When your cat is picky, what's a good "sure-bet" wet food?

firedancer722 · Nov 4, 2008

I am trying to get my cat eat more wet food but he is really not cooperating. I have tried natural balance Ultra formula, wellness turkey pate style, meow mix market selects chicken and liver flavor, nutro max cat beef and egg skillet chunk style. He licks at the gravy on the chunky stuff and turns his nose up to the pate style.

I have tried heating it just a bit and that doesn't seem to matter.

Can someone give me suggestions on a healthy wet food that almost every cat likes??

Thanks!!!

Candace

yosemite · Nov 4, 2008

I tried most of them too until I got Merricks. Even then, they won't eat any fish flavours and didn't like the Cowboy Cookout. So at least I have them eating Thanksgiving Day Dinner and Granny's Pot Pie - that's it!

rang_27 · Nov 4, 2008

When Jordan was really sick he at the Merrick's for a while, but then stopped. I was able to get him to eat Weruva while he was still not feeling well. He's still geting Weruva, but be aware that it is a lower calorie food so it can cause weight loss if that is all your feeding.

mimosa · Nov 5, 2008

I won't name specific brands as they sell different ones here, but most cats like anything with tuna and I found my cats are crazy about anything with cheese, especially my most picky eater.

alleygirl · Nov 5, 2008

The one my cats go nuts for every time is Avoderm Select chicken chunks and gravy.

althekitty · Nov 5, 2008

Oh my gosh, I feel your pain!! My cat is soooo fussy, he won't eat anything with jelly, nothing pate style, no fish. I have found that applause is one that he loves but he gets bored of it too. He will eat natures menu and hi-life but its not always a guarantee! Good luck!

firedancer722 · Nov 5, 2008

Thank you all! I had a bit of success this morning with another food, Fromm 4-star Chicken, Duck, & Salmon pate. His dry food bowl had probably been empty since he woke me up at 4am meowing but I didn't get up. I put a few tablespoons of the Fromm in his bowl and he ate every bit of it... I put a bit more and he ate almost all of that!

I'm hoping he doesn't get bored of it! Will try some more tonight.

phillygal · Nov 5, 2008

Fancy Feast always was a winner with my tabby boy. He liked the beef and the turkey, but minced, which was not always easy to find. And Fancy Feast makes "special" Florentine foods which I would purchase occasionally for a treat (when they were on sale!!

). He liked them, but they looked a little too rich, so I did not use them too often. The Florentine foods are available in chicken, turkey and fish.

littleraven7726 · Nov 5, 2008

Another Fancy Feast vote here. Nabu is about as picky as they get. He likes Friskies, Fancy Feast, and sometimes Meow Mix pouches (he decided he's not a big fan of them suddenly a while back). The nice thing is Friskies and Fancy Feast have so many flavors if he goes off his food I can usually find something he'll eat.

We've tried all the "healthy" foods. Only one of my cats even sort of likes them, and at the price I can't afford $1-$2 a can on a student's budget. Especially since I feed three 5.5 oz cans per day.

The new Friskies Indoor Selects are something I can get Nabu excited about sometimes. I think he knows it's not FF Florentines though.

beturtlement · Nov 5, 2008

For Niko, the 'sure bet' food is Nutro Natural Choice pouches, either the chicken & liver or the turkey & giblets. I can basically get him to eat anything if I mix a little of that in, which has been a big money saver (especially after I bought a case of food he decided he was bored with after two servings). As I think of it now, he's a big fan of anything with liver being high on the ingredient list. Salmon flavored foods seem to be a close second.

rang_27 · Nov 5, 2008

I agree the F.F. Florentines were a hit with Jordan too. He lived off of those a long time when he would eat nothing else. I didn't suggest them because they are not what most people consider a "healthy food". Jordan was sick & the vet said what ever he will eat. Now that he's feeling better he is back to eating anything I give him, Including dry food.

sharky · Nov 5, 2008

Fancy feast for most cats ...

rapunzel47 · Nov 5, 2008

Originally Posted by sharky

\tFancy feast for most cats ...

