My Cat Won’t Eat His Wet Food, Only When Treats Are In It. Advice?

[Dave8014]

This is so aggravating. He never ate much since I got him 2 months ago. He is 7 months. He would eat half a 3 oz can in morning and night. He will gobble up his dry food through out the night. Now the only way he touches it is if I put 3 temptation treats in the mix of his wet food. I tried two different wet brands. I feel like he doesn’t like it because he scratches the flooor before eats it. He meows at me lot after walks away from the food.

It’s aggravating and stressful because since he has asthma I want to eliminate dry food and I have NomNomNow natural cooked food coming In the mail Thursday. I’m praying he will love it because he also has a sensitive stomach I’m guessing because he has soft stool.

I’ve taken him to the vet multiple times this month so I can’t take him again again. They said everything is fine. I try not to put temptations in his wet food but if he goes the day not touching his food I give up and put them in because I don’t want to risk the liver disease they can get. He’s been teething so he has mild gingivitis. I’m assuming that would effect him eating dry food but nope. Still eats it over the wet.

Any advice?

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi!
I'm really hoping the nomnomnow does the trick - keeping my fingers crossed for you! In the meantime, I think do what you need to in order to keep him eating his canned food.

 

[daftcat75]

Have you tried Fancy Feast Classic? It’s not as terrible as many would have you believe and the ingredients are more species-appropriate than most of the more expensive brands. The Classic flavors anyway. The Grills and Gravys have additions like wheat gluten that could upset kitty’s stomach. Most cats find Fancy Feast very palatable. It’s better to eat at McDonalds than starve at Whole Foods.

What wet foods have you tried?

 

[Dave8014]

Have you tried Fancy Feast Classic? It’s not as terrible as many would have you believe and the ingredients are more species-appropriate than most of the more expensive brands. The Classic flavors anyway. The Grills and Gravys have additions like wheat gluten that could upset kitty’s stomach. Most cats find Fancy Feast very palatable. It’s better to eat at McDonalds than starve at Whole Foods.

What wet foods have you tried?

Tried fancy feast just now and he won’t eat it. He’s acting fine. No lethargy. Very active. It’s unreal how much energy he has for someone who doesn’t eat much. Today he just turned away from the wet food I gave him. It must be because he’s teething but I didn’t know it would affect his wet food intake

 

[FeebysOwner]

Well, for now, keep giving him the treats with the wet food. If cats are anything like babies while they are teething, they sometimes like harder stuff to chew on - maybe why he prefers the dry food??

 

[Kflowers]

Fancy Feast comes in a lot of flavors. When I had the large group they all ate every meal, but it was clear they had favorites. The ladies seemed to prefer bird - chicken and the like, the boys liked the beef flavors best. Perhaps you might try some of the other flavors or textures? Some cats are very texture driven, and some have problems eating the shredded foods.

Or like my current cat, it's dry or nothing. period.

 

[maggie101]

Could be he's expecting dry food since its given at night. Have you tried feeding him 3x a day and mixing dry with wet every time? Then gradually decrease the dry. He does need to eat more. My cats eat 5.5 oz can split 3x a day.

 

[lisahe]

Could be he's expecting dry food since its given at night. Have you tried feeding him 3x a day and mixing dry with wet every time? Then gradually decrease the dry. He does need to eat more. My cats eat 5.5 oz can split 3x a day.

maggie101 has a good point about the expectation of dry food if it's always given at night. Our cats were like this, too: they liked their wet food okay but would often prefer to wait for the dry stuff at night. We phased out dry food over about a month, staring by decreasing the amount we left out at night and ending with just a small dusting on their food.

Beyond Fancy Feast, there's also Friskies: the pates aren't bad at all and cats love them. Sheba pates are even better food. And many cats find Nutro Natural Choice irresistible.

We sprinkle treats -- chicken Pure Bites, which are just freeze-dried chicken, or freeze-dried raw food -- on our cats' food for many meals and it really helps keep them interested in their food. I wish we didn't have to do it but it's better than them not finishing their food! Petco sells (or at least used to sell -- they've changed their selection quite a bit) Pure Bites in several flavors. The little bags for cats cost much more per ounce than the large bags for dogs.

Good luck!

