My cat refuses to eat his food on his own... help?

zylaai

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Long story short, he was on Blue Buffalo, then switched to Evo... he hated Evo, and it was mostly because of it's pate texture. I got him Tiki Cat, which he is currently on, and despite nipping at it occasionally, and drinking the water I put in it; he's not really interested unless I hand-feed him...

He's active, playful and very cuddly. He's not acting out of the norm. I think he may just be picky regarding what food he eats. What should I do? Do I just continue feeding him like normal and wait for him to adjust on his own?
 

missmimz

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Try more foods. There are tons of canned options out there so find something he likes. Most of us don't feed just one brand anyway. I like Weruva, Merrick LID, Nutro natural choice, Soulistic. 
 
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zylaai

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Try more foods. There are tons of canned options out there so find something he likes. Most of us don't feed just one brand anyway. I like Weruva, Merrick LID, Nutro natural choice, Soulistic. 
Tonight, I gave him Tiki Cat, but on a plate, without the added water; and he gobbled it up! I think he may be bothered by the water touching his whiskers and chin in his old bowl. I tried putting his favorite cat treats in the bowl with the Tiki Cat broth, and he awkwardly tried to get it out without touching the broth. Then gave up.

I think he's just nervous about the water touching him. I'll keep his meals on plates from now on.

Regarding different brands - I'm trying to keep him on just Tiki Cat for now; with different flavors of course. No fish though.

Thanks for the suggestions!
 
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zylaai

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Besides the two chicken flavors you will have to go into gourmet carnivore line for variety, as 90% have fish.
yes, i'm aware 
 - he's eating gourmet carnivore already.
 

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Try a variety of cans - go to your local pet supply store and get a dozen different cans. I've had success with Merrick Beef Pate more often than not, but no two cats are alike. Cats who don't eat are in danger of damaging their kidneys and liver in a hurry, so if need be, syringe feed. Wild Calling is good for syringe feeding but not great food. If you can't get him to eat anything, consult your veterinarian. This is a common problem with cats and they are usually good at solving it.
 
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zylaai

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Try a variety of cans - go to your local pet supply store and get a dozen different cans. I've had success with Merrick Beef Pate more often than not, but no two cats are alike. Cats who don't eat are in danger of damaging their kidneys and liver in a hurry, so if need be, syringe feed. Wild Calling is good for syringe feeding but not great food. If you can't get him to eat anything, consult your veterinarian. This is a common problem with cats and they are usually good at solving it.
Isn't feeding a cat different brands so frequently not good for them?? I thought feeding them cold turkey was hard on their stomachs, since it takes time for them to adjust to new food...?
 

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Isn't feeding a cat different brands so frequently not good for them?? I thought feeding them cold turkey was hard on their stomachs, since it takes time for them to adjust to new food...?
This is a myth.  Many people rotate foods in order to avoid their cat getting bored of one thing and also, to help prevent food allergies.  Last, it's good for them to have a variety just in case their favorite disappears from the shelves for whatever reason.  

I've never heard about not feeding cold poultry.  Never had an issue with that.
 
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zylaai

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This is a myth.  Many people rotate foods in order to avoid their cat getting bored of one thing and also, to help prevent food allergies.  Last, it's good for them to have a variety just in case their favorite disappears from the shelves for whatever reason.  

I've never heard about not feeding cold poultry.  Never had an issue with that.
ahh, i see. i'll read up about it! i'm always so nervous to switch his food around, since i don't want to upset his stomach.

i dunno if you're kidding around or not, but "cold turkey" is basically slang. it means to change something without slowly transitioning.
 

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I've had to hunt for cat food flavors that Hecate can manage. She seems to have a sensitivity to fish, and only really likes foods with real shredded meat. Here's a list with flavors from a few different brands.

Fussie Cat
*Chicken with Gravy
*Chicken with Duck
*Chicken with Egg

Tiki Cat Gourmet Carnivore
*Chicken with Duck
*Chicken with Liver
*Beef & Lamb
*Beef Liver & Lamb
*Beef Liver & Chicken

Weruva
*Paw Lickin' Chicken
Weruva Truluxe
*Quick 'N Quirky
*Peking Ducken

Nutrisca Truly Shredded
*Chicken in Savory Broth
*Chicken and Liver in Savory Broth

This is just what I've found so far that has the real shredded meat texture she prefers and no fish. She's proven to be kinda picky, texture-wise. And the Fussie Cat seems to work quite well and is a bit cheaper than the Tiki Cat. If I could find the Tiki Cat Gourmet Carnivore at one of the nearby stores, I'd be able to tell you more about it. But, the specialty food store only had Tiki Cat in the fish flavors.
 
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zylaai

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I've had to hunt for cat food flavors that Hecate can manage. She seems to have a sensitivity to fish, and only really likes foods with real shredded meat. Here's a list with flavors from a few different brands.

