Ragdoll cat refusing usual food and only eating chicken

[Ladybird69]

moved to chat
hi I’m looking for some help. My 7 yr old ragdoll has gone off her usual food Sheba, maybe they’ve changed recipes? I’ve bought numerous different brands over the past month or so but she turns her nose up at everything. Cheap supermarket brand and even eye-wateringly expensive brands. She’s pestering me for food now! Despite there being 3 different bowls down and a bowl of dry food. She’s only happy eating cooked chicken and her daily treat! Is that ok for her to just eat chicken? Tia

I'd pop to the vets and get her bloods done. This may be a lot of money down the drain to be told that she's a fussy Princess!

That said, I'm a lifelong cat person and a couple of mine have been diagnosed with (totally treatable) conditions when their appetites have become really limited. She's only 7 so not like my last old lady who went at 22 - she was enthusiastic for something on a Monday that she didn't want to eat on a Tuesday, so the local foxes did well, our food budget, not so much.

Someone will be along in a minute to tell you that any supermarket cat food is crap and you need uber expensive options from x or y website. They may or may not be right - I've always had long lived cats fed on regular cat food and the odd yellow sticker from the supermarket (we don't eat meat ourselves!). Good luck!

@Ohsakes thanks for your reply. She’s my first pedigree cat I’ve only ever had moggies before and they have eaten anything and tbh she’s been happy for 7 years with just Sheba! lol I’ve become a regular visitor at the local cat charity with all the boxes of cat food!

Hello, Siamese Mum of 3 here! Also had a ragdoll years ago. Oriental type cats… although loving and amazing little souls always go off their food. My big boy spent a year being hand fed chicken breast. I used to worry about the lack of taurine etc so left a bowl of biscuits down too… they were usually all or half gone the next morning. Unless your baby is visibly ill or depressed, I wouldn’t worry too much. Just indulge the chicken thing and leave biscuits, water etc down. They are amazing but also very funny little people when it comes to their strops.

Mine hasn't seemed keen on Sheba fine flakes recently

I bought a pouch of Naturo pate in Asda earlier and he wolfed it down. Bet if stock up he will soon change his mind!!!

Mine also likes chicken breast. I feel a bit better as he does eat good quality dry food.

Mine hasn't seemed keen on Sheba fine flakes recently

I bought a pouch of Naturo pate in Asda earlier and he wolfed it down. Bet if stock up he will soon change his mind!!!

Mine also likes chicken breast. I feel a bit better as he does eat good quality dry food.

I honestly feel like Ragdolls are here to test your patience 😂

Mine went through this stage a few years ago, he's now back on dry biscuits and wet food once a day.

How often are you giving her chicken? I found that when I cut my boy down to 1 serving of wet food instead of 3, he appreciated it alot more, abit like strict parenting with fussy eaters back in the day .... served the same meal until you finish your plate 😂

Oh bless you for your replies. Maybe they have changed the ingredients of Sheba pouches recently! She used to gobble it up.
@Itsokuntilitisnt i usually put her half a pouch down in the morning and half pouch in the evening. Iams dried food always down but not always touched. When I eat my supper I give her a treat stick otherwise she tries to eat off my plate. And then I’ll give her a ramekin of chopped up chicken at bedtime as she is still fussing for food. I think I shall just give her the chicken morning and evening for the time being. She’s quite happy in herself and playing and grooming so I’m not worried about her health. Pretty sure it’s just her being picky. @Sunshineandrainbow lol I bought scrumbles for her to try and she did eat it so I bought a box of of it and yep now she won’t touch it. I spend more money on her food than my own 🤣
@Spiffingdarling88 oh ragdolls are such beautiful souls , huge cuddle bunnies but boy they are stubborn. Last week I stopped putting numerous bowls down but even then she still wouldn’t eat hence the feeding her at bedtime. I’d be reading trying to drop off to sleep and she would try and take a chunk out of my book to get me into the kitchen!
ill cook some chicken and give her 2 meals and her biscuits for few days see how she goes. With all the ads about getting their nutrients it just worries me but if she won’t eat it then she won’t eat it!
thanks for all your advice xxx

I've posted on your other thread, but my 6 year old exotic has gone off her wet food over the summer. It could just be the heat. She’s put weight on so I’m not to concerned. She’s a fussy madam when she wants to be!

