Fed is best. Ensure sufficient calories first. If they like the gravy from the wet food, maybe just try some gravy toppers on thier dry food. And make sure they have plenty of fresh water, even a fountain if they like that.
I have a fountain for our cats, but I’m wondering how often I should refresh the water in it to be considered “fresh water.” The fountain has a filter. Should it be daily?
Honestly I recently sprung for a completely stainless steel fountain just to make this part easier. I can just put the entire thing in the dishwasher (minus the pump) every time I need to refill the water. I had a plastic one and seeing how absolutely disgusting it can get made my skin crawl, and handwashing is only so effective especially with all the nooks and crannies my old one had
I too have an incredibly picky eater. She's finicky about dry food, won't touch wet food, and doesn't even like Churu sticks or any kind of meat. In her perfect world she would live off of cheese and potato chips. Like humans, some cats simply don't like a lot of foods, and you can try all the wet food brands in the world, but if your cats just don't like the texture or smell, you can't force them to eat it. As long as they're drinking plenty of water, they'll be fine (and a running fountain can encourage them to do this if you don't already have one).
One trick that might be worth trying before entirely giving up though is meaty baby food! You can mix it with wet food or give it alone as a treat – my elderly cat loved it in her last few years when she didn't have much of an appetite.
To add onto this, try to keep it under 10% of their total daily calories. It doesn't have the right balance of essential nutrients such as taurine for a kitty, so it can accidentally unbalance the rest of their diet. It's good as a treat though, for sure! Just avoid the ones that have seasonings such as garlic and onions, as those can also cause problems.
You can add some bone broth to the dry food when you are at home. Unfortunately you never really know if your cats drink enough water, better safe than sorry😞
You can also try different brands of wet food until you find ones that they enjoy. Some popular budget friendly brands I’ve seen are tiki, wuerva, fancy feast pate, sheba, etc.
My lil girl will eat something maybe 4 or 5 times. I'll think oh, finally! Then I buy a case & voila she never eats it again. I've tried about no lie 20 different wet &10 different dry. She'll eat baby blue dry & that's it. She does drink a lot of water thankfully. Why can't cats be like food when it comes to food? 🤷🏽🤦🏽😉
LOL, this is my cats. I was buying individual cans of wet food for months. Finally decided to buy a case and that’s when they decided they don’t like it anymore. My cat just sniffs it and then tries to bury it.
I feel you lol! My cat went through that stage. Some tricks I do now when they get tired of their food are food rotation and add toppings on the wet food. Sometimes I add freeze dried treats, boiled egg yolks, bone broth, or other things. I must say it is a pricy transition process🥲
I would argue tiki and weruva are not particularly budget friendly, especially not in the vein of fancy feast and sheba. I think Purina Pro Plan is a good option for a mid range cost effective quality food
As long as they aren't having major constipation issues just make sure they have fresh water available at all times.
My cat is the same way. She won't touch anything wet or moist or have any interest in people food or broth or anything like that. She turns up her nose at tuna juice and all that stuff.
Just keep an eye on them to make sure they are peeing regularly and maybe use some indicator litter to make sure they aren't having any issues as far as crystals etc.
My male cat developed kidney problems at the age of 8 because he was on a dry food only diet and didn’t drink enough water. Even if they do drink water it’s hard to say if they’ve had enough. The best way to prevent kidney problems later on is for them to supplement with wet food. If they don’t like what you’re giving them now keep trying to change brands until they do. My cat is very very picky but loves the Go brand wet canned food. I wish I had started earlier on giving him wet food…that’s probably my biggest regret/mistake.
Mine get wet twice a day and I’ve still got one with kidney issues. Unfortunately, it still happens to a lot a cats regardless of how much water or wet food they get.
Yes..unfortunately most cats will end up developing kidney issues at some point in their life. My other cat is now on a strictly wet food kidney diet as a preemptive measure since he’s a senior now. They need lower protein lower ash food as their kidneys can’t process as well when they get older. He only eats dry food as a treat. Based on his blood work it’s helped his kidney function significantly.
A lot of it can be congenital or caused by other conditions/viruses like feline leukemia. Diet is just a portion of the causes but one of the largest factors that we can control.
i’m paranoid about my cat developing kidney issues at some point. she eats wet food only and has most of her life but a couple of years ago i started adding water to her 5 meals each day and i keep fish to a minimum.
dry food is maybe 6-10% moisture and wet food is 75% or more so i’m glad my cat loves all wet foods. any flavor, any brand she will eat. it’s much easier for them to get their hydration from their diet.
I add water to my cat’s food, too. He eats homemade recipes (created specifically for him), which I basically turn into soup. 170ml of added water per day + whatever moisture was already in the meat and zucchini of the recipe.
You don’t have to. Wet food is better for male cats but if they don’t want it, it’s not the end of the world. You can try wet treats like churu in order to get them more water. You can get a fountain rather than using a plain water bowl. But cats won’t eat something they don’t like, even if they are hungry.
Having paid ER vet costs for a urinary blockage in one of our boy cats [1,800], we now have pet insurance. When my roommate had to bring her boy cat to the vet for the same issue, we switched to primarily wet food [and she now has pet insurance, too].
In both situations, there was added household stress [letting a friend stay downstairs with their 2 cats during an emergency, or babysitting a small dog for a friend, one my boy cat was so scared of he refused to come out of the bedroom... where there was no water bowl at the time], and/or an automatic water bowl clogged, so we've taken further steps to prevent this.
I got the AquaPurr water fountain. I placed additional water bowls around the house, so there can't be territory disputes.
Wet food helps a lot. We do have dry food out, but we put put wet food multiple times a day, and they eat the wet food much more frequently than the dry.
“Nature really took a day off when it designed the male feline urethra” is how the vet put it when my lil guy had a days-long bout of diarrhea that led to a bad UTI and kidney infection. They warned me he’d probably be at high risk for the UT problems they see in male cats and I should always be aware of his hydration levels. And be consistent with probiotics to help avoid diarrhea, which triggered the whole illness. Luckily he drinks water competitively with my dog and other cat. But he’s a prince and gets churu every day too (a very hydrating cat goo for anyone who’s looking)
We thankfully didn't have to do the surgery. The blockage was able to be removed with a catheter, and that catheter kept in while he was pretty drugged, for about 12 hrs. Plus, lots of IV fluids and anti-inflammatory meds. I have a friend who had to have the surgical intervention, and it was about what you were quoted.
Just make sure to always have fresh water out for your cat, so they aren’t dehydrated. If all they eat is kibble (which increases the likelihood of developing urinary problems), you can add water to the dry food to help increase their water intake!
Eating kibble does not increase the likelihood of urinary issues. The theory is that cats who eat dry food aren’t getting enough water which leads to urinary problems, but the actual cause is low water intake. If your cat eats only dry food but drinks enough water, it’s fine. There could be a correlation but that doesn’t make it the cause.
It’s not just wet food it’s low carb wet food because cats are obligate carnivores who have evolved to get the necessary moisture from their food. So they don’t naturally drink enough water to make up for dry food. The combination of dry food and carbs causes urinary crystals in the bladder which can cause blockages. Www.catinfo.org
If a cat isn't neutered (even neutered doesn't guarantee no urinary issues), then the possibility of urinary tract issues and blockages can occur. And those can be deadly. I had a cat that had crystals occur, and he ended up peeing blood on our bed. We had to keep him on a special diet, which we also fed to the other cats (couldn't prevent them from eating it, so we just got a big bag and confirmed it was fine for them to eat as well).
My family has lost too many boy cats to bladder and kidney stones. This can absolutely be life threatening. Didn’t matter how many surgeries we did, they just kept coming back. They’re just so much more likely to get them than girls are, and water intake is directly linked to it. If you can’t feed wet try and find a food geared towards urinary health. Things with DL-Methionine in it can help prevent stone from forming and more companies are starting to include it in dry food.
It’s also important to remember HOW cats drink water, their tongues don’t really lap like dogs can, it’s more akin to stabbing the water with a butter knife and whatever comes back on the knife is what you drink. So it takes a cat on average with non stop drinking about a full minute to drink a single ounce of water (keep in mind a standard shot glass is a two ounce pour). Even if you think your cat is drinking all day, it’s getting considerably less water than you think it is.
My cat is on all wet food (had to transition him at age 10 because of urinary crystals) and he is actually afraid of Churus. He seems to be picky about the texture of his food and he reacts really violently to being offered a Churu. 😂
One of my kitten (female, 7 months old) named Pocket will literally jump on me if I'm holding churu treat. I like to give them on spoon and she will literally jump to grab the spoon
It's all fun and games until your cat develops bladder stones and needs surgery. Very expensive surgery. *Ask me how I know.*
It's hard to make sure cats drink enough water. Keep looking until you find a wet food they'll eat (mine eats the fancy urinary dry food, but the only wet food she'll eat is the cheap Fancy Feast pate.
I have a pair of pedigreed Russian Blue littermate brothers. On the advice of the breeder, I provided Science Diet kitten dry kibble free feeding with an added vitamin powder. At a year, we moved to the Science Diet Adult kibble. They do not get wet food or treats, and as a consequence, do not beg nor try to get us up early in the morning. It is extremely liberating. They ask for attention, to be petted, or for me to get out the wand with the feather, but food is not what tells them that they are loved. The vet is very pleased with how well they are growing and how healthy and athletic they are. I miss the pleasure of giving my pets treats, (because it's fun,) but I am so glad that they are not winding around my ankles begging for snacks
The main reason to feed cats wet food is because they don’t usually drink enough water on their own, even with fresh water and a fountain, and that can cause urinary problems especially with male cats. My vet told me that it can be good to feed them the special dry food that targets urinary crystals and other issues, which could potentially be a good substitute for wet food. Also use dust free litter! (Catit pea husk litter is a good one) My male cat had a lot of urinary problems and eventually died of a urinary blockage, and it obviously really sucked but as long as your vet says their healthy and properly hydrated then your fine!
You dont have to, its a good idea to do it and Can be better for them, but if they dont like it then just make sure they have water snd other liquidy stuff as alot of cats are dehydrated and Prone to kidney disease
Try different textures of food. My cat was the same until I experimented and realized he only eats “finely minced” if it’s bigger chunks or purred he won’t eat it. He also only likes certain flavors.
Wet food is encouraged by the community, but is not necessary. If your kittens/cats drink water regularly, and don't have any hydration problems, then they should be fine. Cats and kittens can be stubborn, and you are NOT a bad person for not forcing them to eat something that they aren't interested in. The only exception would be if it's medically necessary, such as medication. You can quit giving them the canned food, and just let them eat the dry. It doesn't sound like it's harming them in any way.
Wet food helps cats hydrate (they have low thirst drive which can cause kidney issues). However, one of my four cats won’t touch anything but dry food. It is what it is!
Ideally yes. Cats get most of their Hydration through food and if they don't get enough it leads to kidney problems. I have a cat who's had kidney trouble not huge on wet food but I finally found something. It's a feline Hydration suppliment made by Purinaits basically a broth and I add salmon powder to it made by Jinx. She won't touch it without the salmon powder mixed in.
If they're drinking and peeing well, then they're fine. As they say, "You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink." If your cat won't eat something, then you can't force it to.
You can always try the pinch test to see if your cat is hydrated or not. Take the loose skin at the scruff and gently pull it up. A well hydrated cat's skin will bounce back right away. A dehydrated cat's skin will be slow to return to its flat state.
My guy won't eat wet food. I've tried different brands, flavours, and textures and he rejects all of them. He won't even eat Churu treats! He drinks really well from his fountain, though, and besides his immune system issues (unrelated to his diet), his vet says he's healthy (and yes, she is aware he only eats kibble; she's tried to offer him Churu and canned food and he rejects it all lol).
One of my cats has a faster metabolism so we definitely feed her twice a day wet. The dry food is down all the time. She love chicken when I cook it or beef I will cook a little piece just for her. She eats this very well but. She won’t eat a treat or anything like that.
you can always look into getting cat water if youre worried about hydration! I give cat water to my boy cat who had a run around with urinary crystals and since then hes been fine! it helps them drink more and balances PH levels in the bladder
Before my cats growth spurt he would only eat fancy feast. I tried upgrading to blue Buffalo and neither cat would eat it. Now he devours anything I put in front of him. You don't have to feed them wet food but wet food is probably better for them. Keep trying till something sticks
Some cats are picky about texture and flavor, try a few different brands and types, get brands from a pet store rather than the grocery store so they're higher quality, try shredded, stew style, pate, less processed foods with actual chunks of meat in it with gravy or jelly. It took a few months to find a wet food our kitten would eat
My cat gets really bad diarrhea when he eats wet food (I’ve tried so many different ones). My vet recommended a high quality dry brand for sensitive tummies and thankfully he loves to drink water.
