help my cat is a finicky eater!?

Question

my cat is a year and a half, up until about 4mnths or so ago he stopped likeing alot of the foods he used to eat. he used to eat everything i mean everything from mcdonalds, taco bell, chicken, sandwhiches, ice cream, rice crispie treats, to cereal and soups. now he doesnt like anything. i used to give him 9lives, meow mix, science diet, friskies, kitten chow, or kitten kaboodle. now he will only eat what i give him if he gets hungry enough but he only likes thin sliced turkey meat or that new EXPENSIVE fancy feast soft cat food. i cant afford the soft cat food all the time they run out too fast and they dont sell fancy feast at the dollar stores. what should i give him? he doesnt like the crunchy food that i buy but i dont know what i should get him. help?

Answer 1

Your cat has chosen to become a picky eater because of ALL the different foods you've allowed it to have. Feeding it ANY human food, especially junkfood that's bad for people, is definitely not healthy for your cat.

The only human foods your cat could benefit from consuming would be cooked chicken, mince (which is very fatty & not that great for their teeth), veggies & rice mixed in with his catfood.

Unless your cat is dangerously thin, don't fret over it not eating. Leave out the catfood & miraculously watch it disappear when he gets hungry enough.

Cats are very sly creatures. He knows that you'll worry about him & rush out to buy him EXACTLY what he wants. DON'T. Cats are also very smart to know that if within a day or 2, you haven't bothered to get them their choice of food, they better eat what's been left out for them.

He needs to know that at mealtime, the only 2 options are #1 - What you give him or #2 - an emtpy stomach. So just leave his normal food out for him. Eventually, when your cat becomes hungry enough, he will give in as Cats would never let themselves starve.

Now, if he wasn't eating anything at all, then I'd suggest a trip to the Vets as it can be a health concern. For example, his teeth could be bad - causing pain when chewing so he might not want to eat because it's too painful. But from what you've described, it's definitely a case of SPOILT ROTTEN KITTY.

Also, buying food from the dolar store is also not the greatest idea. Canned foods in general are no good for their teeth, among other things. I'd suggest feeding him a mainly dry food diet but with a quality product. There is some middle grade dry foods you can buy that are just a tiny bit dearer than the dollar store but not as expensive as premium foods. They usually do smell & taste better to your cat, hence raising the chances of him eating them.

Whiskas is a middle of the range supermarket brand you could try. A slightly better quality brand would also be Royal Canin. There's also Purina, Innova, Natural Balance...to name a few. The prices vary for the different brands & they also come in larger bags (which is usually better value).

I would suggest that you read up the ingredients list & pick one that you feel is most suitable for you & your cat as there are many flavours & varieties such as for indoor cats, long haired cats, senior cats & so on to choose from.

Buying a slightly better quality of food will also give your cat a firmer & less smellier stool. It will help keep his teeth & gums healthy because of the chewing of the dry foods. And he'll stay more lean because he won't be scoffing down all the food you give him but rather only eating exactly how much is needed to fill him up when he's hungry. If he still refuses to eat the dry, perhaps buy some canned food & mix in small amounts with the dry food to coax him into eating it. Then you can slowly reduce the amount of wet food until the cat is eating complete dry food.

Another suggestion I want to make is feeding your cat raw chicken wings every now & again. It also promotes good dental/oral hygiene. Make sure to supervise though as bones can become a choking hazard, especially with cats that tend to gobble rather than chew. If he hasn't eaten the wing in 15mins, make sure to remove it. Or it will get smelly! Plus, raw bones are also a health hazard after they're no longer fresh.

I guess in the longrun, paying a few extra bucks for better food will possibly save you from paying very high Vet bills later on.

Oh and make sure there is fresh & clean drinking water available at ALL times!

Hopefully I've been helpful. Let us know how your cat goes...

Answer 2

Yeppers, most of, if not all my cats I've had were finicky eaters. This is what I would do. This will get him adjusted at once. At his feeding time put down the food, wait 20 minutes, and then pick up the food and do not give any other food, snacks, or treats until the next meal. Repeat the process at that meal and every subsequent meal. Be prepared for an all-out tantrum by your cat -- loud meowing, attempts to steal food, being an incredible pest, the works. Be strong and don't cheat to try to appease him. This method has a remarkable success rate. Many owners see improvement after three days, although some cats may persevere for several weeks. If he won't eat it at all over a couple days time, then you might try the vet again for another type of kidney type food.

Answer 3

Everytime you open a jar of tuna, make sure it's the stuff in water not oil, save the juice. Buy any kind of dry food you want, but before you give it to your cat, pour a little tuna juice on it and let it soften a little, maybe put it in the microwave for about 15 seconds and stir it up really good. Hope this helps.

Answer 4

My cat is the same way but she ONLY eats cat food. You try to give her human food and she won't touch it. Cloe eats any kind of dry food but only one certian favor of wet food and it has to be the meow mix in the packets. Sometimes they won't have it so I have to get something else. The only way I can get her to eat the wet food is to just leave it in the dish untill she gets hungry enough to eat it and I don't give her another kind because she doesn't want to eat. It will sit there until she eats it. or she will just eat her dry food all week without touching the wet. Then I have to listen to her whine all week because she wants her favorite kind of "hungries". You just have to make her eat different things try giving your cat the chicken n liver my cat swears by it. its only 34 cents a packet in GA.

Answer 5

You should stick to cat food. You have created your problem by feeding him anything and everything. Find the one or two cat food that he will eat and stick to them. I had a cat like that once and after I stayed with one cat food she became used to eating it. Friskies and 9 lives are both good brands and they a pretty good varity of flavors. Surley you can find one your cat will eat.

Answer 6

they do actually sell fancy feast little canned wet food at vons, i think its 88 cent a can, but u know, they also have friskies wet food, they sell in paks of 10 i beleve or 14, and they are also sold individually in pakks...also, u can give him a can of tuna, but make sure its with water, not oil, that makes them sick..

Answer 7

Cats are a lot less finicky when they are starving.

Right Mr. Bigglesworth?

(He's been eating my credit cards lately, so he is doing solitaire in the cathouse.)

I wish I was in a cathouse!

Answer 8

try soup or adult food for cats

Answer 9

do you think it might be because you feed it human's food? you might want to see a vet about that

Answer 10

HE DONT HAVE A POT TO PEE IN SO HE NEEDS TO LEARN TO EAT WHAT IS PUT BEFORE HIM.....PLUS I HATE CATS....