Kitten doesn't want wet food

[Alexus]

Hello

I've had my little man (three month old ragdoll) for nearly three weeks and so far he's been super picky about his wet food

I've tried all sorts of brands without beef as he seemed to really dislike anything with too much beef. It seemed to go okay, he took a bite here and there, one day he even finished his whole portion. But for a week now he's refused to eat the wet food. I've reduced his dry food to see if that would help him along, but no success. I'm happy that he at least eats something. Mixing dry food with water didn't help much. I also mixed the dry food with the wet food - he didn't even touch it that day. I've also warmed up the food, nada.
Sadly I've got no way of obtaining the food he got at the breeder's, as it is a brand that isn't sold anywhere close (a supermarket brand which I don't have around here), nor can I order it online.

What can I do now? Should I just keep him on the dry food so that he at least eats something? When is the point I should start to get worried for his lack of appetite towards the wet food? Are there any other tricks I can use to get him interested?
Is it okay that he also drinks roughly 175ml / 6ounces of water per day in compensation for the lack of water intake from the food?

I'm a first time cat-mum, so I'm especially worried that my little guy isn't doing so well (or I just dunno how to handle it properly)

~ Alexus & Lotor

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. At this point, feed him all dry if that what it takes to keep him eating, and let him drink all that he wants. (Although, in time you are going to have to check out why he drinks so much - that is a lot.) Can you find out the ingredients that was in the food that he liked - and then try to come as close as you can to those ingredients in a food that you can get? Also, try some baby food meat (no additives), or canned tuna or chicken in water - either alone or mixed with his dry, or mix with a 'similar' food that you might find that at least mimics what the breeder fed him?

 

[Azazel]

Yes, of course continue to feed the dry if that's all he will eat, but I wouldn't give up on getting him on wet food. It's essential to good health. This document has lots of good tips and tricks for transitioning picky eaters: https://catinfo.org/docs/TipsForTransitioning1-14-11.pdf

 

[lisahe]

For some cats (like ours!) it can help to sprinkle a little dry food, preferably crushed into small piece and/or dust, on top of the wet food. That was a critical part of switching our cats over to wet food.

 

[Alexus]

Hi. At this point, feed him all dry if that what it takes to keep him eating, and let him drink all that he wants. (Although, in time you are going to have to check out why he drinks so much - that is a lot.) Can you find out the ingredients that was in the food that he liked - and then try to come as close as you can to those ingredients in a food that you can get? Also, try some baby food meat (no additives), or canned tuna or chicken in water - either alone or mixed with his dry, or mix with a 'similar' food that you might find that at least mimics what the breeder fed him?

I have to what I said on his drinking habits:
I though the dish held 300ml, but actually it holds 250ml, therefore he only drinks roughly 120ml / 4oz. is that still too much? he has a vet appointment on Monday, I'll ask the vet then. I'm keeping an eye on it

I've considered maybe feeding him some ingredients from his first wet food, but well, it mainly consisted of game, which isn't easy to come by either and not cheap enough to be a permanent solution sadly
I'm out shopping later, and I can try to pick up some tuna and chicken ^^

Yes, of course continue to feed the dry if that's all he will eat, but I wouldn't give up on getting him on wet food. It's essential to good health. This document has lots of good tips and tricks for transitioning picky eaters: https://catinfo.org/docs/TipsForTransitioning1-14-11.pdf

Thank you for the file! I'll definitely have a read and see if any of it will help

For some cats (like ours!) it can help to sprinkle a little dry food, preferably crushed into small piece and/or dust, on top of the wet food. That was a critical part of switching our cats over to wet food.

Oh! I haven't tried that yet. I will do so the next time I'll try wet food

 

[neko2019]

My kitten is 7 months old now, and since I got him at 3 months old, he has always been drinking around 120ml - 150ml a day. He would drink a little bit more if I played with him a lot on that day. He was on dry food only at the beginning, and I have since then added some wet food to his daily meals. His water intake stays about the same. I always read that cats don't like drinking water, so the amount he drinks had me worried! But his pee also stays quite consistent - 3 times a day with reasonable pee size, so the vet told me it should be fine as long as it stays somewhat consistent, maybe it's just how he is.

 

[Azazel]

Cats on mostly dry food will drink more water as the dry food is dehydrating. Cats should really be getting water from their food though.

 

[Alexus]

Update: while out today, I went to the pet store because I anyway needed new litter over the holiday, and I went and looked at EVERY cat food they offered, and I DID find some brand that has game in it (only 4% but maybe the taste is enough) and I served it to him and he took big chunks out of it. Much better than just refusing it like the last few brands I offered. Yes, it is not the quality food I want to feed him (it has sugar and grain in it :C ), but if he does eat it consistently, I can transition him to better food much easier

So, fingers crossed that he'll accept the food over the next few days and I'll have some peace on that topic (for now)

 

[She's a witch]

I see you're in Germany, and you have there one of the best cat food selection I've seen so far. Not sure if you're familiar with zooplus.de site but have a look in there and see if there's anything within your price range. I recommend Grau, GranataPet, CatzFinefood, WIld Freedom, Feringa. My kittens were doing great on this food and loved it dearly. You can also check out Power of Nature both wet and dry from their own website. Good luck!

 

[Alexus]

I see you're in Germany, and you have there one of the best cat food selection I've seen so far. Not sure if you're familiar with zooplus.de site but have a look in there and see if there's anything within your price range. I recommend Grau, GranataPet, CatzFinefood, WIld Freedom, Feringa. My kittens were doing great on this food and loved it dearly. You can also check out Power of Nature both wet and dry from their own website. Good luck!

