Picky eater? Or just the way she is?

[Elvgrengrl]

I adopted Margo, a 2.5 year old cat, a month ago. I bought the dry food the shelter had been giving her (Hill's Adult 1-6) but she didn't want to eat much of it. I figured it was just her adjusting to a new environment. I wanted to get her on Iams Sensitive Stomach (my mom did a ton of research and advised this) so I started to mix it in over a week. She still only eats maybe 3 tablespoons a day, 4 on a good day. I feel like this isn't enough. I tried a bit of Iams Urinary and she still didn't seem to care. So I decided to get Purina One yesterday to see if that piqued her interest. Nope.

I have also been giving her FF Petites (1 in the morning and 1 in the evening) which she loves. But she won't eat more than 1 serving at a time. I've tried giving her more but she taps out half way. Same with any other wet food. My schedule won't allow multiple feedings over the day and I don't want to leave wet food down due to bacteria.

When the shelter took her in she weighed 8 lbs. She was at the shelter for 5 months. When I adopted her she weighed 10 lbs. I weighed her yesterday and she's at 9.8 lbs, but she is also super playful and energetic. So she's not losing weight. She checked-out a-okay at the vet.

Q: is there a dry food that is quality, not too expensive, that most cats like?
Q: could this just be how much she's going to eat?

TIA!

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi, with the petites and a little bit of kibble, and her weight remaining stable it could be this is her current appetite, and that's ok. Things will likely change in the future, but this way since you've tried several brands and she eats them, you have options for menu rotation and also in case one of the foods becomes unappetizing to her.

 

[FeebysOwner]

My cat is - and always has been - a grazer with her canned food (she doesn't eat dry anymore) and so the food is left out for hours and hours. If I didn't leave it out, she would never manage to get anywhere near the calories she needs. Never have I been concerned about bacteria, and it does not seem to be an issue. I only buy 3oz cans or the single servings because of this. There are feeders that are covered that can be opened when the cat approaches and then closed once they leave, to help with freshness. There are timed feeders too. Both can be purchased with compartments underneath to put ice in to help keep them cooler/fresher as well. If you are worried about bacteria, you might try one of these.

Having said that, I agree with the above in the sense that if what she is currently eating is maintaining her weight, she may not need more food than she gets.