I give up....dry food it is.

[Docs Mom]

My indoor cats have been consistently picky, but eating wet food for the last 10 years at least.
But now NOTHING pleases them.....
Not Almo, Tiki Cat, Earthborn, Merrick, Rawz, ........ I just can't bring myself to try Friskies or Fancy Feast.
I started the wet food so that they would all be healthier.
They have Crave dry available most of the day.


On top of that, my 14 yr old Zoey has stopped eating. She's had blood tests, radiographs and a quite extensive tumor removal with 2 mastectomies. Wasn't mammary cancer. A very bizarre follicular infundibular cyst. Benign
She is existing on Churus and the Greenies with the soft center.....
Won't eat any canned either. I have gone the feeding e-tube with two other kitties in the past. But she is a very "hands off" cat. I don't think she would handle it very well.

Rant over...
Any ideas?

 

[di and bob]

Some cats will waste away if they don't get their dry. The new drys are good. There are even grainfree dry. Don't force your cats to eat something they don't like. especially at 14 years old. I get Blue Buffalo on Amazon and at Tractor supply. It is grain free. Get something they will eat and not waste. I have fed cats for years, especially outside cats, the cheaper dry food, they have all lived as long as they could, if they died it was usually by a car on the road, not nutritional defiencies. Try to enjoy your cats, not worry about what they are eating. Using your words, if tehy prefer it, "Dry food it is!".

 

[FeebysOwner]

Personally speaking, Fancy Feast is a lot better than many of the other canned foods out there. Nonetheless, if your cats like dry and won't eat wet, then feed them dry - just make sure they get proper hydration. Some cats just like the 'taste' of dry more, so trying to add an extra bit of food in a separate dish of dry with water added might be something to consider.

As far as Zoey goes, with her not eating either dry or wet, there is some kind of issue going on that needs further investigation. How long ago were any blood tests done? And, radiographs? Have you told the vet what she is (not) doing? It might that she needs an appetite stimulant and possibly anti-nausea meds to help with her inappetence. I think these would be worth trying before resorting to a feeding tube.

 

[Krienze]

When Isabel turned about 14, she had officially lost all her teeth and still wanted dry food. The ONLY wet food I could get her to eat was Fancy Feast and i'll be honest, she did very well on it. Her coat was always good and she lived to be about 18 (she was 17, few weeks shy of her birthday)

I'm in a similar boat, my cats snub the heck out of most wet foods. And a bunch of dry foods they've gotten sick on. After Charlie's blockage though, we switched to IAMS dry urinary care and Purina Pro Plan Urinary Wet food - and surprisingly my picky eaters like both of them. Go figure. -_-

Six cats and I could put out one can of tiki and none of them would finish it off. lol

As for not eating, when Isabel would go through spells as she got older with not eating, I found the Fancy Feast Broth like soup packets were enticing for her! I hope she starts eating soon =(

Some cats just like the 'taste' of dry more

Personally I think they just like that satisfying crunch LOL Which fair, I'm like that with potato chips I suppose!!

 

[Docs Mom]

Thanks for your replies and support. Zoey has been to the vet for blood tests, radiographs and surgery. See above for more... She is on compounded Prednisalone, which she hates.

I was rewarded to see her down in the kitchen waiting at the food mat. So she had some Merrick Turkey pate. I sat with her to see how much she would eat. Almost 1/3 of a 5.5 oz. can so that was encouraging.

The indoor kids shall continue with their Crave kibble with some wet food occasionally when they gather at their food mat in the kitchen.
Thanks again for the support.
Helicopter mom....

 

[Kwik]

Docs Mom
Happy to hear Zoey is eating - I agree whatever it takes,just keep eating and drinking

I've always had tons of animals,always fed dry food and they all lived to ripe old age( nearly 20) - with all the ta-doo about wet food I have no idea what prompted me to begin with the wet food that I started when my beloved boy Cheech passed away and a new " clowder was beginning ,starting with my Graycie but I truly regret it... All it seems to do is result in a bunch of finicky eaters.

I've always free fed kibble and still do but they used 2 have 2 wet meals per day as well,I've been cutting back and now they are down to 1 wet meal- I'd like to eliminate that as well... With this clowder (5) I've had some issues I don't believe Id have if I just kept doing what I was doing for half a century - as they say' of it ain't broke don't fix it"

So I do consider they sure don't make dry food like they used to,the air isn't what it used to be nor our soil and everything we use has all kinds of pollutants ,toxins and harmful chemicals - it's a different world for sure- maybe that's more of the culprit that switching over to wet food

I wish you the best,they sure are mothers worry - aren't they?

 

[tyleete]

My Cancer kitty will be on again /off again with food sometimes. When she's not feeling like eating? Baby food does the trick. I also happen to have Alnutrin in the fridge. So when she's being a beast like today and I have to feed her baby food? I mix a little of that in with it. That stuff's packed with what she needs to help her get some nutrition and vitamins she desperately needs

 

[Alldara]

My mum's cats all live in to their 20s with grocery store cat food. She feeds Our Compliments cat kibble since she says its the lowest sodium of the grocery store foods. She gives one can of wet a day for her oldest cat who now drinks less water. He's 17 or so now.

