Should We Vary A Cats Wet Food?

[maryah]

Here it's eat what you're given or starve. Usually by next feeding they eat.

Well, that's what I always had thought, too, and I've tried to be strict. But after reading people's experiences on both sides, I began to wonder! At least she is still eating the NVI dry at night... but I worry about her getting enough nutrition. Is it possible she's still growing at one year? If she was, wouldn't she want more to eat instead of less? (She weighed 7 lbs at her only vet visit, end of March. I don't have a way to weigh her at home since she still won't let me pick her up. <sigh> )

 

[maggiedemi]

I have one of those big scales that is flat on the top and I just weigh my female cat while she's in her carrier. The carrier weighs 6 pounds, so I just subtract that.

 

[maryah]

I have one of those big scales that is flat on the top and I just weigh my female cat while she's in her carrier. The carrier weighs 6 pounds, so I just subtract that.

I'm afraid I'd have just as much trouble getting her into the carrier, as I have to pick her up to accomplish that too. She's got me whipped, for sure! Actually, I can do it if I "scruff" her, but I hate to do that very often.

 

[maggiedemi]

My cats love their carrier. I have it out all the time and they sleep in it and eat in it sometimes.

 

[IndyJones]

You should never Cary a full grown cat by the scruff. It's ok to restrain a cat that way but carrying them or picking them up by the scruff can hurt their neck.

 

[maryah]

You should never Cary a full grown cat by the scruff. It's ok to restrain a cat that way but carrying them or picking them up by the scruff can hurt their neck.

Oh, yes, I'm well aware of that, and always support her body with my other hand. It's good that you're bringing out that fact for others who may not know it, though!

 

[Willowy]

Here it's eat what you're given or starve. Usually by next feeding they eat.

Hehe, usually it's that way at my house too but I once had a cat starve herself into hepatic lipidosis :/. A perfectly healthy cat (physically anyway ) who just didn't like the flavor of food that month. She's a little special in the head, though. But force-feeding her for a month taught me to keep a closer eye on who's eating what, that's for sure!

 

[misty8723]

I rotate for Swanie, he'll eat anything, but the only one I've been able to get Cricket to eat consistently is Weruva Cat's in the Kitchen Chick Magnet pouch. I give her some of that that to supplement her dry food.

 

[mixedstripes]

Its difficult though, as cats don't like change generally, do they? My kitten/cat would only eat Felix, even though I tried lots of more meat based and expensive wet cat foods. At the moment I am trying to get her away from Felix ... but with limited success!

 

[Vega's Dad]

Addiction seems to be a real problem in some cats. I normally rotate a lot of brands with mine, but for a few days she only had Fancy Feast. When I tried to feed her another brand that she normally loves, she snubbed it for a bit.

Mine addicted, too. She only likes Friskies poultry pate, not even flaked or gravy of the same brand. I have to mix others with pate to convince her to eat some and she's eating cautiously like there is a mouse trip in it

 

[IndyJones]

Ok maybe my cats are weird but my Kabby eats literally anything put in front of him except cheap food like fancy feast. He even ate the ants out of his bowl when they make it inside (ants are particularly bad this year). Indy is the opposite, she doesn't like chicken and likes anything stinky she particularly likes liver and fish.

 

[Boris Diamond]

I rotate my wet foods. My kitties get bored eating the same food every day. Something else to consider is that if a cat food is bad - and there have been many recalls - at least they won't be eating that bad cat food every meal.

 

[bonepicker]

I started my 1-year-old, Rani, on a variety of high quality wet foods a couple of months ago, expecting to find several that she would like and I could rotate. My plan was to feed half wet/half dry (Nature's Variety Ultimate Protein) for flexibility. Unfortunately! She fixated on just one brand and flavor, Merrick's Purrfect Bistro Chicken Pate. I've tried a dozen other brands, she won't have anything to do with them. Even the ones she liked a month or a week ago are unacceptable now. She'll starve herself before she'll eat anything but the Merrick's! I've created a monster! What do I do now? I know it's a good quality and would keep her healthy -- but what if they change the formula or discontinue that flavor? Yikes!

Try whole earth farms by Merrick beef or duck or turkey or Merrick rabbit

 

[bonepicker]

I think daily rotations vs weekly or monthly helps with addictions since they don't know what you are going to serve and recalls because they have eaten less when you pull it due to recall, I stack different cans on shelf so this occurs daily

 

[ScarlettGatsby]

I'm trying to get a solid rotation going too, and my cat also got stuck on the Merrick she likes the duck one though.
I've been mostly feeding her that and about once a week trying another food to find what she likes. Last week she finally liked something else! It was the Weruva Cats in the Kitchen Funk in the Trunk flavor.

I'm trying another one tonight. My goal is 3 varieties that I'll rotate with each other.

 

[maryah]

Try whole earth farms by Merrick beef or duck or turkey or Merrick rabbit

Thanks, I'll give those a try!

 

[thegreystalker]

Indy Jones, that's my rule, too. That's the way I was raised, and I'm not even a cat.