Yes, I'm in Germany. And I do know zooplus. I've ordered everything for my kitten on that site

I'll check these brands out once he's more settled into eating wet food consistently. For now I'd prefer to get him food I can more easily access and also can buy smaller amounts of (if I order 6 cans and he doesn't eat it, I am stuck with leftovers cans). But thank you for the recommendations

 

[Alexus]

For some cats (like ours!) it can help to sprinkle a little dry food, preferably crushed into small piece and/or dust, on top of the wet food. That was a critical part of switching our cats over to wet food.

I've been doing this for the past couple days and it helps a lot! I sprinkle it on top of the food and he proceeds to eat it. He mostly eats the top layer at first, but once that is gone, he'll return to have some more of it. I'll try to maybe mix in some crushed dried food into it as well as on top. Thank you very much for the tip!

 

[lisahe]

I've been doing this for the past couple days and it helps a lot! I sprinkle it on top of the food and he proceeds to eat it. He mostly eats the top layer at first, but once that is gone, he'll return to have some more of it. I'll try to maybe mix in some crushed dried food into it as well as on top. Thank you very much for the tip!

You are so welcome, I'm glad it works!

 

[maggie101]

Hello

I've had my little man (three month old ragdoll) for nearly three weeks and so far he's been super picky about his wet food

I've tried all sorts of brands without beef as he seemed to really dislike anything with too much beef. It seemed to go okay, he took a bite here and there, one day he even finished his whole portion. But for a week now he's refused to eat the wet food. I've reduced his dry food to see if that would help him along, but no success. I'm happy that he at least eats something. Mixing dry food with water didn't help much. I also mixed the dry food with the wet food - he didn't even touch it that day. I've also warmed up the food, nada.
Sadly I've got no way of obtaining the food he got at the breeder's, as it is a brand that isn't sold anywhere close (a supermarket brand which I don't have around here), nor can I order it online.

What can I do now? Should I just keep him on the dry food so that he at least eats something? When is the point I should start to get worried for his lack of appetite towards the wet food? Are there any other tricks I can use to get him interested?
Is it okay that he also drinks roughly 175ml / 6ounces of water per day in compensation for the lack of water intake from the food?

I'm a first time cat-mum, so I'm especially worried that my little guy isn't doing so well (or I just dunno how to handle it properly)

~ Alexus & Lotor

My cat Maggie does not like to eat the same food,same texture. At each of her 3 meals I have to switch her toppers. Mornings, it must be chredded chicken mixed in her pate, next 2 meals canidae chaparrel canyon duck chicken with gravy. She will eat rabbit pate by itself. It is expensive. I guess because it has no broth. Just tiny pieces. Sometimes she wants vital essentials freeze dried as a topper. She is a lot of work! I have never fed my cats dry. Even when they were kittens

 

[Alexus]

Another update if I may:

I've tried other kinds of food now, and yeah, he doesn't seem to like the pâté texture. At all. I sprinkled the crushed up dry food on top, he took two bites and didn't touch it for the rest of the day :/

But he eats minced food in sauce decently! Even without the dried food on top. Improvements!

He's now being fed wet food in the morning so I can better monitor his intake, and in the evenings I'll give him some dry food. He seems to be okay with that. I'll probably switch this routine up later (access to dry food the whole day and wet food in the evenings).

For now I am happy that he's a much better eater than he was 2 weeks ago. I'll try and see if I can find other minced food I can serve him to not have his diet grow too monotonous

I am pretty happy that my kitty now eats well

 

[maggie101]

I now use vital essentials toppers mixed in her canned which my cat loves
Got it on chewy

 

[Alexus]

I now use vital essentials toppers mixed in her canned which my cat loves
Got it on chewy

 

[maggie101]

The first ingredient is chicken and bone. Some people say bone may cause constipation. If you do a search for bone meal on this site it is discussed a lot. Another option is to crush up pure bites freeze dries chicken found at Petco.

 

[lisahe]

The first ingredient is chicken and bone. Some people say bone may cause constipation. If you do a search for bone meal on this site it is discussed a lot. Another option is to crush up pure bites freeze dries chicken found at Petco.

Yes, we feed some foods with bone but it's Pure Bites that I sprinkle on both cats' food.

 

[maggie101]

According to an article I read, feeding too much bone meal causes constipation so is 2 teaspoons a day of crushed ok?

Bone. The feeding of raw bones or bone meal has been linked to constipation. There are two sides to feeding bones, however. Calcium in bone is present as calcium phosphate. An excess of calcium in the diet can contribute to constipation. But bones are not entirely made of calcium phosphate or minerals. Bones are mostly a dense protein matrix in which mineral stores are laid down to give bone rigidity, also serving the body as a reserve of minerals. This protein matrix of bone isn't unlike fur. It is largely indigestible and as a result bulks stool. Undigested bone in feces looks like crumbly lime.

 

[lisahe]

According to an article I read, feeding too much bone meal causes constipation so is 2 teaspoons a day of crushed ok?

Bone. The feeding of raw bones or bone meal has been linked to constipation. There are two sides to feeding bones, however. Calcium in bone is present as calcium phosphate. An excess of calcium in the diet can contribute to constipation. But bones are not entirely made of calcium phosphate or minerals. Bones are mostly a dense protein matrix in which mineral stores are laid down to give bone rigidity, also serving the body as a reserve of minerals. This protein matrix of bone isn't unlike fur. It is largely indigestible and as a result bulks stool. Undigested bone in feces looks like crumbly lime.

I think a lot depends on the cat: some cats seem more tolerant of bone than others. Two teaspoons a day doesn't seem like much but I'd keep an eye on the litter box and check with the company about the bone content as well as the phosphorus if I were going to use it longterm. I think you're using it on wet food, right? If so, I'd be less concerned about that.