Failed food transition - How to proceed or unwind?

[daftcat75]

Maybe not a thread for Health yet. But I'm concerned that it is quickly becoming one.

My Betty White is a nibbler. Before this week, she would eat a couple cans of Fancy Feast a day. But it would take her 12 hours for each can. And there would be once or twice a week where her eating would slow way down and she'd throw something up; not always food or hairballs or really not always the same thing twice. Very confusing. So I thought I would try to get her off the FF to see if a better food might settle this.

It turns out she'll try a new food once or twice. But then I fear it's either losing its appeal quickly, or in the case of this transition, it's not treating her right. I rushed the transition and now there is no "last good step" to go back to. I figured she had already had Rawz rabbit before and it treated her well that we did 50/50 one day and when she wouldn't eat the 50/50 the next day, it was all Rawz in reduced portion sizes (a naked transition like the other food was still there. But it wasn't.) Naked transitions worked well with my last cat. But they seem to be a source of misery for Betty now.

After a couple of days of barely eating, I relented and went back to 50/50 Fancy Feast and Rawz chicken (thinking it might be easier to transition chicken to chicken instead of chicken to rabbit.) She ate that portion last night. But has shown little interest in it this morning.

I would be willing to abort this transition altogether and go back to 100% Fancy Feast. But at this point, I feel like anything I put down is going to make her tummy feel bad enough to not want to try it a second time.

How can I unwind or reset without putting her off all wet food for all time now? Do I go bland diet or baby food for a day or two? I don't even know if she would eat enough of either of these.

Paying the cat pic tax…

 

[FeebysOwner]

I can't even remember how long you have had Betty White now - but what was she eating originally, how long before you started seeing these throw up incidents, and did they only start after you began trying to change her food? You adopted BW - what was her background before that? And pardon me, but I don't recall her age either.

I would totally consider a 'reset'. The problem is that with all the food shortages, with no one really knowing why, there is a good probability that food content has changed making the whole 'investigative' process all that more difficult.

Baby food meat could be a good reset transition - and, if you are really worried about it, it can be supplemented to make the food complete. I am sure you already know this.

Feeby is a nibbler, and to 'tide her over', she gets baby food meat 'snacks' both early in the AM and also right before bedtime (midnight or so). She no longer throws up at all, but is still very, very picky about her food - FF or otherwise.

 

[daftcat75]

I can't even remember how long you have had Betty White now - but what was she eating originally, how long before you started seeing these throw up incidents, and did they only start after you began trying to change her food? You adopted BW - what was her background before that? And pardon me, but I don't recall her age either.

I would totally consider a 'reset'. The problem is that with all the food shortages, with no one really knowing why, there is a good probability that food content has changed making the whole 'investigative' process all that more difficult.

Baby food meat could be a good reset transition - and, if you are really worried about it, it can be supplemented to make the food complete. I am sure you already know this.

Feeby is a nibbler, and to 'tide her over', she gets baby food meat 'snacks' both early in the AM and also right before bedtime (midnight or so). She no longer throws up at all, but is still very, very picky about her food - FF or otherwise.

I've had her two months from tomorrow. The shelter estimated her age at five. I think they underestimated because I can hear her joints creak like mine do getting up and she goes down very tentatively like Krista did in her geriatric years. Betty definitely uses the Katris pieces I set up to make getting up and down easier. The shelter did not have a whole lot of history to share with me. They told me that she ate alright in the shelter. But that could be setting food down and picking it up many hours later like I'm already doing. She has a dental appointment next Friday where we can finally rule in or rule out dental issues as a possible cause for her nibbling. Which reminds me, I owe her paper plates. I have seen her using her paw to pull food off the plate and eat it from the floor (and I'm assuming that's because her teeth are hitting the plate when she tries to bite up the pate.)

The shelter said she ate Hills Science Diet wet and dry. I didn't like either of these and I don't believe she did either. The first few days with me, she got an all day/all night buffet with several food choices because she wasn't eating enough of the Science Diet. We landed on Fancy Feast in the chicken flavor. We tried a transition to the turkey flavor but she lost interest in that transition before we even got to 50/50. Rawz rabbit gets honorable mention here because that was another plate she ate decent amounts from during this time. This is where I got the idea to transition her from FF to Rawz Rabbit this week having had enough of the mystery barfs.