Yep, I'm afraid that's the truth. I've tried every brand of high quality canned food, I swear, and keep watching hopefully for anything I haven't seen before. The little monsters will sometimes eat some of it, but don't count on both liking the same thing, or on either of them eating it a second time. Kitty Crack (FF) isn't high quality, but at least they eat it, so as long as they're getting and liking a high quality dry (Orijen), I try not to fret about the wet too much.

phillygal · Nov 6, 2008

Originally Posted by rapunzel47

Yep, I'm afraid that's the truth. I've tried every brand of high quality canned food, I swear, and keep watching hopefully for anything I haven't seen before. The little monsters will sometimes eat some of it, but don't count on both liking the same thing, or on either of them eating it a second time. Kitty Crack (FF) isn't high quality, but at least they eat it, so as long as they're getting and liking a high quality dry (Orijen), I try not to fret about the wet too much.

We have been adopted by a stray who will be joining us over the weekend - he is being neutered and vet checked right now. I have some of Casey's Fancy Feast left over and will probably try it on this boy. I do a lot of reading on healthy foods for pets (we've owned dogs and cats over the years, but are dog-less for the moment) and have tried to convert my pets to the healthier (but usually, much more costly) brands, but it never worked with my cats. My dogs were more easily fooled.

But I have noticed that PetSmart and Petco both are stocking more of those brands, which is great to see. Our new boy will probably eat anything at this point. But that will probably change!

aswient · Nov 6, 2008

Fancy Feast for mine too, they are the pickiest eaters, I dread breakfast and dinner time because they put their noses up at everything, except Fancy Feast shredded chicken, turkey or yellow fin. They also like the Florentines in chicken, turkey and yellow fin. Now a couple of them I think are getting bored of it, so I'll have to start trying something else.

-_aj_- · Nov 6, 2008

I never know what foods you guys/gals are talking about but one sure bet for my 2 is beef pate from tescos they only get it once or twice a month though and it always seems to bee the same couple of times they go off their food little gits

firedancer722 · Nov 6, 2008

Thanks for all the suggestions! I think I may have found something he will eat! For the second morning in a row, I've put down a few tablespoons of Fromm and he licks the bowl clean!

I wish it wasn't so expensive but I'm only feeding him half a can a day and supplementing with Fromm dry food. I wish I could afford to just do all wet but I simply can't right now. He does well with drinking water though.

Thanks again... I'll be sure to look at Fancy Feast in the future if I need to!

rapunzel47 · Nov 6, 2008

Emphasis on "if I need to". If you can keep him eating the good stuff, please do. FF is better than no wet, but should be a last resort. I don't think I've seen Fromm here, but on the basis of your success with it, I'd try it if I did.

phillygal · Nov 6, 2008

Originally Posted by rapunzel47

Emphasis on "if I need to". If you can keep him eating the good stuff, please do. FF is better than no wet, but should be a last resort. I don't think I've seen Fromm here, but on the basis of your success with it, I'd try it if I did.

And Fancy Feast is not exactly inexpensive either. The can is tiny and my boy had a good appetite until he became sick. But if it is all they will eat.....(sigh)

happilyretired · Nov 6, 2008

Here's an assessment from my boy who loves Fancy Feast but I wanted to give him a better brand:

LOVED Weruva--but would only eat the gravy and leave the good protein (he does this with Fancy Feast too, so I now only give him pate types).

HATED Wellness and didn't much care for Merrick, but LOVED Fromm, and I feed him their pates. Loves Ticki Cat, but they only have fish, so I balance with some meat Fancy Feast and Fromm.

He noshes on Fromm dry and also Taste of the Wild, but eats mainly wet.

When your cat is picky, what's a good "sure-bet" wet food?

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