Changing Brands

[Running Matches]

I have a kitten that’s 14 weeks old and I'm currently feeding her Friskies the pate version. I really want to get her off this brand because I keep reading that it’s bad for her and I want to switch her to Tiki Cat. I’m also reading online that by doing so it may upset her stomach and cause diarrhea so how do I get her used to the new wet food that I’m providing.

 

[abyeb]

Switching foods too quickly can cause stomach upset in cats, but there’s less problems if you transition gradually, mixing in more and more new food while reducing the old food, over a period of about a week.

 

[duckpond]

I have 4 cats and have always given them a wide variety of wet, and dry food. I rarely feed the same food twice in one day. Occasionally i will run across a food that seems to give one or the other soft stool, or stinky litter box problems, but this is rare for my bunch. I think it partly depends on the cat, and it never hurts to start slowly with introducing a new food, see how your kitten responds. The main problem i have with mine is they refuse to eat many of the new foods i bring home

 

[laura mae]

I rotate wet food all the time. Different brands, different flavors with no tummy upset. Tiki has a lot of fish varieties so I only choose a couple of them.

 

[katieloo]

I recently weaned my 2 cats off of Fancy Feast - highly addictive canned food. It took 3-4 weeks. I started with full serving of FF and added one spoonful of the new food. Do that for a few days.

Then a few days with a little more of the new food. After a week, do a half and half. After another week, you're doing almost all of the new food with just a spoonful of the old food.

I can't believe how well it worked. Gradual process is the key - plan to take 3 weeks or so to do this. In the past I've given up after a couple of days or just one try giving full new food. That doesn't work well.

Also - adding water and mixing well helps. Good luck!

 

[duckpond]

I recently weaned my 2 cats off of Fancy Feast - highly addictive canned food. It took 3-4 weeks. I started with full serving of FF and added one spoonful of the new food. Do that for a few days.

Then a few days with a little more of the new food. After a week, do a half and half. After another week, you're doing almost all of the new food with just a spoonful of the old food.

I can't believe how well it worked. Gradual process is the key - plan to take 3 weeks or so to do this. In the past I've given up after a couple of days or just one try giving full new food. That doesn't work well.

Also - adding water and mixing well helps. Good luck!

Very good advice, and works wonders for most cats. Lol... all except my little white one, she can smell a teaspoon of anything mixed in with her favorite foods, and she will throw her little white tail up in the air and prance away, refusing to even try it Cats...

 

[katieloo]

Very good advice, and works wonders for most cats. Lol... all except my little white one, she can smell a teaspoon of anything mixed in with her favorite foods, and she will throw her little white tail up in the air and prance away, refusing to even try it Cats...

Hahaha yes! When I initially tried to feed a whole serving of the new food with nothing mixed in, my Charlie stepped back, sat down and stared at me as though I was trying to poison him. Cats will very dramatically rebel against sudden changes.