They're going to drive me insane...

UGH...last few days, my furkids have been really weird about eating their wet food.  This is food that they've loved and eaten no problem as recently as a week ago:  Wellness chicken, Wellness turkey, turkey & herring.  I did try some cheap food from Tractor Supply, but it looked like reasonable ingredients, i.e., meat not meat by-products as first few ingredients.  They really didn't like that brand.

What they do now is, come to the bowls, eat pretty vigorously for about 30 seconds and walk away.  They then mosey on back to the bowls on and off over the next few HOURS and MAYBE finish it.  Most times not.  I feed them each a half can twice a day, morning and evening.  I can;t  feed dry because of Buddy's kidney issues.  I feel like I am feeding decent food: Wellness, Merrics, EVO, some Tiki.  And like I said, they used to dive in with gusto, and finish MOST of it.  Now, more often than not, half of what I've put in the bowl is still there  many hours later.  It's pate, they've always eaten pate, with a bit of water added.

What can do to get them to eat again?  They are not acting sick in any way; they have energy, my kidney cat's numbers were just run last week and he's holding steady (plus he's an energetic maniac).  Also, my kids think it's gross that I just leave food for them to come back to whenever, but I figure, if they come back 3 hours later and are willing to eat it and aren't throwing up....and it actually doesn't get really hard and crusty.  It's pate, with a bit of water added to further help my kidney kitty.

Any advice?  If you need to yell at me and tell me "yeah, that's gross to leave out the food" that's OK too.  

B&BMom

More then likely they are getting a little tired of the flavor. This tends to happen to my bella after a few weeks of having the same flavor/same brand. Usually making a move to another brand(that they like) for a week or two most times they will start to miss it and dive right back in, and worst case scenario if they don't finish it before your liking, use a bit of freeze tried treats as a topper(I use Purebites Turkey or chicken) Works every time.

Well, if this is just a new habit, is it getting hot where you live?  I know it sounds weird, but when it starts getting hot (at least here, where it get REALLY hot), the pet supply stores tell me that lots of people say their cats eat less, even if they are indoors only. 

I get so upset with mine being so darned fussy that I've started telling them they either need to eat what they're given, and eat it WHEN they're given it, or they are going to have to wait until the next meal time.  That seems to do the trick .  Trouble is, you have to stick to your guns.  Tough love!  They won't starve if they don't get their entire 1/2 can for one meal, as long as they eat some of it, and then they'll be ready for the next meal.  At least mine are.  Granted, you can't go too long without them eating, no more than 24 - 36 hours, but you also cannot let them push you around...I learned this the hard way  .  I cannot tell you how many times I opened up different cans and offered it up when they were being "difficult".  I finally said ENOUGH!   Even for my kidney cat.  Granted, I do offer her two chances, simply because she is skin and bones, but if she doesn't eat after choice number two, then she has to wait until the next meal as well (although I'll try to sneak her something, even if it's some Nutrical from the tube).  And for HER, I sometimes try the toppers that  thanosreignz suggested.

BTW, mine used to eat Merrick, but since they changed their formula, they hate it .  "Course, I think that's been a year or so now.  I was so upset, because I felt it was a good food for my kidney girl BEFORE, but with the change I'm not so convinced.   And mine don't like EVO either.  Tiki is another story, but it completely depends on which one.  So....you might consider some other foods.  My pickiest of pickies today gobbled down Pinnacle Chicken and Ocean Fish, which is good on low carbs AND low phosphorus .  There are tons of options out there! 

My cats definitely become fussier and eat less once it warms up.  This weekend it's finally hit the 80's around here and my especially fussy cat is doing her usual fussy routine    Every meal usually ends with me on knees and elbows holding the plate up to her face so she'll finish her meal.  Today, no amount of kowtowing and yummy toppers would convince her to finish her lunch.  I admit I sometimes have fleeting visions of drop-kicking Ms Fussy Pants through the goalposts of life...

Okay part of the problem is she's always been a grazer but her sister is a trooper when it comes to polishing off a meal.  If Ms Fussy Pants was an only cat, it would be okay for her to eat a bit of her canned food over time, but with her sister around, that food gets eaten up fast.

OK, I have been reading this nutrition thread almost all day long today (no, I am not kidding), off and on between chores, meals, whatever.  Ironically enough, I came across a thread that had a direct quote from Dr. Pierson about leaving out the wet food: SHE leaves it out all day long (12 hour stretch), comes back and cleans out the bowl and gives fresh.  The thread was a few years old, but it was there.  My mind is more at ease about leaving it out.  I feed them at 6 and 6, and leave the bowl for them to come back to whenever they want.

As for them suddenly being picky, I have no idea.  It's not exactly warm here, and especially not in the house.  In  my opinion, I do give them enough variety: chicken, turkey, turkey/fish mix, duck, beef.  It just makes me crazy that one day they will gobble xyz, and the next time I feed xyz they act like I am feeding them poison!

BBMom

My two inside boys also drive me up the wall.  I used to feed them primarily dry food (Kirklands)  with maybe 1/2  of a 3 oz can of wet food a day for each cat--- and it didn't matter at all what the wet food was...they devoured it in seconds!  They weren't picky eaters at all. 

Now, that I've wised up and started feeding them alot more canned food and just 1/4 cup of dry food for each cat  (Wellness Core Turkey & Duck which is grain free, fish free and chicken free and Nature's Variety Instinct Rabbit Meal), they are extremely picky about the canned food.  And like several others have said, one day they think Soulistic's Polyinesian Picnic with tilapia and chicken is God's gift to kitties and the next day....it's pure poison! 

Same for Nutro's Natural Choice, Sheba, Nature's Variety Instinct, Dave's and/or Wellness--my six brands that I have in stock .....with chicken, turkey, duck, rabbit, venison, and some salmon....mainly their once a week fish comes from three of the Soulistic choices.

I've eliminated several brands that they just won't eat at all...Merrick, Ideal Balance, Natural Balance, Hounds & Gatos, Weruva and Halo.  And I won't buy several brands because of their recall history:  the Natura line of Evo, Innova and California Natural; the P&G line of Eukanaba and Iams; and the Diamond line of Canidae, Chick Soup; Kirkland, Natural Balance, Solid Gold and Taste of the Wild.  Speaking of brands that have a poor recall history, I saw a thread (very old) that indicated the poster thought NUTRO was the same company as NATURA...they are not the same at all.  I don't think Nutro has had recall problems, but Natura with Evo, Innova and California Natural has had many. 

Sometimes I do leave the wet food out since they usually will come back and eat it later (except for those above named brands that they hate).  And when they don't eat it after a few hours, I feed it to the poor outside semi feral guy who is grateful for any brand or flavor I give him  -- except for Hounds and Gatos Lamb...even HE wouldn't touch that!

What we do for our Furbabies!