As I said, the barfs don't seem to follow a discernible pattern. Since adding Optagest (digestive enzymes and a prebiotic) to her food and brushing several times a day (because she's the first cat I've had who LOVES brushing), she has not brought up any more hair. The last barf was a regurgitation because I was using Stella & Chewy's freeze-dried rabbit morsels to get her to eat more and more of the Rawz rabbit. She probably had too much of both for her poor tummy and gave them back shortly after. The last "barf" before that was a spit-up of carpet fibers. She's been eating a frayed cat tree as a cat grass replacement when she's not feeling well. So what's making her feel unwell enough to eat carpet fibers? In any case, I have tossed that tree and put a small square of fresh catnip in its place. She seemed to prefer that option over the wheat grass. I did see her going to the catnip last night. I did not see any regurgitation last night or this morning. So fingers crossed that she's a blessed cat who cat eat grass without bringing it back up. (But not carpet fiber! )

Anyway, since I started this thread, she finally ate about half an ounce of the 50/50 FF/Rawz which is about on par with how much she usually eats in a nibble session. On a good day, her eating makes me nervous as she'll have half a can left at 3 pm and then somehow rallies and finishes it by 6 pm over two or three feeds. I'm still soliciting opinions (and experiences?) here. But I'm guardedly optimistic that she may reset on 50/50 after all.

 

[daftcat75]

I can't even remember how long you have had Betty White now - but what was she eating originally, how long before you started seeing these throw up incidents, and did they only start after you began trying to change her food? You adopted BW - what was her background before that? And pardon me, but I don't recall her age either.

I would totally consider a 'reset'. The problem is that with all the food shortages, with no one really knowing why, there is a good probability that food content has changed making the whole 'investigative' process all that more difficult.

Baby food meat could be a good reset transition - and, if you are really worried about it, it can be supplemented to make the food complete. I am sure you already know this.

Feeby is a nibbler, and to 'tide her over', she gets baby food meat 'snacks' both early in the AM and also right before bedtime (midnight or so). She no longer throws up at all, but is still very, very picky about her food - FF or otherwise.

How do you feed your nibbler? Is she on a schedule? Or do you just leave a plate of food and hope you're picking up an empty when it's time to refresh the plate? I'm thinking Betty definitely needs to get on a schedule. But I'm nervous that she won't eat enough if she were put on the clock even with time enough to get hungry between meals.

 

[FeebysOwner]

How do you feed your nibbler? Is she on a schedule? Or do you just leave a plate of food and hope you're picking up an empty when it's time to refresh the plate? I'm thinking Betty definitely needs to get on a schedule. But I'm nervous that she won't eat enough if she were put on the clock even with time enough to get hungry between meals.

As far as I am concerned, related to Feeby anyway, you can't always manage to put a cat on an absolute schedule. You can get 'routines' set up so that they expect food at certain times but getting them to eat it all is a whole other thing. Feeby 'expects' food (after her early baby food snack) around 8AM. But then Feeby's food is left out until it is too old to leave out anymore, and then it is replaced with new food. She nibbles on it all day long - at her leisure. If I removed it on a time schedule, I hesitate to think what that might mean.

Feeby was free fed dry for a big portion of her life, so maybe that has affected her 'way of eating'. Maybe that is Betty White's issue too (pre you)? Don't go overboard on the dental issues, even though I know Krista had problems.

 

[Margot Lane]

I have met cats that are just that: nibblers. In the photos, she doesn’t look gaunt, so she is eating SOMEthing. It could be too she is still adjusting to new experiences in her life, given you don’t know much of her history… and maybe, this effects her digestion…I know when I’m adapting to a new space/geography, my digestion changes too. I don’t like Hill’s either and maybe it takes longer than any of us know to tell your mind/gut “Guess what? No more Hill’s!’ I am VERY heartened to hear she likes the catnip, and wonder if creating a “jungle cave” for her of safe houseplants she could hide in might be fun. The only reasons I say that are: just before my cat was first diagnosed w/ IBS, he’d head straight for a certain patch of dirt, and plonk his belly down in it. Seemed to soothe him. Second, I just let my cat out on a very carefully planned bobcat free walk, and he dove into the grass like a long lost friend, nibbling it, rolling in it, and looking extra connected & happy. All to say that fresh live (safe) plants and the scent of dirt might anchor her in some way, or remind her of a place she loved “out there.”

