Kinney loves canned food, then not at all

dan32 · Sep 22, 2009

I have a one year old male (Kinney) who since I got him has nagged and pestered every waking moment to be fed canned food. He seemed to like all flavors and would gobble down his entire bowl in record time, oftentimes also eating the remains of my other two adults bowls before they were even finished. This would often result in vomiting up the whole mess, so I got into a routine of lording over him, then whisking up the others' bowls and doling out what was left throughout the day rather than just in one sitting.

Suddenly last week after a couple of throw-up incidents, Kinney has no desire for canned food at all - not even a bite of his formerly favorite flavors. He has now taken completely to dry kibble instead and won't even nibble at anything from a can. Considering that he was nagging for canned food three-four times a day up until recently, I find it surprising that he now has no interest. My two adults are in heaven as they can go back to leisurely eating rather than racing to the finish line.

Do you think he threw up one too many times or is this just a phase? FYI: since he has migrated onto kibble only, there have been zero throw-up incidents. However, he was such a pig in the past that I can hardly believe he is controlling himself somehow.. (I do not think he is sick)

farleyv · Sep 22, 2009

something in the dry that he likes. I have something like that too. I was feeding wet but with 7 cats it just got too expensive. So I switched to Natural Balance dry. (the best of the worst IMO). But I have a diabetic cat who I still have to feed wet to by seperating him out and feeding him alone. Well this am, I have a killer cold so I was too lazy to seperate him out and fed all wet so he could eat with the rest of the gang. My cat Buddy would have nothing to do with the wet. He had to be hungry since he hadn't eaten since last evening. So, it does happen I guess. Cats are so finicky! For no apparent reason they change on a dime. Ruling out anything physical, I'd go with what he will eat. I am still a proponent of wet for health reasons. Hope he decides to give it a go again. Try another flavor?

kkh · Sep 23, 2009

I understand your frustration. I don't think that's anything wrong with your cat...it's just....he is a cat.

Ku Ku is always soooo finicky, I've been having the problem eversince. She keeps eating certain kind(either dry or wet) and suddenly stops eating it one day. Once this happens, there's absolutely no way to keep feeding her the same...she would NEVER touches the food, even if she's hungry. The particular food is just sitting there completely untouched

I discovered this "trait" few months after she adopted me.
I started purchasing 1 can each of all kind of canned items that's available at store...beef, chicken, seafood...ya, really annoying but that's the only way to deal with her for me

Now, she has to be on a prescription diet(CD). While dry is not a problem(seems she likes this dry formula better than anything), there's only 2 kinds of cans available: regular(chicken?) and seafood. She LOVES seafood but I know how she is...I can't keep feeding it to her forever

I switch it once one can is finished. She would not eat the whole can at one time anyways - always 1/8 to 1/6 of it per day, so I keep feeding one flavor to her until the can gets empty, then, switching to another...maintain the variety. I know, it's like "her game" but she needs to be on urinary formula(low ph). Since I live on this island where I can't get urinary formula from local stores like on the mainland, I do not have any choice...

otto · Sep 23, 2009

Originally Posted by KKH

I understand your frustration. I don't think that's anything wrong with your cat...it's just....he is a cat.

Ku Ku is always soooo finicky, I've been having the problem eversince. She keeps eating certain kind(either dry or wet) and suddenly stops eating it one day. Once this happens, there's absolutely no way to keep feeding her the same...she would NEVER touches the food, even if she's hungry. The particular food is just sitting there completely untouched

I discovered this "trait" few months after she adopted me.
I started purchasing 1 can each of all kind of canned items that's available at store...beef, chicken, seafood...ya, really annoying but that's the only way to deal with her for me

Now, she has to be on a prescription diet(CD). While dry is not a problem(seems she likes this dry formula better than anything), there's only 2 kinds of cans available: regular(chicken?) and seafood. She LOVES seafood but I know how she is...I can't keep feeding it to her forever

I switch it once one can is finished. She would not eat the whole can at one time anyways - always 1/8 to 1/6 of it per day, so I keep feeding one flavor to her until the can gets empty, then, switching to another...maintain the variety. I know, it's like "her game" but she needs to be on urinary formula(low ph). Since I live on this island where I can't get urinary formula from local stores like on the mainland, I do not have any choice...

You're doing the right thing, and I think you are very clever to switch the two canned flavors back and forth for her. I know a cat who is like your Ku Ku, doens't like to eat the same food for long. Did you know that the c/d kibble also has two flavors?

