How do you get your cat to eat wet food when it is used to eating dry food?

Question

Please help! My kitten, Oscar needs to eat wet food and he nibbles at it. He can't eat dry food because it is getting his stomach hurt. Please Help!!!!!!

Answer 1

It's kind of like that old saying that you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink. Sometimes you just can't make a cat eat what it doesn't want to. That said, you can try doing what several other posters have suggested and gradually try introducing the canned food into his dry food. Or just moistening his dry food. Either way, just don't let him go over a day without eating, a cat's metabolism is too fast to go longer than that without eating. I'm curious, has a vet told you he needed to eat wet food or does he just act like the dry food hurts him? Generally dry food is better for cats, but not in all instances, sometimes wet food is better, like if they are prone to bladder/kidney infections/stones from not consuming enough water, or if they are obese & need to lose weight (canned food actually has less calories/carbs than dry food does). If his stomach is upset after eating his current dry food & and you can't get him switched to canned food, you might consider the possibility of food allergies, in which case there are several brands/varieties of canned & dry foods available that specifically targeted to animals with food allergies. This is getting long so I'll quit writing, but if you have any questions please feel free to email me.

Answer 2

Wait till Oscar's screeming to be fed or when you know he is sure to be hungry. Than place about a tablespoon of the wet food in Oscar's food bowl. Then sprinkle it with some of his dry kibble (not too much - to a bit to get him opening his mouth and eating). If he is truly hungry, he'll clean up the bowl. Keep doing this gardually increasing the amount of wet food until he accepts the wet food by itself.

I'm doing the same to my kibble-addict one-year old. So far so good.

Answer 3

Take a little dry food and put enough hot water over it to just cover the food. Shake it around a little to 'flavor' the water. The food will soften as he is licking the water away and he will eat it because it smells like 'his' food. Once he gets use to his food being softer, put some of the soft food beside it. Gradually he will get use to it. You may want to try a soft food, like Tender Vittles first, before going to moist canned food.

Also, if you have not already, consult with your vet. Sometimes stomach problems are symptoms of something else going on.

Answer 4

Gradually introduce the wet food into the dry food and eventually eliminate the dry.

Answer 5

start by mixing the two together. 3 parts dry, 1 part wet for a week or two. then 2 parts dry and 2 parts wet. then 1part dry and 3 parts wet. you will eventually get your cat to eat plain wet food. got luck!

Answer 6

Maybe you can try a moist (pouch) cat food, like Tender Vittles, or something similar, instead of canned food. Something in-between dry and wet food. Or maybe he just doesn't like the type of wet food you have. Finicky cat?

Answer 7

Not really sure why he would NEED canned food unless he has had a surgery recently. Why not try moistening dry food with water before switching to canned food?

Answer 8

most cats tend to like wet food more than dry food ..but if your cat is new to it and tiny amounts of water to the dry food.. .as time goes by (a few days) ..your cat will get used to the moisture in his/her food..then introduce your cat to the wet food.. since cats tend to like the wet food more, a transition to dry food again might make him/her act differently..

Answer 9

I agre with the previous poster wet food is not that good for your cat. The moist texture of it is supposed to contribute to an environment in their system that is accomodating to flourishing bacteria. I'd suggest for treats those lil bites that you buy in the packets that have a crunchy shell with a moist center...just mix some of those in the dry food from time to time. I think Whiskas makes them and Friskies I just don't know the name for them :-(. But yeah I strongly recommend not to make a habit out of it cuz it's really not good for the cat.

Answer 10

you need to mix a little bit of it in his dry food until he gets used to it. then you can put less and less dry food in it. or try a different kind of wet.