 

[daftcat75]

I have met cats that are just that: nibblers. In the photos, she doesn’t look gaunt, so she is eating SOMEthing. It could be too she is still adjusting to new experiences in her life, given you don’t know much of her history… and maybe, this effects her digestion…I know when I’m adapting to a new space/geography, my digestion changes too. I don’t like Hill’s either and maybe it takes longer than any of us know to tell your mind/gut “Guess what? No more Hill’s!’ I am VERY heartened to hear she likes the catnip, and wonder if creating a “jungle cave” for her of safe houseplants she could hide in might be fun. The only reasons I say that are: just before my cat was first diagnosed w/ IBS, he’d head straight for a certain patch of dirt, and plonk his belly down in it. Seemed to soothe him. Second, I just let my cat out on a very carefully planned bobcat free walk, and he dove into the grass like a long lost friend, nibbling it, rolling in it, and looking extra connected & happy. All to say that fresh live (safe) plants and the scent of dirt might anchor her in some way, or remind her of a place she loved “out there.”

Krista was always interested in “out there” and would frequently follow me to the sliding deck door. But she was also a homebody and never darted for the front door. Maybe the deck door felt more safe because she could see what was beyond it. Betty hasn’t expressed any longing for the outdoors. She’s more likely to dart the opposite way when I open either door. She does enjoy a sit in the sill. But eventually, she’s more interested in sleeping in the crow’s nest. I do have an open space where Krista’s favorite tree used to be—the frayed one that Betty started eating when she was nauseated. Hence the reason for its disposal. At least Betty enjoys Krista’s second favorite tree which would be the one with the crow’s nest in the office. I don’t want to give her a patch of soil indoors. That would likely just become a litterbox. But I am willing to leave the catnip there as long as she isn’t eating it to vomit like she was with the carpet fibers on the frayed tree. I know catnip is supposed to be good for digestion. I have some catnip tea myself that I drink sometimes. As long as she keeps the catnip down, I will be willing to try my hand at a houseplant. I’m usually no good with plants because they don’t meow or bark at me for food and water. I have a hard enough time remembering to feed myself sometimes.

 

[neely]

On a good day, her eating makes me nervous as she'll have half a can left at 3 pm and then somehow rallies and finishes it by 6 pm over two or three feeds.

Just out of curiosity since I'm not sure how long you leave her food out in-between feedings, is she picky about the temperature of her food? Carleton likes his food at room temperature otherwise he's picky about eating it so I only give him a specific size portion then refresh it and feed him the remainder of the can.

 

[fionasmom]

My cats have always been nibblers and some dry food has often been available....this because of my work and possible disruptions to coming home on time. I don't know that allowing Betty to nibble is a bad thing if that will help her to eat. You can certainly monitor the food for freshness. My avatar is a nibbler and will literally go back a couple hours later and finish, even acting as if the food tastes better as it "aged." I would be afraid that if I picked up the food, she would not eat enough.

I also agree that formulations may have changed with the current chaos in the world. Some brands I use look different when I open the can, seem to contain more water depending on the type of food, etc. A cat who liked a certain food last week does not seem to like it this week, for example.

I would try the reset and have used EZ Complete myself with baby food. Given that Betty was surrendered by her previous owners and was in shelter where no one, even with the best intentions can monitor feeding, this might be part of her adjustment to your home where she is very lucky to have ended up.

 

[daftcat75]

Just out of curiosity since I'm not sure how long you leave her food out in-between feedings, is she picky about the temperature of her food? Carleton likes his food at room temperature otherwise he's picky about eating it so I only give him a specific size portion then refresh it and feed him the remainder of the can.

Maybe? When I refresh her food from the fridge (not often), I make sure to measure that portion into a baggie and bring it up to prey temperature in a hot water bath. Same with the Lotus Raw that she gets occasionally because I have already pre-portioned that into Betty-sized nibbles so I can go from freezer to plate.

Back when things were easy and her "barf" incidents were once a week, I would put a whole can on the plate and drop that down twice a day at 6am and 6pm. Now I tend to pace her a little more and put down about 1 ounce at a time and wait for her to clear the plate before refreshing it. I keep the remainder of the can in a sealed container but out of the fridge. I figure that's not much different than leaving it out on a plate.

