My cat's been a picky eater for over a month, and I'm at a lost.

S1988

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I have a seven-year-old cat who's been eating Royal Canin Urinary Dry Food for two years due to his urinary condition. Afterward, he got tired of it, and I experimented with various dry foods, which he liked for a week or so and then got tired of them. Then, I tried giving him canned food, which again he seemed to like for about a week, and then he seems to be tired of that now. I just don't know what to do. Has anyone else had a cat like this or am I a special case? Is this something I'll have to deal with from now on? I'm very frustrated and worried because I can't keep buying foods only to throw them out.
 

verna davies

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Welcome to the site, I hope you find the information you need, there's lots on here as well as games, competitions and of course we love photos so please post some.
I also have a fussy eater who is on Royal Canin. Can you get Royal Canin Urinary SO wet morsals in gravy. My cat loves it and if he doesnt finish it all, I mix a small amount of dry and the dish is licked clean. Try mixing wet and dry together, just a small amount until you know he will eat it.

 
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S1988

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I'm not sure that would work since he seems to be sick of dry food in general.
 

She's a witch

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My cats get tired of any food if I give it to them several times in a row. Rotation might be the answer to your problem. My cats get different wet food brand/flavor on every meal and that way they don’t get tired of the ones they like. I understand that wet food, high in animal protein, but low in carbs, are better than dry for cats with urinary conditions anyway, but I don’t have a direct experience with this. Good luck!
 

verna davies

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I understand that Royal Canin have a policy of return so if your pet wont eat the food, a full refund is given. I tried dozens of wet food with no success but the one I listed above has worked. Its worth giving it a try. I know how frustrating it is for you and She's a witch She's a witch is right, rotation may be the answer.
 

FeebysOwner

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Hi. I fed Feeby (15+ yo) both RC SO and Hill's C/D dry for years and years with no issues. A few years back, I added those two foods in canned form - also not a problem. But, recently, after some health issues, she seemed to get tired of it all to the point she is barely touching the dry food at all. I added Fancy Feast pates - multiple flavors - to the canned of both of the above and that seems to be working - so far.

For whatever reason, after 10 years on the dry food, she grew tired of them. And, without adding the FF to the canned urinary foods, I think she would be tired of those two. I won't take her off the urinary care foods, because since she has been on them she has been stone free. She had stones so bad a decade ago that she had to have bladder surgery, so I do feel the need to keep up with them. However, I do think that if I don't add something else to the urinary care canned foods, she would reject them both.

Btw, the urinary care food that V verna davies mentioned above is NOT dry - if you can get it, it might be worth a try. I also add some bone broth to the mixtures I make, it seems to help her keep interest in them all.
 
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S1988

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I just got back from the store (for the second time today) and he ate some Fancy Feast pate. So far so good. By the way, I supplement his food with DL-Methionine gel since he doesn't seem to like specialty foods anymore.
 

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Count normally isn't picky, but I've been dealing with something similar for the past month. Turns out he has a tooth abscess. It hurts when he eats. He had antibiotics for a few days and he's better now. But he doesn't eat the food he used to eat. He probably associates it with pain.
 

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Hello! I have found over the years that cats can absolutely LOVE a certain food and then suddenly, often overnight, they decide that they don't like it at all! This can be difficult when you are feeding a cat a specialized diet, such as a urinary tract formula or one that is lower calorie. Funny, my picky eaters all love Fancy Feast, too, so I keep that around to mix a bit on top of their "healthy" food to encourage them to start digging in. And it seems to work. I am a cat foster too and Fancy Feast is appealing to even the sickest of cats. I also agree with Count who mentioned that he was suffering from a tooth abscess, so it is always crucial to check that a cat who suddenly turns away from food isn't experiencing a medical issue. But for those that are just being "finicky" a little dollop of Fancy Feast can often do the trick!
 
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S1988

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This is the first time I had a cat like this. Cats I've owned in the past were never picky eaters except with cheap brand cat foods. I guess this varies from cat to cat.

I've checked his teeth, and they seem to be fine. I guess this is a new quirk of his I have to deal with.

Just today, he got tired of a pate Friskies that he seemed to enjoy yesterday. Luckily, I got some baby food and he lapped that up. I'll try more Fancy Feast cans since he seems to like that brand so far.
 

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I have a picky eater. She was eating what I gave her, until I bought different kinds of food for other cats. It isn't a food aggression thing. No one fights for food.
The black cat and the white cat each have microchip feeders. The white cat decided she wants to try every food in the house. She will go on strike. She has trained me to give her the canned version of the dry food she was eating.
She quit Core Wellness Turkey & Duck
We went back to Hill's salmon sensitive stomach dry
I give the wet version as well
She prefers the kitten food over her own. I think it is a dominance thing. I was talking to a couple staff members here. The vet told me to feed her in another room, unit she eats it; leave her in the room. Seems cruel right? It didn't work. She didn't eat much, and wanted out of the room.
I'm taking her to the vet in a couple of weeks to revisit the idea of getting her dental done.
 

nunnc84

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This is the first time I had a cat like this. Cats I've owned in the past were never picky eaters except with cheap brand cat foods. I guess this varies from cat to cat.

I've checked his teeth, and they seem to be fine. I guess this is a new quirk of his I have to deal with.

Just today, he got tired of a pate Friskies that he seemed to enjoy yesterday. Luckily, I got some baby food and he lapped that up. I'll try more Fancy Feast cans since he seems to like that brand so far.
I think any food bought from petsmart that your pet doesn't like is returnable. Also, Chewy has been great with my picky cat! They refund my money and tell me to donate it. Great huh?
 
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