Cat Foodie Behavior

[wawadoll8]

Hello fellow cat lovers

It has been more than awhile since I was last here and I have a new kitty for almost a year and a half. He is a 3-years-old rescue cat named Buddy. The main struggle I have had with Buddy is his food. Since I got him, he has always preferred dry food. He literally will turn his nose to all wet food and FINALLY he was OK with Tiki Cat Velvet Mousse Salmon or Tuna. He is a fishy foodie lover! I had him on Merrick Bistro Salmon and Sweet Potatoes and noticed he was starting to spit it up and the food was in crumbles. I slowly transitioned him to Earthborn Whitefish and then the vet said to do Purina. He has gobbled up the Purina Pro Plan Salmon and Egg Formula so much so that he will not eat ANY wet food. He won't even eat his churu wet food treats that he loved. I know the last time he ate the chururu was to get in the cat carrier, so maybe he associated with something bad. There have also been lots of wet food options and maybe he is just sick of it or anxious or feeling my anxieties that he isn't having any wet food at all. He won't even have any wet food toppers or anything mixed in with the dry food. The good thing is he LOVES water and drinks lots of it. I was always told that male cats need some form of moisture or wet food because they are prone to crystals and urinary issues. He now will run away like crazy or scratch the floor like he is trying to bury the wet food. He literally looks scared along with extremely disgusted with wet food. I have tried several hours to only lay out the wet food so that would be his only option and he absolutely and stubbornly refuses and will even go on a hunger strike. I think he lost like a pound or so since this whole transition that has gone on for over a month.

Any suggestions? Do I give up on any wet food on him and feed him only dry food with lots of water? I am open to anything and everything! Thank you so much!

With Gratitude from Buddy and me,
Mary

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. If the flavor of the dry food is what he likes so much, try mixing a bit with some water to moisten it and see if he will eat it that way. If he does, you can give him some dry and some moistened - at least you are getting more moisture into him! Maybe over time he will adapt to wet food through this process and then you can attempt to re-introduce him to wet food again.

You can also crush up his beloved dry food and add it as a topper to some the wet foods to see what he does.

 

[wawadoll8]

Hi. If the flavor of the dry food is what he likes so much, try mixing a bit with some water to moisten it and see if he will eat it that way. If he does, you can give him some dry and some moistened - at least you are getting more moisture into him! Maybe over time he will adapt to wet food through this process and then you can attempt to re-introduce him to wet food again.

You can also crush up his beloved dry food and add it as a topper to some the wet foods to see what he does.

Thank you so much for the advice! Yes, when I put in water with a couple drops of his dry food then he slurps up the water, but doesn't eat the dry food. I've tried to put a higher ratio of water to match the dry food he loves so much so the dry food becomes mushy/like wet food texture or consistency and he won't touch it. I've tried dry food kibble with the various wet foods, too, and he still won't even look at the wet food. I really like your idea to crush up the dry food.

I just know this change in foodie behavior also happened when the weather began to get warmer. I'll revisit in sometime.

Thank you again!

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Bear in mind that the reason that wet food is so much better than dry for MOST cats is because most cats do NOT drink much water. They evolved from small wild cats in arid climes that got 90% of their water from the prey they ate. However, my cat will not touch wet food, and I've spent upwards of $500 trying to switch her. She does, however, drink 2-3 bowls of water a day. In fact, she drinks so much that for a while, I kept hauling her to the vet, certain that she was diabetic. Finally, Dr. T. told me, "She's fine. She's just fat and thirsty. Be glad she loves her water. If she starts losing weight for no reason, bring her back."

If your boy is a "heavy drinker" (LOL), he may well be fine on kibbles. Continue to try,, but don't let it make you crazy.

 

[wawadoll8]

Bear in mind that the reason that wet food is so much better than dry for MOST cats is because most cats do NOT drink much water. They evolved from small wild cats in arid climes that got 90% of their water from the prey they ate. However, my cat will not touch wet food, and I've spent upwards of $500 trying to switch her. She does, however, drink 2-3 bowls of water a day. In fact, she drinks so much that for a while, I kept hauling her to the vet, certain that she was diabetic. Finally, Dr. T. told me, "She's fine. She's just fat and thirsty. Be glad she loves her water. If she starts losing weight for no reason, bring her back."

If your boy is a "heavy drinker" (LOL), he may well be fine on kibbles. Continue to try,, but don't let it make you crazy.

