Wet/dry food ratio and pooping issues

[catcat73837]

We're going through something like this, too, though Ireland has never been much of a vomiter and she's never been on prescription food. She decided she loves her treat/topper food (Dr. Elsey's chicken dry food) so much that she doesn't want to eat much (if any) wet food. The good side is that the food is very low-carb (under 3% dry matter), she'll eat it, and she drinks water after she eats. Even so, the bad side is that the food is dry! I do keep offering her small wet meals when I feed her sister... Sometimes she eats them. I'm going to keep doing that, with the hope that we can get her back to eating more and more wet food. She has asthma so shouldn't eat fish, plus a couple food sensitivities; those limit her potential diet.

A bit more backstory... Ireland was underfed as a kitten (she's now 10) and came to us strongly preferring dry food. Though we switched her to wet food, she most always seemed a little picky and has always tended toward constipation. We realized a few weeks ago that she wasn't eating nearly as much wet food as she should... but would eat a full day's ration of Dr. E's food. We're letting her do that. She now seems much happier and more relaxed (she's always been a nervous cat, she's a rescue cat) than ever so I'm not pushing her on the diet. I'm not happy about this but she's never been highly motivated by food so will eat very little if she doesn't really like or want the food. And at least she's drinking water! And might go back to eating more wet food again over time.

Good luck with Willy's diet!

Hi! I have fed my cat dr.elseys dry chickrn for 3 years when all of a sudden he would literally spit it out. I emailed the company and they said due to not being able to source some ingredients they are transitioning to a new formula. Currently if you see the bags of food that expire in 2024 it doesnt show the recent changed because they have 6 months to do so. They have added "plasma" and removed flaxseed oil and pork protein isolate. These bags also are very dusty and crumble. The food is so small cats cant chee it properly. If you look at reviews some people have said it made their cats either sick or they stopped eating it.

 

[lisahe]

Hi! I have fed my cat dr.elseys dry chickrn for 3 years when all of a sudden he would literally spit it out. I emailed the company and they said due to not being able to source some ingredients they are transitioning to a new formula. Currently if you see the bags of food that expire in 2024 it doesnt show the recent changed because they have 6 months to do so. They have added "plasma" and removed flaxseed oil and pork protein isolate. These bags also are very dusty and crumble. The food is so small cats cant chee it properly. If you look at reviews some people have said it made their cats either sick or they stopped eating it.

Thank you for this summary, C catcat73837 ! (I'm on your thread you started, too, so remember your story!) Interesting about the "plasma." I noticed that the pork protein isolate is gone and saw on their site that the flax is gone, too. They're both gone from the bag I have with a use by date in October 2024... but there's no mention of plasma. In any case, I opened the bag and gave some to Ireland. She's happily eating it as long as it's in her feeder. The pieces look to be the same as before, though I think they are a bit dustier. Of course batches of food can differ a lot so who knows what the next batch will be like.

I hope you're able to find something good for your cat!

 

[cmshap]

Just another small update, because it's funny...

I mentioned in a previous post in this thread that Willy preferred the cuts textured wet food over pate. Well now, it is the opposite.

He recently decided he didn't care for the cuts anymore. He would lick up the gravy and leave most of the meat bits. I tried switching back to pate, and he is currently lapping it all up. Go figure.

I am keeping the cuts food, for when he inevitably decides, yet again, "actually, I think I liked the previous kind better... I'd like to send my order back to the kitchen."

 

[rubysmama]

I am keeping the cuts food, for when he inevitably decides, yet again, "actually, I think I liked the previous kind better... I'd like to send my order back to the kitchen."

That's almost guaranteed to happen. I, in fact, have some cans of both shredded and gravy foods for when my Ruby decides she's bored with her pates.

 

[price053]

My cat Willy ate dry food exclusively in the beginning of his life, but it was prescription food and recommended by my vet. He always had gastrointestinal issues and has vomited a lot throughout his life.