Hi - she can’t just eat plain chicken as it won’t have the nutrients she needs, but if you give her a complete dry food as well that should be fine. Mine also went off Sheba a while ago, they now have Whiskas in jelly as they won’t touch the high quality stuff and my oldest can’t have dry food as he’s prone to UTI’s.

They are fussy buggers 😂

@InQuiresandplaceswheretheysing thanks. I posted on chat as nobody answered on the other one. She is a fussy madam only likes 3 flavours but now won’t touch them. I did think about getting kitten food to try and tempt her but don’t think it would be good for her. Mistys a right diva.

@timtamsarebetterthanpenguins yes she has a good quality dried biscuits so she should be ok with just the chicken. She’s just turned her nose up at tuna!

The spoilt little Madam ❤️ love her to bits X

I once had a cat who refused to eat prawns but would go mental over sweetcorn - they really are odd creatures 😂

@timtamsarebetterthanpenguins lol I had a dog that was mad over lettuce!

She is beautiful. We have an 8.3kg Maine Coon fluffy boy who normally is a professional eater but he has been not eating some of his food in the heat. So it might be the heat. Our vet likes our cats to have something like cat biscuits for their teeth. Ours eats the Royal Canin ones and has still be eating those. He normally has 2 tunas a day from Applaws and he's still asking for those but it's variable in the heat whether he eats them but he makes a fuss if they are not given. He loves cooked chicken and does eat that still but tends to only eat a few bits. I have found when he looks lethargic with the heat he's fine with me putting a bit of water on him whilst stroking him to cool him down and then he eats more. At least it's getting cooler now so should resolve if it's that.

@OneZanyCat Oooo have you got a picture please. The lady where I got misty from bred Maine coons too. They are truly spectacular ❤️
I’ve been putting the food down in the cooler part of the day oh but that reminds me she has been eating/drinking some hydration pouches that I bought for her during the really hot weather. I’ll have a look at their ingredients 👍

She is gorgeous 🥰

I tried scrumbles this morning and he ate a bit and then sulked away....

I am also considering giving more chicken along with the good dry food.

I am no good at cooking chicken as I worry about it not being cooked and then over cook it so I tend to buy the ready cooked!!! Sometimes buy the frozen slices from Sainsbury's and thaw as needed.

This is our Maine Coon boy. He's especially proud of his tail. I am sure he will insist we have roast chicken for Sunday lunch.

Gorgeous 😍 😍

@Sunshineandrainbow yes I give madam the frozen chicken strips from Sainsbury’s too. Have to chop them up into tiny pieces for her, she’s so spoiled.
oh @OneZanyCat what a gorgeous fluffer he is. I don’t blame him, that is one magnificent tail. Whenever I have a chicken roast she tries to fish out the chicken and gets her paws in the gravy!

Thanks @Ladybird69 He loves being complimented and trills when we give him compliments. He also put his big fluffy paw in everything. Food is so much better not in a bowl.

When he's lethargic with heat I also put his food/water right next to him and then he normally starts to eat/drink. DH and DD also hand feed him the cat biscuits. He's very happy now a roast chicken is in the oven though he's asking for it now.

My boy ABSOLUTELY knows when he has you wrapped round his paws for something. We have about 4-5 types of food available for when his opinion changes. If he could only tell me exactly what he wanted I'd gladly indulge!

@OneZanyCat thats a good idea about hand feeding her biscuits! Oh I love the little trills ❤️

@TheNinkyNonkyIsATardis they totally have us wrapped around their paws. lol my cat cupboard is like a Michelin bloody restaurant of cat food 🤣 she gets in there and steals a pouch but doesn’t eat it once it’s down! Wish she would go to the shop and choose her own food

Mine does let you know what food he wants, he goes and sits by it but he loves an All Inclusive type set up with waitress service. Sometimes he asks for food he doesn't eat just to get service. This morning I had a fluffy paw on the nose really gently to get his tuna at 6am. He will whack DH.

Mine gets the pouches out of the cupboard and then walks away when I put it down for her. Just sticking to the chicken for now. Oh but she loves to chomp down on a moth 🤮