Food Issues.

[Pebbleskington]

Apologies if this has already been asked my signal isnt good enough to load many pages.

I bought my kitten up on felix kitten wet food its all hes known.

Now and then id treat with tuna or a chicken breast. Not too much that ruins his diet.

He started to refuse felix around the second month in from getting him. I only treated at end of the month and not enough to depend on.

Its now few months later and got food issues. He will nibble then turn nose up at the food. Ive tried him on all brands. He ate whiskers for a week then refused then found out felix with sauces worked for about a week then done same. Hes done this to all brands and last was iams. He was fine eating it then refused. He will go days without food but happily nibbles my pizza toppings as caught him and even broccoli but not cat food. Hes been to 3 different vets and each one has said hes fine i dont have £50 to spend on vets all time ive other pets to take care of. I am at wits end. He will eat it for first few days then point blank refuse. I dont give in with tuna etc just put dry mix down. The food has vanished now n then in the night and my other cat is too old to jump up to eat it (I put up high so other cant eat it) thunderpaws is now seriously underweight and losing weight badly. Ive tried every brand can think of and still he wont. Hes been xrayed and looked over n over by 3 different vets and hes fine.

i dont know what to do. If he doesnt gain weight soon he wont be here much longer.

Am i able to get away with feeding tuna and chicken (he will eat that no problem) to bring his weight back till back on cat food? Im worried and stressed out

 

[maggiedemi]

What country do you live in? What brands do you have available there? The thing about chicken and tuna is that they don't have the vitamins like Taurine that a cat needs. But of course, you have to get the cat to eat something, I agree.

 

[DreamerRose]

It's more important to get your cat to eat something than to feed a really nutritious food. Feed him the tuna and chicken that he likes for a while to get him used to eating regularly and gain some weight. Then pick more complete nutritious food and mix it half and half with tuna or chicken. Use wet food - some of the Fancy Feasts and Shebas have chicken varieties, and I believe both are sold in the UK. Sheba has a chicken and tuna one that my Mingo loves - and he's a cat who doesn't like tuna!

Good luck to you and welcome to the Cat Site!

 

[LTS3]

Are you in the UK? There are threads here on TCS about UK foods to try: My kitten doesn't like "posh" expensive wet cat food!

 

[lalagimp]

You can still feed him the chicken regularly if you use a supplement like EZ Complete.

 

[astrael]

A good weight booster in a pinch is kitten milk. I've offered it to new, clearly starved, ferals. Full of nutrients, and usually is appealing.

Another thing you could do is try mixing low sodium chicken stock/broth in with the wet food. Or use the water from cans of tuna (dilute it first, cause that's a LOT of sodium). I've also resorted to lactose free milk. I know, I know, it's not a good idea, but it was an emergency and it worked. Dehydrated and sick feral momma cat still nursing (and still a kitten herself at the time, actually). It worked, and she's happy and healthy now.

But I agree with the others. At this point, it's critical you get your cat to eat something, even if it's essentially junk food. You can work on healthier foods as he puts on weight. But enhancing the flavor might help a bunch.

Good luck.

 

[Columbine]

Ahh, the joys(!) of a picky cat

It's pretty common for cats to be picky, actually, so you're in good company! My old boy was a master at this, and drove us absolutely crazy at times. Keeping several different brands and flavours in rotation often helps. I try not to give the same food for more than a couple of days in a row to prevent boredom setting in.

Just to clarify - it looks to me like you're saying he's eating his dry food overnight, but just isn't interested in the wet. Is that correct?

There are a few tricks you can try too. Warming the food a little brings out the aroma, and that alone can encourage a cat to eat (adding a little hot water from the kettle and mixing it in has the same effect). Freeze dried treats, such as Purebites (US) or Thrive (UK), are easily crumbled over the top of a bowl of food, changing up the flavour and keeping kitty interested. If he really likes his kibble, I've had success with pulverising a little (I just use a plastic baggie and a rolling pin and have at it ) and using that as a topper too. Another popular toppers is bonito flakes. Lastly, there's Purina's FortiFlora. This is basically animal digest (highly processed meat/tissue, aka kitty crack), being used as a carrier for a probiotic. You only want it for the flavour, so you don't need to pay attention to the box dosage - a little should be all you need. This article has some more tips and tricks: Transitioning Your Cat From Kibble To A New Type Of Food (canned, Raw, Or Homemade); How To Get Your Cat To Start Eating Again

It's not ok to just feed plain tuna and chicken, as they don't have everything your boy needs. They're fine for treats, and for a few days to get him started, but not as a long term staple. The most serious deficiency he'd be at risk from is taurine - something that's essential for heart health - but you run the risk of all sorts of other deficiencies too. If yo have to feed one or the other for longer than a few days, try to focus on the chicken, with the tuna as an occasional treat. Tuna is likely to exacerbate any deficiencies from an unbalanced diet.
Can I Feed My Cat A Fish-based Or Fish-flavored Diet?
Unbalanced Diets - Are You Killing Your Cat With Kindness?