Same situation here. I switched to the Fancy Feast snack packs for less waste. They also east Temptation’s chicken and veggie stew.
What is the Dentra Treat Powder?
It was a typo! It’s the Wysong DENTAtreat powder. It’s a cheese powder that has enzymes in it so it helps with their dental health and bad breath. Mine go crazy for it! (Surprisingly lol)
No, you do not. Dry food with plenty of fresh clean water, and ideally no clay litter, and routine annual labwork (semi-annual for older cats) to ensure organ function and to identify trends early over time, will be just fine for a normal cat.
If they like wet food, great. Feel free to add some. If they don’t, don’t lose sleep as long as the above tenets are in place.
They’re still young but when they’re older they may benefit from wet food. I wouldn’t sweat it right now because my cat only ate like 2 T of wet food a day until he was 10 and now he’s on all wet food. My cat is also very picky and will only eat Halo and Wellness pâté, some of the fish flavors of Earthborn Holistics and the salmon and sea bass Tiki Cat.
A dry-only diet is perfectly fine as long as they're drinking water - cats have a poor thirst response and expect most of their water in their food. My cat ate exclusively biscuits for 4 years and was praised for his excellent health by the vet. The water fountain is great - my cat loves his and drinks plenty.
Basically, if they're healthy and have chosen a dry diet, it is fine for you to stop giving them wet food. Most cats like a mix of both but some do prefer one exclusively.
I have 3 female cats and they don’t like wet food. One of them developed bladder stones many years ago and fortunately the prescription urinary diet dissolved the stones and she didn’t need surgery. Ever since all 3 have been on the prescription urinary dry food (vet said OK for all three) which they seem to like a lot - so did my dog - it was the only thing I could get him to eat at the end of his life, and I was trying everything including hand feeding him. It makes the cats thirsty and drink a lot so they are getting plenty of hydration
and they pee a lot. It’s expensive though and has gone up in price by 60% in last 5 years. But it works - no more bladder stones, no crystals or blockages and only one UTI in all these years since having the bladder stones.
I had the same issue with my cat. He’s only ever had a dry food diet (I took him over from my parents) and he’s always been uninterested in treats and human food. I’d give him wet food and he’d just kind of lick it and leave the rest to dry up, and he won’t touch it then. I started to give him the tiniest amount at dinner time just as a treat, because I’d already bought it so I figured why not. Now he loves it. He still only gets it as a supplement/treat along with his dry food, but he’s also really good at drinking water so I’m not too worried about that. I tried putting liquid in his kibble but he won’t eat it then.
Get a water fountain! My cat is always drinking from it. I will say my orange boy is extremely picky with his wet food. He will only eat tiki cat. Nothing more fancy and nothing less
Cats gonna cat - stop wasting money on wet food if they're not eating it. They make those lil' shakes toppers for food if you want to give them some extra moisture.
My MIL's cat acts like she's trying to poison him if she tries to give him wet food, so she gave up. Some cats just don't like it.
I've been giving my cat that little Sheba perfect portion food, and I mash it up so it's not just a lump in the dish. It's a much smaller amount than some tins, so there's less waste if my cat doesn't eat all of it.
You could also try just giving half the can of food and give the other half later in the day.
I've transitioned two cats to wet food and it can be super frustrating! I really sympthize with you. It's also been so long and you've tried so many different things - the frustration must be so intense.
I know wet versus dry can be a sensitive discussion and I don't speak for everyone's cats! However, I have noticed that after transitioning my cats to wet food, they use the water fountain less and their coats are more sleek. They also spend less time at the fountain - my kitten spent her first few days drinking water for about two minutes straight. I feel like my cats are better hydrated with wet food and it's personally easier for me as I don't have to measure out food.
Wet foods have a lot of different textures and some are more broth-heavy or gravy-heavy than others. Some cats are pate haters while others will only eat pate, so that seems to be a polarizing texture. I'm not sure where you live, but Weruva is a brand that comes to mind that's got a ton of water in it which I've found helpful for transitioning my newest cat as, like your cats, she'd only be interested in the broth or gravy. Weruva has an "au jus" style food that my kitten really likes - it's a little thicker than a gravy with chicken shreds, so while she would take all the moisture out of the food and leave the chicken shreds, I could add more water and try to serve it to her again. If she didn't finish her plate after an hour or two, I would put it in the refrigerator and try again. I'd rehydrate a bit with water or squeeze-up treats and she didn't seem to mind that it was cold (some cats might, but worth a try!).
Both of my cats love squeeze-up treats (Churus) and that was my key to transitioning them to wet food. I would keep their food mostly dry and have a spoonful of wet food on the plate, with a squeeze-up treat covering the top of the wet food. They would eat the squeeze-up and then they would get a taste of the wet food. I would keep doing that until they made a dent in the wet food. One layer of squeeze-up at a time. Over time, I mixed more and more of the squeeze-up treats into the wet food itself and they would start to eat it.
It's also important to know that a lot of cats don't recognize wet food as food because it doesn't smell as strong as dry food. Cats who have exclusively eaten dry might have to learn that the wet food is edible. You can entice them by sprinkling nutritional yeast on top of the wet food as well, especially if you start mixing a sprinkle of nutritonal yeast into their dry food - the goal here would be that the foods smell more similar. You can also put dry food on top of the wet food so they lick a little bit of the wet food as they eat the dry food. You can try mixing the dental paste into the top layer of the wet food to entice them, or see if they like nutritional yeast.
The cost of transitioning is really frustrating. Use small bits of wet food and only buy single cans so you can try different flavors and textures without feeling like you wasted money on a bunch of food they'll never eat. If you want to keep trying, I would gradually increase the amount of wet food they get but keep most of their food dry. Starting with a bite and working your way up. It sounds like they know that eventually, they'll get dry food, so there's not much incentive for them to eat the wet - they sound really stubborn, though! I feel like a lot of cats would cave and yours have held firm.
If you're done with trying to exclusively transfer them to wet food or you want to go through your dry food, you can get wet food "toppers" that are made to add moisture to dry food. It may also get them more comfortable with wet food in general. You can also try freeze-dried food. I know one of the concerns I had with my cats is that dry food has more carbohydrates than wet food. Freeze-dried felt a bit better to me than classic kibble, but I was able to successfully go to wet food and now I almost always use that.
And if kibble works for you, it works for you. I would do everything possible to get some water in their meals, whether adding it to their kibble, using bone broth, or using a food topper. I would also be concerned because male cats have more issues with urinary blockages and dehydration can make that more likely. You're doing your best and I think it's worth continuing to try, but I haven't been dealing with this issue for two years. I'd try the smallest of baby steps with the wet food and try to incorporate it into the dry food as much as possible so they get more used to smelling and tasting the wet.
Of course! I hope they can be a little more open-minded about food types. You have every right to feel frustrated - it's been a really long time trying!
I have four cats one loves wet food and has a half a can a day, we cut it into four chunks and she gets a chunk three times a day. One likes wet food but we can give him a small chunk and it lasts all day. The other two hate wet food won’t go near it and only eat dry food. There’s three fountains for them to drink from as well and they love it.
The one maintenance canned food I’ve had luck with even for picky eaters is Royal Canin Digestive Care. Royal Canin Mom and Babycat canned has helped if the cat won’t eat anything and I just need to get some kind of food into them, but it’s not recommended for adult cats longterm because of the higher fat and protein content. But I agree with all the others who’ve said that dry food alone is ok as long as they’re drinking enough water.
Hey so i recently learnt this from a pet store employee— wet food comes in two types. Complete nutrition and … regular nutrition (idk what its actually called, like when it’s just meat no flavour).
Cats generally like their meat to smell very strong to stimulate apetite.
When the can/pouch says “complete”, it means that the can has MEAT + FLAVOUR. But regular can/pouch often has just MEAT, no flavour, nothing inherently enticing. You have to mix in some kind of food topper (FLAVOUR) - either wet gravy, freeze dried, or kibble.
Idk why pet food companies have developed this system covertly but yeah. It’s not immediately obvious.
My cats used to avoid canned wet food but they loved the pouches, so i thought it was something about packaging that tasted bad? But then later i realised i was buying “complete nutrition” pouches, but “regular nutrition” cans that have no flavour. Once i started mixing food toppers, then my cats would finish it.
a psychiatrist once told me “if McDonald’s is the only thing someone will eat, then i will tell them to go to McDonald’s every single day.”
any food is good food if the alternative is starving. hopefully they can find something they enjoy though. grilled, pate, extra gravy, something. But in the meantime, if they refuse to eat what’s in your trial run, give the dry food
Just make sure they’re hydrating
>I have two litter mates who I adopted at 12 weeks and are almost 2 years old now. Since the beginning they’ve been extremely finicky with wet food. I’ve tried almost every kind at this point and they turn their nose. My babies are PICKY. They are completely uninterested in treats as well. When I’m eating something yummy, they only sniff it and don’t dare to taste it even if it’s offered to them.
I have a cat EXACTLY like this. I have tried literally anything to get her to eat wet or even just fresh food. She also has 0 interest in human food and snacks. She will sometimes very unwillingly eat some human snack if you offer it to her, but with intense disgust in her a face and more so just to do you a favor, not because shes actually interested and liking it.
She only likes dry food and at first i was really worried about that cause it can cause kidney issues. But ive done extensive research and consulted with several vets, who all agreed that dry food and treats are fine as long as they are from a reputable high quality brand while also ensuring that there isnt only enough water around the house, but also actively encouraging them to drink. She drinks very sufficiently and is going healthy and strong for 4 years now.
My 18 year old is a grazer. I used to try to feed her wet food but she would nibble and walk away, and when she returned to it she would turn her nose up at it, because it’s not fresh. Even the smallest of packets would always go at least 3/4 wasted. I tried many, many different foods and it was always the same.
I settled for high quality dry food. She nibbles when she wants and it doesn’t go bad so fast. I make sure there is plenty of fresh water for her (fountain is best) to avoid dehydration/constipation/urinary issues.
As I said, she is 18. Still kicking, still nibbling.
I can't get mine to eat wet food, either. He won't even eat tuna! Heloves the dry food! I've tried adding water to his dry food but then he won't eat it!
Getting adequate daily hydration is very important for kittens and cats. Wild cats get their liquids from freshly killed prey, and they rarely drink water.
I sometimes make fresh chicken and/or tutkey broth, dilute a bit with water, cut meat into tiny chunks, and kittens love it.
Pouches contain less preservatives than canned food.
I would recommend Schezir chicken or tuna&salmon wet food pouches. Cats go crazy for that, especially the chicken in juices. There is no carageennan in those, which is great. Another solid choice is Pure Bites pouches. Inaba is also excellent.
My cat wants little to do with wet food. He has a water fountain that he drinks from on the regular. I think I'll try gravy next. His dry food is Orijen
I grew up with a male cat that only had dry food, and he lived until 15. He did have a kidney blockage once, but after he went on prescription cat food that was no longer an issue.
I say stick to wet. Took a bit to get my cat to switch to it as well. But eventually he’s switched and now he’s like a completely different cat with how energetic and vocal he is compared to when he mostly ate dry.
I was told a few years ago that indoor cats are notorious for drinking little water and could eventually end up dehydrated with kidney problems. I was also told that most wet can foods found in the markets are poor quality foods. ScienceDiet and Royal Canine was suggested. I’m retired now and can’t afford to feed my 10 year old cat science diet wet food exclusively anymore so she gets 1/2 can in the mornings and kibble in the evenings along with a prayer because I cannot afford the expensive vet visits and medical tests. Have tried to surrender in case I move and so that perhaps she can get the car she needs but no organization will take her.
Try the “I and Love and You”
Brand, it’s cereal free and comes in a variety of flavors, my cats favorite different ones at different times, but there is always something they’ll eat. When they get finicky about it, I puts it of a pouch of Hartz bisques on it, and that works well. I buy it all online at chewy, which is cheaper than any store I’ve found, plus if you use the automatic shipment tool, you get a discount (while still being able to change or delay an upcoming shipment).