Ahh...I did not know this tidbit that you shared! Thanks so much! Yeppp...I think I have just about spent AND wasted hundreds of dollars on my Buddy boy to try to switch him to wet food. Wow...2-3 bowls a day?? Yes, I brought Buddy to the vet b/c I thought he was diabetic, too, from all the water he was drinking. He has a water fountain and I have to fill up that sucker more frequently than not. Do you mind me asking you what dry food you feed your kitty cat? The vet told me that Buddy is fine and that as long as he is drinking all the water he does then the dry food is OK. Thank you!

 

[Astragal14]

Don't give up on wet food! One of our cats was addicted to dry food when we adopted her at age 2 1/2. She's 11 now and her diet is usually about 60-70% wet food and two things that made a huge impact were adding Forti Flora and foods with gravy to various wet foods (among many, MANY, tactics we tried). FeebysOwner also has a great suggestion of using crushed dry food as a topper. Our girl also has seasonal allergies and one thing I've definitely noticed is that a stuffy nose impacts her ability to smell her wet food, so she starts requesting more dry and less wet.

Forti Flora is a mild, single strain probiotic that is frequently used as an attractant. It has a high amount of animal digest and most cats love the smell. We started sprinkling 1/4 - 1/3 of a packet on her wet food and she immediately began eating a lot more wet!
https://www.chewy.com/purina-pro-plan-veterinary-diets/dp/49853

The next thing that made a huge difference was adding a lot of gravy. Wet foods that she used to nibble were practically inhaled when we added gravy! We like the Soulistic canned foods in gravy because they have a wide variety of proteins and several fish flavors. We often give her a combination of 1/2 healthy wet food + 1/2 Soulistic and go heavy on the gravy. Soulistic is made by Weruva and sold exclusively at Petco. Weruva also has a lot of gravy options and fish options, we just prefer Soulistic instead.
https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petco...-tranquil-treasures-variety-pack-wet-cat-food
https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petco...iginal-recipes-cans-variety-pack-for-cat-food

Another potential option is Tiki Cat broths, since Buddy previously liked some of their foods. Our girl kind of liked them, they ended up being a little too watery for her; she definitely prefers a thicker gravy like Soulistic.
TIKI CAT Broths Variety Pack Grain-free Wet Cat Food Topper, 1.3-oz pouch, case of 12 - Chewy.com

You could also try Hartz Squeeze Ups in place of Churu treats; they're very similar but a little less healthy than Churu (so of course my girl prefers Hartz!).
Hartz Delectables Squeeze Up For Cat - Free shipping | Chewy

 

[Alldara]

These were some big tips for my dry food addict.


Also I would try things like Purina Pro plan, Iams Perfect Portions. My wet food eaters wouldn't touch Tikicat. Even if he just eats 1/2 can a day, be satisfied with that at first. It can take years to get to a higher wet amount.

Transitioning Dry Food Addicts

 

[wawadoll8]

These were some big tips for my dry food addict.


Also I would try things like Purina Pro plan, Iams Perfect Portions. My wet food eaters wouldn't touch Tikicat. Even if he just eats 1/2 can a day, be satisfied with that at first. It can take years to get to a higher wet amount.

Transitioning Dry Food Addicts

Thank you so much for these suggestions and for the link to the "Transitioning Dry Food Addicts." This is all so helpful! So far, Buddy really loves the Purina Pro Plan complete essentials dry food, so maybe the wet food is the trick then, too.

 

[wawadoll8]

Don't give up on wet food! One of our cats was addicted to dry food when we adopted her at age 2 1/2. She's 11 now and her diet is usually about 60-70% wet food and two things that made a huge impact were adding Forti Flora and foods with gravy to various wet foods (among many, MANY, tactics we tried). FeebysOwner also has a great suggestion of using crushed dry food as a topper. Our girl also has seasonal allergies and one thing I've definitely noticed is that a stuffy nose impacts her ability to smell her wet food, so she starts requesting more dry and less wet.

