Cats are so fussy they're underweight - help!

[Horizon32]

I have two cats, mother and daughter aged 8(ish) and 6, who are the fussiest cats I have ever met. I have tried every food going and they just won't consistently eat anything for longer than a day before they turn their noses up at it. I am constantly buying new food and throwing it out or posting on community groups to donate almost full boxes. Sometimes I try to stick to a brand but they still only eat a little bit and then leave it to go dry and stale. They will graze a little on biscuits throughout the day but they do want wet food. I don't know what to do. They've both been seen by a vet who has said there are no medical issues and it's just fussiness and to try different types of food. I'm at my wits end and they are both underweight but hungry. I've tried giving them kitten food to pack some more calories in but nothing seems to work. Does anyone have any recommendations? Every time I give them a new brand of food they gobble it up the first day, but then the next day they look at me like I've served up dog poo and meow for ages because they're hungry! I've tried the premium brands, middle of the road brands, and the cheap stuff, but it's always the same response of eating it for one day and then refusing it after that!

My cat is like this. He will consistently eat dry food but wet food is a nightmare. He wants it and "asks" for it, but turns his nose up. I've got so much wasted food. I donate it to the local cat rescue. I have no answers! I'm going to try some of the suggestions here.

My daughter's vet recommended fresh for her underweight cat

Have you tried different food bowls?

Swap plastic for glass or bowls for plates etc?

My last cats were like that, not helped by both having kidney disease, we found they preferred wet food in a really shallow glass dish (fluted quiche dish) and dry food on a bone china side plate 🙄. Water had to come with a choice of glass, plastic, stainless steel, shallowb and deep with the preferred option generally being whatever I was drinking out of.

It's so stressful when they don't eat!

Cats prefer their bowl raised, some of them will be fussy about whiskers touching the side of a bowl and they prefer their food doesn't come straight out of the fridge.

Aside from that, your cats are messing with you. Yes they might have preferences on flavour or brand, but not to the point you become their slave.

When my kittens tried this with me I gave them the choice of eat or starve. They rapidly chose eat, and it became clear they weren't as fussy as they had made out but didn't like rabbit flavour.

Agree the bowl/plate so important, cats can get whisker fatigue if you are using a bowl that’s too narrow, which weirdly a lot of cat food bowls are..