My cat doesn't like high quality wet food

Musiaka

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Musiaka most likely has ibd - he throws up hairballs and acid, if he has an empty stomach.
Recently I chose a high quality monoprotein canned food for him, planning to go kibble-free, but he won't eat the quality food. At best he will try a couple of bites. In fact he has never been a fan of meaty canned food, the one that's dense and dry-ish, which is what most high meat content foods are.
I was feeding him a recovery wet food up until now which he loved in the beginning, but must have gotten tired of as he started refusing it. Will only eat a couple of spoons if it's freshly opened.
Kibble he's more keen on, I feed him Virbac's digestive support and Musiaka seems to like it well enough. I try to limit the amount, but it's basically the only thing he eats atm.
What's funny is that we never had these issues when I used to feed him a grossery story bought wet food. Back then he was happy with his food, very little of it went to waste. He was not that interested in kibble back then either.
So once again, I don't know what to feed him. He gets hungry, starts asking for food and then it ends up being stressfull both for me and for Musiaka, because I try my best to coax him into eating wet. Sometimes he does, but most often he wont even come near it. I had some other good quality sorts at home, but he was not very interested.
A lot of his uneaten food goes to the homeless cats, I do feed them when I can, but preferable not with expensive foods I buy for Musiaka.

Should I go back to giving him commercial wet food? Or continue with good quality kibble? Or just a slightly better quality wet food, that's not found in grossery stores, but isn't the cheapest sort?
Most fancy tasty sorts you guys talk about on this forum are not available in my country and there is a large custom fee to get them shipped, so would be best with just general answers, no particular food recommendations. I can only choose from whats available to be shipped locally
 

maggie101

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Add freeze dried chicken for a topper. Slowly mix the canned in the dry and increase every week. My cat used to throw up hairballs every morning or just spit. Being without food so long will cause her to throw up, acid reflux. I use a food timer for canned late at night. Be sure she has water bowls scattered around. Maybe she will like a fountain. What do you mean by high quality?
 

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I gather there are other reasons for you to think Musiaka has IBD other than the hairballs and stomach acid. While Feeby doesn't always throw up hairballs, if she goes long enough without eating she will vomit stomach juices. When is Musiaka most prone to vomiting? Feeby was doing it the first thing in the morning after having not eaten for many hours. We resolved this by giving her a bite of baby food meat late at night (if she won't finish her regular food) and then again first thing in the morning, and she has not been vomiting with any regularity at all. If baby food meat is not an option, you could try blending up cooked chicken or other type meats and mixing them with bone broth as a replacement.

Have you tried adding a bit of water, bone broth, or similar type toppers to his dry food to see if he will eat it that way? That would increase the liquid and still allow him to eat his beloved dry food. And, as suggested above mixing a bit of wet food with the dry might also be something to try.

If some of the grocery stores foods are still things he will eat, and you want him to have more wet food, I see no reason not to try them again - unless there is something stopping you because of his health. Even if you consider these foods to be of lesser quality, having him gladly eat them is better than trying to coax him to eat things he does not want. If a meat source is listed as the first ingredient, that would a bit higher quality than ones with non-meat items as the first ingredients.
 
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Musiaka

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I gather there are other reasons for you to think Musiaka has IBD other than the hairballs and stomach acid. While Feeby doesn't always throw up hairballs, if she goes long enough without eating she will vomit stomach juices. When is Musiaka most prone to vomiting? Feeby was doing it the first thing in the morning after having not eaten for many hours. We resolved this by giving her a bite of baby food meat late at night (if she won't finish her regular food) and then again first thing in the morning, and she has not been vomiting with any regularity at all. If baby food meat is not an option, you could try blending up cooked chicken or other type meats and mixing them with bone broth as a replacement.

Have you tried adding a bit of water, bone broth, or similar type toppers to his dry food to see if he will eat it that way? That would increase the liquid and still allow him to eat his beloved dry food. And, as suggested above mixing a bit of wet food with the dry might also be something to try.

If some of the grocery stores foods are still things he will eat, and you want him to have more wet food, I see no reason not to try them again - unless there is something stopping you because of his health. Even if you consider these foods to be of lesser quality, having him gladly eat them is better than trying to coax him to eat things he does not want. If a meat source is listed as the first ingredient, that would a bit higher quality than ones with non-meat items as the first ingredients.
I tried adding water to his kibble several times, but we won't eat it that way. Mixed it up with the wet food - nope, won't touch it. Haven't tried broth or other toppers yet, will think of what it could be. We have some frozen bone broth, maybe that would suit him.
It's kinda funny, because I always try to trick him by opening the bag of kibble, but then switching it to the wet food instead. He comes running but then sees the wet food and gets a very funny disappointed expression on his face. I then follow him around with the wet food until he's like ok fiiiiine and finally eats it. Sometimes just a couple of spoons, sometimes almost the whole thing. If I just put it into his bowl, there's an 80% chance he won't eat it.

