How to switch cats to wet food

Rshep

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Hello everyone,

I am trying to transition my cats to eating a good wet food from kibble, I am mixing a little each day into their kibble for the last week. I have 2 cats, one of them is loving the wet food and the other won't touch her food if there's even a bit of wet food in it at all. I am also trying to switch to meal times instead of free feeding but sometimes the one cat doesn't like to eat right away in the mornings until I'm at work.

. It was going well up until these past 2 days, and today especially. My one cat, she's 1, she ate a bit of the wet food earlier but not all day she doesn't want any of her wet food or kibble at all, she's acting normal but she seems like she wants to eat, she just shakes her head at everything I try today. She's recently been eating less and less of her food I have noticed ever since we started her on wet food. What can I do to get her to eat? I have tried adding warm water to it, mixing it, adding pumpkin puree because it's usually her fave, she just doesn't want anything
 
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drustone

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One suggestion is to slowly transition your cats to wet food. Start by mixing wet and dry food together, gradually increasing the wet content until you've completely switched to wet food. This will help the cats become more accustomed to the taste and texture of wet food. Additionally, it may help to set aside specific times for feeding your cats. This will help them become used to meal times and may encourage them to eat right away in the mornings. You can also try offering treats when they do eat right away to help reinforce the behavior.
 

FeebysOwner

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I would test the dry vs. wet food issue with your one cat by adding some water to moisten the dry food and see if s/he will eat it that way. It might be that this cat prefers the flavor of the dry food. However, it might help to transition him/her to wet food eventually.

Regarding the one cat who prefers to eat at a slower pace, you probably will need to get motion activated feeders that open when the cat approaches but will stay closed otherwise to help keep the food fresher. There are even feeders that have a compartment underneath the dish for ice to help keep the food fresher longer as well.

There are so many varying textures to wet food, so try all of them to see if some are liked better than others. You have foods with meat that is chunky, shredded, minced, for example. Some come with extra gravy. And, then there are pates to try too.
 

Remi&RiRi

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I’m about to begin the transition from dry to wet food as well. I’ve done a lot of research. I will link this article which has seemed to have the most helpful information I’ve come across so far. Big take away is to have lots of patience and out-stubborn your cat lol. It may take several months to make the switch so you just have to be very dedicated. I tried to make the switch last year but only gave it a week or two and gave up too quick. Now I’m trying again as my boy recently developed urinary crystals which became an emergency situation. Best prevention is wet food. The article also has some good tips and tricks on how to make the wet food more enticing. Keep us posted on how it goes :)
https://catinfo.org/docs/TipsForTransitioning1-14-11.pdf
 

louisstools

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Switching from one type of food to another plus free feeding to meals might be too much at once. I'd do them one at a time.

Regarding switching from dry to wet (or the reverse) the textures are so different you might need different tricks for each cat. I transitioned mine from dry to wet and did it in separate bowls. However it can take a lot longer for the switch than a lot of places indicate. Figure a two week slow transition and then maybe six more weeks before it's really sticking. Depending on the age and the food they were exposed to when they were little some cats might not take to a switch of food type. My cat eventually refused wet food and reverted back to kibble. No matter what food or what I did I could not get her to eat wet food.
 

cmshap

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It took me a long time to successfully switch mine... and as I detailed in a recent thread, he is still having dry-addiction issues as I need to give him a little dry now in addition to the wet.

Wet/dry food ratio and pooping issues

Establiahing firm mealtimes was definitely one key part. And always being consistent with those times of day (if you read my latest post in the above thread, you will see I have been slacking on that a little, which only confirms its importance).

The other main thing was just trying all manner of brands and flavors until I found one he loved. But I don't give him the same flavor all the time. I let him eat his absolute favorite one exclusively at first, then started rotating other kinds after he was used to the texture. Rotating keeps it interesting with a different flavor at each meal, too.
 

cmshap

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She's recently been eating less and less of her food I have noticed ever since we started her on wet food. What can I do to get her to eat? I have tried adding warm water to it
You mentioned adding warm water, but have you tried heating the wet food directly?

My cat Willy refused wet food for a long time, and I found that he likes it much better after I warm it in the microwave. I just put it in for like 5 seconds at a time, then check the temperature with my fingers to make sure it's not too hot. (Edit: I also thoroughly mix it up again after warming so that the temperature of the whole serving is consistent.)

But you could be looking at a decreased appetite issue here, which could be a potential health issue. I would discuss this with your vet as well, if you don't see any improvements.
 
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Rshep

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. It was going well up until these past 2 days, and today especially. My one cat, she's 1, she ate a bit of the wet food earlier but noe all day she doesn't want any of her wet food or kibble at all, she's acting normal but she seems like she wants to eat, she just shakes her head at everything I try today. She's recently been eating less and less of her food I have noticed ever since we started her on wet food. What can I do to get her to eat? I have tried adding warm water to it, mixing it, adding pumpkin puree because it's usually her fave, she just doesn't want anything
Edit: she has been very distracted today by a wind storm in my area so she has been constantly staring out the windows and just doesn't want to eat, I don't know if that has anything to do with anything
 
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neely

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Here is an Article about transitioning your cat from kibble to another food that might have some helpful information for you:
Transitioning Your Cat From Kibble To A New Type Of Food - TheCatSite

And another Article about how to get your cat to start eating again: How To Get Your Cat To Start Eating Again - TheCatSite

Is she acting like herself otherwise, e.g. playful, using the litter box and not lethargic? If she appears to show symptoms that something is not right I would definitely put a call into your vet. Better to be safe than sorry!. Best of luck and please keep us posted.
 

Furballsmom

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Edit: she has been very distracted today by a wind storm in my area so she has been constantly staring out the windows and just doesn't want to eat, I don't know if that has anything to do with anything
How are things now? Has the wind died down? Is she getting back to normal?

You might try Cat Music next time the wind gets crazy, or even a white noise machine.

She's recently been eating less and less of her food I have noticed ever since we started her on wet food.
Have you tried a different brand?
 
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Rshep

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For the past week I have been transitioning my cats over to wet food from kibble by adding a bit into their kibble each day. It was going well up until these past 2 days, and today especially. My one cat, she's 1, she ate a bit of the wet food earlier but noe all day she doesn't want any of her wet food or kibble at all, she's acting normal but she seems like she wants to eat, she just shakes her head at everything I try today. She's recently been eating less and less of her food I have noticed ever since we started her on wet food. What can I do to get her to eat? I have tried adding warm water to it, mixing it, adding pumpkin puree because it's usually her fave, she just doesn't want anything
Update: She finally ate kibble today, she still won't touch the wet food but I am glad she ate. She was using her litter box still, she had loads of energy as well still. I did call my vet, she said as long as she is still herself to keep an eye on her and it is probably just due to the changes. The wind storm did die down finally as well. Thank you for all the suggestions so far! I will keep an eye on her.
 

neely

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Thank you for all the suggestions so far! I will keep an eye on her.
Glad she ate even if it was just her kibble. You might want to try introducing wet food again at another time and experiment with different varieties but I would not suggest putting it in her kibble, i.e. keep them separate. And keep the suggestions listed above in your bag of tricks just in case you should need them again. Good luck! :goodluck:
 
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