Tips On How To Get My Cat To Eat Her Regular Cat Food Again?

[YasTheCatLady]

My 11 yr old cat recently had six teeth removed and then developed an upset tummy from her post op anti inflammatories. Her gums have thankfully healed up perfectly but her stomach is a little dodgy still and the vet prescribed her probiotics and some antacids.

All she can eat is her favourite meal, Pollack fish. The vet said it was fine to feed her nothing but that for a few days until her tummy settles if it's all she can manage but try to get her back onto her regular wet cat food asap. We have tried mixing the fish with some fish flavoured cat food that she used to eat every day with no fuss, but she won't touch the fish if it's been mixed in with cat food whatsoever - even if it's just a tiny amount. I thought if we just left some cat food out and didn't give her any fish, she would give in and eat the cat food once the hunger took hold but she starved herself and brings up bile which the vet said she shouldn't get to that stage since it'll upset her tummy more.

She's been eating nothing but Pollack for about four days now. She's also ate scraps of chicken and bacon but she can't live off of those.

I'm looking for advice on how to get her back into her usual routine and keep the fish as a treat

Thanks

 

[tobilei]

Hmm I'm probably not a lot of help, but I have been through similar with my boy. I kept feeding him the food he wanted, but started putting just a teaspoon of his old food on the plate, starting right over the other side to the one he was eating. Every day I moved that teaspoon a bit closer and a bit closer so he got used to it being there. Once he was used to it (took a little over a week) I then started to reduce the amount of the food he wanted to eat. Eventually he gave that teaspoon of food a go and I started to increase the size of the teaspoon of food and continued to reduce the size of the favoured food. Once he seemed to be giving the old food a bit more of a go I took the one he wanted to eat away. It could be that she's associating the old food with the pain she was having from her teeth. If she really won't give it a try maybe try something new again that you're happy for her to eat. Sometimes they get weird aversions to foods.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

I would try a completely different wet food and see what happens. You might also try using some toppers. Even parmesan cheese often works. Tuna juice might work, since she likes fish. Or things like Purebites or Wholelife treats crushed and sprinkled over the food.

If you are mixing in her new "meds" into the food, this could also be the reason she is rejecting it. She may be able to detect them in the food. Sometimes you have to start out with a very small amount of those supplements and then work your way up to the normal amount, even simple probiotics.

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

I totally agree with tobilei , putting the two foods near each other but not mixed up together.
see: Multiple Allergy Symptoms. Help!

It takes some time, but sometimes it really works!