Difficult Getting Cats To Eat Regularly

[tigger13]

Hello everyone, I really need some advice here. I'm worried I may have caused this issue and now making it worse. I will be talking to their vet about this but wanted your advice as well as I feel I'm the issue . I have 3 indoor cats, all adults, all strays I've had for a long time. 2 males and 1 female, all fixed. Yes I've spoiled them all. The issue is picky eating to the point where the male and female will either barely eat and walk away or just walk away.
I then try other foods, wet, dry, tuna, I just can't get them to really eat, especially the female who i just got back from having the radio iodine injection for hyperthyroidism. The female, she used to be a healthy eater but I think as her hyperthyroidism got worse and I was giving her anything just to get her to eat, that maybe I caused her picky eating. I can't get her to eat anything fully. Couple of licks and she walks away but keeps screaming for food.

So again I try everything and I wonder if she's just being picky wanting the good stuff since I was giving her everything just to get her to eat. She's eating very little here and there and that's what I'm not use to so I then try something else then something else and think I have caused her picky habits. She was acting ravenous before her injection which was due to the hyperthyroidism so I was giving her anything just to get food in her.

I will be calling the vet back about her to see what I can do to get her to eat. There's not supposed to be any side effects from the iodine treatments, she's still acting ravenous due to the nature of the hyperthyroidism but I just can't seem to give her anything she wants to eat! I wonder if trying too many things has caused the problem. If she takes a few licks and walks away then maybe I just need to stick with it and feed her throughout the day until she stabalizes.

The male cat is really just stuck on treats I think, he's also a gravy licker, he'll walk away from his wet food knowing I will give him treats just to get him to eat, or dry food. He was hard to get off of dry food. Would only eat friskies with gravy. The main thing is I think by constantly changing what I give them and messing up their eating routine has caused this picky eating and refusal to eat.

I'm all over the place and I think that's the problem. Wasn't always like this, I think where I messed up was when they got bored with their food, I tried too many things and kept switching things. I need to get back to some healthy foods and healthy eating habits and just need some guidance on how to do that.

Understand, I'm pretty ADD so it's hard for me to stick to a routine but I'm not gonna let that impact my furrys so I just need some guidance to help them get back to normal. I tried to introduce them to raw but they wouldn't touch it. I know it takes time and I will try again.

Does anyone have any advice for me on how to get this back under control and get them eating again and making the right decisions on feeding. I panic when they don't eat. I know not to let them go too long without food and that's where things break down for me I think. I just need a good plan and good advice to get this back on track please. A good routine and tips on how to deal with their picky eating habits the right way, without panicking and caving in! Lol. I want to eventually get them all on raw but need to get this feeding routine and habits fixed first. I love my cats guys, I'd move the world for them, I just lack the discipline when they throw kitty strikes and now it's gotten way out of whack and I need some help getting them and myself back to some stability. Thanks everyone!

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi!
First, definitely ease up on yourself about the variety of foods you've tried. That isn't the cause of the current situation. Plus, in my experience with a picky eater, if a food isn't eaten in the morning, it likely won't be eaten later on unless an enticement/topper (see below) helps, however in addition my guy, as well as other cats, won't touch anything after it's been refrigerated, rewarming notwithstanding .

Can you ask the vet about an anti nausea med?

Take a look at these articles, they might help;
Is Your Cat Addicted To Treats?

Transitioning Free-fed Kibble Kitties To Timed Meals

How Much Food Should I Feed My Cat?

Choosing The Right Food For Your Cat - Part 2

Also, here is a list of toppers/enticements that may be helpful (keep in mind, this list was compiled because there are a lot of people facing the same situation as yourself );

Check with your vet first to be sure there's no issues;

Try sitting with your kitties and see if they'll lick other mushed up food off your finger or a spoon. The reddi whip helped another kitty recently but all of the things on the list have eaten by at least one cat.

18 Awesome Cat Feeding Tips By Thecatsite Staff Members

Also here is a compilation of things;

Try feeding in different locations - and utilize different heights. For example put a couple of books underneath the dish, next time use two thick phone books, or a small-ish box so the heights are varied....

Try some raw egg yolk. Egg white must always be cooked, and some people cook the white and make a slurry of sorts by adding in the raw yolk.

Try making these recipes - they're just as viable for an adult cat as for kittens;
Kitten-Rescue.com

These below can be used on their own or combined with food. Also, if you heat the food a little - stir it so there aren't any hot spots from the microwave.

Or you could heat some water, about a tablespoon, and add that to canned food. A small glass works to stir it all up.

• Chicken, beef or ham flavored (pureed) baby food such as Gerber Stage 2 - make sure there is no garlic or onions in the ingredients

• Tuna and/or the juice, a low mercury/low/no sodium brand is called SafeCatch

• Salmon, mackerel

• Sardines (make sure there are no bones)

• boiled cut up chicken or turkey with no seasonings

• canned kitten food any brand

• Try mixing in Kitten Milk Replacer - there are recipes on the internet or store bought

• Fish, tuna or BBQ flavored canned wet food (I personally have never seen BBQ flavors, but...)

• Lickable cat treats or pouch treat 'gravy' poured over the food

• kitten glop (recipes in website link above)
• Bonito flakes
• fortiflora
• fish oil
• green beans or asparagus mushed up, lettuce, applesauce, mashed chickpeas, black olives
• whipped topping such as reddiwhip
• dry pasta

• goat milk, or no lactose cow milk
• whole cooked eggs (the white must always be cooked) or raw egg yolk now and then
• broth with no salt and no garlic or onion or seasonings of any kind
• There are also commercial toppers, Applaws is a brand that can work well as a topper
  
• Some good treats would be freeze dried Purebites, Orijen, Meowtinis, Meowables, Only Natural Pet, Primal

• There are also Lickimats that you could spread types of soft food onto, even plain unflavored yogurt, and even freeze it. Licking something can help a cat to feel better emotionally The LickiMat - Food Puzzles for Cats
• shredded cheddar cheese, string cheese

 

[tigger13]

Thank you so much for all the info!!! I appreciate it!!! I will give those a try!!!

 

[Furballsmom]

Let us know how things go

 

[tigger13]

I will keep you posted, thanks guys for all your help!!!! Much appreciated!!!

 

[tigger13]

Here's my babies. The grey one is Sweet Pea, the picky eater and the one who got the radiation treatment.

 

[tigger13]

The orange one Tigger is the gravy licker lol. The tuxedo, Willy, he eats EVERYTHING. Bella is the puppers, sweet dog. All strays.

 

[tigger13]

The pic of Tigger and Willy spooning is not setup, they slept like that! Lol

 

[Furballsmom]

Awww, thank you for the pictures