 

[maggie101]

Good idea lisahe ! Also Bonita flakes at Petco if you can't find pb. Flakes are kinda messy

 

[Dave8014]

Well the thing is I don’t actually put out the dry food at night. I have the bowl full in the morning and he doesn’t touch it all day. He eats it while I’m sleeeling. I wake up to it empty. I just looked at his litter box. Usually I clean it everyday but I worked all day yesterday and today. It looked like he went twice a day and urninated a good amount. Some of it wasn’t covered. So at least I know he ate enough to use his litter box. I honestly thought I wouldn’t see anything at all. Hopefully this food I’m getting Thursday will work out. I don’t want to give him fish because I’m worried about an allergic reaction to it because of his asthma. I know he likes fish so I was tempted to let him try the seafood fancy feast. I’m nervous to let him tho. I don’t have the inhaler yet in the mail so I’m hestitant

 

[maggie101]

My cats Maggie and Coco each get a 5.5 oz can a day. Maggie,my biggest eater at a healthy 9 pds, eats 1/4 can then comes back 15-30 minutes later, then eats another 1/4. Peaches eats less in the morning then I give her a few more bites when Maggie comes back. Maggie eats like a wild cat, goes back for more. Maybe your cat is like that

 

[lisahe]

Well the thing is I don’t actually put out the dry food at night. I have the bowl full in the morning and he doesn’t touch it all day. He eats it while I’m sleeeling. I wake up to it empty. I just looked at his litter box. Usually I clean it everyday but I worked all day yesterday and today. It looked like he went twice a day and urninated a good amount. Some of it wasn’t covered. So at least I know he ate enough to use his litter box. I honestly thought I wouldn’t see anything at all. Hopefully this food I’m getting Thursday will work out. I don’t want to give him fish because I’m worried about an allergic reaction to it because of his asthma. I know he likes fish so I was tempted to let him try the seafood fancy feast. I’m nervous to let him tho. I don’t have the inhaler yet in the mail so I’m hestitant

Even if the food's put out earlier in the day, you could taper back the amount and feed more wet food throughout the day, and particularly as a bedtime snack. In fact, if you're planning to start him on a new food on Thursday, it might be good to start weaning him off the dry food and getting him on a new feeding schedule now, particularly since it sounds like he's rather stubborn. We have a stubborn cat who's a picky eater -- it's no fun. (She's also had some coughing episodes that seemed asthma-like but stopped after we started using Dr. Elsey's Respiratory Relief.)

 

[Dave8014]

Even if the food's put out earlier in the day, you could taper back the amount and feed more wet food throughout the day, and particularly as a bedtime snack. In fact, if you're planning to start him on a new food on Thursday, it might be good to start weaning him off the dry food and getting him on a new feeding schedule now, particularly since it sounds like he's rather stubborn. We have a stubborn cat who's a picky eater -- it's no fun. (She's also had some coughing episodes that seemed asthma-like but stopped after we started using Dr. Elsey's Respiratory Relief.)

Got the Dr. Elsey RR as well. He coughed after jumped on top of my computer. My computer is a large gaming computer and he was on top the vent where a lot of hot air comes out so that might of triggered his cough or sneeze. Not sure what it was

 

[Dave8014]

Good news last night he ate wet food. At 10 o clock I heated up some of his older brand food called Purrfecto chicken recipe (brand the foster home used) and he walked away and scratched the floor. At 11 30 i was ready to get to bed because I had given up. I couldn’t sleep because he wasn’t eating so I got my butt up and I heated up some chicken liver fancy feast 3 oz. I put it on paper plate because I was so tired of cleaning bowl 10 times a day trying to feed him. To my surprise he ate half. I left it out for another 25 minutes. Hoping he would go back but he didn’t. 15 min later I said let me try giving it from my hand. He ate almost the whole thing from my hand. It unfortunate I had to give him food that was sitting out for 40 min because I usually don’t but I saw him eating and I went with it. This morning he woke up with a lot of energy and I don’t know if I’m thinking to much but his fur and Face looked brighter. I can’t help but think the old brand was a bad batch or something. I hear horror stories from cat food purchased specifically from amazon. Anyway won’t have that problem anymore with fresh food coming Thursday. Only the best for my baby.

Unfortunately he had diarrhia this morning because I obviously cant go through the transitioning phase of food because he won’t eat his old food!

Also I found a baby tooth yesterday!!! This is the fourth one I found in a month. I hear that’s very rare to find even one. My paranoid self can’t help but think his adult teeth are actually falling out from his gingivitis but I went to two different vets and they all said he is teething. I found two canines and two molars.

I’m working so please excuse any grammatical issues as I’m typing fast and secretly.

