Getting a 8 week old kitten to eat hard food

morganalefae

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Dec 1, 2014
Messages
134
Purraise
25
I just recently bought a friend for my cat Sheamus the Lilac-point Siamese who I posted about not to long ago here on the site, our newest addition is a little blue oriental female called banshee (she has not stopped wailing since we got her), But from day one we have had to feed her wet food or she just will not eat!

I have tried wetting the hard food with warm water she looks at it and turns her little nose up at it, Tried a little real milk warmed up and put on it to soften it nothing. tried a bunch of different hard foods here in the UK and nothing she will only eat wet!

I'm worried about her as she seems to be getting slimmer and I'm sure it dot help that fat boy Sheamus is eating whatever is left in her wet food bowl. But I really want her to eat hard food cuz well I have a lot of it and I think it's more balanced then the wet food.

I leave fresh clean water out for both of them and put a 1/4-1/2 cup of food in both their dishes (thankfully Sheamus does not eat the hard food out of her bowl) 2-3 times a day depending on if they have eaten it or not if not if they have not touched anything for longer then say a day I toss it out.

My other concern is she only drinks from her water dish if she has to she prefers her water straight from the cup I use to fill their water dishes!.

Anyone got any ideas?
Banshee on the left Sheamus on the right.
 

bonepicker

Animal Lover Extraordinare
Top Cat
Joined
May 17, 2014
Messages
3,350
Purraise
439
Location
ON THE LAKE NORTHEAST OHIO
Wet is healthier especially for male cats prone to UTIs, crystals and stones. I would stick with wet to avoid potential issues down the road.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #3

morganalefae

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Dec 1, 2014
Messages
134
Purraise
25
Im more worried about my female cat then my male and he is not prone to UTI's or any of that! and wet food goes through cats faster then MILK!
 

catpack

TCS Veteran
Kitten
Joined
Aug 13, 2013
Messages
3,271
Purraise
646
Location
Southeastern USA
Wet food, on a whole, is healthier for cats than dry. It's easier to get the proper high protein, low carb diet that cats need. As long as the canned food is a complete food, you don't have to worry about it not being balanced.

Some cats have an obvious preference to dry or wet. Yours has chosen the latter. What was she eating prior to coming to you?

At her age, if she is only eating wet, she needs to be fed 4-5 meals a day...as much as she wants at those times. You may need to put her in a room by herself for 30 mins and allow her to eat. This way Sheamus doesn't get the food.

As for the concern about wet going through them quickly...
If it is causing diarrhea or soft stool, then there is an ingredient in the food that the cat is not tolerating.

About 1/2 of the cats in my rescue are on canned only diets and all have normal, formed stool.

If you are dead set on getting her to at least eat some dry, you likely will have to shop around and try several different brands/proteins to find one she likes.

My cats eat Nature's Variety Instinct Turkey and the Pride by Instinct line in Diva Dick. Both of these have been accepted by the newbies fairly quickly.
 
Last edited:
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #6

morganalefae

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Dec 1, 2014
Messages
134
Purraise
25
I have tried all the kitten hard food types here in the UK and I was originally told my kitten was 9 weeks but found out she was only 7 weeks when I first got her. Before coming to me she was nursing off one of sellers 2 lactating cats or she was feeding canned fish  (not canned seafood cat food which odd enough the canned seafood cat food smells better then humans). I would like her to eat some hard food as we have lots of it compared to wet food. she wont even eat cat treats I have never had a cat refuse a cat treat. but bring in human food and u you have to pull her off of urself every 5 secs.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

catpack

TCS Veteran
Kitten
Joined
Aug 13, 2013
Messages
3,271
Purraise
646
Location
Southeastern USA
At this point, I think the most important thing is getting enough calories in her. And, if wet is what she'll eat, then that is what I would feed her. You can continue to offer her the dry; but, if she will not eat it, there's little that you can do.