Musiaka's vomiting habbits have changed quite a bit over the years. Before, when he had free access to the outside world and all the grass he could eat, he used to vomit on a regular basis. It would happen early in the morning and there would always be a large chunk of undigested food, grass, bile (probably hairballs too, but back then I didn't know about hairballs and didn't distinguish them). Nowadays, he might throw up anytime (mostly evenings/late night) but it always happens after he just woken up from a long sleep. There's way less undigested food in the vomit, close to none lately, mostly just stomach acid, hairballs, bile. Sometimes just a little bit of acid. He never has diarrhea! There were incidents with softish poops, or slight constipation, but most of the time he poops really well and on a daily basis.
 

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What's funny is that we never had these issues when I used to feed him a grossery story bought wet food. Back then he was happy with his food, very little of it went to waste. He was not that interested in kibble back then either.
Why did you stop giving him this food? If he wasn't having issues and he enjoyed it, why not offer it again? I think a lot of people make too much fuss over their perceptions of quality. It's still likely to be better than his diet in the wild or a diet of kibble. Of course, if you stopped because he was having gut or butt issues or suspected allergens/irritants, that's another story. Towards the end, I wish I could have fed Krista grocery store brands. Her IBD/lymphoma pigeon-holed her into one brand of food in just a couple of different proteins. I actually held back a third protein in case she could no longer eat the other two. Maybe you could mix the food he likes with the food you prefer feeding him so he gets some of both. He eats what he likes and you can feel better about the quality.
 

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I tried adding water to his kibble several times, but we won't eat it that way. Mixed it up with the wet food - nope, won't touch it. Haven't tried broth or other toppers yet, will think of what it could be. We have some frozen bone broth, maybe that would suit him.
It's kinda funny, because I always try to trick him by opening the bag of kibble, but then switching it to the wet food instead. He comes running but then sees the wet food and gets a very funny disappointed expression on his face. I then follow him around with the wet food until he's like ok fiiiiine and finally eats it. Sometimes just a couple of spoons, sometimes almost the whole thing. If I just put it into his bowl, there's an 80% chance he won't eat it.

Musiaka's vomiting habbits have changed quite a bit over the years. Before, when he had free access to the outside world and all the grass he could eat, he used to vomit on a regular basis. It would happen early in the morning and there would always be a large chunk of undigested food, grass, bile (probably hairballs too, but back then I didn't know about hairballs and didn't distinguish them). Nowadays, he might throw up anytime (mostly evenings/late night) but it always happens after he just woken up from a long sleep. There's way less undigested food in the vomit, close to none lately, mostly just stomach acid, hairballs, bile. Sometimes just a little bit of acid. He never has diarrhea! There were incidents with softish poops, or slight constipation, but most of the time he poops really well and on a daily basis.
Throwing up early morning is acid reflux so giving her half her morning portion would solve the problem. At least it has for 2 of my 3 cats. Surprisingly fancy feast turkey& giblets is the one food Peaches never has trouble with
 

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Should I go back to giving him commercial wet food?
YES! An emphatic yes.

“I would much rather see a cat eat any canned food versus any dry food – regardless of quality level of the canned or dry food. This includes Friskies, 9-Lives, Fancy Feast, etc., canned options,” as Dr. Lisa Pierson stresses on her website, Feeding Your Cat: Know the Basics of Feline Nutrition – Common Sense. Healthy Cats.

The worst quality of wet canned food is still better than any sort of “premium” kibbles!! I seriously wish I had fully realized this point early on.

Get him back on that wet food that he seemed to do well on!!
 
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Musiaka

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Frequent small meals may help with the vomiting also. Some cats vomit when too long without food. Leaving some wet food out overnight is ok.
It really has helped. Since I work from home, I'm able to feed him frequently. One thing that's changed is that Musiaka doesn't have the same kind of beastly appetite he used to before, even in the mornings. He used to go crazy and bite my legs lol. Now he barely ever begs for food, since I chase him down myself whenever he wakes up, to prevent any acid reflux, since that's when Musiaka is prone to vomiting - after a few hours of sleep
 
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Musiaka

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YES! An emphatic yes.

“I would much rather see a cat eat any canned food versus any dry food – regardless of quality level of the canned or dry food. This includes Friskies, 9-Lives, Fancy Feast, etc., canned options,” as Dr. Lisa Pierson stresses on her website, Feeding Your Cat: Know the Basics of Feline Nutrition – Common Sense. Healthy Cats.

The worst quality of wet canned food is still better than any sort of “premium” kibbles!! I seriously wish I had fully realized this point early on.

Get him back on that wet food that he seemed to do well on!!
A very good article, thanks!
But still, the grossery store bought canned food probably contain grains, sugar, guar gum... I should probably still find something ibd friendly, but tasty also. The article says to not go nuts picking out canned food, but I'm still going nuts! I've been browsing through web stores all day long, picked out some in-the-middle alternatives for Musiaka to try, that don't look to meaty and doesn't have too many bad ingredients.
I opened up a bag of Sheba's and mixed with the quality wet food, seemed to work at first, but the Musiaka found out the trick and stopped eating it
 

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You can't get Fancy Feast pates? They do not contain any grains or sugar. They do have guar gum, but when you compare that with the other gums, it is the best one to have for a binder.