Forti Flora is a mild, single strain probiotic that is frequently used as an attractant. It has a high amount of animal digest and most cats love the smell. We started sprinkling 1/4 - 1/3 of a packet on her wet food and she immediately began eating a lot more wet!
https://www.chewy.com/purina-pro-plan-veterinary-diets/dp/49853

The next thing that made a huge difference was adding a lot of gravy. Wet foods that she used to nibble were practically inhaled when we added gravy! We like the Soulistic canned foods in gravy because they have a wide variety of proteins and several fish flavors. We often give her a combination of 1/2 healthy wet food + 1/2 Soulistic and go heavy on the gravy. Soulistic is made by Weruva and sold exclusively at Petco. Weruva also has a lot of gravy options and fish options, we just prefer Soulistic instead.
https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petco...-tranquil-treasures-variety-pack-wet-cat-food
https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petco...iginal-recipes-cans-variety-pack-for-cat-food

Another potential option is Tiki Cat broths, since Buddy previously liked some of their foods. Our girl kind of liked them, they ended up being a little too watery for her; she definitely prefers a thicker gravy like Soulistic.
TIKI CAT Broths Variety Pack Grain-free Wet Cat Food Topper, 1.3-oz pouch, case of 12 - Chewy.com

You could also try Hartz Squeeze Ups in place of Churu treats; they're very similar but a little less healthy than Churu (so of course my girl prefers Hartz!).
Hartz Delectables Squeeze Up For Cat - Free shipping | Chewy

This is so helpful! Thank you SO MUCH !! I tried Buddy on both TIKI Cat Broths and Soulistic and he couldn't care less and strutted away like both were beneath him. That being said, I have not tried this gravy version of Soulistic so I will give this a try. I did give Buddy a Wellness Gravies version at one point and he lapped up all the gravy, but couldn't care less about the morsals of REAL FOOD.

As for the Forti Flora, I read and heard about this, but I am hesitant to purchase a big package because what if Buddy doesn't like it then it will be a huge waste of the product and the money.

I truly appreciate all the help!

This is o

 

[Mamanyt1953]

you mind me asking you what dry food you feed your kitty cat? The vet told me that Buddy is fine and that as long as he is drinking all the water he does then the dry food is OK. Thank you!

The malevolent little gargoyle won't touch anything but Friskies kibbles, and then only Seafood Sensations or Surfin' and Turfin'. NOT recommended. She's living on junk food, essentially. However, a very wise person here once advised me that the very best cat food is the one that your cat will actually eat. The most nutritionally-balanced cat food in the world is useless sitting in the bowl. And because my girl had a very near-miss with hepatic lipidosis (fatty liver disease) when she had an acute pancreatitis attack, I cannot let her go more than forty-eight hours without eating. LOL, she knows how long that is to the minute, and will smirk at me when I take up another rejected offering, wash the Sacred Dish carefully, and put her beloved Friskies in it. Cats.

 

[Alldara]

The malevolent little gargoyle won't touch anything but Friskies kibbles, and then only Seafood Sensations or Surfin' and Turfin'. NOT recommended. She's living on junk food, essentially. However, a very wise person here once advised me that the very best cat food is the one that your cat will actually eat. The most nutritionally-balanced cat food in the world is useless sitting in the bowl. And because my girl had a very near-miss with hepatic lipidosis (fatty liver disease) when she had an acute pancreatitis attack, I cannot let her go more than forty-eight hours without eating. LOL, she knows how long that is to the minute, and will smirk at me when I take up another rejected offering, wash the Sacred Dish carefully, and put her beloved Friskies in it. Cats.

Fed is definitely best and you know, the constant stress of trying to force to eat something else isn't great on human or cat.

 

[wawadoll8]

The malevolent little gargoyle won't touch anything but Friskies kibbles, and then only Seafood Sensations or Surfin' and Turfin'. NOT recommended. She's living on junk food, essentially. However, a very wise person here once advised me that the very best cat food is the one that your cat will actually eat. The most nutritionally-balanced cat food in the world is useless sitting in the bowl. And because my girl had a very near-miss with hepatic lipidosis (fatty liver disease) when she had an acute pancreatitis attack, I cannot let her go more than forty-eight hours without eating. LOL, she knows how long that is to the minute, and will smirk at me when I take up another rejected offering, wash the Sacred Dish carefully, and put her beloved Friskies in it. Cats.

It's like I've been saying of wet food vs dry food in comparison to human food: "Are you going for the pudding or applesauce or the potato chips?" Me, personally, nothing like potato chips and a good burger and fries! My Buddy is very much your little gargoyle then! Haha!

 

[Alldara]

It's like I've been saying of wet food vs dry food in comparison to human food: "Are you going for the pudding or applesauce or the potato chips?" Me, personally, nothing like potato chips and a good burger and fries! My Buddy is very much your little gargoyle then! Haha!

