how can i get my cat to eat dry food again?

Question

I ran out of dry food a couple weeks ago and only had wet food to give my cat. He now only will eat the wet food. I leave dry food out in two spots and he has not touched them in over a week. I want him to stop eating the wet food becuse its expensive, smells bad and i have to feed him 3 times a day.

Answer 1

just keep giving him the dry food and eventually he will eat it,also i know some people that used to just poor some water on the dry food

Answer 2

Dry food is very dehydrating and hence bad for the cat's kidneys and bladder. It also contains far too much carbohydrates that can lead to obesity in cats - which will lead to more health issues. For a really great article on why dry foods shouldn't be fed go to http://www.littlebigcat.com/index.php?action=library&act=show&item=whycatsneedcannedfood

Cats aren't supposed to be fed three times a day. Feed your cat once in the morning, once at night. Only put down what you know the cat will eat so there isn't any waste and don't leave whatever it doesn't eat out all day. Best are the smaller containers of food as I'm not really sure that cats like food cold from the refrigerator - I know mine don't. You'll have a happier, healthier cat and you'll find that the food isn't very expensive if there isn't any wasted. Plus think of the money you'll save on vet bills.

Another thing you can do to save money but also give your cat healthy, quality food is to cook up your own. I buy chicken hearts and chicken livers (both only just over a buck for a large container) and simmer them. Then I chop them up finely and mix back in some of the liquid from the pot. You can make a big batch of this and freeze it into ice cubes that you can easily pop into the microwave to thaw out. It's a super healthy treat for your cats and VERY inexpensive.

Answer 3

Don't feed him wet food at all - leave out only the dry food. He WILL eat it when he gets hungry enough. My vet gave me this advice when I had this same experience, and his advice worked.

But please do not leave him without any food for even 24 hours in hopes of making him hungry enough to eat the dry - if cats don't eat in a 24-hour period, they can develop liver problems very quickly, and as you probably realize, liver problems can be fatal.

I think if you leave only dry food out, your cat will eat it relatively quickly, once he realizes that's all he's getting.

Answer 4

mix the dry food w/ the wet. Make sure you cut down the wet food a little more every day. Don't have him quit cold turkey. Just take back w/ the wet a little a day and make sure you mix them together

Answer 5

well what you can do it like soften the dry food by leaving it in hot water. then once the dry food is soaked drain out the water then give it to your cat. and as time goes on dry to use less and less water so your cat can get off of the wet food and onto dry

Answer 6

ok well just get rid of the wet food. then insead of the normal dry food you get your cat change it to another flavor or brand sometimes if you keep the same thing over and over again its boring. That is probably why he doesn't want to go back to the same dry food.

Answer 7

This has always worked for me when ever i wanted to get one of my animals to stop eating table scraps or wet food and eat the food he/she was really supposed to be eating. it may sound cruel but you will not hurt your animal by doing this...

Only leave out water for about a day or 2 then put down DRY FOOD ONLY. the animal will be hungry enough to eat the dry food then dont give it the option of wet food anymore. but be humane by leaving water it will not starve to death by not eating for a day or two but it definatly needs water. if it does not eat the dry food right away dont worry it will be hungry enough sooner or later.

Answer 8

Just leave the dry food out and watch the cat to see if the cat will eat it.

Answer 9

Mix some of the dry in the wet. Then add fluid to only the dry and slowly stop adding fluid.

Answer 10

mix the wet and dry together and over the week put less and less wet in the mix.