Why don't you want to go back to the grocery stores versions that he used to like so much?
 

maggie101

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I use this for ingredients to check the protein,fat,and Carbs. Not all commercial food is bad
 
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Musiaka

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You can't get Fancy Feast pates? They do not contain any grains or sugar. They do have guar gum, but when you compare that with the other gums, it is the best one to have for a binder.

Why don't you want to go back to the grocery stores versions that he used to like so much?
It's a line by Purina? It isn't available here where I live :/ There are other lines by Purina though, like the one with cranberries. I was thinking maybe Applaws or Carnilove... they're quite expensive though.
I think Musiaka used to have undigested food in his vomit when I fed him grocery store food. Not sure it's because of the food itself or other factors, as I have made a lot of changes for him in general - more frequent meals, probiotics, enzymes, eggyolk, liver supplement once in a few months, no more grass... I have a lot of observations that cannot quite be confirmed, even when I write down what he eats and when he vomits. That's the "charm" of ibd, I guess, nothing is clear. But if nothing works, I will have to go back to the grocery store versions
 

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You should bring your cat to the vet for an ultrasound. It could be IBD or GI lymphoma. If he does, he will need to be on medication. For IBD carrageenan/gum free wet food only is best. Raw is great as well. Fancy feast pate is one you could try. But if he's nausea he will not want to eat, or eat the same thing, especially if he throws up on it. Thats why he might need meds to help him feel better. Also feed him 3-4 times a day. My first cat had GI lymphoma, we had 5 different brands and flavors on hand at all times and switched daily.
 
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Musiaka

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You should bring your cat to the vet for an ultrasound. It could be IBD or GI lymphoma. If he does, he will need to be on medication. For IBD carrageenan/gum free wet food only is best. Raw is great as well. Fancy feast pate is one you could try. But if he's nausea he will not want to eat, or eat the same thing, especially if he throws up on it. Thats why he might need meds to help him feel better. Also feed him 3-4 times a day. My first cat had GI lymphoma, we had 5 different brands and flavors on hand at all times and switched daily.
Musiaka definitely doesn't have Gi lymphoma, his poops are really good, he doesn't lose weight, isn't lethargic. No discomfort when his belly is touched. It's most likely IBD, his old vet thought so. An ultrasound 2 years ago didn't show any abnormalities in his organs. We will do a repeat ultrasound soon anyway, but right now Musiaka is having a little break from the vet visits. We've been to the vet 12 times in total in April-May and Musiaka's behavior was starting to change a lot. He's back to normal now.

There's no chance he will ever eat raw, unfortunately. I bought some commercial raw food in the spring and been putting a tiny bit in his bowl for 3 weeks. He hasn't touched it once :/ he doesn't really eat any meaty canned food either. When he had free access to the outside, he never ever hunted, even though all the neighbour cats were hunting mouses, birds and snakes
 
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Musiaka

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Besides the ones I posted above, I also ordered all kinds of different wet food, that might be tastier than the healthy brands, but also don't look too bad when it comes to quality: Butcher's Natural & Healthy Adult Cat - Game chunks in Jelly (6PCs x 400g) | PetBazaari - Online Pet Shop



Sensitive Diet & Stomach wet food | Bozita and some more sorts from Bozita, it's a Swedish brands.
Also some food from a Polish brand, that has no English describtion, but looks good.
None of them are monoprotein foods, unfortunately :( but I had a couple of high quality brands that were monoprotein - they were meaty and heavy, no sauce and just a bit of jelly, so Musiaka didn't eat those. Seems like there are no monoprotein foods that are also focusing on delicious taste for the picky cats.
 

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Musiaka Musiaka
My cats love Vom Feinsten with turkey hearts.
I mash the Vom Feinsten pates up with a fork.
They also sell a pure turkey but the favorites here are the turkey hearts & the chicken with chicken liver.

We use Bozita a bit also and similar is Buffet. Mjau does tetra packs with pates as well as chunks in gravy.

If your fellow likes sauce, Monge does flaked mono protein foods in a creamy sauce.
 
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Musiaka

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I left only the new wet food for tonight, both in his normal bowl and in the automatic feeder which opened up at 5 am, he ate everything up. However I found a yellow stain on the carpet, so Musiaka did at some point throw up acid. Either he was hungry at some point, or got reflux because the food is new...
 

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I opened up a bag of Sheba's and mixed with the quality wet food, seemed to work at first, but the Musiaka found out the trick and stopped eating it
I think you should listen to Musiaka’s reactions more for what is better for her. Like just because a food is “high premium” doesn’t mean it’s good for all cats. My own cat has a sensitive stomach and currently some liver issues and a lot of high premium wet foods are bad for her. Some are too greasy, some just don’t sit well.

I think Musiaka used to have undigested food in his vomit when I fed him grocery store food. Not sure it's because of the food itself or other factors, as I have made a lot of changes for him in general
That may not be because it’s “grocery store” necessarily. Some cats react to chunky wet foods for example but do fine with pate texture.

If you have Purina Gourmet Gold wet foods, their pate ones are very similar to Fancy Feast.
 
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