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The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Original poster

I need to talk about cat food

24 replies

sorrento56 · 30/08/2010 09:08

My cat will be 16 tomorrow and is getting fussy with her food. She hasn't eaten a full meal for the last 3 meals she has had as she has turned her nose up at them. The hours that DH and I spend looking at all the food trying to remember what she likes. He know thinks we should just buy her the same food over and over again. I had read that cats don't need variety but I am not sure.

Does anyone else have a cat like this?

OP posts:
The3Bears · 30/08/2010 09:13

Try a pate type food she might be struggling to chew as shes older, I have a older cat and she likes this type it's in tiny cans.

However I also mix it up and give her one can of pate and then a sachet of normal food.

I think cats need variety our 1 yr old cat wont have the same food over and over again she just refuses to eat it but she is a fussy sod Grin

Original poster
sorrento56 · 30/08/2010 09:32

I don't think she has trouble chewing going by how fast she manages to eat roast chicken and tinned tuna Grin but I will give it a try, thank you.

OP posts:
tb · 30/08/2010 13:23

You haven't by any chance got a Maine Coon called Kaz? Sounds just like our cat. She's not averse to a bit of finger too, as she gets very enthusiastic about roast chicken - the breeder taught her to beg.

She quite likes costco dried food, which she's not supposed to eat, but the other cat does. We use one of the special dried foods for 'older cats' which she seems to like.

We have found that, whenever we find something she likes, for instance Whiskas fish ones, we buy in loads, and she promptly stops eating it.

SummerRain · 30/08/2010 13:28

my parents cat is the same... they've given up and just feed her the same food all the time but she doesn't eat any wet food at all anymore and rarely touches the dry. She supplements her diet by hunting though

noddyholder · 30/08/2010 13:29

My cats are like this too!if you look when shopping all the doggy people are shop and go and all teh cat owners are scanning the shelves with woried looks!Dp and I really laugh and then promptly join in.I thought we had found the holy grail with the felix pouches they got at the cattery as the owners said they ate everything!I bought cases of the stuff and they won't eat it here.They do like those gornmet little tins but makes the boy fart

Original poster
sorrento56 · 30/08/2010 14:22

Dh has come home with some gourmet pate stuff. She does it on purpose I am sure as she knows how I worry.

OP posts:
Gay40 · 30/08/2010 14:28

My cats like the Simply and Grilled range of Felix pouches, which they eat happily until it is on special offer, then refuse to eat it at all. And then I have to tempt them back to food with tinned tuna.

My old and ill cat, who I worry about constantly, pretends not to be able to eat dried munchies, but crunches away on them (with her one tooth!) when she thinks no one is looking.

I reckon cats just play with our minds.

Original poster
sorrento56 · 30/08/2010 14:30

They definitely do.

OP posts:
Northernlurker · 30/08/2010 14:34

Our cat has whiskas pouches in gravy for breakfast (she turns her nose up at jelly) and then Hills for tea.

aristocat · 30/08/2010 14:35

my cat has felix trays
any other food and hes sick Sad

noddyholder · 30/08/2010 14:36

Do yours lick the gravy and then put the lumps on the floor?

Gay40 · 30/08/2010 14:38

YES if I give them anything else.

And scatter it about where your feet go, so you get a wet lump up your toes.

noddyholder · 30/08/2010 14:53

GrinMy male cat also pretends to bury his if he doesn't finish it in case a big bad rival comes to eat it The girl looks at him like the fool he is!But she is sooooooooo fussy and if she doesn't like something would starve rather than even try it

Northernlurker · 30/08/2010 15:25

Mine is very tidy and eats everything up - she even ate the stuff in which I concealed the worming tablet. But she came from Cats protection having spent time as a stray and and had kittens v young so she knows the value of a good meal. Made us very sad actually when we first got her as she ate like you were going to take it away from her and pounced on any tiny scraps she could find. It was so plain that she knew what desperate hunger had felt like Sad It's very rewarding now though that she is so much more relaxed now - doesn't gobble everything the second it hits her plate Grin

alibubbles · 30/08/2010 15:35

I've just got two new kittens, they are on Whiskas and Felix pouches, the latter makes their poo stink! They also have Royal Canin babycat dry food, I aim to wean them off Felix and have dry food only.

They keep stealing the old cats' dry food, and seem to have no problem with the size of the biscuits.

I have a huge bin of Hill's Science, that no one will touch, I bought it in error and decanted it into the storage bin before I realised and wondered why they had left it for days, thought it was Royal Canin, it was on offer and i bought loads. Must take it to the RSPCA sometime.

LuckySalem · 30/08/2010 15:37

My cats eat Tesco own brand biscuits like their going out of season and they're only 99p a box!! Its BRILLIANT

Original poster
sorrento56 · 30/08/2010 15:42
Grin

Mine was just crying for her tea but dh is making her wait a bit.

OP posts:
IsItMeOr · 30/08/2010 15:53

We inherited our old girl (16/17ish) from my brother many years ago. We thought he was just being mean when he told us she only ate dried food and canned tuna.

We soon found out that she really does only like the dried food. She gets the same one day in day out. The only change now is that she has a special one for her arthritic (sp?) knees.

She's eating less and less now, which is normal for an older inactive cat, I think/hope.

Northernlurker · 05/09/2010 20:12

1 week after I posted on this thread and our cat had become fussy and is worrying me to death by not eating! She will eat her treats though and seems well so I think it is fussy not ill that's the problem. Any tips for tempting her back to food?

Lizcat · 06/09/2010 08:10

In elderly cats there are a couple of medical reasons that affect cats sense of smell, hence they don't eat the cat food particularly if it has come out of the fridge, but will eat smellier tasty treats like fresh cooked chicken and tuna.
Most of these conditions can be managed and various things can be used to improve appetite.

Original poster
sorrento56 · 06/09/2010 08:17

Mine refused roast chicken last night but had eaten it by now but only half her breakfast.

OP posts:
Northernlurker · 06/09/2010 18:54

My little minx scoffed her breakfast then went out and ineptly caught a young dove! Angry I definately think she's being fussy rather than unwell so that's a relief.

Original poster
sorrento56 · 06/09/2010 19:29

Poor bird Sad.

Mine is being hit and miss. I have to get her some more food tomorrow and I will spend more time choosing her food than I will yogurts for the kids.Hmm

OP posts:
walkersmum · 10/09/2010 17:59

I give my oldie a little bit of raw minced chicken, and she does well on it. Sometimes she will eat a little bit of dry food with it (Orijen fish) but not always.

I think the smell of fish can help.

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