fussy eater,what to do?

Question

my one year old cat is soooo fussy with wet food i dont know what to do,i have tried and tried many different types but they have all failed,i have even tried that fresh meat stuff for fussy eaters,she is constantly nagging for food ,there is always food avaliable but she is a fusspot,please help....

she does eat the dried,might investigate a healthy dried from the vet,thanx!..but she still nags for food all the time as if she's not happy with what i give her!.i have tried whiskas&that expensive optimum too...

tried every flavour under the sun too.....

Answer 1

Hi Sandra... cats who are finicky eaters to begin with will become more picky when changing foods as this makes the problem worse. It's always best to stick with what a cat prefers to eat and add ONLY a few pieces of morsels of food you would like to introduce them to switch to gradually rather than quickly.

More about why cats are finicky eaters: http://www.metrokc.gov/animals/cattips/cat08.aspx

Finicky eater
Cats are not finicky eaters by nature. We inadvertently create this problem by substituting food for love.

Before you do anything about your finicky eater, see a veterinarian to make sure she is not off her diet because of poor health. Next, if your cat is healthy, check to see if the local mouse population is slowly being reduced. I have often wondered how a cat who eats raw mice can be categorized as a finicky eater! Lastly, make sure your cat is not being fed by a loving, but unwise, neighbor.

If your cat is not getting food elsewhere, then it is best to choose a good quality food as a staple and to introduce tiny tidbits of a variety of food (not enough to ruin her appetite) as lures and rewards for coming when called, or staying off the counter, or for not scratching the furniture. Use training tidbits just before the main meal.

A cat will become finicky for two reasons. She has been given only one kind of food all of her life and suddenly that has been changed, so she goes on a hunger strike. Or she has been given many different kinds of food and continues to want more and more variety, seemingly never satisfied. To force a healthy cat to change her finicky ways, present a high quality food at mealtime and, if not consumed, present it again and again until hunger forces consumption. It is best not to leave the food down all day but to present it at regular mealtimes. Leaving it there all day can create a finicky eater and a fat cat!

If you choose a high quality food, there is really no need for vitamin supplementation. You will pay more for good cat food but you will use less because a small feeding amount has more nutrients and is more thoroughly digested.

It is not a good idea to feed tablescraps to your cat. Cats need a high protein diet with appropriate nutrient additives. Tablescraps are not an adequate substitute for these necessary nutrients. If your cat is eating your plants, she may be lacking certain minerals in her diet. You can grow wheat grass in a pot for her to munch.

Use a dry pelleted food provided your cat drinks plenty of water. Dry food helps keep her teeth clean. It is not as likely to be gulped, sometimes a cause of flatulence, and there are no smelly cans in the refrigerator. If your cat drinks very little water, then a semi-moist or moist cat food would be appropriate.

If your cat has suddenly quit eating and checks out as healthy, you might try changing her dish. Some plastic bowls cause an allergic reaction and create tiny sores on the cat's lips. During the dry, cold weather, a metal bowl may give a static electric shock. Use a glass bowl if you suspect either of the above.

[edit] tuna even in spring water is very dangerous for cats as it causes enteritis and should be avoided. Please see the following answer why tuna should not be fed to cats: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AgA19_ooCSm4AMwYzyBoM.MjzKIX?qid=20070111170528AAiAKat

Answer 2

You might get some ideas here:

http://www.catinfo.org

Along with the information on feline nutrition there's a lot of information about different kinds of cat food.

You could also try Fancy Feast. It's not a great quality food but some flavors are OK. The different flavors vary a lot on things like by-products, grains, and such. Some aren't too bad. I don't think there's ever been a cat that wouldn't go bonkers for Fancy Feast. Even if it's not so great, at least it's wet food, and any wet food is better than even the best dry, since it won't gradually ruin her kidneys through chronic fluid imbalance.

Answer 3

I thought my kitten was a real fussy eater when she turned up her nose at the wet food but would eat dry food, semi-moist treats, etc.

Then I bought a big variety pack of those pouch wet foods at a warehouse club store and found out it wasn't that she was picky about the wet food but she didn't like the FISHY ones!

Now I know just to buy the beef, chicken and meat flavored instead of the seafood, fishy ones.

Try to see if it may be the Flavor of the cat food not the cat food itself.

Good luck!

Answer 4

Don't ask a vet, they'll give you Science Diet which is crap. They're paid off by the company to endorse it.

Here are some good brands to try, both wet and dry formulas:
Artemis Fresh Mix, Wellness Super5 Mix, Chicken Soup, Felidae, Fromm, Organix. If you can't find a natural pet food store in your area, try visiting the companies websites and looking at their store locator or ordering options.

Wet food is not essential for cats, by the way.

Answer 5

Cats do not need to eat wet food it can be bad for thier teeth and gums as well as thier digestive system. A good quality, low in fat, natural dry food is best. If your cat turns its' nose up try sprinkling it with cat nip which by the way is very good for digestion. Hope this helps, I have had cats for over 20 years.

Answer 6

She shouldnt be living off wet food anyways. Wet food is considered a treat for cats over the age of 1 year. They need to constantly eat dry for the sake of their teeth. However, if she won't eat anything, then you have to stick with what she will eat, even if its pure junk & only wet food.
You can't force her to eat something if she doesn't want to.
Try Whiskas, dry & wet. Usually cats love that. Although again it's pure junk food, it's like us eating Mcdonalds for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the rest of our lives.

Answer 7

I give my cats wet and dry food. My little girl cat is very picky. With her wet food I started sprinkling dried tuna flakes on it and she LOVES it! You can get it at petco

Answer 8

Have you tried dry cat food b/c some cat don't like moist cat food if that does not work then ask a vet.

Answer 9

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Answer 10

i don't know cats very well but if with my dog, i offer food at set times, two times a day. if he hasn't eaten the food in 30 minutes i take the food away, every time. my dog now understands that the food comes and the food goes, it's up to him to eat. animals want to live and food is necessary for that to happen. eventually they will take your offering.