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- Sep 28, 2018
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I had to pick up some more prescription food for Clyde today. they were running a sale of buy one bag and get another bag of any cat food in the store of equal size for free. I couldn't not say no. It's Science Diet, suggested by my vet who's seen my cats and knows their needs.
Here's the rub. I grew up poor, only now just getting on my feet. As a result they've been eating Friskies cat food. Free fed. (I know, I know. I've heard it all before. I did what I could to keep them alive, now I'm getting them into shape.) My cats are also partly wild, due to me not really introducing them right. They HATE being around each other and will fight, hence the free feeding.
The real problem? They hate healthy food. With a passion. A burning passion. Fiddle, Wolfie, and Spoon will eat Clyde's prescription food because they know they shouldn't. When I put it in their food dish... They avoid it. I put half a cup mixed in with three cups of Friskies. They ate around the health food. They picked every crumb of the junk food off the floor, dish, chair. They wouldn't touch the Science Diet I tried last time. I tried canned cat food, it wouldn't fill them up and I can't afford it. They also weren't too fond of it. They prefer kibble. (Anything 'mush' they see as a treat.)
After a few days of this I decided to see just how much they hated the science diet. I let them eat the Friskies, then didn't refill their dish. I left the Science Diet. They starved themselves for three days. They'd beg at my feet, whine, fight. But they wouldn't eat it. Socks finally got smart and knocked over the food bucket. They all piled in like they were dying. I gave up, they've been on Friskies ever since.
So. How can I switch them to a healthier food if they refuse to eat it? I tried Blue catfood as well. Same results. Mixing it in with tuna won't work. I've tried covering it in that food paste stuff they love. Nope.They lick the paste off and leave the kibble. Blending it into powder and feeding it to them mixed in tuna? That kind of worked. But I can't afford to feed them tuna every single day either.
Suggestions? All nine of them are being stubborn. Once I get them eating a healthier brand I'll go to a set feeding time and adjust food for each one. But first I have to get them eating.
The good news is Clyde, who's on a special diet, HATES the Friskies. If he runs out for 20 minutes he will starve himself before he will touch the friskies. Opposite problem, but not one I care to correct. He's a good boy.
Here's the rub. I grew up poor, only now just getting on my feet. As a result they've been eating Friskies cat food. Free fed. (I know, I know. I've heard it all before. I did what I could to keep them alive, now I'm getting them into shape.) My cats are also partly wild, due to me not really introducing them right. They HATE being around each other and will fight, hence the free feeding.
The real problem? They hate healthy food. With a passion. A burning passion. Fiddle, Wolfie, and Spoon will eat Clyde's prescription food because they know they shouldn't. When I put it in their food dish... They avoid it. I put half a cup mixed in with three cups of Friskies. They ate around the health food. They picked every crumb of the junk food off the floor, dish, chair. They wouldn't touch the Science Diet I tried last time. I tried canned cat food, it wouldn't fill them up and I can't afford it. They also weren't too fond of it. They prefer kibble. (Anything 'mush' they see as a treat.)
After a few days of this I decided to see just how much they hated the science diet. I let them eat the Friskies, then didn't refill their dish. I left the Science Diet. They starved themselves for three days. They'd beg at my feet, whine, fight. But they wouldn't eat it. Socks finally got smart and knocked over the food bucket. They all piled in like they were dying. I gave up, they've been on Friskies ever since.
So. How can I switch them to a healthier food if they refuse to eat it? I tried Blue catfood as well. Same results. Mixing it in with tuna won't work. I've tried covering it in that food paste stuff they love. Nope.They lick the paste off and leave the kibble. Blending it into powder and feeding it to them mixed in tuna? That kind of worked. But I can't afford to feed them tuna every single day either.
Suggestions? All nine of them are being stubborn. Once I get them eating a healthier brand I'll go to a set feeding time and adjust food for each one. But first I have to get them eating.
The good news is Clyde, who's on a special diet, HATES the Friskies. If he runs out for 20 minutes he will starve himself before he will touch the friskies. Opposite problem, but not one I care to correct. He's a good boy.