Civvie wet food transition or lack of..

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nckitties3

nckitties3

Member Since 2013
So far the transition to wet food, for all 3 has been ok, except for my 6 yo calico, Patches. At 1st, she'd eat some of it and now it's gotten to where she might take a lick, then walks away. I got rid of all the dry food, none in the house. She doesn't like any of the treats or home cooked meats.

I know I read some things about this, but can't find them. I've read so much, my brain hurts! :lol:

Anyone have the links to some advice or have some advice?

She's about 10 # and although it wouldn't hurt for her to lose maybe 1#, she's certainly not obese, I'm concerned about her eating so little.

Thanks Ya'll!

Debbie and the Furbabies
 
You mean this? Tips to get cats off dry food :http://www.catinfo.org/docs/Tips for Transitioning PDF 1-14-11.pdf

You could also try enticing her to eat the canned by sprinkling stuff on it i.e.

Sprinkle food with :
FortiFlora -- a probiotic you can get at vets or online. is very smelly and cats love the taste of it.
parmesean cheese
smashed crumbles of dry food
bonito/tuna flakes (Can be found at Asian markets or sometimes in the Asian food section of a large grocery store.)
halo chicken treats (freeze dried chicken) -- crumble into dust over food -- my Wolfie loves this stuff.
pour a little water from tuna in water over food (I use low sodium/no sodium added as other kinds in water has veg. broth in it and I assume that means onions, which are toxic to cats and it shouldn't contain soy -- check labels)
powdered oregano. yep sounds weird . but some cats like it and it will entice them to eat.
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Or try a different flavour/type of canned. I have 3 cats and I went to the pet store and bought 2 cans of pretty much every low carb food there. And i tried them all until I found one all 3 would eat consistently. I needed 2 cans of each because I found that sometimes they would eat the first can and wouldnt touch the second. They settled on a few flavours of fancy feast.
 
I bought every low carb FF there is, 2 cans of each (6 carbs or less), 9 lives flaked tuna and egg and one Walmart brand that was low. They don't like the FF chicken.
So far, she 'kinda' eats the 9 lives, not more than a lick or 2 of the others, if that.
NONE of my cats will eat the Bonita flakes, I was surprised, even my feral won't touch it!
Maybe tuna juice or crushed dry treats will work.
Have no dry food. I do have left over dry treats, cause she always want's a treat when Lucian gets his, so I give her ONE and they are tiny. How do you explain to her, that 1 cat gets a treat but not her? :?: :lol:
I have tuna in the cabinet, will check the label. Guess that means I'll have tuna for lunch? Don't really like tuna, that's why it's still there! :lol: I just get a taste for it once in a while. OH tuna melt! That I like! Thanks for the idea for lunch! :-D and for the link.

Debbie and the Furkids
 
I checked my tuna, 2 brands, both have veggie broth. I do have a can of chunk chicken, that does not have veggie broth. I may try the water from it, mixed with more water, on her food next time. Not sure how it will work, since she doesn't like chicken cat food, none of them do, nor will she eat cooked chicken meat, only the feral will. But she may like the water from it and I like chicken salad better than tuna! Really didn't want tuna today! :lol:

Edit= Nope on the chicken water or the chicken. But I'm having chicken salad! :smile: Will try parmesan cheese next......

I'll figure out something, dry is not an option IMO. I doubt she will starve herself.

Thanks ya'll!

Debbie and the Furbabies
 
Well, she ate most of 1/4 of can FF Seafood Feast = less than .75 oz, not much but the most she's eaten at one sitting in a couple days. We'll see if she will eat more later. I can relate to them eating it once, but not twice and that is frustrating. :-x Hopefully she actually likes the flavor and will continue with that, I'll buy more tomorrow if she does.

Thanks Ya'll!

Debbie and the Furkids
 
Try some gravy canned/pouched food on top of the low carb canned food? Many cats love canned cat food gravy. Just keep the diabetic cat away from the gravy because it will spike blood glucose levels. And keep the gravy foods away from the low carb foods so that you don't accidentally feed grab the wrong can and feed it to the diabetic.

Some cats have expensive taste buds so you may want to try some higher quality foods than FF and Friskies, etc. My cat didn't care for FF. He preferred Nature's Variety Instinct and Innova EVO with a few other premium brands rotated in.
 
Deb - people look at me like I have 2 heads when I say this but I continue...I've learned that all cats don't know HOW to eat soft food. When they eat hard food, they 'flick' the pieces into their mouths with their tongues. You don't see them actually 'biting' the food to get it in their mouth. This method works fine with hard food which is stiff enough for that 'flick'. SOFT food is a different story. IT doesn't react to that method thus the cat ends up just licking the food and not really getting anything other than the liquid. It has taken my little Nuisance 1 1/2 years to learn to eat soft food. When they actually get a full BITE, the look on their face is priceless! Don't give up, since she's a civie, try one of the foods like Friskies Prime Fillets that has harder bits - they will react better to that 'dry food lick'. The 'meaty bits' kind doesn't seem to work as well....

GOOD LUCK! BIG HUGS TOO!!!
 
Thank you for the insight, I guess that's why they will only 'eat' it if they can 'drink' it, i.e., I have to add water.
Do you think it would work better on a plate, rather than a bowl? So they could get to it?

I'll see if I can get something with more 'filets', but can only get what I can afford.

Debbie and Furkids
 
nckitties3 said:
Thank you for the insight, I guess that's why they will only 'eat' it if they can 'drink' it, i.e., I have to add water.
Do you think it would work better on a plate, rather than a bowl? So they could get to it?

I'll see if I can get something with more 'filets', but can only get what I can afford.

Debbie and Furkids
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I'd try both bowls and plates - some of mine won't eat out of a bowl while others don't like plates.

'Filet' food - same price as the Friskies pates....seems to be about 50 cents a can most places. Friskies makes several kinds of 'Prime Fillets' - chicken, turkey, beef, salmon....
 
Yippee! I took the other 1/4 can, cut it in little cubes and she ate most of it! :-D Seemed to be better because she could get a piece in her mouth and chew it. I also put it on a saucer instead of a bowl. I feel better that she is getting more nutrition in her.

OK so it takes longer to feed them, not that it matters, I'm unemployed, so I have the time! I am actually grateful I don't have to be away all day, since Lucian was only recently diagnosed and unregulated. If I have to be unemployed, I'm glad it's now. :smile:

Thanks again for your help!

Debbie and the Furkids
 
hi
i just found out on saturday that my cat is diabetic, i am trying to find out what cat food would be best. i have 11 cats so i need to switch them all. i am not impressed with the prescription cat foods.
 
Yippee! I took the other 1/4 can, cut it in little cubes and she ate most of it! :-D Seemed to be better because she could get a piece in her mouth and chew it. I also put it on a saucer instead of a bowl. I feel better that she is getting more nutrition in her.
Click to expand...

WOOHOO!!!!! BIG YARD DANCE! (a 'yard dance' is one that's too BIG to do inside without wrecking the whole house!... :-D )
 
Someone give Sharon help, I am the last person to be giving advice!

On top of Patches eating, Lucian got a 218 BG, the lowest in several days! It IS a good day!

AND he's trying out the food cut in cubes! - He ate all but a couple chunks of 1/2 can and now he's 'washing up'....only saw him do that once since he came home! I am in tears, I'm so happy!

{{{{{YARD DANCE}}}}}
 
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