Kitten refuses to eat wet food

[Ulalazawa]

I have had my kitten, Leo for about 3 months now and have been feeding him wet food from the start. I stared with Purina Pro Plan Variety pack and he went wild for it for a while but then around a month and hf started to lose interest. I continued to feed the same Purina Pro Plan but added a variety of brands that included Fancy Feast, Instinct, Wellness Core, and Royal Canon. That worked for a while, but recently he is completely refusing to eat any wet food.

I switched bowls, switched bowl location, tried heating the food, added tasty toppers on the food and nothing seems to work for the long term. He only goes wild for the Purina Pro Plan Dry Kibble which I was also feeding from the time I got him but only as a treat, not his main meal source. I'm now even considering making my own food because I just don't know if its a behavior problem or a problem with the food itself. I would prefer to keep him on a wet food diet for all the health benefit reasons I read about. Help please!

 

[misty8723]

When I was adopting Cricket, they told me at the rescue that she would never eat wet food. That was a huge disappointment, but not a deal breaker as we fell in love with her. I went about trying to prove them wrong, offering her just about every brand out there, from the cheap store stuff to the very expensive and finally found one she will eat (Weruva), but only two flavors. Austin gets Fancy Feast Pate. Cricket is not interested in that, and Austin is not interested in the Weruva.

I guess what I'm suggesting is to try as many different brands and consistencies as you can manage. We have a couple stores in the area that sell the higher end stuff where you can buy it by the can or pouch so you don't have to invest a lot in the experiments. Also, do you think maybe Leo is a grazer? If you leave the food down for a while will he go back to it? That's how both my cats eat.

 

[LTS3]

Try crushing up the dry food and sprinkling it over any canned food. Dry food often contains ingredients that are irresistible to cats, usually animal digest. Crushed up treats also work well. There's a thread with more suggestions on toppers and other ways to entice cats to eat or try something new: Any Good Tips To Get Your Cats To Eat? Share Them Here!

 

[cassiopea]

You could try introducing a small amount of wet food by mixing it into the dry food, then gradually increase the amount of wet and diminishing the dry.

Also, try different textures, as some cats have preferences. For instance, my own kitties favour pâté or shredded over chunky style wet food. You could also try "starving" your kitty (aka delaying supper time by, let's say, an 1/2 to an hour so the little tummy is hungry and less fussy)

Dry food is also less affected by the fluctuation in weather, which is often why it is favoured - Sometimes cats can be picky by the temperature of their wet food. Additionally, sometimes changing the wet food *too* much might discourage or cause a loss of interest.

And of course there is the already mentioned making your own wet food!

In any case, if the kitty is still healthy and eating well with the dry food I wouldn't worry about it too too much. Dry food is still good, as long as the kitten is drinking enough water. Or add other types of liquid-y treats, like a little bit of plain yogurt on occasion.

 

[Ulalazawa]

When I was adopting Cricket, they told me at the rescue that she would never eat wet food. That was a huge disappointment, but not a deal breaker as we fell in love with her. I went about trying to prove them wrong, offering her just about every brand out there, from the cheap store stuff to the very expensive and finally found one she will eat (Weruva), but only two flavors. Austin gets Fancy Feast Pate. Cricket is not interested in that, and Austin is not interested in the Weruva.

I guess what I'm suggesting is to try as many different brands and consistencies as you can manage. We have a couple stores in the area that sell the higher end stuff where you can buy it by the can or pouch so you don't have to invest a lot in the experiments. Also, do you think maybe Leo is a grazer? If you leave the food down for a while will he go back to it? That's how both my cats eat.

Thanks for the suggestion, thats what i originally did and he initally liked the brands so i bought big packs and now doesnt want to eat them. Guess I could go back and continue to try a couple more brands.

He is not a grazer, the food will sit untouched all day. I have wondered whether the heat or the fact that he is in height of puberty has anything to do with shift in behavior. Anyway thanks for taking time to write this advice!

 

[Ulalazawa]

Try crushing up the dry food and sprinkling it over any canned food. Dry food often contains ingredients that are irresistible to cats, usually animal digest. Crushed up treats also work well. There's a thread with more suggestions on toppers and other ways to entice cats to eat or try something new: Any Good Tips To Get Your Cats To Eat? Share Them Here!

Thanks for the suggestion and link. Will def take a look, so far the only topper I tried is dried tuna flakes.

 

[Ulalazawa]

You could try introducing a small amount of wet food by mixing it into the dry food, then gradually increase the amount of wet and diminishing the dry.

Also, try different textures, as some cats have preferences. For instance, my own kitties favour pâté or shredded over chunky style wet food. You could also try "starving" your kitty (aka delaying supper time by, let's say, an 1/2 to an hour so the little tummy is hungry and less fussy)

Dry food is also less affected by the fluctuation in weather, which is often why it is favoured - Sometimes cats can be picky by the temperature of their wet food. Additionally, sometimes changing the wet food *too* much might discourage or cause a loss of interest.

And of course there is the already mentioned making your own wet food!

In any case, if the kitty is still healthy and eating well with the dry food I wouldn't worry about it too too much. Dry food is still good, as long as the kitten is drinking enough water. Or add other types of liquid-y treats, like a little bit of plain yogurt on occasion.

Hmm wonder if i fell down the path of changing it too much haha

Lots of good tid bits here so thanks for the advice!

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. I may have missed it, but have you tried adding just a bit of water to some dry (in a separate dish) to see what happens? Maybe it is just a matter of weaning your kitten to more moisture by using the dry and hopefully being able to, over time, add a bit more water as you can. Also, may have missed it, but try using a small amount of canned food as a topper to the dry - same concept, if Leo eats it that way, you can continue to try over time to add more and more.

 

[Box of Rain]

@ U Ulalazawa have you ever tried giving Leo something like a little freshly minced dark meat chicken, either raw or gently cooked?

Bill