Any Good Tips To Get Your Cats To Eat? Share Them Here!

[Catlady528]

You can't overfeed a kitten? That's kinda the same thing the rescue told me when I was concerned that Houdini was gaining a lot of weight. I got him in August 2015 and that is him in Pic 1. Pic 2 is 3 months later in November. He's still quite the tubbo. I should've named him Hoover BTW, my profile pic is not Houdini. He was Houdini's seeing eye brother Sambo, RIP.

 

[IndyJones]

You can't overfeed a kitten? That's kinda the same thing the rescue told me when I was concerned that Houdini was gaining a lot of weight. I got him in August 2015 and that is him in Pic 1. Pic 2 is 3 months later in November. He's still quite the tubbo. I should've named him Hoover BTW, my profile pic is not Houdini. He was Houdini's seeing eye brother Sambo, RIP.

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Very unique coat is he part Lykoi?

 

[Tobermory]

Catlady528 and IndyJones ! Please stick to tips to get kitties to eat.

 

[FeralHearts]

Cats are strange little creatures. I wish we understood them better so we could solve "problems" with them more easily. Ailish hates change - "You're putting this food bowl down here? This is not where I eat!" But the one area where she has to have change is in food - "You know, I've eaten this Paw Lickin' Chickin' for three meals now, this is the last time I'm eating it for at least two weeks. Don't even try it, I won't touch it!" But then - "What is this ? People turkey??? I don't eat people food, no way no how." And this is from a cat that is very food driven and not a problem eater. Until some seemingly irrational idea gets into her fuzzy black head. "Nutro Chicken Liver? Yes, I used to love it, but that was then, this is now, and I'm not touching that stuff." I know in my heart there is a rhyme or reason to cat behavior, we just don't know them well enough.

Right there. Story of my life.

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A little catnip sometimes works too. Not always.. but sometimes LOL

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[vampiric_conure]

Wet food is a love over here. I've not had Puddles long, but she adores Friskies, either shredded or Paté. The dry food has to be mixed in with wet or she ignores it all night. Silly beastie, LOL!

 

[lisahe]

Right there. Story of my life.

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A little catnip sometimes works too. Not always.. but sometimes LOL

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It's funny that you mention catnip! I just used it for the first time a few days ago to get one of our cats to eat when she was (apparently) a little constipated... and it worked fairly well. (Meaning that it was helpful "sometimes" but "not always" just as you said!) I'm not sure how much is too much so sprinkled lightly and then added a little more after she'd eaten some and then pushed the food around.

 

[BellaBlue82]

Sometimes I have a hard time getting Sadie to eat... She gets upset tummy easily with her daily medicine, and if I miss her feeding time by half hour or so the tummy acid builds up which is no bueno. So then eat, puke, tummy meds, and food aversion. And I mean, ANY of the 10 varieties.
But - she loves her treats!! So I usually end up making a pile of her wet food, then shoving 5-6 crunchy treats deep into it. Then I tell her "find your treats!!" Works every time, and the food aversion is conquered.

 

[Jojo&Tutu]

I’ve tried Weruva brand….looked decent and like real food when I opened the can BUT my cats wouldn’t eat it….I wish they would

Try the formulas without tricalcium phosphate in them. My cat loves some Weruva and not interested in others. I found six she loves and I rotate them. She loves Selfie Cam, Check Please, Shazaam, Booya, Meowiss Bueller and Tubular. Try these
And rotate them.

 

[Mailmans_Mom]

I just lost one of my girls to cancer, so I've got an updated list. I bought almost everything to get her to eat and most of it was a waste, but my other cats enjoyed it.

TikiCat Baby Thrive Mousse (chicken, chicken liver, fat) - This was the only lickable treat she would go for and she loved it. We could eat one/meal.
Meow Mix tender centers (more popular than other cheap dry foods)
9Lives Super Supper
Friskies Turkey and Giblets
Fancy Feast Singles
TikiCat After Dark
TikiCat Baby wet food
Vital Essence small pellets (freeze dried raw rabbit, has a texture like dry food, universally loved by all my cats including picky eaters who previously refused rabbit)

Sprinkle on top of food:
FortiFlora (for taste, it's made with the stuff they coat dry food with to make it tasty)
Parmesan cheese
Nutritional Yeast
Sardine water
Crushed temptations treats
Crushed Stella and Chewy's
Coffee grinder + dry food = powdered dry food. Make sure it's a new grinder never used on coffee!

Royal Canin pill pocket - these are prescription only but all of mine prefer them to Greenies. If I put these with a few Vital Essence pellets or roll the pill pockets in temptations or ground dry food, we're good. I have had no luck hiding pills in actual meat and would appreciate suggestions here!

Deli sliced ham (my mom's go-to, also worked for my girl for a bit)
Roast duck (Find a world market, mine was frozen, prepare like chicken but pause throughout to spoon fat on the skin so it doesn't dry out - she loved this)

 

[Emma Calgary]

Here are some quick tips to get your cat to eat:

1. High-Quality Food: Offer nutritious, high-quality wet or dry food.
2. Warm the Food: Warm wet food to enhance its aroma and taste.
3. Variety: Try different flavors and textures to find what your cat prefers.
4. Scheduled Meals: Feed at regular times instead of leaving food out all day.
5. Fresh Water: Ensure your cat has access to clean, fresh water.
6. Treats/Toppers: Use tasty treats or food toppers to make meals more appealing.
7. Play & Exercise: Keep your cat active to stimulate appetite.
8. Health Check: If appetite remains low, consult a vet to rule out any health issues.

Let me know if you need more info!