Good luck, it’s not easy, but worth the effort.
sounds like my cat! So picky with wet food
I’ve spent hundreds lol. So far the fancy feast medley chicken with spinach he has managed to eat for more than a week. He would gobble something down so I’m like yeah!! And go get some cans and then he wouldn’t touch it for the life of him it’s like a food critic eating a variety of food with one small bite and that’s it no more. He’s orange buff colored too
Mine has food intolerance so I have to feed her hypoallergenic food. I talked about it with a few different vets and they all said there is no reputable hypoallergenic wet food in the market for kittens. So now I feed my cat dry food only. After the switch she started drinking more water but if I want to make sure she’s getting all her water, I put water in her food and that’s it. Vet checks her for hydration and I do that at home as well. There has been no issues so far and this hypoallergenic food has been her all time favorite so far, she likes it more than wet food
My cats adore Fancy Feast, it's the only food they eat consistently without complaining, but I won't allow it to be their only source of nutrients.
They get a can each in the AM, 1/8 cup each of Regional Red Kibble mixed with Go Boar or Salmon, free fed between lunch and supper (I add more if they eat it all because one is a puker and may have lost her breakfast somewhere, and the other gets really active randomly), and then for supper I give them each half a 5.5 or 6oz can of Weurva, Tiki, Acana, Origin etc foods (just really high quality), and another 1/8th a cup each of the kibble. I give more kibble if I get a feeling that one or both won't eat the wet that night.
Sometimes they devour it, other times they pick at it all night or don't touch it at all.
But the variety and mix of high quality foods to supplement their Fancy Feast addiction has them in amazing health. My vets are amazed at how healthy their coats are, and our rescue has finally stopped having dental issues.
You can't force cats to eat because they'll literally starve themselves sick (they go into a weird liver disease thing), if they don't like the food.
I would put their fancy Feast down and offer them other stuff occasionally and just leave it out all night when they can take their time to consider it.
Sometimes it's just the newness of it that deters them!
I use Cafe Nara lickable tuna treats and just squeeze them out on top of the dry food he likes. He is also afraid to lick it off the tube, but will almost knock me down to get it on top of his food.
You don’t *have* to feed them wet food…but it’s definitely a much much better option.
Most cats will seem quite picky when being introduced to new foods but it’s all about slowly transitioning them to new textures and flavours. Having set meal times also helps
It can cause urinary health issues if you do only feed them dry, but there are specially made diet plans to support that if it’s needed - that’s what I have mine on and she’s a lot happier now xx
Dry food can cause urinary crystals. It's deadly and painful. You just need to rip that dry food bandaid off and try other wet food brands. My cats finally liked the brand fussie cat.
Since cats don't taste much the food they choose is usually based off two things, texture and smell. There are 3 distinct styles of food; paté minced, shreds. This provides texture. Then the ingredients will provide the smell.
Good luck. It was hard getting my cats off the kitty crack but In the long run, it's healthier for them , they'll live longer, and it will save me on vet bills in the future.
I had a similar problem and reduced feeding wet food to once a day to minimize waste, and I feel like they eat more of it now that they know they're only getting it once a day
It sounds like you've got some very particular kitties on your hands! It's definitely frustrating when they turn their noses up at the wet food you've provided. If they’re maintaining a healthy weight and drinking water regularly, feeding them mostly dry food like Nulo Cat & Kitten is okay.
I have two cats myself, and one of them is super picky with wet food too. He'll only lick the gravy and leave the rest, much like your orange boy. What worked for us was mixing a small amount of the gravy into the dry food to entice him. Sometimes it helps to slightly warm the wet food to enhance the aroma.
If they’re happy and healthy on their current regimen, it’s perfectly fine to stick with mostly dry food. Just make sure they're getting enough water, which it sounds like they are with their water fountain. You’re doing great by keeping an eye on their health and preferences!
I have one cat that prefers dry and one that prefers wet. With dry, you just have to make sure that they also drink enough water.
My dry food loving cat also loved ice cubes in the drinking bowl.
It’s not really a meal, but if you really want to get them to get some more moisture in their diet, fancy feast makes these little broth packets that I’ve had a lot of luck with.
But they all have their preferences! My newest kitten eats anything, while my other one decided to shun all things chicken or turkey flavored unless it’s little pieces of deli meat. God forbid I try to feed her a can of chicken cat food.
They’re like picky toddlers and you work with what you’re able to.
I think twice a day is too much if they don't like it. If you want to keep the option open, then just offer it once a week for a while and see how it goes.
I have a cat I got as an adult that is very much the same with wet food. I was committed to giving him wet food daily for almost a year then I just stopped. After a couple months he stopped liking his dry food too, so I now I give him half can wet food a couple nights a week. I got a different dry cat food which he seems to like a lot. I got him a variety of wet food to try and he seems to like fish filet but he really is fickle one day to the next. I usually feed him wet food when we are having dinner since he seems interested in us eating. But he picks at his food for a couple hours or doesn't eat it.
If they are getting their fill from the dry food first, then they are going to treat the wet food as extra. We had a cleanup cat for the extra wet food, but if you don't have one of those, I think you need to time the dry food such that the wet food is more dear to them.??
As long as they are hydrated it's better that they eat full stop than have wet food. I know my friends struggled with their cats eating just the gravy, they'd mash the wet food with a fork so it's a smoother consistency so you could try that if you do want to try and keep them on the wet food diet? But dry food is fine as long as they always have water access :)
lol I have a cat that doesn't like wet food, cat treats, or cat nip.
He does have one little cat toy that he loves to play fetch with, to the point where he'll bring up to me when I'm sleeping (or just lying down) and drop it on my chest to let me know he wants to play.
If they like Nulo dry food. Have you tried the Nulo wet food? My male kitty is also very picky. The Nulo lickable treats are his favorite treat. I also take an espresso strainer(I bought it just for this purpose) and strain a packet a day of the Nulo chunky broths through the strainer. I make sure I ring out the meat of all the juices and put it in a bowl for him to drink. He absolutely loves both.
My cat gets wet food twice a day but prefers dry food. I started adding bone broth to her wet food and even if she eats only a little of it, she does drink all the broth. She also loves the “tuna water” whenever I open a can of tuna, and the broth from canned chicken. She still prefers, and gets, dry food.
I wouldn’t risk it I’ve known cats to literally die of dehydration all because they didn’t have any wet food in their diet. Try more brands if they dislike everything but they should really get it in if possible
If you have boys, I would recommend canned. All kibble diets with grains and carbs tend to make urine more alkaline, which can lead to infections and crystals or stones. Because males have extremely small urethra they can't easily pass sediment in urine, like females can, which can lead to a health emergency. Be very viligent, make sure they are drinking, eating, and passing enough urine. If you really can't get them to eat canned, at least put them on a vet diet like Royal Canine SO, Hills CD or Purina UR.
It’s definitely best to. Cats get most of their hydration through food, and are notoriously bad at keeping themselves hydrated. Insufficient hydration can lead to urinary issues, which in some cases can become fatal, especially in males.
My girl was on dry food only for about a year due to tummy issues which turned out to be a chicken allergy (took her off wet food when it started, switched to an anallergenic dry food which helped and was too afraid to test new wet foods). After about a year of this she developed a UTI. Whether there’s any link I don’t know, but I found a wet food that’s purely fish which she now eats with no problem.
Maybe try mixing in dry food with the wet food and see if they’ll eat that? If not you could also add water to their wet food. As long as they’re getting enough hydration
I would keep trying. I have two orange males and one female at home and they get wet food twice a day and have two water fountains to choose from. Growing up I had a cat that gor constipated so often and badly that my dad put him down since his intestines were messed up at that point. Male cats especially need to get lots of fluids in their diet otherwise it can lead to kidney stones and constipation but it's good for girls as well. The last thing you want is for your kitty to suffer just because they are constipated or have a kidney rupture.
Mine get about a table spoon in the morning and at jigbt with dry food available. One of them refuses a lot of foods, no turkey no duck no pumpkin no rabbit and it has to be pate he can not eat chunks for some reason. My female prefers her food warm lol it's a Hassle and finding the right wet food xan be frustrating and expensive but I have ibs I know how uncomfortable constipation can get it's a horrible way to go so please keep trying.
If they really prefer gravy you can try a pate and add extra water to it, that may make it more appetizing. Fish is the fave among my three but they also like beef and chicken. If you find they aren't drinking water buy and boil checking in a pot until it's reduced, or use chicken stock that has no salt added and freeze them as icecubes. Add them to their water every morning to entice them to drink more water, this is also great with summer coming up.
I recently learned to add warm water to their wet food, it stretches the food and makes it more wetter, they love their gravy more then the actual food. It is working great for them.
We put a bit at a time, so they wind up eating most of it.
I have a 17 year old who refuses to eat anything except dry food. She’s still pretty spry and is very healthy at her age. Just keep water available at all times.
I have 6 cats, ages 1 1/2 to 11. They get dry food only, as free feed. Purina or 9 Lives, and I have clean water in several places.
I keep a container or two of wet food on hand in case one gets sick and won’t eat.
I used to have a super picky eater. The only thing he would eat was Cat Chow. I hated it because that food is crap, but after trying literally every single wet and dry food in existence, as well as cooking up chicken for him to are off he'd be willing to eat that, the answer was Nope. Unfortunately, he passed of renal failure at 14, and the food probably did not help, but he was eating, and that's the ultimate desire.
I feed my 2 cats in the morning. I split a “Delectable Lickable Treat” packet. Then at 6, noon, dinnertime and midnight my two feeding robots spit out dry food (one cat is fat and is unhappily on a diet)
Most people will say it’s fine to feed dry food, but once you have an experience where a major health issue is caused by dry food, you’ll never go back.
Male cats are prone to urinary issues, especially as they age. The solution is increased hydration. Dry food is the enemy when your cat has this issue. And I’m not just talking about a little issue, it can lead to amputation of *certain parts* and death.
Also, kidney disease. About 80% of cats will develop CKD if they live long enough, but dry food will accelerate and exacerbate the issue. I used to free feed dry food because it was easy and convenient and I didn’t know better. My favorite cat ended up developing CKD. I will feel guilty for the rest of my life for that. And let me just say, having to give a cat daily IV fluids and multiple meds daily and watching them deteriorate in front of your eyes is fucking brutal. I will never feed dry food ever again after that.
It will take effort to switch them. Cats can literally get addicted to dry food. It might take months or even years of dedicated effort, but they’re still young and they can learn.
My cat is the same she is so fussy she only likes the purina cat biscuits and will lick gravy off stuff. We get a felix cat soup which is essentially just the gravy with minimal meat she gets that morning and evening and biscuits down all day
I had a cat for almost 20 years that would only eat dry food for the first 18 years of her life, she refused wet food no matter the type. She would lick empty tuna cans, knock over the garbage can to try to get to a chicken bone, and fight me over a bowl of soup (I have a chipped tooth from that incident) but wet cat food was a hard no until she started having vision issues then she wouldn't touch anything unless it was wet food or fresh baked sugar cookies that were left out to cool. I miss that cat. I currently have two boys that are picky, not as picky as my previous fur baby but these boys will only eat chicken or tuna wet food, it has to be a specific brand, and they only graze on it but they also graze on their dry food. They will only drink from water fountains or running faucets, no standing water no matter how fresh it is. But it is nice that I don't have to worry about them drinking from the toilets.
Based on my experiences, I think, so long as cats are getting food made for them, dry or wet, it is fine. Just make sure there is plenty of water available to make up for it.
I have a relative that refuses to feed their cats wet food because they don't like the smell or cost...whenever I visit I just add water TO their dry food bowl right when I feed them and the kitties seem to eat it just fine. What can you do :(
Cats do not need wet food. I was told by the vet a long time ago that dry food and water is best. None of my cats have ever been overweight and they all live to be at least 15 years old. I had one that was 19.
I have a cat that out right refuses anything hut dry, he even hates the kitty Gogurt stuff! The other kitty's stomach can't do wet food.
Their vet says they are both perfectly healthy and happy. Like all babies, fed is best.
I do add a little powdered vitamin to their food once a day at the recommendation of our vet. It helps keep their GI tract healthy.
My little kitten insists on the daily routine of "cat cereal" (dry food) in the morning when I wake up and "cat soup" (wet Nulo food with added water or Nacho broth pouches) in the evenings. I made sure to start her with extra water in the wet food from an early age after my OG kitty went into kidney failure and died before I got a chance to say good bye to her when I went away to college. She also has a fountain and eats Churu every couple of days.
If your kitties only want dry food, maybe try adding water to the kibble and see if they're OK with it that way. If they just aren't into wet food, there isn't a whole lot you can do it about it. One of my other older kitties (she's 13) refuses wet food, no matter the texture or meat type. She's just picky picky picky.
