Cat suddenly won't eat leftover/refridgerated wet food

[sidneykitty]

Hello! I'm wondering if anyone has thoughts on this.

My 15-year old Amber usually eats 1/2 can of wet food per day. The past week, she suddenly won't eat the leftover portion from the fridge but she will eat if I open up a new can. She's always eaten them before.

Normally I store the leftovers in small plastic Gladware containers, so I thought maybe she doesn't like the plastic taste so I started storing them in glass instead. She ate yesterday's glass-stored leftovers but refused them today. So maybe that'a not it.

Anyone have thoughts on why this could be?? I'm going to end up wasting a lot of half-cans at this rate and I already use the small cans so I can't buy them any smaller!

 

[nancyjoel123]

Try warming it by placing the container in a bowl/pot of warm water. Maybe that will make a difference. Sometimes pets prefer their foods lukewarm. Warming will also increase the smell of the food therefore making it more appealing for your fur baby.

 

[sidneykitty]

Hi N nancyjoel123 - thanks. I did try that, too. Seemed to work yesterday but not today.

She will eat baby food, though. I wonder if something is going on.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. Feeby (15+ yo) has her off days with food, more so in the past year. Does your girl eat her regular food if the baby food meat is mixed in with it? Every time Feeby starts to repeat being off of her food, I add some baby food meat - seems to jump start her back to eating. Don't know what you are feeding her right now, but I also add Fancy Feast to Feeby's regular food to get her to be more interested in eating it

 

[sidneykitty]

Hi FeebysOwner - good to see you again! It seems that most times when Amber's appetite decreases its due to constipation. I knew she was getting constipated last week due to her behavior and symptoms so I started giving her lactulose every day until her symptoms improved. She was passing at least small poops all through this time so she wasn't totally blocked. Past times, lactulose has done a good job of putting her back on track again.

She seemed to be doing much better this week symptomatically so I stopped lactulose and thought she was feeling better, but then she started being uninterested in her cold leftovers! The not eating leftover food is a new thing.

I will try adding the baby food to her normal wet food. Fancy Feast is her normal wet food. She is still happily eating her kibbles every day (she is my little kibble addict...). Thanks!

But - she may need to see a vet if this doesn't change soon!

 

[sidneykitty]

Any other smelly very palatable wet foods anyone can think of I can try with her? Fancy Feast has been so reliable for her in the past and she normally won't touch higher end foods unless they contain her favourite-est ingredient - tuna!

 

[FeebysOwner]

Well, try mixing some canned tuna water (and maybe a piece or two of the tuna) into her food. You could also try canned chicken in water as well. Not cat foods, but hey, a small amount isn't going to hurt her if you can get her to eat mostly her regular food. Even some of the high end cat foods that she likes with the tuna as a mixer?

Don't know when she was last seen by a vet, but at the age of our cats, it seems like they never get checked out enough!

 

[sidneykitty]

Yep that's a good idea - always worth a try! Thanks. She likes cooked chicken, too, so I can try that just to keep some moister foods in her. Ideally she'd only eat wet food but its been impossible to achieve thus far.

She was due for her 6-monthly checkup in April but all regular/preventative care is off due to Covid so she didn't go (much to her delight).

 

[goingpostal]

Try sprinkling some forti flora over it, it's a good appetite enhancer. I used it when my first cat was getting more fussy about eating in old age.

 

[FeebysOwner]

She was due for her 6-monthly checkup in April but all regular/preventative care is off due to Covid so she didn't go (much to her delight).

Ditto for Feeby - due 4/21!! They might take her without me, but I want to be there - probably, so do you.

Or, try bonito flakes? I haven't yet done that, but I think I am going to try. You've seen this link, right?
How To Get Your Cat To Start Eating Again

 

[sidneykitty]

She's never gone for Fortiflora or Bonito flakes before, but other toppers/enticers I've had success with crushed freeze dried raw treats, other crushed treats/temptations or kibble, baby food, tuna, real cooked chicken and crunched up goldfish crackers.

Thanks for the link - always good to remind myself of other enticers and tips! Its so easy to forget things when you're worrying about your kitty.

I just pulled out one of my last ditch efforts to get her to eat - my final can of Almo Nature salmon. She is eating it!

