older cat throws up dry food. Vet put her on sensitive stomach wet food. We added some tuna to it and she will only eat it if the tunas in it. She just licks it and pushes it to bottom of dish. We will add some water to it and stir it in, but she licks the water out of it. She seems to be holding her weight but is always hungry. We bought some sensitive stomach dry food because we have another cat and it is hard to separate them at dinner time. She eats some of it, but, wants the wet food I think because it has tuna in it. Occasionally she will throw up the food.
-
Too many ads? Join our community of cat lovers now to reduce ads by 90%! Click here to join for free!
Cat only licking wet food.
- Thread starter Wizzcam
- Start Date
Try warming the food in the microwave just a little, make sure it is not hot. Also cats that only lick their food often like a mousse cat food or soft pate
Hi. You can always check all of the ingredients in the sensitive food and try to find other wet foods that have the same ingredients. Although, from what I know of some different types of sensitive foods, most have unnecessary stuff in them like peas, carrots, cranberries, potato starch, etc. The primary ingredients (chicken, turkey, chicken broth, for example) look very similar to many other canned foods. So, I am not actually sure what sets them apart as better for sensitive stomachs.
Aside from the ingredient issue, I am wondering if your older cat is like my Feeby (16+ yo). Up until about 3 years ago she was on dry food only. I started to switch her to canned foods and ended up giving her pates only because she doesn't like chunks of meat in her food - she would eat around them for the more 'liquid-y' parts. But, even with the pates, Feeby licks at her food and basically flattens it out in the dish and then will quit eating it. The only thing I have found that works is to constantly scoop the food back into a pile and then she will start to eat it again. For a 3oz can of food, I might have to scoop and re-scoop 4 or 5 times, but if I do, she will eat it all.
I would do some research on sensitive food ingredients and compare them with other canned foods. I feed Feeby Fancy Feast pates, and once or twice a week she gets other pate brands like Purina One True Nature, or Wellness Core (which does have a couple of 'goofy' ingredients like cranberries). All of these are grain free.
You might also ask your vet to explain to you what makes the food you are feeding your cat so good for sensitive stomachs - just to see what they say.
Aside from the ingredient issue, I am wondering if your older cat is like my Feeby (16+ yo). Up until about 3 years ago she was on dry food only. I started to switch her to canned foods and ended up giving her pates only because she doesn't like chunks of meat in her food - she would eat around them for the more 'liquid-y' parts. But, even with the pates, Feeby licks at her food and basically flattens it out in the dish and then will quit eating it. The only thing I have found that works is to constantly scoop the food back into a pile and then she will start to eat it again. For a 3oz can of food, I might have to scoop and re-scoop 4 or 5 times, but if I do, she will eat it all.
I would do some research on sensitive food ingredients and compare them with other canned foods. I feed Feeby Fancy Feast pates, and once or twice a week she gets other pate brands like Purina One True Nature, or Wellness Core (which does have a couple of 'goofy' ingredients like cranberries). All of these are grain free.
You might also ask your vet to explain to you what makes the food you are feeding your cat so good for sensitive stomachs - just to see what they say.
Try to add several table spoon of hotish water (or even better, bone/meat broth, preferably homemade, or cat safe if commercial) and stir it vigorously to create a saucy like, lickable texture. Warm liquid is important as it dissolves fat making it smoother. My gravy loving cat learned to accept the wet food that way. If you’re really committed, you can even use the blender for that.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #5
The sensitive stomach they Eliminate grains...like you cat she has ate dry food all her life. I saw a suggestion about making a mousse with it, that might work if she would like the consistency of it. The wet food is like a pate, not real soft and we refrigerate it after opening it...it lasts about 4 meals.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #6
we do that, maybe I can mix it more to a gravy consistency. I'll try it. Thanks
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #7
We have done that...I like your idea of a mousse...I'll see if I can find some or figure out how to make it into a mousse. Thanks
Then, essentially any other canned cat food that doesn't contain grains, such as Fancy Feast, would serve the same purpose, I guess? So, you could expand your search for something your cat might like better than the sensitive foods.
I hope the mousse or slurry ideas work for your girl. All Feeby did was lick off the 'sauce' and leave the remnants with the slurry concept. I don't know how cats' tongues are that dexterous! The mousse might work better, if you can get a process to create mousse on your own. I never did. But, Feeby will eat Tiki Cat Mousse much better than the slurries (still needs it scoped up to finish it)!
Let us know what ends up working!
Oddly enough, cats who have eaten only dry food their entires lives don't always understand that wet food is actually food 
Some cats take to wet food immediately, and others have to be transitions to it, and it's not always an easy task. You have to find out what they really like. Some like pate, some like slices, some like minces, some like chicken, some like turkey, some like lamb, etc.
The use of toppers can be very helpful. Since you have the sensitive stomach dry food as well, perhaps you could crush some of it and use it as a topper? I use Life Essentials 100% freeze dried chicken as a topper for my very picky eater, and even with that I first have to give him a couple pieces as an appetizer, then crumble a couple pieces on top of his food to get him to eat. And this has been going on for years.
Anyway, maybe something on these threads will help you out:
Transitioning Your Cat From Kibble To A New Type Of Food – TheCatSite Articles
Any Good Tips To Get Your Cats To Eat? Share Them Here!
Some cats take to wet food immediately, and others have to be transitions to it, and it's not always an easy task. You have to find out what they really like. Some like pate, some like slices, some like minces, some like chicken, some like turkey, some like lamb, etc. The use of toppers can be very helpful. Since you have the sensitive stomach dry food as well, perhaps you could crush some of it and use it as a topper? I use Life Essentials 100% freeze dried chicken as a topper for my very picky eater, and even with that I first have to give him a couple pieces as an appetizer, then crumble a couple pieces on top of his food to get him to eat. And this has been going on for years.
Anyway, maybe something on these threads will help you out:
Transitioning Your Cat From Kibble To A New Type Of Food – TheCatSite Articles
Any Good Tips To Get Your Cats To Eat? Share Them Here!
My cat Peaches is a licker. My next theory is she occasionally throws up pate because she licks it too fast so I've started adding north west naturals or freeze dried treats mixed in it. It seems to help and small meals so I have started using a timer. I sleep too long. Also have the vet check her teeth. Does her mouth smell bad?
