Eating Same Thing All The Time.

[sailon]

I appreciate that a varied diet might be good for a cat, but is there really anything wrong with a cat eating the same brand and flavor of food all the time?

Over time Maxine has settled on one canned food that she prefers to all others, and now rejects everything else. Its a good brand, and she's perfectly healthy. The only other thing she gets each day is a few Kittles. This has been going on for about a year now. Max is 7 years old.

Any reason this won't work in the long run?

 

[MissMolly08]

The main reasons I have heard for a varied diet being better is that some cats can develop an allergy to a food they have eaten their whole lives. Foods can also be discontinued or recalled. If a cat only eats 1 food and then for some reason you can no longer find that food... what is your cat going to eat? I mean, that may never happen. I believe there are some brands of food that have never had recalls. Some cats never develop allergies etc. but it's nice to be prepared.

 

[sailon]

Thanks Molly. Never thought about it being discontinued. Good point. I'll probably keep trying to sneak in something different.

 

[maggiedemi]

What is the one canned food that she likes? Does it come in any other flavors?

 

[sailon]

Wellness Complete Health Grain Free Chicken Pate. Comes in a number of other flavors, but Max is allergic to seafood, so that limits me to meat flavors. However, I've tried all the other meats (other brands as well) and she's settled on the chicken pate.

I don't really have a problem with this, and Max is happy, but I was just curious if this was a bad thing.

 

[orange&white]

As noted, possible recalls or discontinuation of product. Also, sometimes manufacturers get a better "deal" on some ingredient(s) and decide to change the recipe, even though the label looks the same (unless you compare the fine print ingredient list).

 

[orange&white]

I would try various brands of chicken pate. Your only risk then should be that she might develop a chicken allergy.

 

[krisrath11]

I wouldn't think so. As long as he's eating steak and potatoes instead of candy and chips so to speak I wouldn't see a problem. One of my cats mama kitty was like that because she was an only cat and I catered to her much more than now (not that I still don't but household needs changed when other cats came). I had fed her friskies and I wanted her to eat better food, she shunned everything. It was going no where until it was dire to change and then she was forced and it was final. Kitten food is the easiest way to switch as it is appealing and unless u have a tubby kitty a bit of it shouldn't hurt while switching if something happens like the discontinue or recall. If he's healthy and happy then I would stick with it, we as people just try and attribute our not wanting to eat the same thing to them typically. They r creatures of habit who hate change and though mama still protests a change if the special needs kitties need to change for health then that's what we do and she has learned to be a bit more adaptable. She also gets to eat kitten food all the time too, as they r babies so she enjoys that lol, but she is also extremely healthy and always has been.
Obviously if there is a health concern u should switch, other than that get a good food and worry more about loving and buying toys he will never play with lol.

 

[sailon]

Thanks for all the replies. The one thing I haven't heard is that it's a bad thing. That's good to know, but I'll continue to experiment. I just won't force something new on her.

 

[lisahe]

As noted, possible recalls or discontinuation of product. Also, sometimes manufacturers get a better "deal" on some ingredient(s) and decide to change the recipe, even though the label looks the same (unless you compare the fine print ingredient list).

This happens more often than it should! Recipes change fairly frequently and some cats -- like ours -- pick up on the differences and (sometimes) refuse to eat the new formula. Or sometimes their humans aren't happy with the new ingredients and refuse to feed them. We've had both happen in the last year or so, with Tiki, Primal, and Merrick.

 

[MissMolly08]

I wouldn't think so. As long as he's eating steak and potatoes instead of candy and chips so to speak I wouldn't see a problem. One of my cats mama kitty was like that because she was an only cat and I catered to her much more than now (not that I still don't but household needs changed when other cats came). I had fed her friskies and I wanted her to eat better food, she shunned everything. It was going no where until it was dire to change and then she was forced and it was final. Kitten food is the easiest way to switch as it is appealing and unless u have a tubby kitty a bit of it shouldn't hurt while switching if something happens like the discontinue or recall. If he's healthy and happy then I would stick with it, we as people just try and attribute our not wanting to eat the same thing to them typically. They r creatures of habit who hate change and though mama still protests a change if the special needs kitties need to change for health then that's what we do and she has learned to be a bit more adaptable. She also gets to eat kitten food all the time too, as they r babies so she enjoys that lol, but she is also extremely healthy and always has been.
Obviously if there is a health concern u should switch, other than that get a good food and worry more about loving and buying toys he will never play with lol.

Not all cats hate change. I was feeding my cat the same dry food for almost 9 years. While she ate it and didn't seem to mind, she wasn't what I'd call "enthusiastic" about meal time either. I found this site and started a wet food rotation in addition to her dry. My goodness...I've NEVER seen my cat so happy about food! She LOVES it. Jumps around like crazy, tries to climb my legs and meows when she sees me opening a can of wet food!

 

[orange&white]

I don't think it's "natural" for a cat to eat the same food day after day, year after year, even if it won't kill them. I've been watching a feral cat in my yard stalking prey and I look around at the food possibilities she has. Lots of insects, an occasional rodent/baby squirrel, small wrens and other birds, and lizards. All four food groups.

 

[krisrath11]

Obviously not all r the same, but cats like routine. A cat that only gets dry food will get excited about wet typically. Mama my picky will eat any wet food u give her as she doesn't get it all the time.

 

[maryah]

My cat was stuck on Merrick Purrfect Bistro Chicken pate. Turned her nose up at everything else. I keep trying new things on her, using all the tricks I've read about here, because of the reasons listed above. Finally, as of yesterday, she also relishes the Wellness Core Chicken & Chicken Liver pate (at least no carageenan!). Whew! So... for now at least, there's two brands/flavors instead of one.

Maybe yours would go the other way and add the Merrick to her Wellness selection?