Question about food transition

[Thevikingchick]

We have been feeding our four cats, ages 9mo - 3 years, Costco (Kirkland) cat food. They all love it buuuut they started getting chunky. I consulted my vet and she said there is nothing wrong with the Kirkland food but its cheap and you get what you pay for, high carb and filler low on the protein. She said some cats do really well on it, others not so much. Two of our cats are predisposed to breathing issues due to face shape so being overweight is a big deal and we want to get in front of it. We can experiment with decreasing serving sizes and up the exercise, but it's no guarantee. Additionally, Nandor, my boy cat, is starting to show signs of a food intolerance and she recommended we move away from a chicken centric diet before it develops into anything worse. Kirkland only comes in chicken flavor.

We've opted to go with a Merrick salmon formula and I have questions about the transition process.....below are some things that are making me a little nervous about it.

1) My roommate demanded a grain free formula, which is fine but the Merrick grain free formulas contain sweet potato and my girl cat, Nadja, is not a fan of sweet potato.
2) Nadja cat is a very picky and inconsistent eater. When it comes to her wet food there times she cleans her plate, other times she barely touches it. We've been on the same formula for several months but this inconsistent eating has me considering trying for another wet food flavor / brand / type.
3) We only fill dry food at night and from there they can free feed. Since we started the transition the food dishes are considerably more full in the morning. I've observed all 4 cats eat the current mix, but Nadja cat seems the least interested.

We're only on day 3 of the change and and we're doing 4:1 ratio (4 scoops Kirkland 1 scoop Merrick). We'll increase the ratio every 3 days for a 15 day transition time.

Is the right way to do it?
Will it take Nadja time to warm up to the food?
When should I start to worry that the cats just do not like it and we go back to Kirkland or try Merrick Salmon & Rice?

Thanks everyone!

 

[Elfkin]

I’ve just joined the forum, but I’ll try to answer the best I can.
I think your transition ratio is fine. It’s very slow so that shouldn’t be a problem. Perhaps Nadia is bored with her old food???
Merrick is an excellent food. some grain free formulas use potato and/or pea protein rather than sweet potat. Maybe that would help. IMO salmon/fish is a healthier protein source than chicken. I’m just learning about cat nutrition, but dogs often develop allergies or an intolerance of chicken protein.
I’m assuming you feed all of them the same amount? The 9 mo old kitten will still need calories more so than the adults. Would it be too difficult to feed the adults a low cal food??
I don’t know if any of this helps, but I tried.

 

[Alldara]

Hello! You're doing the transition right. Only time will tell weather Nadja will warm to it, or refuse it. That's the way it is with cats!

Your transition ratio is spot-on, and you'll increase the ratio at Nadia's pace as she's the slowest cat to warm to new food. I don't actually think the weight is anything to do with the quality of food though. I think it's the quantity.

Your roommate must be on the "grain bad" side of the debate. There's no long term data on the grain substitutes yet (What's in My Cat's Food?: Designer Diets, Grain Free Diets). Studies are all a "work in progress" so we dont actually know if Merrick is a good or bad food.

If they are all getting wet food, it is likely that a full cup each of dry food is simply too much. Adult cats should have somewhere between 20 to 30 calories per pound, depending on metabolism and activity level.

My recommendation would be to begin to slowly feed them less dry food in total. Likely, they need closer to 1/4 cup to 2/3 cup each depending on how much wet food they are getting. Check the calories on the wet food first and then check in with how much dry they need to top up their calorie count. That's the amount you will slowly weedle them down to.

My second bit of recommendations would be for you to feed this dry food through movement, at least in part. Food puzzles can be bought or made including snuffle mats, puzzles, treat dispensers etc. Dry food should always be given through movement. Even scattering it on the ground or an "easter egg hunt" for them is great to build from.
If the cats have difficulty with this I would recommend mixing the food, then giving them each a tablespoon in their bowls or however you normally put it and then putting the rest out as enrichment.

 

[Furballsmom]

When should I start to worry that the cats just do not like it and we go back to Kirkland or try Merrick Salmon & Rice?

Hi! For all the cats but in particular your Nadja, I think you'll want to start weighing them maybe every week or two and keep a log. That way you can see what's happening, especially if the weight loss is too much too fast.