I switched him to wet food (over time, gradually) in the last few years, and it almost completely eliminated vomiting. Which was great. But he stopped pooping as often and not as well... he sometimes got constipated, which I know because he'd spend much more time in the litter box, and then scoot on the floor after. Sometimes leaving streaks (gross, I know).

I concluded adding some dry food is helpful (and it has been). I am guessing it has to do with fiber. But he strongly prefers dry food, probably due to being raised on it.

So if I give him a little bit of dry food now, he gobbles it up, and then sits by his dish ignoring his wet food meals. And if I mix dry with wet, he eats up all the dry and leaves the wet. It seems like since he knows he now has the option to get dry again, that's all he wants.

Any additional ideas for how to successfully mix mostly wet with a little dry?

I heat up their wet food in a bowl and then mix in the dry and then serve it. They boy's eat it up and my girl does too after things calm down. That how I do them. Just an idea

 

[cmshap]

I heat up their wet food in a bowl and then mix in the dry and then serve it. They boy's eat it up and my girl does too after things calm down. That how I do them. Just an idea

I actually heat up wet food, too. Especially if my cat doesn't finish a wet meal. I wrap up the rest, refrigerate it, then heat it up again later.

Some people on this forum don't think that's a good idea, and they are not necessarily wrong. But every individual cat comes with unique issues that we have to find solutions for. What I KNOW is that he eats wet food more readily when it's warmed, and he doesn't have constipation issues anymore with the right ratio I described in my above posts.

 

[daftcat75]

Haven't read all the posts. But rather than adding dry food back in for the fiber and causing wet food avoidance, can you add a little fat to his wet food? No, I'm not suggesting oil or butter. Although, if he likes fish oil or salmon oil, that's not a bad fat to add. But otherwise, I would either look for a food with a higher fat content (like Rawz), or you could ask your vet for a can of Hills A/D. You could mix a small spoonful into his wet food. He'll probably love the stuff as much as most cats (and dogs--it's a recovery food more than an everyday food) and the extra fat should help grease the chute, so to speak. 1 can of A/D can last up to seven days in the fridge. I use it to coat Betty's capsules twice a day. I drop the coated capsules on the carpet and she scoops and swallows them like a freakin' med-taking pro! Then I put a small pinch of the A/D into her medicine meals (the meals at medicine time, not meals with medicine in them) so that she'll eat some food with her medicine until the meds kick in a bit later. Then she'll come back and eat the rest of her meals without needing any extra A/D.

Another option for adding a cat healthy fat to his meals would be to powder up a freeze-dried liver treat or two and mix that onto or into his wet meals.

 

[cmshap]

Haven't read all the posts. But rather than adding dry food back in for the fiber and causing wet food avoidance, can you add a little fat to his wet food? No, I'm not suggesting oil or butter. Although, if he likes fish oil or salmon oil, that's not a bad fat to add.

Thanks for the feedback. For now, he is doing well on his current diet. But I know that things can change, and probably will.

I don't know who said this, but recently, I read a thread in which somebody said "feeding a cat is hard." I can't agree with that more. I've only ever had one cat, my current one, but feeding him and taking care of his dietary needs has always been more of a challenge than I expected.

I guess it makes sense. They are naturally built to be predators, and we have to find the best possible replacements.

 

[lisahe]

I don't know who said this, but recently, I read a thread in which somebody said "feeding a cat is hard." I can't agree with that more. I've only ever had one cat, my current one, but feeding him and taking care of his dietary needs has always been more of a challenge than I expected.

I guess it makes sense. They are naturally built to be predators, and we have to find the best possible replacements.

I don't know if I've written those exact words -- feeding a cat is hard -- on The Cat Site but I know I've written that or very similar things many times. Because feeding a cat really can be very difficult.

In any case, I'm glad your cat (Willy?) is doing better on his current diet, that's good news. I hope the good stretch continues!

