Encouraging a picky eater to eat wet food.

[Poe]

Hi.

I was wondering if anyone has any tips for making canned food more appealing to a picky eater. I used to give my cat, Poe, about a tablespoon of wet food a couple times a day, but gave up because he would only eat the first offering and then would reject subsequent meals from the same can (refrigerated with tight lid, of course). Although the strays in the neighbourhood loved helping out with the leftovers, I eventually just gave up and now feed him dry food, dry treats, and the occasional cleaned off, cooled down bit of fish from my own dinner.

He seems to be healthy and a sporadic yet good drinker, but I know sometimes male cats get urinary infections and want to make sure he remains healthy as he ages (he's almost two).

And, by the way, he doesn't really go crazy about tuna, either. Canned salmon he'll eat, but with the same problem.

If anyone has any advice, I would appreciate it.

Thanks in advance.

[chico2]

Poe,my 3 cats split one small can,so no leftovers.But if you have to put it in the fridge,either add some hot water,or microwave it for a bit...mine would not eat cold food from the fridge either.
Make the food nice and moist,easy enough for the cat to lap up.

[gomez]

Try mixing in some of his dry food to make it crunchy, also the hot water trick works a treat -

Our 2 used to be fed dry mostly, with wet food as a treat once in a while, it was only when they got sick and had to eat some sort of special wet food that they did not like that we tried these tricks...

[StaceyB]

Cats should not eat fish. It can cause Stititis. If your cat gets enough water they don't need wet food. Wet food is not nutritionally balanced and is 80% water.

[chico2]

StaceyB,I do not agree...I believe the wet food is very important,mine get both,if for no other reason than to make their dinners more interesting.
A looong time ago,a wonderful vet I had,after having had my 3 yr old Maine Coon put down with serious kidney-problems said"Never feed a cat only dry food"! Some cats drink a lot of water,others don't .
Mind you,in those days the only dry food available was Purina Cat Chow,but dry food is just that,DRY,even though today we have an awful lot to choose from.
I would never feed my 3 male neutered cats only dry food...it is available to them 24/7,but it's more like a snack-food.

[StaceyB]

Crystals are usually formed when a cat doesn't get enough fluids. If they do there is no problem. Canned food is lacking nutritionally. It doesn't have enough taurine for one. I don't recommend feeding any grocery food. Grocery foods are made up mainly of corn. Cats are mainly carnivores.
If the cat drinks enough water there is no need for canned, especially not fish. For cat's that tend not to get enough water, the fountain water dishes usually help. If a cat is on a canned diet they need to take supplements.

[Poe]

Thanks for the advice. I'll experiment with the temperature and the moistness/crunchiness balance until he either lets me know what he likes or rejects wet food altogether.

I tend to agree with the varied approach to feeding a cat and am not planning on switching to wet food entirely--even when he was starving and considering me for adoption he didn't eat much of it--but I want to give it a go because these dry treats I feed him now have maximum daily allowances on them that worry me... are they kitty crack?

[StaceyB]

Why don't you add water to your dry food if you need to add fluids. If you put hot water in it will absorb quickly.

[gomez]

Welllll, our little Figaro died as a result of FUS and crystals, he always drank plenty of water, always ate the right food, etc... you get the idea - these crystals happen - so whether they need canned food or not, I think is another story...

Vet always said, anything in moderation, they had their dry food down all day and got wet as a treat - they did not need the water fountain, they were always well hydrated....

Oh and they got applesauce, tuna and yogurt as treats every once in a while, no "kity crack" ! !!

[StaceyB]

I am sorry you lost your kitty.

[Prin]

So even the absolute best canned foods for kitties aren't good enough?

[Prin]

I was looking up Wellness kitty food for another thread, and all their canned foods have taurine.
Wellness Wet Cat food

[StaceyB]

Yes they all have it but it is not enough and it breaks down too quickly.

[Poe]

Apparently, he likes it microwaved, about seven seconds, no water or crunchy things please.

My dry food has taurine, and omega 3 and 6 which the bag claims make his hair shiny--and it does! I should get my own omega balance right...

[mona_b]

Originally Posted by Prin

So even the absolute best canned foods for kitties aren't good enough?

Yes they are.....

The canned food "reduces" the chances of neutered cats getting crystals.

My cats have always gotten both canned and dried.Dry is down 27/7.And they get canned for breakie,lunch and dinner.They only get about a teaspoon.

Actually,what I have read about crystals is that has nothing to do with cats not getting enough fluids.It has to do with the magnesium and PH levels.The higher the PH(the more alcoline)the higher the chances of crystals.And it's the acidity that reduces it.

[Prin]

Originally Posted by mona_b

Yes they are.....

The canned food "reduces" the chances of neutered cats getting crystals.

My cats have always gotten both canned and dried.Dry is down 27/7.And they get canned for breakie,lunch and dinner.They only get about a teaspoon.

Actually,what I have read about crystals is that has nothing to do with cats not getting enough fluids.It has to do with the magnesium and PH levels.The higher the PH(the more alcoline)the higher the chances of crystals.And it's the acidity that reduces it.

LOL If only there were 27 hours in the day!!

I also have heard about the magnesium and pH causing the crystals, but it also makes sense that more small crystals would be flushed out if the kitty was urinating a ton than if they just sat there all day and accumulated. Just a thought.

[mona_b]

Originally Posted by Prin

LOL If only there were 27 hours in the day!!

Oopsie....LMFAO

Actually me too......

[gomez]

Originally Posted by mona_b

Actually,what I have read about crystals is that has nothing to do with cats not getting enough fluids.It has to do with the magnesium and PH levels.The higher the PH(the more alcoline)the higher the chances of crystals.And it's the acidity that reduces it.

Exactly, but once they have started it is very difficult process to stop, apparently some kitties are just predisposed to this type of thing, some foods help, like you say, but nothing will take them away, unfortunately... it would be great if there was a food (wet or dry) that could solve the problem of crystals and FUS, imagine how rich these people would be?!

[mona_b]

I have been reading up on Carpon.

A vet started working on this in the 70"s

This is what was said about it.

Carpon embraces all of the qualities and characteristics to make for an exceptional urinary acidifier. It is composed of a natural botanical berry extract (vaccinium macrocarpon) in tablet form which prevents the formation of struvite crystals. It has proven to be the "magic bullet" needed to treat, prevent, and control FLUTD -- without drug side effects or toxicity.

[Poe]

"Vaccinium macrocarpon" is just a fancy way of saying "cranberry." I know cranberry helps human urinary infections, I wonder if they're just extending the same idea to cats.