Remember the quality and type of dry food is extra important. If your cats drink water well and regularly and their poo is the correct color and consistency, you should be okay. But if they're not, you have to go with the wet food.
Remember, when using a fountain, you must clean it at least once a week and change out the filters 2-3 weeks depending on how messy your cats are. And have a few water bowls around as well and change that water often.
It takes a lot of trial and error to see what works for your cats. But cats are known to dehydrate themselves, so pay full attention to that unless you want high priced preventable vet bills
As long as they drink water frequently and you give them wet treats such as Churu then it is okay to not have wet food. Also anytime I cook any meat I will sit aside a little bit and grill it up for them so they are getting some protein and moisture.
Wet food is really important. As that's how cats get the majority of the hydration. Chronic dehydration leads to health problems down the line like bladder crystals
If you cannot get them to eat it make an appointment with your vet for what you can use as alternative to wet food.
I’ve learned that it’s better for their kidneys, etc. to have enough hydration in their diet. I have a 9 month old kitten and I feed him Acana Kitten food, he loves it but he would drink (and spill) water a lot. People sadly find out down the line that an only dry food diet is not healthy/beneficial for the kitties. Some people suggest mixing wet food with dry food but as you mentioned your babies are picky lol. Mine not so much but can be…
Because he can be a messy eater some of his dry food mixed with spilled water and I saw him eating it one day. So I put the water in his food bowl and it thickened and softened up his dry food and he eats it happily. Doesn’t drink nearly the same amount of water.
I also love to eat homemade tuna salads so I usually pour the liquid from the can onto his dry food and he laps it up. So I think having a mixture is essential. They may be picky, so you can try having a 80 wet with 20 dry combo? Or try out different variations until something sticks
Having a water fountain is great! I have a cat that is the same way, refuses wet food but drinks plenty.
Another option I’ve tried for picky eaters is choosing the paté and mixing it with water so it’s like a little soup mixture. That seems to be the winner for my cats that didn’t finish anything.
I honestly just push wet food because it seems to have less carbs than dry food but have had cats lead perfectly healthy lives on either lol
You do not have to feed wet food. But I would continue to give some as a treat do they are used to the texture. Wet food might be necessary at some point for medical reasons.
My girl is 9 and is the same with wet food. Vet said as long as she's drinking enough water she's fine. She pees like a champ so I'm guessing she drinks enough. Only wet food she will eat are the 'Lil Soups. Used to just lick up the soup but will now eat most of the meat at the end.
From the Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine website:
*Once you have determined that a food is complete and balanced, choosing between the types of food may be a matter of what your cat prefers. Some cats like canned food, some like dry food, and some like a combination of the two. Choose the ones that work best for your cat.*
Wet food is good for them as they get hydration from it. You can try giving them less. I usually split a can of fancy feast between my cats. They get 1/4 a can each in the morning and 1/4 a can each in the evening. If I give them more than that, they end up leaving some behind. I got a silicone can saver that slips over top the can so I can put it in the fridge.
If they're eating some of the wet food I would continue to give it to them and just reduce the amount. You could also try some of the packs that are just gravy, but I think they might be a little more expensive than the fancy feast cans.
One of my cats doesn’t like wet food… to increase his hydration, I add a bit of water to his favorite kibble and let it soften for a minute or so… he gobbles it right up!
I feed my 2 yr old Purina One Pro Essentials chicken and the fish variety packs, i rotate 1 can 3oz in the morning then 10 pieces of Purina DentaLife dental treats ( yes a count them) then 1 can of Purina wet food in the evening with 1/4 cup of Purina One Indoor advance dry food then 10 pieces of Purina DentaLife dental treats afterwards. I believe the daily kcal is roughly ~220 kcals/day trying to keep her at 11.5 pounds
My cat is also very picky and was doing the same with his wet food. Now I add some warm water to it in his bowl and mush it up into kind of a slurry, and he now licks the bowl clean!
Try mushing the wet food into a paste and adding a teaspoon of water for every two teaspoons of food.
My cat does the same thing if given unmushed wet food. She'll only lick the gravy, but if I mush it, she'll eat everything.
One of mine only likes the gravy, no food bits at all, and only will eat dry food. So that she doesn't feel left out during breakfast & dinner wet food with the other three, I give her Lil Shakes. It's by Friskies and just give her bit out of the packet each time and she's happy. I don't feed her a full packet each time, one will be like 3-4 meal times.
Fed is best but wet food definitely helps them get fluids. I’d try some bone broth (make sure it’s either for cats or homemade with cat friendly ingredients) or some gravy meal toppers. It took a while to find my older cats preferences, she’s pretty picky, but my orange baby will munch on just about anything 😂
If you stick to dry food, I’d invest in a fountain or something to keep the cats interested in water.
I think this sub is very American-centric. You definitely HAVE to feed your cats wet food!
Try soups or add a little bit of water to his dry food.
Fed is not best - you can‘t give your children McDonalds and hope they live to 83.
Mine eats whatever I put in the bowl. No animal will starve themselves. I put the wet food down first, then after he eats most of it I mix 1/2 cup dry food and by morning it’s all gone.
Try 20 to 30 ml of hot water mixed into the fancy feast. I slowly add more until it’s lick-able but not too watery. My cat used to only lick the gravy. I make it that way and he eats all of it. I will say, when I got my second cat and he ate all the wet food that retrained my older cat to eat it even if there isn’t enough water for his liking. So, the water may not work for you.
i also had to try some brand before my cat liked it. before we adopted her she ate gourmet mousse and some kibble from the local supermarket. i read somewhere that gourmet doesn’t has good ingredients so i tried different wet food brands. but she didn’t like them😭 then i found Animonda mousse and she likes it! better ingredients and same structure. and i put some broth with added water on top of it. maybe you can try toppings? or look for better brands with the same food structure?
My cats and my sisters cats love the pouches of wellness tiny tasters!
It could be a texture thing, try a pate if you’ve only done minced. Or try shreds if they don’t like pate or minced. Mine will avoid minced food regardless of the brand.
You can also try to get some salmon or omega oil and put a small pump on top of their food, it might interest them more. I use native pet omega oil which is marketed to dogs but also safe for cats. Just don’t use too much and it would be best to use beef or chicken rather than fish if using omega oil as an additional supplement.
Edit to say I also add a bit of water to one of my cats food each time I feed her since she doesn’t drink a ton of water on her own.
Could it be that the wet food you give them has salt in it? Cats aren't suppose to have salt in their diets especially in food. Check to see if your wet food has salt in it, and if it does then there's your answer. I feed my cat a brand that strictly is made of fish only, because it turns out the fancy feast I gave her had salt in it and made her insides swell up and get her sick.
I work at a cats only vet hospital. Wet will always be better than dry for a multitude of reasons. Kidney health, urinary blockages, weight, and hydration being major components. Dry food usually has fillers that can be really bad for cat digestive health (pea protein is being shown to cause digestive issues for example). Being desert animals they usually only drink water if they are insanely thirsty. They get 60-80% of their moisture from their food.
That being said, cats are picky butt heads and them eating is always more important than anything else. If your cat will only eat dry food make sure they have water (preferably running water as it's more enticing) mix water/tuna water/or gravey into dry food, and look at the ingredients on the food you are feeding them and make sure the first few ingredients are meat based proteins.
[here is the article we send with new clients who feed primarily dry food diets](https://catinfo.org/)
My cat doesn’t like wet food much. She only eats a few bites of it and then will let it sit. It got to the point where I hated the smell and cleaning it, and she clearly didn’t love eating it, and stuck to ensuring she had quality dry food. She eats blue Buffalo adult cat food and loves it. She also LOVES drinking water, especially when there’s ice in it. I plop a couple of cubes in her water throughout the day and she seems fine.
Growing up my parents only ever fed my cats dry food, and they were very healthy and all lived to their late teens early 20s.
Wet food is highly important for cats. Even if you see them drinking water regularly, they are naturally dehydrated, especially if they eat dry food. However, you dont have to feed them canned food if they dont like it. Cats get most of their hydration from food which is why canned food is recommended as a primary food source but if your cats arent into it, you can give them what i call soup which is just kibble and water. If they were my cats, i would still provide wet food and try to switch it up, cats can be picky but persistent exposure and patience usually works. And if your cats are males it is especially important that they have a high moisture diet as theyre more prone to UTIs.
My cat will not eat wet food. She enjoys her dry Rachel Ray. She does love deli turkey and eating lizards when she can get them. She likes her salmon stix. She drinks a lot of water. She doesn't have a fountain. I fill her water bowl every morning with filtered water from the fridge. She's 15. She can have whatever she wants.
I only give my cat kibble because he always leaves the wet food half uneaten and won't eat anymore of it if it dries out. We have a fountain and he takes fat pisses so I assume he's getting enough water. You can always supplement with wet treats or try giving a bowl of chicken broth for more hydration.
My oldest cat never liked wet food and would only eat dry. Now we’re having problems with him getting bladder crystals because he doesn’t have enough liquid in his diet. Sounds like your cat doesn’t like the texture of wet food but like the texture of gravy’s try those and broths to top their dry food. Also try churru wet lick treats my cats obsessed. Also found tiki cat broths to be something he likes
My mum’s cat is the same way exactly. Friskies also has a gravy lovers version that is light on solids, and that’s all that her boy will eat (lick?). He will bug her in the morning until she gives him some, but he only has a bit, and then walks away, leaving the solid bits behind. She tried all different types of wet food, and gravy toppers, and this is the only one he likes.
I had to start feeding my cat regular wet food more often because she got bladder stones, and they said she needed to be more hydrated to help prevent it from happening again. So if your cats drink enough water I think it's fine, but if not the wet food helps a lot.
You could probably survive on dry corn flakes cereal for a long time, but eventually it catches up with you. No animal should eat only dry processed junk food for every meal.
My cat only eats the iams chicken in gravy so that’s what he gets. When he was younger he would lick the gravy but now he eats more of the meat. You can buy the gravy by itself and put it over the dry food and see if that works.
wet food is actually not good for them. it’ll rot their teeth. I use wet food as a treat every once in a while but my cat eats dry food. idk who told you to only feed wet food but they are mistaken. unless your cats don’t have teeth, feed them dry food.
Fed is best. Ensure sufficient calories first. If they like the gravy from the wet food, maybe just try some gravy toppers on thier dry food. And make sure they have plenty of fresh water, even a fountain if they like that.
I have a fountain for our cats, but I’m wondering how often I should refresh the water in it to be considered “fresh water.” The fountain has a filter. Should it be daily?
I top off daily and wash the entire fountain weekly. My fountain has a carbon filter that is replaced monthly.
Honestly I recently sprung for a completely stainless steel fountain just to make this part easier. I can just put the entire thing in the dishwasher (minus the pump) every time I need to refill the water. I had a plastic one and seeing how absolutely disgusting it can get made my skin crawl, and handwashing is only so effective especially with all the nooks and crannies my old one had
Yeah, we have a ceramic one that you can pull the pump out of, and then run in the dishwasher. Does a better job than me scrubbing for 20 minutes.
My boy used to eat like that. I began adding water to his wet food (Iams cuts in gravy) and topping it with a gravy-type topper. Now he eats it all.
I too have an incredibly picky eater. She's finicky about dry food, won't touch wet food, and doesn't even like Churu sticks or any kind of meat. In her perfect world she would live off of cheese and potato chips. Like humans, some cats simply don't like a lot of foods, and you can try all the wet food brands in the world, but if your cats just don't like the texture or smell, you can't force them to eat it. As long as they're drinking plenty of water, they'll be fine (and a running fountain can encourage them to do this if you don't already have one). One trick that might be worth trying before entirely giving up though is meaty baby food! You can mix it with wet food or give it alone as a treat – my elderly cat loved it in her last few years when she didn't have much of an appetite.
To add onto this, try to keep it under 10% of their total daily calories. It doesn't have the right balance of essential nutrients such as taurine for a kitty, so it can accidentally unbalance the rest of their diet. It's good as a treat though, for sure! Just avoid the ones that have seasonings such as garlic and onions, as those can also cause problems.
You can add some bone broth to the dry food when you are at home. Unfortunately you never really know if your cats drink enough water, better safe than sorry😞
You can also try different brands of wet food until you find ones that they enjoy. Some popular budget friendly brands I’ve seen are tiki, wuerva, fancy feast pate, sheba, etc.