Most of us would consider you lucky that she is a wet eater lol...we're usually on the other side of the battle.

If she seems to like fish the best, maybe try some Orijen 6 Fish with her. It's a very smelly dry food that *might* be tempting enough for her.
 

bonepicker

Animal Lover Extraordinare
Top Cat
Joined
May 17, 2014
Messages
3,350
Purraise
439
Location
ON THE LAKE NORTHEAST OHIO
It's Sheamus not Shamous. I have tried all the kitten hard food types here in the UK and I was originally told my kitten was 9 weeks but found out she was only 7 weeks when I first got her. Before coming to me she was nursing off one of sellers 2 lactating cats or she was feeding canned fish  (not canned seafood cat food which odd enough the canned seafood cat food smells better then humans). I would like her to eat some hard food as we have lots of it compared to wet food. she wont even eat cat treats I have never had a cat refuse a cat treat. but bring in human food and u you have to pull her off of urself every 5 secs.
She seems a definite girl, she knows what she likes. That is how mine is, boy eats anything, diva eats only what she wants.
 
Last edited:

lisahe

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Mar 23, 2014
Messages
6,150
Purraise
4,969
Location
Maine
At this point, I think the most important thing is getting enough calories in her. And, if wet is what she'll eat, then that is what I would feed her. You can continue to offer her the dry; but, if she will not eat it, there's little that you can do.

Most of us would consider you lucky that she is a wet eater lol...we're usually on the other side of the battle.
I agree with CatPack: kittens really need to eat a lot so it's probably best to feed Banshee what she likes and will eat. It sounds like Banshee is really in touch with her carnivore side! That's a really good thing, particularly for such a small kitten, who needs a lot of protein to grow.

If you're having trouble with Sheamus eating Banshee's food, you could try feeding them in separate rooms. This works well for our cats: one of them is a slow eater and seems to feel more secure if she's shut in by herself.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #10

morganalefae

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Dec 1, 2014
Messages
134
Purraise
25
I have been putting him in the other room while she eats but with in about 5 mins she manages to get out of the room and does not seem to want no more. funny part is he waits til she is done then he eats the rest.
 

chwx

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
Jan 10, 2014
Messages
167
Purraise
35
This trick is normally used to get dry addicts to eat wet but maybe it would work for the opposite as well...Take some kibble, stick it in a baggy and use a hammer (or meat beater, anything hard) to crush the kibble then sprinkle it over the wet food. A good blender or food chopper would also work. Kitty probably doesn't even recognize the kibble as food.

Though I'm also on the side of wet being preferable over kibble. It is just as balanced as kibble, though the fact it's moisture rich, higher in protein and lower in carb makes it superior to kibble. Though food is of course a choice and we can't force you to change opinions, I would highly suggest you check out www.catinfo.org While you're working on getting her to eat dry, do be sure she eats plenty of the wet food so she keeps up her caloric intake. Kittens need lots of food and cats who don't eat can end up with hepatic lipidosis which is a deadly liver disease.
 
Last edited:
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #12

morganalefae

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Dec 1, 2014
Messages
134
Purraise
25
I plan on starting a raw food diet next Jan when they are older but I want to use up the hard food. and I'm worried about her water in take I don't want her dehydrated or anything!
 

chwx

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
Jan 10, 2014
Messages
167
Purraise
35
Cats on all canned diets get almost all their water needs from food. Kibble on the other hand robs the body of moisture, leaving cats dehydrated even if they seem to be drinking a lot from the bowl. (Because the food doesn't satisfy their thirst!) Think of it like this, eating dry cereal leaves you wanting a cup of milk but eating watermelon leaves you satisfied. As long as she's eating her canned food I wouldn't worry over her water intake. I actually add some warm water to my cats food to make it soupy and ensure extra fluids since I do have 2 males. (And 2 females) I do feed SOME dry because I have 4 cats and feed local strays but try to keep it about 1/2 and 1/2. Some days I splurge and do all wet meals and my cats drink significantly less water on those days because the canned food supplies them with so much more moisture than kibble does.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #14

morganalefae

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Dec 1, 2014
Messages
134
Purraise
25
it seems like tons on you seem to prefer wet food over hard. only down side is wet cost way more once you compare the weight your getting at x price
 

