pieces into their mouth with the tip of their tongue and they can't do that with wet food in a pile. But they can do it with the little cubes, most of the time.
You might try cutting it in little cubes and see if he eats more. It might not be the taste, but the fact that he just can't get it in his mouth. If you feed half a can, as opposed to my 1/4 can, then cut up however much you feed. When they have trouble getting the food in their mouth, they get frustrated quickly and walk away, it may not be that they don't like it.
My Lucian is still the only one that has figured out how to BITE the food, the other 2 still want to just lick it, although Shadow is getting better at it, Patches still has issues and doesn't eat near enough. With Shadow and Patches, it helps to scrap up the cubes into a taller pile after a few minutes, so they can get a hold of it.
Obviously, the more dense the pate is, the easier it is to cube, some flavors are more dense than others, even in the same brand. I.E. anything with liver in it is more dense than a predominately fish one and chicken is much less dense, softer. But I manage to cube them all and the extra 60 seconds it takes is worth it to me, to get them to eat better.
I understand your frustration not getting him to eat, I went thru it too, with 3 cats 6,14,16 that had been on dry food all their lives and I went 'cold turkey' on them, either adjust or starve, knowing how bad the dry was for them, health wise. May sound harsh, but it was tough love in my book and I threw out all the dry the day I brought Lucian home from the hospital and found this sight and read about cat nutrition.
Keep working at it, he'll adjust and be healthier for it.
Big hugz! :YMHUG:
