Should I teach my cat a lesson by not feeding her the canned food?

Question

I have a cat who is VERY picky when it comes to her canned cat food. I have fed her every brand out there. I recently bought a box of Fancy Feast canned cat food. I usually feed her in the morning & in the evening. For the past 2 weeks she will not eat it. I have put it out for her, but she just lets it sit and eats her crunchies. I tested her a few times during the week with a different brand. She ate it...then I gave it to her the next day and she didn't eat it. So I switched back to the Fancy Feast. I don't know what to do anymore! As of this past Sunday I have not given her anymore canned food. She just wastes it...lets it swrivel up in her bowl. Should I teach her this lesson? She will have kitty crunchies to eat & fresh water of course. I'm not trying to be cruel at all. I just wish she wouldn't be picky. She's in perfect health. I just don't know what to do anymore. She's done this periodically since I've had her (2 years).

Answer 1

What a cat will eat when they are older depends a lot on their diet the first 6 months of their life. If they eat only dry food, they will often prefer it to canned. My cats will not eat food that is has "shredded" or "sliced" on the can. Only ground cat food. As long as it is nutritionally balanced, dry or canned makes little difference when a cat is young. Older cats do benefit from more wet food, though. It helps the kidneys.

Answer 2

Some cats can tell the smell of cleaning product on the bowl. Also some prefer fresh meat like chicken or turkey once in a while. With the dry food make sure to give plenty of water. If using wet then only give a small portion like a few mouthfulls. Try feeding her at different times and letting her be alone when she is eating. If she doesn't eat much of anything and gets thin or you notice any health changes go to the vets. Some cats just eat dry food but give her fresh now and then for variety. Try her on different flavours of fresh because just one kind gets boring and is bad for her health.

Answer 3

If she's not eating the wet food, but still eats her crunchies, then I don't see much of a problem. Especially if she's eating a full meal's worth of crunchies. She may not like the wet food anymore. Cats' tastes can change.

If she's not eating a full meal of crunchies, and she seems to be getting thinner or is having problems stomach problems, you should take her to the vet. If she still seems healthy, I woldn't worry too much about it. Just keep an eye on her.

It might be a good thing that she's rejecting the wet food. In the past, wet cat food has been linked to urinary tract infections and other stomach problems. I had a cat who needed to be put down because of urinary tract problems, and our vet told us a big part of the problem was the wet food. Our cats only eat dry food now, and they're just fine.

So, unless she seems ill, don't worry too much about it. If she starts to develop other problems, take her to a vet, but if she seems healthy and is just rejecting the wet food, then don't let it bother you to much.

Answer 4

Of my three cats, only two of the like canned food. They all get a bowl of dry that I fill twice a day that they munch on off and on all day. When I put out canned food, if the oldest one eats it, she always eats it too fast and then heaves it. It is better for me to wait for her to be busy and just feed the other two the canned stuff as an occasional treat. If your cat is getting dry food, it's not going to go hungry, and sometimes cats are better at knowing what's good for them then we are.

IF you really want her to have some canned food in the diet, try mixing it with the dry. For some cats that is the only way they like it.

Answer 5

I know what u mean. my cat did the same. he's passed on now because of age, but he was always a picky cat. i just gave him what he liked. if he prefer dry foods, i gave him mostly dry foods. for the canned, i bought the small cans where it's just enough for a meal and also put out the dry. i sprinkled some cat nip on top of the canned foods. he ate it more often. but not too much nip. i also spoiled him by giving him deli slices. i suggest to only put out the food at certain times of the day. when the food is there in front of her all day, she munches very little at a time, but when u only put it out when she's hungry, i'm sure she'll eat it up more.

Answer 6

This may be more than just a picky eater. You should take her to the Vet. She may have a condition that is causing her to reject food and it can become very dangerous, or your Vet may simply have some great suggestions on how to get her to eat, what kind of preservatives are in certain cat foods and what would be the best method and time line to feed her. She may not be hungry at the times you are feeding her.

Answer 7

She will eat it if she gets hungry. The hard food is fine. Maybe there is something in the other food she doesn't like. Maybe she is allergic to something in the other food. You really can't teach a cat a lesson. There was this commercial a few years back about a finicky cat.

Answer 8

Well, maybe she can tell fancy feast is a poor quality food. Why not feed her one of the really good brands of pet food for her healths sake. Some of the best pet foods are: California Natural, Solid Gold, Innova and Merrick.

Answer 9

Yes, I think that is a great way to start maybe your giving her to much to eat because, my cat is the same way .He'll eat some then come back an hour later when it's dried up. Try giving her just a small amount (maybe a teaspoon) of wet food its not that good for their teeth anyways.See if it works, if it doesn't than give your idea a shot..Give him what she likes though.Tell her I said hi.She's in a good home.Hope I helped

Answer 10

We only feed our cats about a half can each of canned food in the morning, and only dry food at night, since too much canned food is like too much sweets for them. Maybe your cat just isn't that hungry.