2cats4me

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jul 5, 2014
Messages
2,046
Purraise
211
 
it seems like tons on you seem to prefer wet food over hard. only down side is wet cost way more once you compare the weight your getting at x price
Wet food is better because it adds extra moisture for hydration .. That  is good especially for male cats to help prevent any urinary tract issues ..  My cats are not crazy about wet food so it has been a struggle getting them to eat it .. 
 

di and bob

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 12, 2012
Messages
16,582
Purraise
22,962
Location
Nebraska, USA
I mix some wet food with the dry for my outside cats it stretches it a little further. Doing this may encourage your kitten to eat dry, just put less and less wet in with the dry. I usually just leave dry in a bowl all the time and then feed wet once in the morning. Keep us posted!
 

chwx

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
Jan 10, 2014
Messages
167
Purraise
35
Canned really isn't too horribly priced. (At least here) I can get 13oz cans of Friskies and store brands for $0.80-$1.00. To feed my 4 indoor cats that'd be about 2 cans a day, so $1.60-$2.00 a day or $48-$60 each month to feed an 11lb adult male, 12lb adult female, 10lb young adult male and a 6lb female kitten. Still a bit pricey for us since that wouldn't include feeding my stray kitties, dog or turtles (and we live on just my husbands paycheck and whatever I make grooming now and again for friends/family) but for 1-2 cats it would be far more affordable. And you can always do both to stretch your dollar even further!
 
Last edited:

catpack

TCS Veteran
Kitten
Joined
Aug 13, 2013
Messages
3,271
Purraise
646
Location
Southeastern USA
You say you are interested in putting them on a raw diet *next year*. What is the reasoning for waiting? Freezer space?

It will be easier to transition from an all canned diet to a raw diet, rather than transitioning from dry to raw. You usually end up transitioning from dry to wet to raw.
 

mservant

The Mouse servant
Veteran
Joined
Jul 8, 2013
Messages
18,064
Purraise
3,451
Location
The Mouse Pad, UK
Banshee looks extremely cute but I am sure she is ruling your house right now and being a real diva!  Here are a couple of articles which explain some of the opinions shared by other members @Morganalefae  :

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/choosing-the-right-food-for-your-cat

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/choosing-the-right-food-for-your-cat-part-2

This is another article which talks through some of the questions about feeding fish, which may be of interest given Banshee has previously eaten this and may show a preference for it.

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/can-i-feed-my-cat-a-fish-based-or-fish-flavored-diet

I hope you do manage to persuade Banshee that your food preferences are hers too, but many are not so lucky.  I was extremely lucky that Mouse took straight to the prescription food he gets but however hard I try he will not let even the smallest morsel of wet food pass his lips.   As for drinking, the odd lick from his bowl is as far as it goes, he likes water on the run, either dripping from a tap or syringe, or from the bottom of the sink or bath.....   You might want to try a water fountain with Banshee as it sounds like she likes her water fresh too?  

If you want to look in to the raw feeding further, either now or in the future, please read the following:  http://www.thecatsite.com/t/282314/recommending-a-homemade-diet-hold-your-horses/0_100
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #20

morganalefae

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Dec 1, 2014
Messages
134
Purraise
25
diva is a under statement and s is ruling the house she is the boss if u ask her lol she will only stop crying if I have her riding on my shoulder lol. I don't have the freezer space as of yet to do raw diet. and over here in the UK all I can seem to find is small cans and pouches and those cost about $1.50-$3.00 per can depending on brand for 12 85g pouches for kittens it's about $6-$ for the cheapest brand. so big price difference.
 
Top