Driving me nuts with eating habits..

Greetings all!

((Since I am a long winded speaker, I have included a 'too long, didn't read' version of my post just below this paragraph in the spoiler box for those not interested in all the details!))
I just wanted to make a post here and ask if this is an issue that others have had (I can only assume yes) or if I'm just not completely accustomed to how most cats act just yet?

Back in October of last year, we adopted a very beautiful and affectionate cat from the local shelter here in Finland, and the issue with his eating habits has been something of a struggle since maybe the second week of having him. At the shelter, they usually feed food that has been donated either by volunteers or various companies in the area, so the food they can eat varies from week to week, sometimes day to day. It's nearly always dry as well, which I understand after some heavy research isn't the best way to feed cats due the usual poor ingredients and lack of moisture in the food.

The first week we fed him a mixture of dry food they gave us and transitioned him onto wet with a variety of different brands and types to try him out on. I think maybe...this is where I might have done something wrong somehow. We tried some lower quality wet foods first just to get him interested (Whiskas grilled meats mainly, but some other brands as well, grocery store brands here) and he seemed to like the Whiskas well enough and wouldn't touch others (especially pates.) We have been trying since then just about every other cat food out there as well, trying to find one he will eat 100% of the time.

Basically, our kitty is being worse than finicky! Initially it started that he would only eat part of the Whiskas, then he stopped eating it almost entirely, instead preferring to lick up the gel/gravy bits and leave the rest until it would nearly turn rock hard in the bowl. So, we went and started buying up double packs of various other cat foods at an actual pet supplies store, this time only the ones we'd be alright with him eating permanently - the good quality foods that I'd researched. Sometimes he will seem to love one brand, but then despise it the next meal. Just today for example, we purchased some pure meat complete cat food packets with actual chunks of real meat in it, and he gobbled up the first pack like there was no tomorrow.. At feeding time tonight, the 2nd pack he stared at then went back to begging for other food. Sometimes he will come back later once the food has set for a while, other times he will literally starve himself until I put something different down.. I don't wish to do this, of course, but I am trying so hard to get him on a good food and he just won't budge.. I have also tried mixing foods (small amounts of the new with packs of the old..) and in these cases, he seems to know what I'm doing and again..he won't touch it.

We have also tried to transition him to a raw or at least partially raw diet and the same issue happens.. One meal he is very pleased and eats up everything, the next he hates it. I believe we are capable of affording a raw diet as well and would be happy to put him on such, but we continue to have these struggles with his eating habits.. We also discovered our local pet store here sells all manner of raw prepared foods as well for decent prices, so we are considering this as well, but why bother when I know he's going to be so picky?

So, is there something I'm doing wrong, maybe? Is there some other way to entice him to keep eating the same food? We also tried to 'sweeten the deal' by adding a few drops of salmon oil or tuna juice to food... He won't touch it, no way! Should we give up on this and just buy single packs of all sorts of foods for the rest of our days? I would hardly think this is a good thing though..

Also, we discovered he has had tapeworms and are currently taking care of that now, but I should note that this issue started long before we found out about that. I am no expert, of course, so maybe they are linked somehow? I don't think so, though. Apologies for such a long winded post, but I wanted to get out all details! Thank you in advance for any advice or replies.

Sounds like a very picky cat!!

My first cat was picky.. until I got a second cat and now he knows he needs to eat his meal, or lose it to the new resident! Get a second cat, problem solved. both will eat anything I put before them!

I kid. (not really).

Whiskas and Friskies are like McDonalds. So good, rather eat that than veggies. If she'd eat that.. try mixing it with the good stuff, and slowly.. very slowly.. wean her off. I am not sure what food sells in Finland.. but my cat LOVED Soulistic from Petco. That was easy for him to get on and stay on it. it was very meaty and juicy.

My senior kitty got a tummy ache and suddenly stopped eating his wet cat food.  I finally ended up giving him plain raw chicken that I chopped into tiny pieces with a food processor.  I did this for a few days to get him comfortable eating again.  After that I used Fancy Feast to transition him back on to cat food.  The Fancy Feast gave him nasty runny poop.  I used chicken again to get him off the Fancy Feast and back to eating Wellness Core Wet.  

Another thing to try would be adding meat flavored baby food to the wet food.  Please make sure there is no garlic or onions in the baby food,

Thanks for the replies! I have not actually tried the meat baby food, so I'll give that a go. He doesn't seem to like anything pate-like or mushy, so it may be that he won't like it, but I'll try just about anything at this point to get him on something long term.

Finland has a lot of good quality foods, mostly from the UK and Germany moreso than their own country.. There are, of course, a lot of the grocery store brands from the US that sell cheaply here also (Whiskas, Friskies, etc..) We have tried so many foods it's unreal.. Royal Canin, Almo, Applaws, Feline Porta 21, Nature's Menu, Nature's Choice, James Well-Beloved, and of course ALL the grocery store brands also, just to get him eating something long term.. There are even more, but I can't name them all, plus we tried raw as well..

I will try to transition him even slower this time and see, but usually he knows what I'm doing and will have nothing to do with the food if it's 'tainted' with another he may not like. Such an intelligent little squirt!