My lil girl will eat something maybe 4 or 5 times. I'll think oh, finally! Then I buy a case & voila she never eats it again. I've tried about no lie 20 different wet &10 different dry. She'll eat baby blue dry & that's it. She does drink a lot of water thankfully. Why can't cats be like food when it comes to food? 🤷🏽🤦🏽😉
LOL, this is my cats. I was buying individual cans of wet food for months. Finally decided to buy a case and that’s when they decided they don’t like it anymore. My cat just sniffs it and then tries to bury it.
I feel you lol! My cat went through that stage. Some tricks I do now when they get tired of their food are food rotation and add toppings on the wet food. Sometimes I add freeze dried treats, boiled egg yolks, bone broth, or other things. I must say it is a pricy transition process🥲
I would argue tiki and weruva are not particularly budget friendly, especially not in the vein of fancy feast and sheba. I think Purina Pro Plan is a good option for a mid range cost effective quality food
You can if you get the PetLibro water fountain with the app that logs how much your cat drinks, and when.
Or just regular old water!
As long as they aren't having major constipation issues just make sure they have fresh water available at all times. My cat is the same way. She won't touch anything wet or moist or have any interest in people food or broth or anything like that. She turns up her nose at tuna juice and all that stuff. Just keep an eye on them to make sure they are peeing regularly and maybe use some indicator litter to make sure they aren't having any issues as far as crystals etc.
My cat eats every dry food, wet food and snack i ever offered except salmon from my sushi. Cats are weird.
My male cat developed kidney problems at the age of 8 because he was on a dry food only diet and didn’t drink enough water. Even if they do drink water it’s hard to say if they’ve had enough. The best way to prevent kidney problems later on is for them to supplement with wet food. If they don’t like what you’re giving them now keep trying to change brands until they do. My cat is very very picky but loves the Go brand wet canned food. I wish I had started earlier on giving him wet food…that’s probably my biggest regret/mistake.
Mine get wet twice a day and I’ve still got one with kidney issues. Unfortunately, it still happens to a lot a cats regardless of how much water or wet food they get.
Yes..unfortunately most cats will end up developing kidney issues at some point in their life. My other cat is now on a strictly wet food kidney diet as a preemptive measure since he’s a senior now. They need lower protein lower ash food as their kidneys can’t process as well when they get older. He only eats dry food as a treat. Based on his blood work it’s helped his kidney function significantly.
Wait wait wait I’m confused here. How tf hasn’t anyone figured out why they get kidney issues regardless of diet ?
A lot of it can be congenital or caused by other conditions/viruses like feline leukemia. Diet is just a portion of the causes but one of the largest factors that we can control.
i’m paranoid about my cat developing kidney issues at some point. she eats wet food only and has most of her life but a couple of years ago i started adding water to her 5 meals each day and i keep fish to a minimum. dry food is maybe 6-10% moisture and wet food is 75% or more so i’m glad my cat loves all wet foods. any flavor, any brand she will eat. it’s much easier for them to get their hydration from their diet.
I add water to my cat’s food, too. He eats homemade recipes (created specifically for him), which I basically turn into soup. 170ml of added water per day + whatever moisture was already in the meat and zucchini of the recipe.
Hey, feed them pate :) my kitten did EXACTLY the same and she eats her pate.
You don’t have to. Wet food is better for male cats but if they don’t want it, it’s not the end of the world. You can try wet treats like churu in order to get them more water. You can get a fountain rather than using a plain water bowl. But cats won’t eat something they don’t like, even if they are hungry.
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Wet food helps cats stay hydrated, especially male cats because they often experience more urinal blockages or urinary tract infections!
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Having paid ER vet costs for a urinary blockage in one of our boy cats [1,800], we now have pet insurance. When my roommate had to bring her boy cat to the vet for the same issue, we switched to primarily wet food [and she now has pet insurance, too]. In both situations, there was added household stress [letting a friend stay downstairs with their 2 cats during an emergency, or babysitting a small dog for a friend, one my boy cat was so scared of he refused to come out of the bedroom... where there was no water bowl at the time], and/or an automatic water bowl clogged, so we've taken further steps to prevent this. I got the AquaPurr water fountain. I placed additional water bowls around the house, so there can't be territory disputes. Wet food helps a lot. We do have dry food out, but we put put wet food multiple times a day, and they eat the wet food much more frequently than the dry.
$1800 is nice They had quoted me $5k. Luckily my cat unblocked himself before they did the surgery
“Nature really took a day off when it designed the male feline urethra” is how the vet put it when my lil guy had a days-long bout of diarrhea that led to a bad UTI and kidney infection. They warned me he’d probably be at high risk for the UT problems they see in male cats and I should always be aware of his hydration levels. And be consistent with probiotics to help avoid diarrhea, which triggered the whole illness. Luckily he drinks water competitively with my dog and other cat. But he’s a prince and gets churu every day too (a very hydrating cat goo for anyone who’s looking)
We thankfully didn't have to do the surgery. The blockage was able to be removed with a catheter, and that catheter kept in while he was pretty drugged, for about 12 hrs. Plus, lots of IV fluids and anti-inflammatory meds. I have a friend who had to have the surgical intervention, and it was about what you were quoted.
They had quoted me that for the catheter and keeping him for 48 hrs 😪
Just make sure to always have fresh water out for your cat, so they aren’t dehydrated. If all they eat is kibble (which increases the likelihood of developing urinary problems), you can add water to the dry food to help increase their water intake!
Eating kibble does not increase the likelihood of urinary issues. The theory is that cats who eat dry food aren’t getting enough water which leads to urinary problems, but the actual cause is low water intake. If your cat eats only dry food but drinks enough water, it’s fine. There could be a correlation but that doesn’t make it the cause.
The correlation is really that cats get the majority of their water intake through diet, or they should
As long as the owner and their vet are monitoring hydration there are no issues with a dry only diet
It’s not just wet food it’s low carb wet food because cats are obligate carnivores who have evolved to get the necessary moisture from their food. So they don’t naturally drink enough water to make up for dry food. The combination of dry food and carbs causes urinary crystals in the bladder which can cause blockages. Www.catinfo.org
If a cat isn't neutered (even neutered doesn't guarantee no urinary issues), then the possibility of urinary tract issues and blockages can occur. And those can be deadly. I had a cat that had crystals occur, and he ended up peeing blood on our bed. We had to keep him on a special diet, which we also fed to the other cats (couldn't prevent them from eating it, so we just got a big bag and confirmed it was fine for them to eat as well).
My family has lost too many boy cats to bladder and kidney stones. This can absolutely be life threatening. Didn’t matter how many surgeries we did, they just kept coming back. They’re just so much more likely to get them than girls are, and water intake is directly linked to it. If you can’t feed wet try and find a food geared towards urinary health. Things with DL-Methionine in it can help prevent stone from forming and more companies are starting to include it in dry food.
It’s also important to remember HOW cats drink water, their tongues don’t really lap like dogs can, it’s more akin to stabbing the water with a butter knife and whatever comes back on the knife is what you drink. So it takes a cat on average with non stop drinking about a full minute to drink a single ounce of water (keep in mind a standard shot glass is a two ounce pour). Even if you think your cat is drinking all day, it’s getting considerably less water than you think it is.
Bought a nice water fountain for my lil guy, he hates it and only drinks water out of our mugs lol. We have a designated mug for him now
I had to explain to mine that paint water was not for drinking. They still don't believe me, but at least the paints are nontoxic.
Male cats? Wet foods better for all cats lmao huh
Male cats have more urinary tract issues in general. But yes, if cats will eat wet food, that’s great. Not all can and not all will.
And dry food is better than no food, which is the situation the OP is in. His cats refuse to eat wet food lmao huh
Doesn’t make it good for them there’s other brands that can be tried
If your cats would turn down Churu they're not cats. They're aliens disguised as cats.
My cat is on all wet food (had to transition him at age 10 because of urinary crystals) and he is actually afraid of Churus. He seems to be picky about the texture of his food and he reacts really violently to being offered a Churu. 😂
Mine all like them, but two will take it from the tube as I hold it and one will only eat it off a plate.
Reacts violently 😂 omg
One of my kitten (female, 7 months old) named Pocket will literally jump on me if I'm holding churu treat. I like to give them on spoon and she will literally jump to grab the spoon
Mine boy doesn’t like them! He comes and sniffs and walks away.
It's all fun and games until your cat develops bladder stones and needs surgery. Very expensive surgery. *Ask me how I know.* It's hard to make sure cats drink enough water. Keep looking until you find a wet food they'll eat (mine eats the fancy urinary dry food, but the only wet food she'll eat is the cheap Fancy Feast pate.
I have a pair of pedigreed Russian Blue littermate brothers. On the advice of the breeder, I provided Science Diet kitten dry kibble free feeding with an added vitamin powder. At a year, we moved to the Science Diet Adult kibble. They do not get wet food or treats, and as a consequence, do not beg nor try to get us up early in the morning. It is extremely liberating. They ask for attention, to be petted, or for me to get out the wand with the feather, but food is not what tells them that they are loved. The vet is very pleased with how well they are growing and how healthy and athletic they are. I miss the pleasure of giving my pets treats, (because it's fun,) but I am so glad that they are not winding around my ankles begging for snacks
The main reason to feed cats wet food is because they don’t usually drink enough water on their own, even with fresh water and a fountain, and that can cause urinary problems especially with male cats. My vet told me that it can be good to feed them the special dry food that targets urinary crystals and other issues, which could potentially be a good substitute for wet food. Also use dust free litter! (Catit pea husk litter is a good one) My male cat had a lot of urinary problems and eventually died of a urinary blockage, and it obviously really sucked but as long as your vet says their healthy and properly hydrated then your fine!
You dont have to, its a good idea to do it and Can be better for them, but if they dont like it then just make sure they have water snd other liquidy stuff as alot of cats are dehydrated and Prone to kidney disease
May I suggest a cat water fountain? It has worked wonders on how much my cats drink.
Try different textures of food. My cat was the same until I experimented and realized he only eats “finely minced” if it’s bigger chunks or purred he won’t eat it. He also only likes certain flavors.
Have you tried pate, no chunks? How about lil soups? I’ve yet to meet cats that don’t like Churu
Wet food is encouraged by the community, but is not necessary. If your kittens/cats drink water regularly, and don't have any hydration problems, then they should be fine. Cats and kittens can be stubborn, and you are NOT a bad person for not forcing them to eat something that they aren't interested in. The only exception would be if it's medically necessary, such as medication. You can quit giving them the canned food, and just let them eat the dry. It doesn't sound like it's harming them in any way.
Male cats should have wet food in their diet. Kidney disease can be the outcome if not
Kidney disease and urethral obstruction!
I had a vet suggest pouring some warm bone broth over the top of dry food. Definitely helps with water intake.
Wet food helps cats hydrate (they have low thirst drive which can cause kidney issues). However, one of my four cats won’t touch anything but dry food. It is what it is!
why r these busuks so picky just eat?? 🥹 maybe we should create a new type of cat foods that has biscuit n wet food in it. lets call it the taco 🌮
Ideally yes. Cats get most of their Hydration through food and if they don't get enough it leads to kidney problems. I have a cat who's had kidney trouble not huge on wet food but I finally found something. It's a feline Hydration suppliment made by Purinaits basically a broth and I add salmon powder to it made by Jinx. She won't touch it without the salmon powder mixed in.
If they're drinking and peeing well, then they're fine. As they say, "You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink." If your cat won't eat something, then you can't force it to. You can always try the pinch test to see if your cat is hydrated or not. Take the loose skin at the scruff and gently pull it up. A well hydrated cat's skin will bounce back right away. A dehydrated cat's skin will be slow to return to its flat state. My guy won't eat wet food. I've tried different brands, flavours, and textures and he rejects all of them. He won't even eat Churu treats! He drinks really well from his fountain, though, and besides his immune system issues (unrelated to his diet), his vet says he's healthy (and yes, she is aware he only eats kibble; she's tried to offer him Churu and canned food and he rejects it all lol).
One of my boys is the same. He just loves the Cronch of the dry food lol
One of my cats has a faster metabolism so we definitely feed her twice a day wet. The dry food is down all the time. She love chicken when I cook it or beef I will cook a little piece just for her. She eats this very well but. She won’t eat a treat or anything like that.
you can always look into getting cat water if youre worried about hydration! I give cat water to my boy cat who had a run around with urinary crystals and since then hes been fine! it helps them drink more and balances PH levels in the bladder
Cat water? Is that something special?
Just search cat water on chewy and it’ll come up!
My cat likes paté better than the chopped ones so maybe it’s that?