Have you tried any of the prescription diets? If he's losing weight fast, it might be worth asking your vet for some Hills a/d. It's designed for sick and convalescent cats, and is high calorie, nutrient dense, and designed to be extra palatable. Another option to consider is a nutrient paste, especially if you're stuck with an unbalanced diet for the time being. I used Nutri-Vit Plus for my old boy near the end, and it definitely made a difference
If you let us know where you are (needn't be more specific than which country ) and what your budget it, I'm sure someone will have some bright ideas for other foods to try.

(edited to add a few points after re-reading the original post )

 

[Pebbleskington]

Are you in the UK? There are threads here on TCS about UK foods to try: My kitten doesn't like "posh" expensive wet cat food!

im in uk

 

[Pebbleskington]

Ahh, the joys(!) of a picky cat

It's pretty common for cats to be picky, actually, so you're in good company! My old boy was a master at this, and drove us absolutely crazy at times. Keeping several different brands and flavours in rotation often helps. I try not to give the same food for more than a couple of days in a row to prevent boredom setting in.

Just to clarify - it looks to me like you're saying he's eating his dry food overnight, but just isn't interested in the wet. Is that correct?

There are a few tricks you can try too. Warming the food a little brings out the aroma, and that alone can encourage a cat to eat (adding a little hot water from the kettle and mixing it in has the same effect). Freeze dried treats, such as Purebites (US) or Thrive (UK), are easily crumbled over the top of a bowl of food, changing up the flavour and keeping kitty interested. If he really likes his kibble, I've had success with pulverising a little (I just use a plastic baggie and a rolling pin and have at it ) and using that as a topper too. Another popular toppers is bonito flakes. Lastly, there's Purina's FortiFlora. This is basically animal digest (highly processed meat/tissue, aka kitty crack), being used as a carrier for a probiotic. You only want it for the flavour, so you don't need to pay attention to the box dosage - a little should be all you need. This article has some more tips and tricks: Transitioning Your Cat From Kibble To A New Type Of Food (canned, Raw, Or Homemade); How To Get Your Cat To Start Eating Again

It's not ok to just feed plain tuna and chicken, as they don't have everything your boy needs. They're fine for treats, and for a few days to get him started, but not as a long term staple. The most serious deficiency he'd be at risk from is taurine - something that's essential for heart health - but you run the risk of all sorts of other deficiencies too. If yo have to feed one or the other for longer than a few days, try to focus on the chicken, with the tuna as an occasional treat. Tuna is likely to exacerbate any deficiencies from an unbalanced diet.
Can I Feed My Cat A Fish-based Or Fish-flavored Diet?
Unbalanced Diets - Are You Killing Your Cat With Kindness?

Have you tried any of the prescription diets? If he's losing weight fast, it might be worth asking your vet for some Hills a/d. It's designed for sick and convalescent cats, and is high calorie, nutrient dense, and designed to be extra palatable. Another option to consider is a nutrient paste, especially if you're stuck with an unbalanced diet for the time being. I used Nutri-Vit Plus for my old boy near the end, and it definitely made a difference
If you let us know where you are (needn't be more specific than which country ) and what your budget it, I'm sure someone will have some bright ideas for other foods to try.

(edited to add a few points after re-reading the original post )

The brands youve names i dont knowof but will try.
Usual brands in shops are wilkos own vrand which he ate at one point. Felix whiskers and iams. Its like he will eat it for few days then stop and refuse point blank. I give in about 3 days after as hate him to starve. He eats it for my pet sitter she said last night she's never had an issue.

 

[DreamerRose]

Maybe he just needs variety. Get two or three kinds and alternate them.

 

[Columbine]

The brands youve names i dont knowof but will try.
Usual brands in shops are wilkos own vrand which he ate at one point. Felix whiskers and iams. Its like he will eat it for few days then stop and refuse point blank. I give in about 3 days after as hate him to starve. He eats it for my pet sitter she said last night she's never had an issue.

Have you came across Zooplus? It's a great online pet store, and a wonderful source for more unusual brands at great prices. Thrive wet food is pretty much kitty crack in this house Sadly, Zooplus dont carry the kitten one, but Amazon do. Another non-Zooplus fave is Natures Menu (Amazon is one of the best prices, and i think it might still be on sale at Pet Planet). Zooplus favourites are Bozita, Animonda Carny, GranataPet, and sometimes Feringa. (Zooplus has more great foods/brands, but these are the favourites in this house ).My girl loves Catz Finefood too, but it doesn't have a kitten version. FWIW, my ultra fussy old boy went mad for Thrive, and Bozita was another huge hit with him. Nature's Menu was probably his other favourite. If you order from Zooplus, their Cosma Snackies are cheaper than the Thrive freeze dried treats, and are (usually) easier to crumble too

Hope this helps I really hope you can get your boy eating well again very soon