Best food for toothless cat ?

A couple of years ago, my 13 year old had most of his teeth removed -
I thought he would have a really hard time eating but he has done OK - still craving his dry food every day until recently.

Lately he has gotten very fussy about food
Seems like he is still interested in eating - whines for food first thing in morning as he always has, etc.
But doesn't seem to go for the dry food anymore.
(BTW the other two cats here aren't too excited about it either, so it may just be a stale bag or something)

Also, when I feed him wet food he eats some then goes away, seemingly still hungry because he comes and waits for scraps of whatever I'm eating.
I have tried chunky style wet food and also the mushy stuff. With the chunky kind he seems to just lick off the gravy and leave the chunks

Finally, he usually Loves to eat little pieces of chicken or shrimp that we have around from dinner. But now he can't seem to chew them well so he leaves them behind.

This is all within the last couple of weeks

2 other factors :
1. He has a chronic sinusitis - vet told us to give him a course of antibiotic whenever he starts sneezing frequently - so we do, and it clears up. His last antibiotic run was a few weeks ago.
2. It has also been very hot and humid here, which I know affects everyone's appetite, but I'm worried about him when on a fairly cool night like tonight, he can't get excited about or chew some pieces of chicken.

Any ideas what to feed him ? Brands, styles of food ?
Have to be away next week and I want to leave something reliable for the person who's looking after my cats.

I would first get him vet checked before you go away, just to be safe.

Meow Mix wet cups are OK quality & stinky....they might be a good food to try. Otherwise, I know Wellness's new formula has very small kibble & my toothless baby girl loves it.

My toothless boy does that sometimes. He'll eat something fine for awhile, then suddenly act like he can't eat it or wants nothing to do with it. I tried a bunch of samples of different dry foods, and *finally* found one recently he will eat (Solid Gold). He actually didn't like any of the ones I tried with tiny little pieces. He seems to like shaped ones rather than round - I think they're easier for him to pick up.

The Meow Mix cups are what I feed him for wet when he won't eat anything else, but I'd never keep him on them long-termly, as he would have to eat A LOT of them to keep up his weight. Generally, I just have to keep rotating in new things for him to try.

He can eat chunks if I cut them up, his favorite used to be the Nutro Max Cat, but they got recalled. :/ Now the ones he likes best seem to be the grain-free Wellness flavors with fish, Solid Gold Tuna, Innova, Evangers (sometimes.. he's weird about that one), and occasionally Felidae. Half the time he'll also eat a little then leave. Generally, if I leave the food out for awhile, he'll go back to it, especially if I'm in the same room with him. He loves the Sheba in the gold tubs, but he has trouble eating the shredded pieces, so often leaves at least half behind.

So.. yeah.. my boy has gotten so random and picky that I'm not really sure what to tell you. Since you'll be away, I agree that a vet check-up beforehand is a good idea, especially since it's the first time he's acted like this.

I agree with the vet check if this is out of character. I have had toothless cats and they have been able to eat anything - the last one could even manage raw meat as long as it was in small enough pieces. Good luck, and fingers crossed it is just the weather - or his sinusitis, in which case heating his food could help.

I like the suggestion re. the vet visit - and booktigger made a good point about his sinuses...if you warm the food slightly it gives it a stronger smell. Cats won't eat what they can't smell, so that might help.

If he's having trouble manipulating the food, you might try a different type of dish. If you're using a bowl, try a plate. Some like their food spread out in little bites and some like a nice steep "pile" of food. I would experiment with some of that to see if you get better results.

I know mine are a little reluctant to eat when it's hot. Now I'm giving them a big meal in the morning and a lighter one around bedtime. That seems to have upped the food enthusiasm here.

He has some teeth left? Maybe one of them is bothering him now.

You might have an idea about stale dry food, since the others aren't too excited about it either. Maybe pick up a fresh bag.

I got a mini blender, and if my cat doesn’t want to eat, I make him smoothies.   He likes that.  Any canned food will do, but pate and the ones with sauces work best in a blender.

My cats haven't been eating well in the hot weather either (toothless or not)...but if I sprinkle some dehydrated chicken pieces or Bonita flakes on top they usually eat better.