 

[Dave8014]

Also since he really likes dry food. I’m considering grain free dry food instead of the science hills indoor food I have. I really like the Ziki brand. They have no recalls and use real meat and air dry it. Unfortunately they only make adult food and Michael (I forgot to say his name) is 7 to 8 months old. With his new natural food it’s only right I also get him some high quality dry food if he MUST eat it since he’s very picky

 

[Kflowers]

Adult food that he will eat is better than kitten food he won't eat.

Perhaps he doesn't like the bowl and does like the plate. Some cats don't like bowls because they brush their whiskers on the side. At his age he might not like the bowl because he can't see over the edge while he's eating.

Air vents, all air vents, send dust out with the air. So, yes, that may have been why he coughed. You can put filters in the heating and air vents, but I'm not sure you could do that with the smaller one in the computer. That vent may need all the area it has to function.

 

[lisahe]

Adult food that he will eat is better than kitten food he won't eat.

Perhaps he doesn't like the bowl and does like the plate. Some cats don't like bowls because they brush their whiskers on the side. At his age he might not like the bowl because he can't see over the edge while he's eating.

Air vents, all air vents, send dust out with the air. So, yes, that may have been why he coughed. You can put filters in the heating and air vents, but I'm not sure you could do that with the smaller one in the computer. That vent may need all the area it has to function.

All of what K Kflowers writes is so true!

Our cat who coughs occasionally mostly does it now when she snarfles up her own fur or some dust. Ireland seems to have a lot in common with yours, D Dave8014 -- she also loves to be hand fed. What is your cat's name, by the way?

 

[Dave8014]

All of what K Kflowers writes is so true!

Our cat who coughs occasionally mostly does it now when she snarfles up her own fur or some dust. Ireland seems to have a lot in common with yours, D Dave8014 -- she also loves to be hand fed. What is your cat's name, by the way?

Michael is his name. Yeah he eats from he bowl half way through and the other half he wants it hand fed or he won’t eat!

 

[Dave8014]

All of what K Kflowers writes is so true!

Our cat who coughs occasionally mostly does it now when she snarfles up her own fur or some dust. Ireland seems to have a lot in common

Adult food that he will eat is better than kitten food he won't eat.

Perhaps he doesn't like the bowl and does like the plate. Some cats don't like bowls because they brush their whiskers on the side. At his age he might not like the bowl because he can't see over the edge while he's eating.

Air vents, all air vents, send dust out with the air. So, yes, that may have been why he coughed. You can put filters in the heating and air vents, but I'm not sure you could do that with the smaller one in the computer. That vent may need all the area it has to function.

My computer has filters but it’s such a high power computer that the air that comes out is probably still bad. It’s ok though. He only jumps on there once in awhile and only if I’m using it. I can just take him off. The funny thing is the real problem is he like to grab and scratch the carbon filter out of my air purifier! The more days that past the more dust that accumulates on it. It’s a Alen Breathesmart so it’s unfortunate but I have to return a great air purifier. The one thing that’s supposed to help him he wants to destroy!! He doesn’t do as much anymore. I would clap my hands and get up when goes near it and it helped a lot. I feel bad while doing that but it’s tough love. Doing that is a big no no since it can seriously trigger his asthma. Now when he goes near it he looks at me funny and walks away. Occasionally tho he will forget and go at it so the clapping is not a solution. I need a different air purifier with the filter blocked

D Dave8014 -- she also loves to be hand fed. What is your cat's name, by the way?

 

[Dave8014]

All of what K Kflowers writes is so true!

Our cat who coughs occasionally mostly does it now when she snarfles up her own fur or some dust. Ireland seems to have a lot in common with yours, D Dave8014 -- she also loves to be hand fed. What is your cat's name, by the way?

My computer has filters but it’s such a high power computer that the air that comes out is probably still bad. It’s ok though. He only jumps on there once in awhile and only if I’m using it. I can just take him off. The funny thing is the real problem is he like to grab and scratch the carbon filter out of my air purifier! The more days that past the more dust that accumulates on it. It’s a Alen Breathesmart so it’s unfortunate but I have to return a great air purifier. The one thing that’s supposed to help him he wants to destroy!! He doesn’t do as much anymore. I would clap my hands and get up when goes near it and it helped a lot. I feel bad while doing that but it’s tough love. Doing that is a big no no since it can seriously trigger his asthma. Now when he goes near it he looks at me funny and walks away. Occasionally tho he will forget and go at it so the clapping is not a solution. I need a different air purifier with the filter blocked