Cat Food

[PinkSparklyElephant]

H is a VERY picky eater. He will only eat James Wellbeloved dry food, housecat duck (he's not a housecat but they discontinued normal duck) and adult turkey. We think he's about 9 so I know he should be on senior food but the duck isn't available and, to be honest, I'm worried about changing his food. He's a strange cat and won't even eat fresh fish or chicken!

Am I doing anything wrong by leaving him on adult food? I feel bad enough that he won't eat wet food (we've tried various and he just won't go near it) and now I'm worried I'm not looking after him properly!

Please be gentle with me - a few years ago I asked about feeding cats on another forum and was torn apart and told how cruel I am for feeding dry food

[hiddenhome]

It is best to have them on a mixture imo, just to try and help kidney function. Cats can have a low thirst drive and sometimes don't drink as much as they should.

Have you tried Hills Science Plan wet food, also, Encore is very nice and recommended for invalids as it's tempting. Gourmet Perle is another tasty looking one.

I would try to change over to senior as it's better for their kidneys.

Get a selection of flavours, makes and textures and just see what tempts him. My elderly cat was stuck on one kind of food, but now eats all kinds as I have different types in for the other two that I have. She's surprised me tbh.

[PinkSparklyElephant]

Thanks for your answer. We've tried all sorts from the cheap rubbish (which he ate when he first came here) to the better ones and the little sod still turns up his nose!

Do you think he would be ok to stay on housecat duck and switch to senior turkey? Duck is his favourite!

One good thing is he drinks plenty of water. He's got a huge dog bowl of water in his eating area, another one outside and a tray of water like a little pond further down the garden.

[hiddenhome]

I think you should try to switch. Could you mix them together?

[PinkSparklyElephant]

Nope, he won't eat it if it's mixed! I told you he was fussy! I'm going to switch the turkey over to senior (when he's eaten what's in the cupboard) and then maybe phase out the duck. The only other senior one they do is fish and he won't eat that

I'm looking at wet food as well and James Wellbeloved do a senior turkey pouch so that could be worth looking at.

Thanks for your help

[coppertop]

If it's any consolation, my vet can't get one of his cats to touch wet food either. It seems to be something about the texture.

My own cat has only just started to tolerate wet food after five long years of refusing to go anywhere near the stuff.

[hiddenhome]

Cats are fussy aren't they?

[PinkSparklyElephant]

I've just remembered Mum has some pouches of James Wellbeloved wet food that I bought for William (he refused to eat it) so I'm going to try that. I don't think it's senior but it'll do to start with.

Does anyone have any tips about introducing wet food, I'm worried about him having a dodgy stomach...

Thanks for all your advice and coppertop thank you for telling me about your vet. My vet doesn't seem too worried about him being on dry food so it's obviously quite common!

[givemushypeasachance]

Nothing helpful to add, sorry, but are you sure he's definitely a cat if he won't even eat fresh chicken?

Perhaps he was weaned unusually, or his mum had a strange diet when she was pregnant. You may scoff but as a teenager I had a vegetarian pet rat; he came from a friend of my parents who was Buddhist so fed her pet rats a vegetarian diet, and that was what his mum had and what he had as a baby rat. So he was never interested in meat even though my sister's pet rat from a pet shop went mental for a bit of chicken or beef. /completely off topic sorry!

[PinkSparklyElephant]

Well I think he is! He doesn't touch fish either - we can leave it defrosting on the worktop and he won't go near it.

We got him as a rescue so we don't know what sort of life he had before he came to us.

I love the veggie rat!

[PinkSparklyElephant]

I'm now confused! I decided to speak my vet for some advice about changing H's food (they don't sell cat food so I knew I wouldn't be pushed into buying anything) and they have told me to keep him on the dry food! They recommedend it providing there are no known kidney issues and, providing he drinks regularly (he does), isn't losing weight (he isn't) and doesn't have bad breath (he does but she said so do many cats!), keep feeding him as I am.

The vet also said it's ok to keep him on the adult food if he's happy, rather than risking upsetting him by changing to senior.

Aaaah!!! I don't know what to do for the best!

[cozietoesie]

I happen to know that Seniorboy was on ordinary adult food until he was at least 13. (Then he went downhill!) He's got an iron constitution but still....

My concern with older cats is to get calories (and liquid) into them as long as it's not actively bad for them. If he's eating it, is healthy and drinking/using his tray OK then I'd go with what he likes.

(Seniorboy can't abide fish or seafood of any description - even fish flavoured foods. Neither is he that keen on fresh chicken - although he'd sell his soul for some newly roasted or broiled lamb.)

[SmokingGun]

Cats can be very funny about the texture of wet food. SmokingCat won't eat anything that's smooth (pate type) or lumpy (like chunks in gravy). If you nip to a pet shop and buy one tin of a few different types you might find one he likes? Gormet Perle do small tins in a range of consistancies and I believe they are all complete food too.

[PinkSparklyElephant]

I'll keep an eye on him but to be honest he seems to be doing pretty well on what he's on now. He's not overweight, his coat is soft, his teeth aren't bad (the vet said a little bit of plaque but nothing to worry about) and as far as I know everything is ok in the toilet area. He rarely uses a litter tray but he doesn't seem uncomfortable.

He would sell me and DH for a tin of tuna, never mind his soul! That's his one treat, he has a bowl of tuna when DH has it in a sandwich. Chicken, lamb, turkey, fresh fish are yuck to him! He did try some seabass once but wasn't overkeen.

Sorry for panicking - since William was put to sleep I've been overreacting worrying about Harry.