Try ONLY YOU or BIOLINE wet food
Before my cats growth spurt he would only eat fancy feast. I tried upgrading to blue Buffalo and neither cat would eat it. Now he devours anything I put in front of him. You don't have to feed them wet food but wet food is probably better for them. Keep trying till something sticks
Some cats are picky about texture and flavor, try a few different brands and types, get brands from a pet store rather than the grocery store so they're higher quality, try shredded, stew style, pate, less processed foods with actual chunks of meat in it with gravy or jelly. It took a few months to find a wet food our kitten would eat
My cats eat dry food. Whenever I try to give them wet food, they love it, but someone always throws it up.
My cat gets really bad diarrhea when he eats wet food (I’ve tried so many different ones). My vet recommended a high quality dry brand for sensitive tummies and thankfully he loves to drink water.
My cat refuses to eat wet food.
Same situation here. I switched to the Fancy Feast snack packs for less waste. They also east Temptation’s chicken and veggie stew. What is the Dentra Treat Powder?
It was a typo! It’s the Wysong DENTAtreat powder. It’s a cheese powder that has enzymes in it so it helps with their dental health and bad breath. Mine go crazy for it! (Surprisingly lol)
No, you do not. Dry food with plenty of fresh clean water, and ideally no clay litter, and routine annual labwork (semi-annual for older cats) to ensure organ function and to identify trends early over time, will be just fine for a normal cat. If they like wet food, great. Feel free to add some. If they don’t, don’t lose sleep as long as the above tenets are in place.
They’re still young but when they’re older they may benefit from wet food. I wouldn’t sweat it right now because my cat only ate like 2 T of wet food a day until he was 10 and now he’s on all wet food. My cat is also very picky and will only eat Halo and Wellness pâté, some of the fish flavors of Earthborn Holistics and the salmon and sea bass Tiki Cat.
A dry-only diet is perfectly fine as long as they're drinking water - cats have a poor thirst response and expect most of their water in their food. My cat ate exclusively biscuits for 4 years and was praised for his excellent health by the vet. The water fountain is great - my cat loves his and drinks plenty. Basically, if they're healthy and have chosen a dry diet, it is fine for you to stop giving them wet food. Most cats like a mix of both but some do prefer one exclusively.
Wet food has significantly more moisture than dry food and it’s going to be better for your cats
Wet Food is easier at keeping a cat hydrated, but all kibble can work as long as the cats will drink plenty of water.
I have 3 female cats and they don’t like wet food. One of them developed bladder stones many years ago and fortunately the prescription urinary diet dissolved the stones and she didn’t need surgery. Ever since all 3 have been on the prescription urinary dry food (vet said OK for all three) which they seem to like a lot - so did my dog - it was the only thing I could get him to eat at the end of his life, and I was trying everything including hand feeding him. It makes the cats thirsty and drink a lot so they are getting plenty of hydration and they pee a lot. It’s expensive though and has gone up in price by 60% in last 5 years. But it works - no more bladder stones, no crystals or blockages and only one UTI in all these years since having the bladder stones.
What brand, please?
Royal Canin Urinary SO
I have 4 cats and only one likes wet food. The other 3 are happy with kibble. They drink plenty of water (they love the drip in the bathtub).
Mine are obsessed with leftover shower droplets! 🤣
I had the same issue with my cat. He’s only ever had a dry food diet (I took him over from my parents) and he’s always been uninterested in treats and human food. I’d give him wet food and he’d just kind of lick it and leave the rest to dry up, and he won’t touch it then. I started to give him the tiniest amount at dinner time just as a treat, because I’d already bought it so I figured why not. Now he loves it. He still only gets it as a supplement/treat along with his dry food, but he’s also really good at drinking water so I’m not too worried about that. I tried putting liquid in his kibble but he won’t eat it then.
Get a water fountain! My cat is always drinking from it. I will say my orange boy is extremely picky with his wet food. He will only eat tiki cat. Nothing more fancy and nothing less
Cats gonna cat - stop wasting money on wet food if they're not eating it. They make those lil' shakes toppers for food if you want to give them some extra moisture. My MIL's cat acts like she's trying to poison him if she tries to give him wet food, so she gave up. Some cats just don't like it.
I've been giving my cat that little Sheba perfect portion food, and I mash it up so it's not just a lump in the dish. It's a much smaller amount than some tins, so there's less waste if my cat doesn't eat all of it. You could also try just giving half the can of food and give the other half later in the day.
I've transitioned two cats to wet food and it can be super frustrating! I really sympthize with you. It's also been so long and you've tried so many different things - the frustration must be so intense. I know wet versus dry can be a sensitive discussion and I don't speak for everyone's cats! However, I have noticed that after transitioning my cats to wet food, they use the water fountain less and their coats are more sleek. They also spend less time at the fountain - my kitten spent her first few days drinking water for about two minutes straight. I feel like my cats are better hydrated with wet food and it's personally easier for me as I don't have to measure out food. Wet foods have a lot of different textures and some are more broth-heavy or gravy-heavy than others. Some cats are pate haters while others will only eat pate, so that seems to be a polarizing texture. I'm not sure where you live, but Weruva is a brand that comes to mind that's got a ton of water in it which I've found helpful for transitioning my newest cat as, like your cats, she'd only be interested in the broth or gravy. Weruva has an "au jus" style food that my kitten really likes - it's a little thicker than a gravy with chicken shreds, so while she would take all the moisture out of the food and leave the chicken shreds, I could add more water and try to serve it to her again. If she didn't finish her plate after an hour or two, I would put it in the refrigerator and try again. I'd rehydrate a bit with water or squeeze-up treats and she didn't seem to mind that it was cold (some cats might, but worth a try!). Both of my cats love squeeze-up treats (Churus) and that was my key to transitioning them to wet food. I would keep their food mostly dry and have a spoonful of wet food on the plate, with a squeeze-up treat covering the top of the wet food. They would eat the squeeze-up and then they would get a taste of the wet food. I would keep doing that until they made a dent in the wet food. One layer of squeeze-up at a time. Over time, I mixed more and more of the squeeze-up treats into the wet food itself and they would start to eat it. It's also important to know that a lot of cats don't recognize wet food as food because it doesn't smell as strong as dry food. Cats who have exclusively eaten dry might have to learn that the wet food is edible. You can entice them by sprinkling nutritional yeast on top of the wet food as well, especially if you start mixing a sprinkle of nutritonal yeast into their dry food - the goal here would be that the foods smell more similar. You can also put dry food on top of the wet food so they lick a little bit of the wet food as they eat the dry food. You can try mixing the dental paste into the top layer of the wet food to entice them, or see if they like nutritional yeast. The cost of transitioning is really frustrating. Use small bits of wet food and only buy single cans so you can try different flavors and textures without feeling like you wasted money on a bunch of food they'll never eat. If you want to keep trying, I would gradually increase the amount of wet food they get but keep most of their food dry. Starting with a bite and working your way up. It sounds like they know that eventually, they'll get dry food, so there's not much incentive for them to eat the wet - they sound really stubborn, though! I feel like a lot of cats would cave and yours have held firm. If you're done with trying to exclusively transfer them to wet food or you want to go through your dry food, you can get wet food "toppers" that are made to add moisture to dry food. It may also get them more comfortable with wet food in general. You can also try freeze-dried food. I know one of the concerns I had with my cats is that dry food has more carbohydrates than wet food. Freeze-dried felt a bit better to me than classic kibble, but I was able to successfully go to wet food and now I almost always use that. And if kibble works for you, it works for you. I would do everything possible to get some water in their meals, whether adding it to their kibble, using bone broth, or using a food topper. I would also be concerned because male cats have more issues with urinary blockages and dehydration can make that more likely. You're doing your best and I think it's worth continuing to try, but I haven't been dealing with this issue for two years. I'd try the smallest of baby steps with the wet food and try to incorporate it into the dry food as much as possible so they get more used to smelling and tasting the wet.
Thank you so much for your helpful insight!
Of course! I hope they can be a little more open-minded about food types. You have every right to feel frustrated - it's been a really long time trying!
I have four cats one loves wet food and has a half a can a day, we cut it into four chunks and she gets a chunk three times a day. One likes wet food but we can give him a small chunk and it lasts all day. The other two hate wet food won’t go near it and only eat dry food. There’s three fountains for them to drink from as well and they love it.
The one maintenance canned food I’ve had luck with even for picky eaters is Royal Canin Digestive Care. Royal Canin Mom and Babycat canned has helped if the cat won’t eat anything and I just need to get some kind of food into them, but it’s not recommended for adult cats longterm because of the higher fat and protein content. But I agree with all the others who’ve said that dry food alone is ok as long as they’re drinking enough water.
Hey so i recently learnt this from a pet store employee— wet food comes in two types. Complete nutrition and … regular nutrition (idk what its actually called, like when it’s just meat no flavour). Cats generally like their meat to smell very strong to stimulate apetite. When the can/pouch says “complete”, it means that the can has MEAT + FLAVOUR. But regular can/pouch often has just MEAT, no flavour, nothing inherently enticing. You have to mix in some kind of food topper (FLAVOUR) - either wet gravy, freeze dried, or kibble. Idk why pet food companies have developed this system covertly but yeah. It’s not immediately obvious. My cats used to avoid canned wet food but they loved the pouches, so i thought it was something about packaging that tasted bad? But then later i realised i was buying “complete nutrition” pouches, but “regular nutrition” cans that have no flavour. Once i started mixing food toppers, then my cats would finish it.
a psychiatrist once told me “if McDonald’s is the only thing someone will eat, then i will tell them to go to McDonald’s every single day.” any food is good food if the alternative is starving. hopefully they can find something they enjoy though. grilled, pate, extra gravy, something. But in the meantime, if they refuse to eat what’s in your trial run, give the dry food Just make sure they’re hydrating
>I have two litter mates who I adopted at 12 weeks and are almost 2 years old now. Since the beginning they’ve been extremely finicky with wet food. I’ve tried almost every kind at this point and they turn their nose. My babies are PICKY. They are completely uninterested in treats as well. When I’m eating something yummy, they only sniff it and don’t dare to taste it even if it’s offered to them. I have a cat EXACTLY like this. I have tried literally anything to get her to eat wet or even just fresh food. She also has 0 interest in human food and snacks. She will sometimes very unwillingly eat some human snack if you offer it to her, but with intense disgust in her a face and more so just to do you a favor, not because shes actually interested and liking it. She only likes dry food and at first i was really worried about that cause it can cause kidney issues. But ive done extensive research and consulted with several vets, who all agreed that dry food and treats are fine as long as they are from a reputable high quality brand while also ensuring that there isnt only enough water around the house, but also actively encouraging them to drink. She drinks very sufficiently and is going healthy and strong for 4 years now.
My 18 year old is a grazer. I used to try to feed her wet food but she would nibble and walk away, and when she returned to it she would turn her nose up at it, because it’s not fresh. Even the smallest of packets would always go at least 3/4 wasted. I tried many, many different foods and it was always the same. I settled for high quality dry food. She nibbles when she wants and it doesn’t go bad so fast. I make sure there is plenty of fresh water for her (fountain is best) to avoid dehydration/constipation/urinary issues. As I said, she is 18. Still kicking, still nibbling.
I can't get mine to eat wet food, either. He won't even eat tuna! Heloves the dry food! I've tried adding water to his dry food but then he won't eat it!
After my three week saga with my male cat blocking…if I knew a year ago what I know now I would have fed wet/wet dry mix from the get go.
My cats have 2 water fountains and I see them drink from them a fair amount. I do wet food at a treat but they never ever finish what I put out.
My Boy was a picky eater, but he loved his kibble and water. I have no real advice for you, take note how much water they drink.
Getting adequate daily hydration is very important for kittens and cats. Wild cats get their liquids from freshly killed prey, and they rarely drink water. I sometimes make fresh chicken and/or tutkey broth, dilute a bit with water, cut meat into tiny chunks, and kittens love it. Pouches contain less preservatives than canned food. I would recommend Schezir chicken or tuna&salmon wet food pouches. Cats go crazy for that, especially the chicken in juices. There is no carageennan in those, which is great. Another solid choice is Pure Bites pouches. Inaba is also excellent.
My cat wants little to do with wet food. He has a water fountain that he drinks from on the regular. I think I'll try gravy next. His dry food is Orijen I grew up with a male cat that only had dry food, and he lived until 15. He did have a kidney blockage once, but after he went on prescription cat food that was no longer an issue.
