Wet food issues!! Again!

My two girls are so picky! One prefers wet (or used to!) and the other prefers kibble. I have both Cleo and Josie on a mixture of Natural Balance and California Natural dry. I feed both wet and dry during the day. I just spent $$ getting a supply of good quality wet food....California Natural, Wellness, and Merrick and they're turning their noses up at it! Especially Cleo who prefers wet food! Josie will nibble at the wet, but prefers dry. I even took away the kibble last night and left the wet. Cleo didn't touch it. ..but Josie ate hers. I noticed she hasn't touched the wet in 3 days. I did get her to eat Authority before, but I was really hoping to upgrade again to better brands. I think she'd be pleased if I resorted to feeding her Fancy Feast or Friskies everyday!
I'm not sure if she's just being finicky or she's ill. Her appetite seems a little lower lately, though she's acting fine.

try different brands .. have you tried natural belances canned??? nutros cannned or pouches..meow mix is decent and many will eat it ( way better than most ff and all friskies)

Try Evanger's Holistic Pheasant dinner. It's what we give to picky cats at our shelter to introduce them to wet food and it's what I give my picky cat at home. I have never seen a cat reject this food, ever.

With Leo, my cat who has elevated picky to an art form, we had to first distract him from kibble in the form of 2 feedings a day of cooked chicken breast. That got him used to a texture other than crunchy. When he was happy with the chicken (after a couple weeks) I started coating the chicken in a tiny little bit of wet. I was starting to increase teh amount of wet and reduce the chicken, when one day, Leo went over and ate Lola's plate of straight wet food! He LOVES the Evanger's! He also loves Trader Joe's single serve wet food in any flavor (I try and stick to Turkey and Giblets and only endulge his seafood love once in a while) and Whole Foods brand wet food.

I would recommend a few things:

1. Cut them off from the really tasty stuff. No Friskies and absolutely no Fancy Feast for the time being. You can reintroduce them as an occasional treat in the future, but for now don't give them any reason to think they will get junk food if they just hold out long enough.

2. Offer a variety of foods, but do not offer choices. The only choice is to eat the wet food you've offered or to eat the dry food and wait till the next meal. Feed only one brand and one flavor per meal, even if you are opening more than one can to feed all the cats. At the next meal, dispose of uneaten food and open a new can.

3. If this doesn't work after a week or so, buy some tastier food (Nutro gourmet classics in the small can or any grocery store variety), and mix this in with the healthier foods. Gradually decrease the amount you are mixing in until they are eating the healthy stuff on its own. I had great success with this method.

I used these method to turn my Fancy Feast addicts into kitties who will eat whatever is offered, so I can testify that it does work! Through experimentation you may find one or a few varieties that they simply do not like, and that is okay - we're all allowed to refuse a few foods because we don't like them. The goal is to make them less finicky overall, which you should definitely be able to do.

that is a great idea ...

Thanks for the great ideas! I don't feed FF very often. I have tried Nutro in the past and they did seem to eat that well also. So I guess if I can't get them to eat the brands I have now, I'll revert back to Nutro and Authority.
I have fed Natural Balance canned in the past and they seemed to like the Ultra flavor best, but it seems I'd end up with food going to waste with a 6 oz. can. Now that they offer 3 oz. cans on PFD I may try it again.

I will also look into the Evanders. Thanks!

Originally Posted by semiferal

3. If this doesn't work after a week or so, buy some tastier food (Nutro gourmet classics in the small can or any grocery store variety), and mix this in with the healthier foods. Gradually decrease the amount you are mixing in until they are eating the healthy stuff on its own. I had great success with this method.

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Are you saying Nutro isn't a healthy food? I'm just wondering because I'm thinking of switching to Nutro and giving them a bit of the canned Nutro too.