Fussie Cat
*Chicken with Gravy
*Chicken with Duck
*Chicken with Egg

Tiki Cat Gourmet Carnivore
*Chicken with Duck
*Chicken with Liver
*Beef & Lamb
*Beef Liver & Lamb
*Beef Liver & Chicken

Weruva
*Paw Lickin' Chicken
Weruva Truluxe
*Quick 'N Quirky
*Peking Ducken

Nutrisca Truly Shredded
*Chicken in Savory Broth
*Chicken and Liver in Savory Broth

This is just what I've found so far that has the real shredded meat texture she prefers and no fish. She's proven to be kinda picky, texture-wise. And the Fussie Cat seems to work quite well and is a bit cheaper than the Tiki Cat. If I could find the Tiki Cat Gourmet Carnivore at one of the nearby stores, I'd be able to tell you more about it. But, the specialty food store only had Tiki Cat in the fish flavors.
thank you SO much for this list! i'll definitely be checking these brands out.

nothing bugs me more than when i find a good quality cat food company, but all their wet foods are pate!
 

sivyaleah

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ahh, i see. i'll read up about it! i'm always so nervous to switch his food around, since i don't want to upset his stomach.

i dunno if you're kidding around or not, but "cold turkey" is basically slang. it means to change something without slowly transitioning.
No. Cold Turkey means to quit something completely without any warning. Like cigarettes.
 
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zylaai

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No. Cold Turkey means to quit something completely without any warning. Like cigarettes.
Right... Like I said, it's to change something without slowly transitioning. Maybe not quitting entirely in this case, but definitely changing his food without gradually switching off of it would be "Cold Turkey" ..
 

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I don't know if it would have been a problem with Hecate if I hadn't started her on wet food with Iams, (which we wound up having to give away when the fish sensitivity popped up... For some reason, fish makes her sneeze and makes her eyes watery... It only happens with wet food with fish or fish broth), and Whiskas Purrfectly Chicken, (wheat gluten). I got other Whiskas foods and she licks the gravy, but doesn't like the formed cubes. The one time she was offered pate, she looked at me like I'd grown horns. Given the option of eating formed cubes/pate, she tends to lick the gravy and then go eat Purina dry kitten chow.
 
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zylaai

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I don't know if it would have been a problem with Hecate if I hadn't started her on wet food with Iams, (which we wound up having to give away when the fish sensitivity popped up... For some reason, fish makes her sneeze and makes her eyes watery... It only happens with wet food with fish or fish broth), and Whiskas Purrfectly Chicken, (wheat gluten). I got other Whiskas foods and she licks the gravy, but doesn't like the formed cubes. The one time she was offered pate, she looked at me like I'd grown horns. Given the option of eating formed cubes/pate, she tends to lick the gravy and then go eat Purina dry kitten chow.
Olive tends to just lick the broth out of the plate, and leave me with the rest of his food. too. He can tolerate pate to some degree, but it's definitely not his favorite. He likes cubed food the most, I believe. He's been so picky lately.. He's eating more than a few days ago, but not all of it. I bought him a flatter dish, and reluctantly added just a biiiiit of smelly salmon gravy to it. he's still not convinced. :/

I hope your kitten finds a food that's ideal for her! it can be very, very frustrating at times but try to keep in mind that they're just picky little eaters, and you'll eventually find something that is perfect for her!

have you considered a raw diet, btw? the good thing about raw is that you can control what you want your cat to eat, and not worry about all those icky fillers and grains in commercial cat food. it's also pretty cheap as well, if you're buying meat locally (e.g from a grocery store or local farm/butcher)
 

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I've been thinking about getting some whole ground rabbit for her to try. She loves raw chicken, (she usually gets the tendons/ligament when I'm boning leg quarters), but I want to ensure that she gets all her necessary vitamins and minerals. But I found the ground whole rabbit for about $10 for 2 lbs, which would be about 16 servings for her.
 
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zylaai

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I've been thinking about getting some whole ground rabbit for her to try. She loves raw chicken, (she usually gets the tendons/ligament when I'm boning leg quarters), but I want to ensure that she gets all her necessary vitamins and minerals. But I found the ground whole rabbit for about $10 for 2 lbs, which would be about 16 servings for her.
that's great!  


i know you can buy full supplements online to mix into their raw diet, too.
 

hatchytt

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Yeah, but I'm lazy. I'd rather just open a can and know she's getting everything she needs. The rabbit is only because she's not going to get much variety with her preferences and sensitivity. It's mostly chicken. And, while she loves chicken, I don't want to limit her.
 
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zylaai

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Yeah, but I'm lazy. I'd rather just open a can and know she's getting everything she needs. The rabbit is only because she's not going to get much variety with her preferences and sensitivity. It's mostly chicken. And, while she loves chicken, I don't want to limit her.
Yeah, that's understandable. 
 

chromium blues

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Isn't feeding a cat different brands so frequently not good for them?? I thought feeding them cold turkey was hard on their stomachs, since it takes time for them to adjust to new food...?
It depends on the cat and the situation. When a cat isn't eating anything, its best to try a variety of things and see what sticks, then narrow it down. If all you buy is Solid Gold and he doesn't like it, you will be back at the pet store in no time for something else, so save yourself time and frustration by selecting several and making notes of how they went over with Fussy Fuzz. I get a lot of high-stress foster cats who don't eat initially and have done this far too many times. Its frustrating, but usually you hit on something.
 
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