Cat only wants to eat moist part of food? Help!!

[alalalaepsi]

* To preface, my cat had bladder stones last year and is now on Royal Canin Urinary SO. We've tried other prescription diets but she seems to like this one best, so please no food brand suggestions. I'm pretty sure this is a texture issue rather than a taste one. *

So initially, I had given her the RC Morsels in Gravy, which looks just like the name suggests. The problem is, she would go crazy and lap up all the gravy then abandon the morsels. Then she would keep crying and crying for food and only ate until I literally spoon fed her. Someone suggested maybe blending the food, but then the Morsels in Gravy went out of stock and hasn't been back since so that's out of the question.
My vet suggested I give her the dry food version for a while (I know, I cringed too). She would chew the kibbles, then spit them back out, and again would only eat them unless I hand fed her. (I know this is encouraging bad behavior but the girl needs to eat). Vet then suggested to pour water on top of the dry food... which worked, but again she would lap up the water, maybe eat a couple of the soggy ones, cry again and again, then only eat if I hand fed her.
We switched over to the pate version of the food. She eats this one more than the others, but it goes like this: I feed her, she eats for a while, cries, I go over and see she's eaten the moist parts but everything else is a little dry, I mix up the food so the moist parts she missed are on top again, she eats for a while, cries again, I do this 5 more times, and at the end we're both exhausted and crying. Then I hand feed her until she's over it.

Please someone give me suggestions on what to do! I dont think she's low appetite because she'll eat if I feed her by hand, and she goes crazy whenever I open up a can. She just really seems to hate dry. We have a water fountain and she drinks from it so I don't think its a thirst thing.

I have time to go through all this commotion because I was unemployed, but I'm going back to work soon and I'm worried she won't eat at all when I'm gone throughout the day. I'm also weary of wasting food, RC is expensive and sometimes when I have to go out, I'll serve her, see her eating a bit, then I leave. When I come back she's crying at the door, her plate is still full and now the food must be thrown out because its totally dry and has gone bad from being out all day. PLZ HELP!!!!!!!

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi, have you tried different types/styles of plates, bowls, lifted bowls, tilted dishes, feeding in a different room, a flat paper plate, etc?

I've read (don't know if this is true) that most of the nutrients are in the gravy/sauce anyway. Can you add the kibble back to her menu and moisten it, and also add water or broth to the pate?

 

[maggie101]

If you have a small pet store like krisers get some orijin freeze dried cat treats and tiki sticks

 

[IndyJones]

Do they sell hagen lickables where you are? Sometimes just putting a bit of that on my cats food gets them to eat. It could be your cat is bored of eating the same thing every day. Adding a bit of something to the food can make them think it's "new".

My boy eats the same food as your cat (history of kidney stones) I add a bit of water to his canned food because he doesn't like it if it's too dry. The canned is quite dense and water makes it a bit more creamy for him.

I tried the chunks in gravy once because I ordered it by mistake and he just acted hungry he didn't like it at all.

 

[livismom1]

I always add water to my cats wet food. He isnt good at drinking water unless it's in his food. I don't know if that would help

 

[Cat McCannon]

Try adding a little water to the wet food and thoroughly mixing it. Or, thoroughly mix it without water. Mash it & mix it so it's all the same texture

 

[noani]

Have you ever tried not giving in to the cries for a bit? Like not just once but for a bit longer? Obviously if she isn't eating enough at all then that would be a concern, but maybe she just likes the attention.

One of mine was like this for a while. After I stopped indulging the behaviour (and you'd have to be 100% consistent) he stopped it. He usually eats the really moist parts first still and then walks off a little bit. Then he comes back for the rest when he realizes I'm not gonna do anything about it.

Sometimes if he still doesn't eat, I sprinkle some nutritional yeast on it. He loves the stuff and will start eating what's left with gusto and finish his plate.

She might just not like the taste of the actual food that much but if she has to be on prescription and there aren't many alternatives to try, you could try an appetizer such as nutritional yeast which many cats love, or something made for cats. I can't remember the brand that I got but it's dried flakes of chicken or other meats and it's called taste explosion or something (Italians get dramatic with their choice of words in English. We also have a brand here called randy cat so... ). Putting a bit of that on top gets him eating also but I prefer the nutritional yeast.

