My kitten wont eat cat food. What to do?

Question

Ive tried canned and dried, Royal Canin, Eukanuba etc. He only wants human food.

Answer 1

then continue feeding him human food.

Answer 2

Apparently *someone* in your household has made the mistake of giving the kitten some human food and he has decided he wants it. I suggest feeding him NO HUMAN FOOD! At the most, he may cry and go one day without food (make sure he has fresh water) before he gets hungry. Put him into another room during mealtimes, with a bowl of dry kitten chow or a bowl with wet food. He will eat what you give him as soon as he realizes the human-food-gravy-train is now out of service.

Human food does not have the vitamins and nutrients that kitten and cat food have. It is necessary to make sure your kitten gets the proper kind of food in order to be a healthy cat. He will beg for human food every chance he gets but be firm and each time offer him only the cat food. He will get the message really quick!

Answer 3

It's important to limit the human food to treats and not let it become a major portion of kitty's diet. Human fare lacks essential nutrients that kitty needs. This is especially important for a kitten!

You might get some tips here:

http://www.catinfo.org

If worst comes to worst, try Fancy Feast. It's not a very high quality food, but most cats can't resist it, and at least it's cat food with the nutrients kitty needs. Once you get him eating that you can start mixing in better food and eventually transition him to the good stuff.

Answer 4

Try regular Purina Cat chow, or Whiska's. Those are favorited. You need to 100% STOP giving him human food, no matter how much he'll beg whine and cry for it. It will only convince him more that he'll win this battle. When he gets hungry enough, he WILL eat the dry food. However on the flip side, if he doesnt eat within 2 weeks- I would consider a vet visit. I might even consider one if he doesnt eat within a week. But what ever you decide to do, DONT GIVE HIM ANY HUMAN FOOD!!!!!! Thats gotta stop to progress forwards.

Answer 5

You can insist.
If you tell me he "wants only human food", it tells me that you have given him human food. Frankly, if given the choice: would you eat a can of cat food, or would you pick your freshly made steak/chicket cutlet/egg omelet etc?

Stop completely feeding him your own food, and keep your food stored out of reach. At the same time, provide 2x daily fresh food from a can (and/or dry croquettes), and you'll see: hunger is a very powerful motivator.

The stricter you are now with feeding times and quality, the easier your life will be in the next years...

Answer 6

Since he's a kitten, try Kitten Chow. Of course, they would only want human food, but they don't get the proper balance of nutrients they need as animals.

Answer 7

stand firm on this issue if the kitten is old enough to have teeth....NO human food until he learns to eat the dry food. Otherwise you will have a mini monster on your hands that interferes with your and any guest's dinner you serve in the house.

It will eat when it gets hungry enough. If it won't, ask the vet.

Answer 8

whether the cat eats cat food or human food does not mind only that all the needed nutrition should be included
just make sure that your cat eats all that is needed .. if you want to keep her on human food then add vitamin to the food just to be sure

Answer 9

Give him a good quality kitten food. Don't give him anymore human food. Get him used to the kitten food.

Answer 10

dont worry my cat hates cat food he eats atthe diner table and wants our food what u have to do is mix a little bit of cat food in with human food as he eats it add more and more every other day and he will soon eat the cat food without worrying

Answer 11

My cat doesn't eat cat food either i get her hi-life fish food you could try that although i find it hard to get hold and have to feed human food as well