 

[cmshap]

I don't know if I've written those exact words -- feeding a cat is hard -- on The Cat Site but I know I've written that or very similar things many times. Because feeding a cat really can be very difficult.

In any case, I'm glad your cat (Willy?) is doing better on his current diet, that's good news. I hope the good stretch continues!

Yep, my cat's name is Willy. Not my choice (named by others) but I love it now.

One of the most interesting aspects -- but also probably quite obvious to others -- is how important variety is. I mentioned in one of my above posts that Willy has waffled between wanting pate- and cuts-textured wet food. He's also gotten tired of various flavors, requiring me to change them up.

I'm sure this all has to do with their instincts. Cats in the wild aren't eating the same exact thing every single time... they are opportunistic predators. Giving them the same exact thing constantly is probably just unnatural for their bodies.

That's how I reason through the logic, anyway. I could be wrong. But I've learned to hold onto food that he won't eat, because there will come a day where he finds it appealing again.

 

[lisahe]

Yep, my cat's name is Willy. Not my choice (named by others) but I love it now.

One of the most interesting aspects -- but also probably quite obvious to others -- is how important variety is. I mentioned in one of my above posts that Willy has waffled between wanting pate- and cuts-textured wet food. He's also gotten tired of various flavors, requiring me to change them up.

I'm sure this all has to do with their instincts. Cats in the wild aren't eating the same exact thing every single time... they are opportunistic predators. Giving them the same exact thing constantly is probably just unnatural for their bodies.

That's how I reason through the logic, anyway. I could be wrong. But I've learned to hold onto food that he won't eat, because there will come a day where he finds it appealing again.

Variety's interesting with cats: some love to eat the same foods day after day but others demand big rotations of foods. I used to feed a dizzying array of foods... but now one cat's decided she'd rather eat Dr. Elsey's dry food and the other, the one who's always had a tendency to eat too fast and regurgitate, seems to do best if she doesn't get too much variety. For her, a rescue with serious food insecurity, it seems to work out best for her to like her food. She still enjoys it (she loves to eat!) but if she loves a food too much, she gets excited, eats too fast, and then, well ensues.

And yes, it's definitely good to keep food he won't eat. We do the same. Sometimes we have a better stock of the rejects than the acceptances!

 

[price053]

I actually heat up wet food, too. Especially if my cat doesn't finish a wet meal. I wrap up the rest, refrigerate it, then heat it up again later.

Some people on this forum don't think that's a good idea, and they are not necessarily wrong. But every individual cat comes with unique issues that we have to find solutions for. What I KNOW is that he eats wet food more readily when it's warmed, and he doesn't have constipation issues anymore with the right ratio I described in my above posts.

Every cat is different and we know whats best for them for the most part. I wrap mine back up too if we don't use it all. I have three so its a circus some days

 

[cmshap]

Update:

Unfortunately, Willy's dry food addiction is giving me trouble again.

I just bought a new bag of dry food, which I still am trying to feed him just 25% of his meals. It's Hill's Science Diet Light, which is the best dry food for his digestive health that I've found.

I think when a bag of dry food is new, it has a stronger smell and is more attractive to him. Even though I keep dry food in an air-tight container, as it gets older and smaller in quantity, it loses its smell (even I can tell). When I get a new bag delivered, even before I open the bag, he sniffs it and rubs his cheeks on the outside of the bag.

He is currently back to leaving most of his wet food, and sitting by his dish, staring at me and waiting for a dry food replacement... it's so frustrating.

I want to try more of the "game" angle, by tossing kibble around for him to hunt for (he actually likes that, and it's stimulating for him when he has to hunt for pieces on my living room rug). But I don't want to give him the reward unless he makes an attempt to eat his wet food again.

I am trying a multitude of flavors and textures, all of which he has eaten before, but he only has a mind for his dry food right now.

Should I just try getting rid of the dry altogether, temporarily, until he gets hungry enough to eat a wet meal? Then reward him with some dry?