 

[MissClouseau]

My Hima is difficult with wet food. She does not eat wet food if it stayed in the fridge longer than like 7-8 hours at most. The only way she will eat refrigerated food is either the food will get warmed up on its own but not so much that the smell will get weird. Or I warm it by adding a bit hot water though it shouldn't be so much. For like 40 grams of wet food, a tablespoon or so of water. Maybe you can try different methods to warm up the food to find the one your kitty likes. When it fails too as a last resort I sprinkle couple Royal Canin Sensible 33 dry food after making them powder. Be warned though Sensible 33 has probotics in it that I think just to prevent diarrhea which might be a problem with constipation. Another Royal Canin food might also help. Their food is the smelliest I know some cats go crazy for.

If she eats the newly-opened can but not the old, personally I would suspect of not liking the taste, dental problems & the food being cold or the texture getting more difficult to eat with the dental problems, or not smelling the food enough.

Since she likes Fancy Feast, you can try Pro Plan pate cat foods too I think. I haven't tried Fancy Feast but my cat loves Gourmet Gold pate which is also from Purina and like the sister of Fancy Feast. Hima loves Pro Plan pate foods even more than Gourmet Gold.

If you haven't already, I would discuss a malt paste you can use daily about constipation and hairballs. I give GimCat malt paste to Hima every day but less than the recommended amount as she's short-haired.

 

[sidneykitty]

Thanks MissClouseau - I've tried both methods of heating up - running the container under hot water and adding hot water to the food, but neither seem to consistently make a difference...

I did think of dental problems, too, but then I thought wouldn't she be off her kibble then?

Thank you for the recommendations! I picked up a few new foods yesterday at the store. So far, they've been well-received but ... only when the can is newly opened!

Good news is, she did quite a big poop yesterday and it was not constipated-looking, so I am hoping her system is cleared and we can go back to her normal maintenance care instead of extra meds. She normally gets Miralax every day for her constipation, but she was getting lactulose as well for the last week or two.

I'm reanayzing everything I've done lately and wonder if stopping her Joint supplement for a few days could have triggered this episode. She has arthritis right at the base of her tail which the vet suspects can make it painful to poop.

 

[FeebysOwner]

I know with the joint supplement that I give Feeby, they warn about the possibility of loose stool (at least at onset of use), so it is possible that it could impact the consistency of her stool when it was stopped. Any reason why you stopped - because of the other meds?

 

[sidneykitty]

That's true, too. My only reason was that I was running out and was waiting for things to reopen around here, but once I realised that was not going to happen anytime soon, I ordered more online and it should be here tomorrow! I'm usually ahead on supplies but I've been trying to only buy/order what I absolutely need right now. But maybe Amber absolutely needs her joint supplement!!

 

[MissClouseau]

I did think of dental problems, too, but then I thought wouldn't she be off her kibble then?

That's definitely possible. In fact that's how it goes with my Hima and her gum disease. First she stopped eating chunky wet food. Since then she only eats pate texture. But pate texture still sticks to her gums so if she's having a flare-up or something, she has trouble eating that too. She also has some trouble with SOME dry food but if it's soft enough to bite once which is how she eats, that's easier to eat than wet food and leaves no residue on the (sensitive) gums.

 

[sidneykitty]

Huh how interesting! I have heard of cats with dental problems and even missing teeth who still eat kibble...so counterintuitive, but I guess you're right it wouldn't stick to the gums! I have been noticing her doing a lot of the opening her mouth and licking her teeth for a while after eating wet food. You've definitely given me something to think about. Her last dental was quite a few years ago and now that she's almost 16, I'd be a bit nervous about the anesthetic required, but if she needs it she needs it!

 

[sidneykitty]

Well I think something for sure is up. I've got her in an appt this afternoon. Good news is they will allow one masked human in the room with her. I'm really thankful for that cause this momma has some separation anxiety issues with her kitty....I am sure Amber would be fine, but it seems much easier to talk in person about her. She was due for her annual in April anyway so this is overdue.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Good luck at the vets! Glad to see your vet is allowing you to be there with her. Wish mine would do that - maybe they will eventually!

 

[neely]

I have heard of cats with dental problems and even missing teeth who still eat kibble.

Yes, this is definitely true. Our cat who is considered a senior now has had dental surgery twice since we adopted him and had FORL. He can still eat some dry food which I give him as a snack since he swallows it. Here is an Article that discusses how cats can manage to eat without their teeth: Can Cats Manage Without Their Teeth?

Best of luck at your appointment this afternoon, please keep us posted on her progress.