 

[vansX2]

* To preface, my cat had bladder stones last year and is now on Royal Canin Urinary SO. We've tried other prescription diets but she seems to like this one best, so please no food brand suggestions. I'm pretty sure this is a texture issue rather than a taste one. *

So initially, I had given her the RC Morsels in Gravy, which looks just like the name suggests. The problem is, she would go crazy and lap up all the gravy then abandon the morsels. Then she would keep crying and crying for food and only ate until I literally spoon fed her. Someone suggested maybe blending the food, but then the Morsels in Gravy went out of stock and hasn't been back since so that's out of the question.
My vet suggested I give her the dry food version for a while (I know, I cringed too). She would chew the kibbles, then spit them back out, and again would only eat them unless I hand fed her. (I know this is encouraging bad behavior but the girl needs to eat). Vet then suggested to pour water on top of the dry food... which worked, but again she would lap up the water, maybe eat a couple of the soggy ones, cry again and again, then only eat if I hand fed her.
We switched over to the pate version of the food. She eats this one more than the others, but it goes like this: I feed her, she eats for a while, cries, I go over and see she's eaten the moist parts but everything else is a little dry, I mix up the food so the moist parts she missed are on top again, she eats for a while, cries again, I do this 5 more times, and at the end we're both exhausted and crying. Then I hand feed her until she's over it.

Please someone give me suggestions on what to do! I dont think she's low appetite because she'll eat if I feed her by hand, and she goes crazy whenever I open up a can. She just really seems to hate dry. We have a water fountain and she drinks from it so I don't think its a thirst thing.

I have time to go through all this commotion because I was unemployed, but I'm going back to work soon and I'm worried she won't eat at all when I'm gone throughout the day. I'm also weary of wasting food, RC is expensive and sometimes when I have to go out, I'll serve her, see her eating a bit, then I leave. When I come back she's crying at the door, her plate is still full and now the food must be thrown out because its totally dry and has gone bad from being out all day. PLZ HELP!!!!!!!

It Sounds Too me that your kitty isn't getting the needed moisture in its diet. I suggest that you add a "Pet Water Fountain ". Have the fountain run 24/7. Clean it every couple of days too ensure good tasting water. Change the water filter at least once a month. Cats love drinking from aerated water. I have such a fountain. I can tell by the sound when the water level is low. My older Cat will whine if he thinks the pet fountain needs cleaning.

 

[Astragal14]

Two things to consider are whisker sensitivity and raising her food bowl. Some cats don't want anything touching their whiskers while eating and drinking, so a more shallow and wide bowl can be helpful. There are also bowls designed specifically to help with whisker sensitivity.

She may also like a raised food bowl. Do you have anything that would raise her bowl to about same height as when you hand feed her? One of my cats doesn't like eating or drinking from bowls on the floor, so we set her bowls on Tupperware that's about 3.5 inches high.

 

[vansX2]

Two things to consider are whisker sensitivity and raising her food bowl. Some cats don't want anything touching their whiskers while eating a drinking, so a more shallow and wide bowl can be helpful. There are also bowls designed specifically to help with whisker sensitivity.

She may also like a raised food bowl. Do you have anything that would raise her bowl to about same height as when you hand feed her? One of my cats doesn't like eating or drinking from bowls on the floor, so we set her bowls on Tupperware that's about 3.5 inches high.

I ave a suggestion as too wear you can purchase a raised food dishes. I saw those advertised on weathertech.com . You may have to look through the entire site but they are there. In both single and dual platforms . Another Suggestion is Purchase a Pet Water fountain . They are available Inexpensively And come in various height sizes . I believe that Ipaid just $14.00 for mine from chewy.

 

[Robyn5678]

What kind of food bowl do you use? I find the ones for “whisker fatigue” are way cleaner than if I use a different kind of bowl. They are raised and at a 35% angle.

 

[vansX2]

What kind of food bowl do you use? I find the ones for “whisker fatigue” are way cleaner than if I use a different kind of bowl. They are raised and at a 35% angle.

I'm using Stainless Steel pet food bowls. Mine aren't raised up though.

 

[maggie101]

I could not find any raised stainless steel. Use books with an old towel underneath. If you use ceramic,wash every time especially around the rims. My cat got bad acne from it

 

[vansX2]

I could not find any raised stainless steel. Use books with an old towel underneath. If you use ceramic,wash every time especially around the rims. My cat got bad acne from it

I suggest you look at Pet Accessories in the weathertech site. They offer a raised pet dish in either plastic or stainless.

 

[maggie101]

I suggest you look at Pet Accessories in the weathertech site. They offer a raised pet dish in either plastic or stainless.

Thanks! Think I already found one. Hope it's not too deep