I've always compared dry food to say living off of those fortified breakfast cookies. I mean, you can LIVE off them. They contain everything you need. But if you ate other things it would be better

 

[wawadoll8]

I've always compared dry food to say living off of those fortified breakfast cookies. I mean, you can LIVE off them. They contain everything you need. But if you ate other things it would be better

Now I'm thinking of Belvita cookies...though I never had those before!

 

[wawadoll8]

Fed is definitely best and you know, the constant stress of trying to force to eat something else isn't great on human or cat.

That is so true! So many are telling me to leave Buddy be because we don't want him to get so anxious that he won't even eat!

 

[Astragal14]

That is so true! So many are telling me to leave Buddy be because we don't want him to get so anxious that he won't even eat!

Are you able to leave food out overnight? We discovered by accident that our picky girl will eat almost anything overnight - foods she wouldn't eat during the day! (we already had a microchip feeder because our other cat will eat ALL her food if given the chance)

It's not a case of anxiety about eating around others for her, it seems to be that she sees the overnight food as, "well, this is all there is until breakfast so I may as well eat it". (this is also our picky girl, the one that was addicted to dry food)

It may be worth leaving out foods that she's expressed some interest in, and maybe she'll nibble through the night and end up eating all of it.

 

[Astragal14]

I did give Buddy a Wellness Gravies version at one point and he lapped up all the gravy, but couldn't care less about the morsals of REAL FOOD.

My picky girl can be the same way. We now use a very stiff kitchen spoon/spatula to chop the meat into small enough pieces so she can't avoid eating most of it when she laps up the gravy. We've also used a Magic Bullet Baby Blender to purée her food in the past, but we haven't need that for a while.

As for the Forti Flora, I read and heard about this, but I am hesitant to purchase a big package because what if Buddy doesn't like it then it will be a huge waste of the product and the money.

I totally understand. Chewy is great about issuing refunds, and Forti Flora is also sold at PetSmart and Petco, so you could confirm in person that a return would be accepted. And most PetSmart and Petco stores donate unopened returns (this would include any unopened Forti Flora packets) - I know this because the rescue group I'm involved with has received many free products this way!

 

[wawadoll8]

My picky girl can be the same way. We now use a very stiff kitchen spoon/spatula to chop the meat into small enough pieces so she can't avoid eating most of it when she laps up the gravy. We've also used a Magic Bullet Baby Blender to purée her food in the past, but we haven't need that for a while.


I totally understand. Chewy is great about issuing refunds, and Forti Flora is also sold at PetSmart and Petco, so you could confirm in person that a return would be accepted. And most PetSmart and Petco stores donate unopened returns (this would include any unopened Forti Flora packets) - I know this because the rescue group I'm involved with has received many free products this way!

Yes, Chewy is awesome about issuing refunds. One of the many reasons to love "Chewy." As it stands now, I purchased a few "Soulistic" gravy cans of food to see if Buddy will enjoy them. My challenge is now figuring out his feeding schedule and when and what to lay out when. I put out a bit of wet food today with his usual dry food and water with dry food crumbles this morning. Before I jetted off to work, he went for his dry food and ignored the wet food. Sigh. So...bottom line is before getting the "Forti Flora," I am hoping for some kind of wet food to tickle Buddy's fancy. I don't wanna get too much now because it'll confuse all of us lol.

 

[wawadoll8]

Are you able to leave food out overnight? We discovered by accident that our picky girl will eat almost anything overnight - foods she wouldn't eat during the day! (we already had a microchip feeder because our other cat will eat ALL her food if given the chance)

It's not a case of anxiety about eating around others for her, it seems to be that she sees the overnight food as, "well, this is all there is until breakfast so I may as well eat it". (this is also our picky girl, the one that was addicted to dry food)

It may be worth leaving out foods that she's expressed some interest in, and maybe she'll nibble through the night and end up eating all of it.

Buddy doesn't seem too much of a night time eater. He may take a couple nibbles of his kibble, but that's really it. I've left dry food and wet food overnight and it is again where dry food wins and wet food doesn't. Your girl sounds like me as a night time snacker! :-D

 

[lunch]

wawadoll8 I completely relate to nerves about ordering in bulk before knowing if a product is going to be a hit. I have a thought about this, gonna PM you