Switching to canned wet food, two picky cats

I made a post about some health concerns I had in the health forum, and many of the responses suggested switching to wet or raw food as a first step in trying to resolve the problem.

I have tried switching to wet canned food several times in the past four years, but have always relented because our oldest cat hates wet food. Añe has me wrapped around her dewclaw and she knows it. She will tip over her bowl of wet food or follow me around scolding me constantly for giving her "unsuitable" food.

So, here's the breakdown:

Sophie, Emily, and Pollo are all Siamese ranging from 1 year to 4 years. They are fine with most canned foods.

Añe is my 10 year old Siamese. She has NO interest in canned food. She also does not like treats, cooked meat (like deli ham or shredded chicken), broth, or cheese. Her interest in kibble is very limited, she will eat a few bites every few hours. She is a "social eater", preferring to eat when I am nearby. But my presence barely affects her little to no interest in canned food.

Ross: he is a beggar for cooked meat and cheese, but finicky about the canned food. He loves temptations treats, but in trying to use them as a topper for the canned food he will use his paws to try to scrape away the wet food and only eat the treats. Crushing the treats does not help, as he loses all interest if he can't scrape them out. He also will try to tip the bowl of canned food over, so I started feeding in shallow saucers. He decided that if he couldn't tip it over, he would scrape it out of the bowl onto the floor and drag toys/blankets/mail over to bury it. He does seem interested in certain brands more than others, and will eat some, at least a little bit.

I have been directed to catinfo.org and have found much of that helpful. But I am frustrated and stressed by the two "picky" eaters. I love my babies and it's so hard to tell a crying kitty that it's the canned food or nothing.

Any advice for me? Should I be concerned about Añe and Ross not getting enough calories? Food suggestions? Thank you!

While wet food is healthier, in ANY transition, it is important to ensure that they are getting enough calories since you do not want to risk fatty liver disease. There are really good tips in these two articles that may help you.

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/transit...-to-a-new-type-of-food-canned-raw-or-homemade

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/transitioning-free-fed-kibble-kitties-to-timed-meals

It really is just a matter of finding a canned food they like .  Seriously.  I have two of the world' pickiest cats (ask almost any long timer on this site ), and those two don't even like the same foods, typically .  Thankfully, my third cat will eat just about any food out there, so he keeps me sane. 

Anyway, I have also found that it's not just the food, but WHERE they eat that helps.  My picky girl prefers to eat off by herself in the back bedroom, sometimes under the bed, so that's where she eats.  My picky boy will almost always eat IF I set his bowl down on the floor next to where I am on the computer.   OR if it's the last meal of the day, he will eat in front of the TV  (since that's where WE are).  And if I cover up his bowl with a heavy piece of paper (I learned this by trying to keep his piggy brother OUT), it peaks his interest more), he will actually be more apt to eat after I keep lifting the paper on and off) 

Some of the foods these two picky's like are:

Simply Nourish Pork Meatloaf -both

Simply Nourish Stews -both (Tinky absolutely LOVES these!!)

Nutro Chunky Loafs - certain flavors only  Tinky (callie HATES these)

Nutro minced or sliced -   certain flavors - both

Weruva Mediterranean Feast - both

Weruva Paw Lickin Chicken - both (sometimes), but mainly Tinky

Natural Balance Catatouie - both, again, Tinky LOVES these

Fancy Feast CLASSICS - Callie, sometimes

Daves - Callie (Tinky HATES these)

Natural Planet Organics (Tinky HATES these)

NO kibble is fed at our house.  If they don't eat at one meal, they I tell them they will go hungry until the next meal, and then I make sure for the next meal that I serve them something I know they like.  I used to open can after can after can until I found something they like, and they knew I would do that.  Finally I stopped and at first they were kind of shocked.  But now I am exercising "tough love", and they understand that (I believe anyway).  I think that's why they eat what is served most of the time.

  Now if I am experimenting and trying a brand new food on them and none of the above  things get them to eat, then I know it must smell awful to them.  If that's the case, I will give them some freeze dried raw to tide them over, and let Darko eat the food

Natural balance who makes catahouille stew also makes natural balance ultra and ultra balance liver and chicken, most cats eat that also. I sprinkle a few bits on same kibble on top. They eat it.