As I type this, she's going to town on her second portion 1 oz portion of the day--her third time back to the plate as it took her two trips to finish the first ounce. I'm less worried about her now than I was in the morning when I started this thread with an untouched plate from early morning. It's only 2pm and I'm feeling pretty good that she'll finish this second ounce. And I'm okay if she under-eats just a little (4 oz vs. 6) today and tomorrow if it gets her gut back on track. Surprisingly, there have been no poop disturbances throughout this dodgy and rushed transition.

 

[daftcat75]

As far as I am concerned, related to Feeby anyway, you can't always manage to put a cat on an absolute schedule. You can get 'routines' set up so that they expect food at certain times but getting them to eat it all is a whole other thing. Feeby 'expects' food (after her early baby food snack) around 8AM. But then Feeby's food is left out until it is too old to leave out anymore, and then it is replaced with new food. She nibbles on it all day long - at her leisure. If I removed it on a time schedule, I hesitate to think what that might mean.

Feeby was free fed dry for a big portion of her life, so maybe that has affected her 'way of eating'. Maybe that is Betty White's issue too (pre you)? Don't go overboard on the dental issues, even though I know Krista had problems.

Betty has "calculus consistent with her age" on her teeth according to the vet in her initial physical exam. So perhaps Betty has never had a teeth cleaning. Unless the shelter or a previous owner can provide me with her dental history, that's all part of the new cat howdy do battery of exams. Hopefully all her teeth are in great shape and I can rule that out--check off dental health until next year. To be honest, I've been giving her a lot of latitude in the eating department because her mouth is an unknown to me. Once the vet can say, "no problems there", I can move on to other possibilities. I can never hope to brush her teeth because of her nibbling nature. But once she has the all clear, I'd love to see if she'd be interested in chewing through the occasional gizzard for dental health.

Yeah, Betty seems to have this morning routine of wanting me to finish with the food and put it out. But then she'll eat it on her own time. What she really wants is fuss--pets, brushing, bunting my face, etc. She wants fuss over food.

So 50/50 FF with Rawz chicken seems to be a hit. She's once again a member of the clean plate club having finished her three ounces for the day. Here's hoping the same holds overnight, and I can put this whole experience to rest. As far as I'm concerned, if 50/50 solves the mystery barfs (possibly diluting anything problematic in FF with Rawz), we can stay right here---even if I'm feeding the disposal about equal amounts as the cat.

 

[Twylasmom]

Have you considered using a raised bowl for her to eat from? That can sometimes be helpful with barfing or regurgitation. My cat does better with smaller meals and likes to graze. She also doesn’t like to work to hard to eat so she will walk away from her half full bowl all the time. I will mound the food up and give it back to her and she will start eating again. Sometimes I will put a few pieces of dry food or crushed freeze dried treats on top as an enticement.

 

[daftcat75]

Have you considered using a raised bowl for her to eat from? That can sometimes be helpful with barfing or regurgitation. My cat does better with smaller meals and likes to graze. She also doesn’t like to work to hard to eat so she will walk away from her half full bowl all the time. I will mound the food up and give it back to her and she will start eating again. Sometimes I will put a few pieces of dry food or crushed freeze dried treats on top as an enticement.

Her plates are elevated on textbooks. I have been spending too much on food and vet bills to buy her anything fancier than that. It works fine for her. The only time she regurgitates is when she feels nauseated enough to eat the frayed carpet fibers on a too old cat tree I just got rid of for that reason. I bought her a catnip plant and cat grass. She prefers the catnip plant and hasn’t brought anything up since. That only puts our “days since” count at two since Tuesday’s regurgitation which was likely my fault. I did crumble up freeze dried and put it on top of and in her food to try to entice her. I think she ate too much of the freeze-dried and brought it up and the food I enticed her to eat. I think the current crisis is managed. She’s already had her daily food and gone to bat for first dinner. Now we just wait to see if the little bit of probiotics I am getting in her with the Boss Cat Raw nibbles, the addition of the fresh catnip to munch on instead of the old cat tree, and the change of food to a 50/50 mix of her “favorite” FF and the higher quality Rawz chicken pate—all of these changes together—I’m hoping they will extend the “days since” count or eliminate the mystery ejections/rejections altogether.