people who feed raw food--help with fussy eater

So I've switched my two siamese cats to a complete raw food diet. Thankfully Zumi, the one who had IBD, seems pretty happy with it and is eating fine. And no more diarrhea!

But Misaki, the older one, is being a real PITA! At first she loved the food and couldn't get enough of it. But then the novelty wore off (as it always does with her--she always loves new food for a few days and then gets bored and stops eating) and now she turns her nose up at it. She's super skinny, too!

I tried putting in some sheba (it's just cooked chicken) and that helped for like a day or two. Then that got old. Now she won't touch it at all. Then she'll get so hungry she'll finally wolf it down and then throw it up.

She's such a diva!



Any suggestions for her? Thanks!

I had success with Lucia on raw because of IBD too. It completely cleared up and she loves her raw food. It is such a relief when the diarrhea is over. Not to mention the smell...
I would rotate the meats so that she does not have a chance to get bored. I recently started rotating-chicken, turkey, beef, lamb and duck. Maybe even offer different brands. Sooner or later she will be hooked.

Originally Posted by Meezer

But Misaki, the older one, is being a real PITA! At first she loved the food and couldn't get enough of it. But then the novelty wore off (as it always does with her--she always loves new food for a few days and then gets bored and stops eating) and now she turns her nose up at it.

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Yup, that's my Zara also. I don't have a tried and proven solution yet but what I am trying is to first treat her just like the other 2 non-raw eaters by adding the raw gradually to her processed food until she (and hopefully the others) are eating all raw. After that, if she still sometimes won't eat the raw, I'll give her a good quality canned food in the hope that she just needs a break from the raw. Over time I'm hoping she will accept eating only raw. If not, some raw and some canned isn't a terrible solution.

Despite being finicky she maintains a good weight so I don't worry too much about it but for long term good health I want her to eat at least mostly raw.

I'm looking forward to what others have to say!

I caved! She didn't even bother showing up for breakfast today. So I noticed that I had some old cans on nutro and I offered her some of it and she just about choked on it trying to stuff it in her face so fast.

She at that fine today and I was able to keep Zumi from getting it. I think this would be ok if I can just keep Zumi from getting the Nutro which isn't hard if Saki eats it all at once.

I don't mind if Saki isn't eating the raw food. She's not the one who needs it. But I think the problem is that she'll love this food today and maybe for a few days and then it's like old news and she won't want it anymore. It can't be good to keep changing her food. And I've tired adding a little of the stuff she doesn't like to the stuff she likes but she just won't eat it. She'll eat around it.

Originally Posted by Meezer

I caved!

She didn't even bother showing up for breakfast today. So I noticed that I had some old cans on nutro and I offered her some of it and she just about choked on it trying to stuff it in her face so fast.

She at that fine today and I was able to keep Zumi from getting it. I think this would be ok if I can just keep Zumi from getting the Nutro which isn't hard if Saki eats it all at once.

I don't mind if Saki isn't eating the raw food. She's not the one who needs it. But I think the problem is that she'll love this food today and maybe for a few days and then it's like old news and she won't want it anymore. It can't be good to keep changing her food. And I've tired adding a little of the stuff she doesn't like to the stuff she likes but she just won't eat it. She'll eat around it.

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Cleo is my PITA cat about food. All of the other kitties will eat homemade food. But not him. He wants his Rad Cat. He will refuse to eat. So I cave. When I went to the petstore the lady who owns the store told me that her raw food eater will only eat Rad Cat too. She told me some cats are addicted to it. I felt better about it but it is still irritating. I have 5 that love anything raw but he is the picky one. He is very healthy so it is ok but it would be so much easier if I could pull ONE package out of the freezer instead I have to make sure his bowl is safe from the others.

Sometimes it is best to take a little break. Let her eat the nutro for two days and then begin again. Try a different flavor.
What flavor does she like in the canned? Do you think it is a texture thing or temp thing?

Originally Posted by Meezer

But I think the problem is that she'll love this food today and maybe for a few days and then it's like old news and she won't want it anymore. It can't be good to keep changing her food. And I've tired adding a little of the stuff she doesn't like to the stuff she likes but she just won't eat it. She'll eat around it.

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I don't think there is anything wrong with bouncing her back and forth between raw and canned if she goes through times when she rejects one or the other. So maybe try giving her the canned for a few days then try raw again. Could be over time she will come to want only the raw. And if not, she still has a good chance of living a long healthy life even if she pnly eats good, low carb canned food. IMHO

What she likes about the canned food is that it's new. It's something different. She always does this. Any time there is a new food she's crazy for it for a few days, sometimes, if I'm lucky, weeks!, then it gets boring and her appetite for it declines and then if I give her something new she's excited about it all over again.

She was this way with the raw food when I first gave it to her. I blame myself for it partially because I switched their food so much in the past trying to find something that would fix Zumi's IBD. But also, Saki is really just a total Prima Donna.

I'm not one to anthropomorphize but I swear she just has this entitled attitude. She was a grand champion in the show ring before I got her. It's ironic because she acts like she knows that she was (I don't think she does but it's just funny). She screams a lot when I have company over. She doesn't like it so she goes upstairs and screams like someone is killing her. She bites my hair and pulls it if I don't get up early enough to feed her.

She'll meow really loudly and in an upset way if you pick her up when she doesn't expect it. She's a queen. My other one, Zumi isn't like this at all. Siamese you know? LOL

It would be great if she stays liking the Nutro. She ate a small can this morning and another at night and that's a lot of food for her. I was sure I was going to come home to find vomit all over the carpet--she does this a lot when she eats too fast or too much. But nope. It would be so nice if she could gain a pound.

Thanks for everyone's thoughts.