Nobel and Lily were always sick on the new "healthier" grainnfree boutique foods. At age 4 or 5 I started them on Fancy Feast and that helped Nobel's problems but it wasn't until I ditched and went to Purina urinary dry that we got it all sorted. He and Lily lived to 19 and 17. And he had a congenital heart murmur.

Don't worry so much. feed what they'll eat. Nothing wrong with most of the brands that have been 'round for ages. They've all been updated to match newer research on cat diets and longevity.

 

[Furballsmom]

always sick on the new "healthier" grainfree boutique foods.

You're referring to dry? Hmmm, maybe that's what was going on with Captain-Cat, because there for a while I couldn't seem to find a kibble that worked for him, he was throwing up no matter how slow a transition I did.

In any case I sure can't free-feed him dry food if I happen to find one he can keep down, he gains weight even if he just sits there looking at it lol but on the flip side, being able to feed measured amounts can help provide/allow some human life-style options that sometimes are a bit more challenging when The. Cat. only gets canned food.

So she had some Merrick Turkey pate.

I don't know if you're still looking for input, but I do a rotation of canned brands, one of them being Fancy Feast pate styles. The wonderful Orange Beast also gets Merrick, Mouser, and Weruva. I have some Evangers and Instinct on hand as well.

 

[Alldara]

You're referring to dry? Hmmm, maybe that's what was going on with Captain-Cat, because there for a while I couldn't seem to find a kibble that worked for him, he was throwing up no matter how slow a transition I did.

Yeah. Referring to grain-free dry foods. Wet is fine because they don't usually pack it full of other things!

 

[fluffpaws]

How do your cats like Mouser Furballsmom ? I have been debating on whether to order some or not.

I also have a hard time getting my cats to eat wet food,I recently went to Petco and bought 20 cans of different varieties of wet food at $2.69 -$3.00 dollars a can.Every few days I would open a new can of food and just offer them a little bit ,I had Weruva,Tiki cat, Instinct ,Purina pro plan ,Merrick,Catit,you name it ,I had a lot of different foods to try ..Well you know out of 20 cans how many they would eat? You guessed it, not one of them.It all went in the garbage,I am so tired of throwing cat food away,not to mention the money I have wasted on trying to force these cats to eat something they don"t like because that is what we are being told is good for them.
Does anyone remember the cat food Tender Vittles ? Well my cats loved there tender vittles and then it was discontinued if I remember correctly because there was too much ash in it? Any way I think that is how long I have been looking for a wet food that cats actually love to eat.I still offer them wet food every day in hopes that some day they will actually eat it.I throw a lot of food away,It is very frustrating to say the least

 

[Furballsmom]

Captain likes their mouse/duck combo

fluffpaws have you tried toppers? I have a couple of freezedried treats that often entice him when he's being reluctant.

 

[Kwik]

How do your cats like Mouser Furballsmom ? I have been debating on whether to order some or not.

I also have a hard time getting my cats to eat wet food,I recently went to Petco and bought 20 cans of different varieties of wet food at $2.69 -$3.00 dollars a can.Every few days I would open a new can of food and just offer them a little bit ,I had Weruva,Tiki cat, Instinct ,Purina pro plan ,Merrick,Catit,you name it ,I had a lot of different foods to try ..Well you know out of 20 cans how many they would eat? You guessed it, not one of them.It all went in the garbage,I am so tired of throwing cat food away,not to mention the money I have wasted on trying to force these cats to eat something they don"t like because that is what we are being told is good for them.
Does anyone remember the cat food Tender Vittles ? Well my cats loved there tender vittles and then it was discontinued if I remember correctly because there was too much ash in it? Any way I think that is how long I have been looking for a wet food that cats actually love to eat.I still offer them wet food every day in hopes that some day they will actually eat it.I throw a lot of food away,It is very frustrating to say the least

My Cheech wouldn't eat wet food if his life depended on it - Cheech used to wet his food himself,he'd dip his paw in the water dish and splash littke sprinkles of water onto his dry food until it was just how he liked it.....he was a very unique fellow- I always kept water away from food until he began nudging the bowl across the kitchen to put it next to the food or visa versa- no idea what prompted him to do it but I accommodated his obvious desire to moisten his food..... but wet food or if I added water first- nope,he had to do it himself!

18yrs he did that .....

 

[fluffpaws]

Thank you Furballsmom for the suggestion.I did try a freeze dried crab and shrimp flavor topper unfortunately they didn't like it .Maybe I will revisit the idea and try different flavors.

 

[fluffpaws]

A lady was telling me when her cat's refused the food she offered she would put a little cod liver oil on it and they would gobble it all up.I don't know if cod liver oil is good for them or not?

 

[Kwik]

A lady was telling me when her cat's refused the food she offered she would put a little cod liver oil on it and they would gobble it all up.I don't know if cod liver oil is good for them or not?

Yes,but like anything else - not too much.
Side effects of too much or high doses may likely cause diarrhea,vomiting or even slow healing for wounds to name a few - imo a few drops would be just fine when needed

 

[Docs Mom]

Stella and Chewys (in a purple bag with a bottle cap) has a great coarse powder topper that is freeze dried chicken (I think). That I sprinkle on after they sniff and walk away... Some will return and eat some more.
I give my cat Stormy a little pile as a treat.

 

[fluffpaws]

Thanks Docs Mom ,I will definitely give it a try.