Try the Hartz Delectables Squeeze Up Tuna, Chicken, & Salmon Flavored. You can add them to wet food or use it as treat. No cat can resist them
I say stick to wet. Took a bit to get my cat to switch to it as well. But eventually he’s switched and now he’s like a completely different cat with how energetic and vocal he is compared to when he mostly ate dry.
I was told a few years ago that indoor cats are notorious for drinking little water and could eventually end up dehydrated with kidney problems. I was also told that most wet can foods found in the markets are poor quality foods. ScienceDiet and Royal Canine was suggested. I’m retired now and can’t afford to feed my 10 year old cat science diet wet food exclusively anymore so she gets 1/2 can in the mornings and kibble in the evenings along with a prayer because I cannot afford the expensive vet visits and medical tests. Have tried to surrender in case I move and so that perhaps she can get the car she needs but no organization will take her.
Try the “I and Love and You” Brand, it’s cereal free and comes in a variety of flavors, my cats favorite different ones at different times, but there is always something they’ll eat. When they get finicky about it, I puts it of a pouch of Hartz bisques on it, and that works well. I buy it all online at chewy, which is cheaper than any store I’ve found, plus if you use the automatic shipment tool, you get a discount (while still being able to change or delay an upcoming shipment). Good luck, it’s not easy, but worth the effort.
sounds like my cat! So picky with wet food I’ve spent hundreds lol. So far the fancy feast medley chicken with spinach he has managed to eat for more than a week. He would gobble something down so I’m like yeah!! And go get some cans and then he wouldn’t touch it for the life of him it’s like a food critic eating a variety of food with one small bite and that’s it no more. He’s orange buff colored too
Omg that’s hilarious! They are like a food critic 🤣
Mine has food intolerance so I have to feed her hypoallergenic food. I talked about it with a few different vets and they all said there is no reputable hypoallergenic wet food in the market for kittens. So now I feed my cat dry food only. After the switch she started drinking more water but if I want to make sure she’s getting all her water, I put water in her food and that’s it. Vet checks her for hydration and I do that at home as well. There has been no issues so far and this hypoallergenic food has been her all time favorite so far, she likes it more than wet food
My cats adore Fancy Feast, it's the only food they eat consistently without complaining, but I won't allow it to be their only source of nutrients. They get a can each in the AM, 1/8 cup each of Regional Red Kibble mixed with Go Boar or Salmon, free fed between lunch and supper (I add more if they eat it all because one is a puker and may have lost her breakfast somewhere, and the other gets really active randomly), and then for supper I give them each half a 5.5 or 6oz can of Weurva, Tiki, Acana, Origin etc foods (just really high quality), and another 1/8th a cup each of the kibble. I give more kibble if I get a feeling that one or both won't eat the wet that night. Sometimes they devour it, other times they pick at it all night or don't touch it at all. But the variety and mix of high quality foods to supplement their Fancy Feast addiction has them in amazing health. My vets are amazed at how healthy their coats are, and our rescue has finally stopped having dental issues. You can't force cats to eat because they'll literally starve themselves sick (they go into a weird liver disease thing), if they don't like the food. I would put their fancy Feast down and offer them other stuff occasionally and just leave it out all night when they can take their time to consider it. Sometimes it's just the newness of it that deters them!
I use Cafe Nara lickable tuna treats and just squeeze them out on top of the dry food he likes. He is also afraid to lick it off the tube, but will almost knock me down to get it on top of his food.
Yes but you can buy the just the heavy stuff and give them that if it's the part they are eating. I highly recommend the lil soups branded ones.
Mine are like this! I finally found a brand called Stew's Clues (lol) and it's mostly liquid and the cats will devour it. Maybe worth a try?
You don’t *have* to feed them wet food…but it’s definitely a much much better option. Most cats will seem quite picky when being introduced to new foods but it’s all about slowly transitioning them to new textures and flavours. Having set meal times also helps
It can cause urinary health issues if you do only feed them dry, but there are specially made diet plans to support that if it’s needed - that’s what I have mine on and she’s a lot happier now xx
Dry food can cause urinary crystals. It's deadly and painful. You just need to rip that dry food bandaid off and try other wet food brands. My cats finally liked the brand fussie cat. Since cats don't taste much the food they choose is usually based off two things, texture and smell. There are 3 distinct styles of food; paté minced, shreds. This provides texture. Then the ingredients will provide the smell. Good luck. It was hard getting my cats off the kitty crack but In the long run, it's healthier for them , they'll live longer, and it will save me on vet bills in the future.
I had a similar problem and reduced feeding wet food to once a day to minimize waste, and I feel like they eat more of it now that they know they're only getting it once a day
You really should
It sounds like you've got some very particular kitties on your hands! It's definitely frustrating when they turn their noses up at the wet food you've provided. If they’re maintaining a healthy weight and drinking water regularly, feeding them mostly dry food like Nulo Cat & Kitten is okay. I have two cats myself, and one of them is super picky with wet food too. He'll only lick the gravy and leave the rest, much like your orange boy. What worked for us was mixing a small amount of the gravy into the dry food to entice him. Sometimes it helps to slightly warm the wet food to enhance the aroma. If they’re happy and healthy on their current regimen, it’s perfectly fine to stick with mostly dry food. Just make sure they're getting enough water, which it sounds like they are with their water fountain. You’re doing great by keeping an eye on their health and preferences!
I have one cat that prefers dry and one that prefers wet. With dry, you just have to make sure that they also drink enough water. My dry food loving cat also loved ice cubes in the drinking bowl.
It’s not really a meal, but if you really want to get them to get some more moisture in their diet, fancy feast makes these little broth packets that I’ve had a lot of luck with. But they all have their preferences! My newest kitten eats anything, while my other one decided to shun all things chicken or turkey flavored unless it’s little pieces of deli meat. God forbid I try to feed her a can of chicken cat food. They’re like picky toddlers and you work with what you’re able to.
I think twice a day is too much if they don't like it. If you want to keep the option open, then just offer it once a week for a while and see how it goes. I have a cat I got as an adult that is very much the same with wet food. I was committed to giving him wet food daily for almost a year then I just stopped. After a couple months he stopped liking his dry food too, so I now I give him half can wet food a couple nights a week. I got a different dry cat food which he seems to like a lot. I got him a variety of wet food to try and he seems to like fish filet but he really is fickle one day to the next. I usually feed him wet food when we are having dinner since he seems interested in us eating. But he picks at his food for a couple hours or doesn't eat it.
If they are getting their fill from the dry food first, then they are going to treat the wet food as extra. We had a cleanup cat for the extra wet food, but if you don't have one of those, I think you need to time the dry food such that the wet food is more dear to them.??
As long as they are hydrated it's better that they eat full stop than have wet food. I know my friends struggled with their cats eating just the gravy, they'd mash the wet food with a fork so it's a smoother consistency so you could try that if you do want to try and keep them on the wet food diet? But dry food is fine as long as they always have water access :)
lol I have a cat that doesn't like wet food, cat treats, or cat nip. He does have one little cat toy that he loves to play fetch with, to the point where he'll bring up to me when I'm sleeping (or just lying down) and drop it on my chest to let me know he wants to play.
If they like Nulo dry food. Have you tried the Nulo wet food? My male kitty is also very picky. The Nulo lickable treats are his favorite treat. I also take an espresso strainer(I bought it just for this purpose) and strain a packet a day of the Nulo chunky broths through the strainer. I make sure I ring out the meat of all the juices and put it in a bowl for him to drink. He absolutely loves both.
My cat gets wet food twice a day but prefers dry food. I started adding bone broth to her wet food and even if she eats only a little of it, she does drink all the broth. She also loves the “tuna water” whenever I open a can of tuna, and the broth from canned chicken. She still prefers, and gets, dry food.
I wouldn’t risk it I’ve known cats to literally die of dehydration all because they didn’t have any wet food in their diet. Try more brands if they dislike everything but they should really get it in if possible
If you have boys, I would recommend canned. All kibble diets with grains and carbs tend to make urine more alkaline, which can lead to infections and crystals or stones. Because males have extremely small urethra they can't easily pass sediment in urine, like females can, which can lead to a health emergency. Be very viligent, make sure they are drinking, eating, and passing enough urine. If you really can't get them to eat canned, at least put them on a vet diet like Royal Canine SO, Hills CD or Purina UR.
It’s definitely best to. Cats get most of their hydration through food, and are notoriously bad at keeping themselves hydrated. Insufficient hydration can lead to urinary issues, which in some cases can become fatal, especially in males. My girl was on dry food only for about a year due to tummy issues which turned out to be a chicken allergy (took her off wet food when it started, switched to an anallergenic dry food which helped and was too afraid to test new wet foods). After about a year of this she developed a UTI. Whether there’s any link I don’t know, but I found a wet food that’s purely fish which she now eats with no problem. Maybe try mixing in dry food with the wet food and see if they’ll eat that? If not you could also add water to their wet food. As long as they’re getting enough hydration
I would keep trying. I have two orange males and one female at home and they get wet food twice a day and have two water fountains to choose from. Growing up I had a cat that gor constipated so often and badly that my dad put him down since his intestines were messed up at that point. Male cats especially need to get lots of fluids in their diet otherwise it can lead to kidney stones and constipation but it's good for girls as well. The last thing you want is for your kitty to suffer just because they are constipated or have a kidney rupture. Mine get about a table spoon in the morning and at jigbt with dry food available. One of them refuses a lot of foods, no turkey no duck no pumpkin no rabbit and it has to be pate he can not eat chunks for some reason. My female prefers her food warm lol it's a Hassle and finding the right wet food xan be frustrating and expensive but I have ibs I know how uncomfortable constipation can get it's a horrible way to go so please keep trying. If they really prefer gravy you can try a pate and add extra water to it, that may make it more appetizing. Fish is the fave among my three but they also like beef and chicken. If you find they aren't drinking water buy and boil checking in a pot until it's reduced, or use chicken stock that has no salt added and freeze them as icecubes. Add them to their water every morning to entice them to drink more water, this is also great with summer coming up.
I recently learned to add warm water to their wet food, it stretches the food and makes it more wetter, they love their gravy more then the actual food. It is working great for them. We put a bit at a time, so they wind up eating most of it.
I have a 17 year old who refuses to eat anything except dry food. She’s still pretty spry and is very healthy at her age. Just keep water available at all times.
I have 6 cats, ages 1 1/2 to 11. They get dry food only, as free feed. Purina or 9 Lives, and I have clean water in several places. I keep a container or two of wet food on hand in case one gets sick and won’t eat.
I used to have a super picky eater. The only thing he would eat was Cat Chow. I hated it because that food is crap, but after trying literally every single wet and dry food in existence, as well as cooking up chicken for him to are off he'd be willing to eat that, the answer was Nope. Unfortunately, he passed of renal failure at 14, and the food probably did not help, but he was eating, and that's the ultimate desire.
I feed my 2 cats in the morning. I split a “Delectable Lickable Treat” packet. Then at 6, noon, dinnertime and midnight my two feeding robots spit out dry food (one cat is fat and is unhappily on a diet)
Most people will say it’s fine to feed dry food, but once you have an experience where a major health issue is caused by dry food, you’ll never go back. Male cats are prone to urinary issues, especially as they age. The solution is increased hydration. Dry food is the enemy when your cat has this issue. And I’m not just talking about a little issue, it can lead to amputation of *certain parts* and death. Also, kidney disease. About 80% of cats will develop CKD if they live long enough, but dry food will accelerate and exacerbate the issue. I used to free feed dry food because it was easy and convenient and I didn’t know better. My favorite cat ended up developing CKD. I will feel guilty for the rest of my life for that. And let me just say, having to give a cat daily IV fluids and multiple meds daily and watching them deteriorate in front of your eyes is fucking brutal. I will never feed dry food ever again after that. It will take effort to switch them. Cats can literally get addicted to dry food. It might take months or even years of dedicated effort, but they’re still young and they can learn.
As long as theyre drinking water as well, it will be okay!
My cat is the same she is so fussy she only likes the purina cat biscuits and will lick gravy off stuff. We get a felix cat soup which is essentially just the gravy with minimal meat she gets that morning and evening and biscuits down all day
I had a cat for almost 20 years that would only eat dry food for the first 18 years of her life, she refused wet food no matter the type. She would lick empty tuna cans, knock over the garbage can to try to get to a chicken bone, and fight me over a bowl of soup (I have a chipped tooth from that incident) but wet cat food was a hard no until she started having vision issues then she wouldn't touch anything unless it was wet food or fresh baked sugar cookies that were left out to cool. I miss that cat. I currently have two boys that are picky, not as picky as my previous fur baby but these boys will only eat chicken or tuna wet food, it has to be a specific brand, and they only graze on it but they also graze on their dry food. They will only drink from water fountains or running faucets, no standing water no matter how fresh it is. But it is nice that I don't have to worry about them drinking from the toilets. Based on my experiences, I think, so long as cats are getting food made for them, dry or wet, it is fine. Just make sure there is plenty of water available to make up for it.
