Rescue Kitty Would Not Eat Wet Food! Help!

[NewKitty2019]

We adopted a kitty 3 months ago (he is about 18 months old and very small in size). At the beginning we had some problems where he was not eating and then had UTI but then finally he started eating but only dry food.
I was just happy he started eating because I was already feeding him with a syringe a bit...

So, after trying a few different things to get him eat wet food I decided to wait before getting on this case. Now it's been 3 month since we got him and I feel like we need to get more serious about adding wet food.
Has anybody successfully switch their kitty from eating only dry food to wet food? Please let me know what helped you.

Here is what we tried so far:

- Made a buffet of 3 different foods at a time, total 10 different types/companies of food.
- Warming food
- Tuna
- Cooked chicken
- Cooked fish and salmon
- Baby food
- Sprinkled wet food with:

• Crushed crumbles of dry food he likes
• Tuna
• Cheese
• Raw Boost Mixers from Instinct (recommended by Petco people)

- Added wet food on top of dry food, just juices or small bits. He would take out that part and eat only dry food.
Overall he just tries to bury the wet food or doesn't even react to it at all like it's not food.

So, if you have other recommendations please let me know! Or am I stressing out for nothing?
He eats only these 2 types of dry food:
- Prescription Diet Urinary Care - Hills
- Natural Balance - Original Ultra Whole Body Health for Kittens

He drinks good amount of water and his stools and urination seem normal so far. But I am worried about him getting UTI again.

Thank you!

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi!
Bless you for working so hard for him!

There's this;
Transitioning Your Cat From Kibble To A New Type Of Food (canned, Raw, Or Homemade)

And there's this - you'll see some of what you've done already, and other ideas too
Any Good Tips To Get Your Cats To Eat? Share Them Here!

 

[maggiedemi]

What brands are you trying? My cats won't eat any of the fancy expensive brands.

 

[NewKitty2019]

Hi!
Bless you for working so hard for him!

There's this;
Transitioning Your Cat From Kibble To A New Type Of Food (canned, Raw, Or Homemade)

And there's this - you'll see some of what you've done already, and other ideas too
Any Good Tips To Get Your Cats To Eat? Share Them Here!

Thank you so much! These are very helpful articles! I guess I've been doing the right thing, only need to keep going. I get frustrated after a week of wasted food and give up...

 

[NewKitty2019]

What brands are you trying? My cats won't eat any of the fancy expensive brands.

I tried different brands and types. The foster lady said he was eating wet food just fine. I doubt she really could see. She has a lot of cats there and they live in a separate Cat House outside. They did not even give me a correct name of the kitty at first. Had to scan his implanted chip to find out. I will keep trying. Thank you!

 

[NewKitty2019]

I tried different brands and types. The foster lady said he was eating wet food just fine. I doubt she really could see. She has a lot of cats there and they live in a separate Cat House outside. They did not even give me a correct name of the kitty at first. Had to scan his implanted chip to find out. I will keep trying. Thank you!

He was also very shy when we got him... I doubt he would get wet food when other cats where all over it.

 

[Furballsmom]

I guess I've been doing the right thing, only need to keep going.

Let us know how things go, we're cheering for you both

 

[Kissamew]

Feeding Your Cat: Know the Basics of Feline Nutrition – Common Sense. Healthy Cats. , CatFoodDB - Cat Food Reviews to help you find the best cat food for your cat
These two web sites are interesting to me. CatInfo because this veterinarian talks about cat health and how to transition. She admits she has made the same mistakes as most people. And she advocates even the cheapest wet food over dry. It takes time to work all of this in! And even though it seems logical and easy to some people, those of us who grew up thinking kibble is a simple answer to your cats nutrition know kitties love crunchies! So, in light of this, just know your baby is doing the best he can, just the same as you are. It's ok to take your time. His urinary tract infection could have been caused by a number of things, including stress and possibly being with others with the same condition. You are watching over him and paying more attention that a lot of cat people (not that we don't try, but life is how it is). I have a feeling you will find something he will like. Please share the journey!
The other web site, CatFoodDB, is about cat foods, too, and their nutrition, so it may help you find affordable, easy to find foods to try. It helped me.
CatInfo also has a chart with comparisons and shows expensive is not always the best when it comes to nutrition, so we can all rest knowing that feeding our fur-bestie is a capability. I know I am not capable of raw feeding, so I'm doing the best I can with wet foods. My kitties do drink from a fountain I got for them and are in a transition. Switching to all wet food takes more time that I thought, but I am seeing results and the fur-girls seem happy and un-traumatized. Best of luck!
P. S. TheCatSite has been tremendously helpful in suggestions here and there. I'm happy I have found it and that you have , too!

 

[verna davies]

I have a cat who is a dry food addict too. I use wet food in gravy and mash it with a fork then mix in the dry. In picking out the dry he eats most of the wet as well. I have managed to change from 90% dry to 50% dry. In saying that, it had taken nearly a year so be patient and change slowely. Good luck.