Feeding Orijen to picky cat

If you don't want to read the background the short story is how to convince our cat to eat Orijen because he sniffs it and walks away

Our family has three cats and they get plenty of wet food usually we feed six cans among the three cats throughout the day. But we also like to feed kibble as a snack once or twice a day.

We had been feeding merrick, not my favorite choice for them but it was grain free and my mom wanted to feed it. But we recently opened a bag and a plastic bead was attached to a kibble so my mom wanted a recommendation for a new food.

I suggested orijen because I've seen it recommended here and other cat sites. But we have one cat that won't eat it. Any suggestions to entice him to eat it?

SmartyFOJ,

My suggestion is if your one cat is refusing any brand of kibble, don't force it on him. Male cats are especially better off eating soley wet food, so I'd probably offer a spoonful of his favorite canned instead or give him some catnip or wheat grass as a treat while the rest of the clowder munches on the kibbles. I'd try to keep feeding wet food for male cats, especially...maybe I'm just paranoid?

For healthy treats, how about boiling some chicken (unsalted, no spices) in plain water? You could save some pieces while you or your mom cooks for the family and reserve the rest for the felines. If your cats are only consuming wet food, it could also be a great opportunity to feed tiny bits of raw food. My kitty Maya loves raw chicken necks, for example, but I started off giving her a tiny piece until she learned how to crunch and eat bones and all! It's also great on her dental health.

I also feed my cats freeze dried treats made from one source of protein, either chicken, turkey, duck, or lamb liver. They love it all! I go to my small, local, independent pet store for these, but they are also quite pricey! I've heard of folks who eventually end up buying a food dehydrator and making their own freeze dried food for their cats! Stella & Chewy makes freeze dried foods where you can add water for moisture and serve as meals, but I've found them too pricey for that purpose, so I feed it them as treats (1-2 pellets) in some water after crumbling the pieces and serving them in their low-profile dish. 

Hope others come up with more ideas for you. Good luck!