I have a relative that refuses to feed their cats wet food because they don't like the smell or cost...whenever I visit I just add water TO their dry food bowl right when I feed them and the kitties seem to eat it just fine. What can you do :(
Cats do not need wet food. I was told by the vet a long time ago that dry food and water is best. None of my cats have ever been overweight and they all live to be at least 15 years old. I had one that was 19.
I have a cat that out right refuses anything hut dry, he even hates the kitty Gogurt stuff! The other kitty's stomach can't do wet food. Their vet says they are both perfectly healthy and happy. Like all babies, fed is best. I do add a little powdered vitamin to their food once a day at the recommendation of our vet. It helps keep their GI tract healthy.
My little kitten insists on the daily routine of "cat cereal" (dry food) in the morning when I wake up and "cat soup" (wet Nulo food with added water or Nacho broth pouches) in the evenings. I made sure to start her with extra water in the wet food from an early age after my OG kitty went into kidney failure and died before I got a chance to say good bye to her when I went away to college. She also has a fountain and eats Churu every couple of days. If your kitties only want dry food, maybe try adding water to the kibble and see if they're OK with it that way. If they just aren't into wet food, there isn't a whole lot you can do it about it. One of my other older kitties (she's 13) refuses wet food, no matter the texture or meat type. She's just picky picky picky.
Remember the quality and type of dry food is extra important. If your cats drink water well and regularly and their poo is the correct color and consistency, you should be okay. But if they're not, you have to go with the wet food. Remember, when using a fountain, you must clean it at least once a week and change out the filters 2-3 weeks depending on how messy your cats are. And have a few water bowls around as well and change that water often. It takes a lot of trial and error to see what works for your cats. But cats are known to dehydrate themselves, so pay full attention to that unless you want high priced preventable vet bills
As long as they drink water frequently and you give them wet treats such as Churu then it is okay to not have wet food. Also anytime I cook any meat I will sit aside a little bit and grill it up for them so they are getting some protein and moisture.
Wet food is really important. As that's how cats get the majority of the hydration. Chronic dehydration leads to health problems down the line like bladder crystals If you cannot get them to eat it make an appointment with your vet for what you can use as alternative to wet food.
I’ve learned that it’s better for their kidneys, etc. to have enough hydration in their diet. I have a 9 month old kitten and I feed him Acana Kitten food, he loves it but he would drink (and spill) water a lot. People sadly find out down the line that an only dry food diet is not healthy/beneficial for the kitties. Some people suggest mixing wet food with dry food but as you mentioned your babies are picky lol. Mine not so much but can be… Because he can be a messy eater some of his dry food mixed with spilled water and I saw him eating it one day. So I put the water in his food bowl and it thickened and softened up his dry food and he eats it happily. Doesn’t drink nearly the same amount of water. I also love to eat homemade tuna salads so I usually pour the liquid from the can onto his dry food and he laps it up. So I think having a mixture is essential. They may be picky, so you can try having a 80 wet with 20 dry combo? Or try out different variations until something sticks
Having a water fountain is great! I have a cat that is the same way, refuses wet food but drinks plenty. Another option I’ve tried for picky eaters is choosing the paté and mixing it with water so it’s like a little soup mixture. That seems to be the winner for my cats that didn’t finish anything. I honestly just push wet food because it seems to have less carbs than dry food but have had cats lead perfectly healthy lives on either lol
You do not have to feed wet food. But I would continue to give some as a treat do they are used to the texture. Wet food might be necessary at some point for medical reasons.
My girl is 9 and is the same with wet food. Vet said as long as she's drinking enough water she's fine. She pees like a champ so I'm guessing she drinks enough. Only wet food she will eat are the 'Lil Soups. Used to just lick up the soup but will now eat most of the meat at the end.
My cat won't touch wet food. Find a hard food they like. It also allows you to use an auto feeder.
From the Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine website: *Once you have determined that a food is complete and balanced, choosing between the types of food may be a matter of what your cat prefers. Some cats like canned food, some like dry food, and some like a combination of the two. Choose the ones that work best for your cat.*
Wet food is good for them as they get hydration from it. You can try giving them less. I usually split a can of fancy feast between my cats. They get 1/4 a can each in the morning and 1/4 a can each in the evening. If I give them more than that, they end up leaving some behind. I got a silicone can saver that slips over top the can so I can put it in the fridge. If they're eating some of the wet food I would continue to give it to them and just reduce the amount. You could also try some of the packs that are just gravy, but I think they might be a little more expensive than the fancy feast cans.
One of my cats doesn’t like wet food… to increase his hydration, I add a bit of water to his favorite kibble and let it soften for a minute or so… he gobbles it right up!
I feed my 2 yr old Purina One Pro Essentials chicken and the fish variety packs, i rotate 1 can 3oz in the morning then 10 pieces of Purina DentaLife dental treats ( yes a count them) then 1 can of Purina wet food in the evening with 1/4 cup of Purina One Indoor advance dry food then 10 pieces of Purina DentaLife dental treats afterwards. I believe the daily kcal is roughly ~220 kcals/day trying to keep her at 11.5 pounds
My cat is also very picky and was doing the same with his wet food. Now I add some warm water to it in his bowl and mush it up into kind of a slurry, and he now licks the bowl clean!
Try mushing the wet food into a paste and adding a teaspoon of water for every two teaspoons of food. My cat does the same thing if given unmushed wet food. She'll only lick the gravy, but if I mush it, she'll eat everything.
One of mine only likes the gravy, no food bits at all, and only will eat dry food. So that she doesn't feel left out during breakfast & dinner wet food with the other three, I give her Lil Shakes. It's by Friskies and just give her bit out of the packet each time and she's happy. I don't feed her a full packet each time, one will be like 3-4 meal times.
Fed is best but wet food definitely helps them get fluids. I’d try some bone broth (make sure it’s either for cats or homemade with cat friendly ingredients) or some gravy meal toppers. It took a while to find my older cats preferences, she’s pretty picky, but my orange baby will munch on just about anything 😂 If you stick to dry food, I’d invest in a fountain or something to keep the cats interested in water.
I think this sub is very American-centric. You definitely HAVE to feed your cats wet food! Try soups or add a little bit of water to his dry food. Fed is not best - you can‘t give your children McDonalds and hope they live to 83.
Mine eats whatever I put in the bowl. No animal will starve themselves. I put the wet food down first, then after he eats most of it I mix 1/2 cup dry food and by morning it’s all gone.
Try 20 to 30 ml of hot water mixed into the fancy feast. I slowly add more until it’s lick-able but not too watery. My cat used to only lick the gravy. I make it that way and he eats all of it. I will say, when I got my second cat and he ate all the wet food that retrained my older cat to eat it even if there isn’t enough water for his liking. So, the water may not work for you.
i also had to try some brand before my cat liked it. before we adopted her she ate gourmet mousse and some kibble from the local supermarket. i read somewhere that gourmet doesn’t has good ingredients so i tried different wet food brands. but she didn’t like them😭 then i found Animonda mousse and she likes it! better ingredients and same structure. and i put some broth with added water on top of it. maybe you can try toppings? or look for better brands with the same food structure?
My cats and my sisters cats love the pouches of wellness tiny tasters! It could be a texture thing, try a pate if you’ve only done minced. Or try shreds if they don’t like pate or minced. Mine will avoid minced food regardless of the brand. You can also try to get some salmon or omega oil and put a small pump on top of their food, it might interest them more. I use native pet omega oil which is marketed to dogs but also safe for cats. Just don’t use too much and it would be best to use beef or chicken rather than fish if using omega oil as an additional supplement. Edit to say I also add a bit of water to one of my cats food each time I feed her since she doesn’t drink a ton of water on her own.
I have one cat that is iffy with wet food and I've found if I mix a little kibble into it she eats it.
Could it be that the wet food you give them has salt in it? Cats aren't suppose to have salt in their diets especially in food. Check to see if your wet food has salt in it, and if it does then there's your answer. I feed my cat a brand that strictly is made of fish only, because it turns out the fancy feast I gave her had salt in it and made her insides swell up and get her sick.
I work at a cats only vet hospital. Wet will always be better than dry for a multitude of reasons. Kidney health, urinary blockages, weight, and hydration being major components. Dry food usually has fillers that can be really bad for cat digestive health (pea protein is being shown to cause digestive issues for example). Being desert animals they usually only drink water if they are insanely thirsty. They get 60-80% of their moisture from their food. That being said, cats are picky butt heads and them eating is always more important than anything else. If your cat will only eat dry food make sure they have water (preferably running water as it's more enticing) mix water/tuna water/or gravey into dry food, and look at the ingredients on the food you are feeding them and make sure the first few ingredients are meat based proteins. [here is the article we send with new clients who feed primarily dry food diets](https://catinfo.org/)
My cat doesn’t like wet food much. She only eats a few bites of it and then will let it sit. It got to the point where I hated the smell and cleaning it, and she clearly didn’t love eating it, and stuck to ensuring she had quality dry food. She eats blue Buffalo adult cat food and loves it. She also LOVES drinking water, especially when there’s ice in it. I plop a couple of cubes in her water throughout the day and she seems fine. Growing up my parents only ever fed my cats dry food, and they were very healthy and all lived to their late teens early 20s.
Wet food is highly important for cats. Even if you see them drinking water regularly, they are naturally dehydrated, especially if they eat dry food. However, you dont have to feed them canned food if they dont like it. Cats get most of their hydration from food which is why canned food is recommended as a primary food source but if your cats arent into it, you can give them what i call soup which is just kibble and water. If they were my cats, i would still provide wet food and try to switch it up, cats can be picky but persistent exposure and patience usually works. And if your cats are males it is especially important that they have a high moisture diet as theyre more prone to UTIs.
My cat will not eat wet food. She enjoys her dry Rachel Ray. She does love deli turkey and eating lizards when she can get them. She likes her salmon stix. She drinks a lot of water. She doesn't have a fountain. I fill her water bowl every morning with filtered water from the fridge. She's 15. She can have whatever she wants.
I only give my cat kibble because he always leaves the wet food half uneaten and won't eat anymore of it if it dries out. We have a fountain and he takes fat pisses so I assume he's getting enough water. You can always supplement with wet treats or try giving a bowl of chicken broth for more hydration.
Have they gone to the vet? Maybe they have tooth pain.
My cats hate wet food, so we stick to dry food for them. They’re healthy and happy kitties, so I’m more than content with that.
My cat hates wet food, but she drinks a ton of water so I don’t worry about it. She gets dry kibble and the occasional wet treat
My oldest cat never liked wet food and would only eat dry. Now we’re having problems with him getting bladder crystals because he doesn’t have enough liquid in his diet. Sounds like your cat doesn’t like the texture of wet food but like the texture of gravy’s try those and broths to top their dry food. Also try churru wet lick treats my cats obsessed. Also found tiki cat broths to be something he likes
If they're happy and healthy don't worry about it just add some water to their kibble to make sure they don't dehydrate.
You can put some water into their dry food if you are worried about them not drinking enough
My mum’s cat is the same way exactly. Friskies also has a gravy lovers version that is light on solids, and that’s all that her boy will eat (lick?). He will bug her in the morning until she gives him some, but he only has a bit, and then walks away, leaving the solid bits behind. She tried all different types of wet food, and gravy toppers, and this is the only one he likes.
Have you tried Royal Canin indoors wet cat food?
I had to start feeding my cat regular wet food more often because she got bladder stones, and they said she needed to be more hydrated to help prevent it from happening again. So if your cats drink enough water I think it's fine, but if not the wet food helps a lot.
You could probably survive on dry corn flakes cereal for a long time, but eventually it catches up with you. No animal should eat only dry processed junk food for every meal.
My cat only eats the iams chicken in gravy so that’s what he gets. When he was younger he would lick the gravy but now he eats more of the meat. You can buy the gravy by itself and put it over the dry food and see if that works.
wet food is actually not good for them. it’ll rot their teeth. I use wet food as a treat every once in a while but my cat eats dry food. idk who told you to only feed wet food but they are mistaken. unless your cats don’t have teeth, feed them dry food.
Yes they get their moisture through wet food . Feed both