Slow Transition to New Food

[lueyfufu]

This may be a silly question, but those are my specialty, so...

When we talk about taking it slow when transitioning to a new food, does that apply to different flavors and/or protein sources within the same kind/brand of food? (Example: within the Merrick Purrfect Bistro grain-free line of canned pate, switching from turkey to beef.)

Or is more for when you're making a more drastic change? (Examples: from dry to canned, from canned to raw, from one brand to a totally different brand.)

 

[maggie101]

My cats eat a different food every day. Protein and texture different. It will be harder for a cat that has eaten the same food all the time

 

[LTS3]

This may be a silly question, but those are my specialty, so...

When we talk about taking it slow when transitioning to a new food, does that apply to different flavors and/or protein sources within the same kind/brand of food? (Example: within the Merrick Purrfect Bistro grain-free line of canned pate, switching from turkey to beef.)

Or is more for when you're making a more drastic change? (Examples: from dry to canned, from canned to raw, from one brand to a totally different brand.)

Transitioning applies when you are trying to get your cat to eat a new brand of food or type of food, example getting your cat off dry food and onto canned food or from Junk Brand ABC to Healthier Brand XYZ. TCS has an article with helpful tips on transitioning food; Transitioning Your Cat From Kibble To A New Type Of Food – TheCatSite Articles

Rotating between different varieties / flavors within the same brand is no problem at all for most cats.

 

[maggie101]

Strange that one of my cats is more likely to throw up doing a slow transition rather than moving on can to can

 

[Flybynight]

maggie101
Maybe if they have the same protein too often in the transition vs changing up all the time. I thought slow transitions were more for kittens vs adults unless the adult has a sensitive digestion. I feed a mix of various brands per day and no issues either.

 

[maggie101]

I also give her a different protein every day

 

[Lazy Orange House Cat]

It depends on your cat. If they're very, very sensitive then you may need to transition them between recipes, even within the same brand, but generally, you should be able to feed at least a small variety of recipes. One of my cats is on a very strict diet due to his inability to digest much of anything, and any change must be made very, very slowly. The rest of my cats are fed different brands and recipes each day with no difficulty.