I know you don't have easy access, but it wouldn't hurt to ask if they carry both "original" and "chicken" in the kibble. Mazy, my c/d eater, vomits on the "chicken" kibble, but every cat is different. It would be good to know you'd have something to switch to if she suddenly gets tired of the regular flavor. Mazy won't eat the c/d canned flavors at all!

otto · Sep 23, 2009

Originally Posted by Dan32

Do you think he threw up one too many times or is this just a phase? FYI: since he has migrated onto kibble only, there have been zero throw-up incidents. However, he was such a pig in the past that I can hardly believe he is controlling himself somehow.. (I do not think he is sick)

Dan I think Kinney is just using his prerogative as a Cat to change his tastes without notice.

I do have one question though. When he began refusing the food, was it from the same batch of cans, or had you bought new food? Sometimes the same flavor will come through as what I always call a "bad batch", the cats will refuse to eat it. So I have to wait a while, feeding something else, (giving the food they won't eat to my mother for her strays) until buying and offering the food again.

I don't mean bad, as in toxic in some way. Just, something different was used, perhaps an inferior ingredient, or maybe it was cooked too long, in that particular batch, and many cats can tell the difference.

"I'm not eating THAT . Hehe

kkh · Sep 24, 2009

Originally Posted by otto

You're doing the right thing, and I think you are very clever to switch the two canned flavors back and forth for her. I know a cat who is like your Ku Ku, doens't like to eat the same food for long. Did you know that the c/d kibble also has two flavors?

I know you don't have easy access, but it wouldn't hurt to ask if they carry both "original" and "chicken" in the kibble. Mazy, my c/d eater, vomits on the "chicken" kibble, but every cat is different. It would be good to know you'd have something to switch to if she suddenly gets tired of the regular flavor. Mazy won't eat the c/d canned flavors at all!

Wish I could buy cans(or even dry) in bulk - bulk is lot lot cheaper than buying many individual cans. I used to buy cans in bulk & wasted most of them because of her pattern of eating. Now I don't have any choice at all.

Wow, didn't know that there're 2 kinds.

Actually, I just purchased a new bag of dry C/D yesterday at my vet.
Out of curiosity(& preparing for the worst case scenario), I asked if there's different kind/flavor for this dry C/D as there're 2 kinds for cans.
Unfortunately, the answer was no. They only carry alternatives from IAMS and Royal Canine which I personally don't think any would be "palatable" for Ku Ku...yes, her highness is extremely picky, too.

I've already tried both in cans...IAMS is OK-ish but she would not eat it unless wet is the only food that she is accessible(in another words, I have to hide "dry" until she finishes off wet) but Royal Canine...OMG, she did not even go anywhere near by it. Supposed to be better kind(and expensive, too!) but no, Ku Ku would not even sniff at it at all...

Thank you for the info.
I'll definitely ask my vet next time I go there.

Sorry for thread hi-jacking.

dan32 · Sep 25, 2009

The canned has been several flavors that he used to like very much. Some of them are from a case lot of all one flavor and some of them were loose purchases. I do know you can get a bum can once in a while.

Its like he has quit drinking or something - he goes up to the bowl, then thinks better of himself and walks away. I guess I won't worry - he is maintaining his weight on kibble only, but surprised at the abrupt change of heart after almost a year of his nagging day and night for canned food. He would practically drag me out of bed for it.

Also, I had a female @ 18yo that was put on SD K/D after a lifetime of Purina Cat Chow (the old original red X's) and I had very limited results getting her to eat SD at all. If you can get yours to eat it, you're doing pretty good.

otto · Sep 25, 2009

If he is eating only dry, and not drinking, that is a problem. It is crucial that cats get enough water.

Hopefully he is drinking when you are not looking.

How many water bowls do you have? The more water bowls the better. One in every room can encourage drinking. And of course they have to be kept fresh, changed out daily, so yes it;s more work for you.

Have you ever thought of trying a fountain? Many cats prefer running water.

dan32 · Sep 25, 2009

Oh, haha, I meant "quit drinking" like "going on the wagon".. Figuratively like he's reformed against canned food for some reason.

otto · Sep 26, 2009

Originally Posted by Dan32

Oh, haha, I meant "quit drinking" like "going on the wagon".. Figuratively like he's reformed against canned food for some reason.

OH! <chuckle>

kkh · Oct 8, 2009

Originally Posted by otto

I know you don't have easy access, but it wouldn't hurt to ask if they carry both "original" and "chicken" in the kibble. Mazy, my c/d eater, vomits on the "chicken" kibble, but every cat is different. It would be good to know you'd have something to switch to if she suddenly gets tired of the regular flavor. Mazy won't eat the c/d canned flavors at all!

I went to my vet & asked about the different kind of dry c/d.
YES, there is chicken as well but seemed(according to the receptionist who's filling in the order forms) my vet has been missing it out somehow.

Anyways, I requested them to order one for me - I mean, Ku Ku.
Should be coming in within the next few days, yay!

Kinney loves canned food, then not at all

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