Need some ideas!

[tico]

Hi, I haven't posted here in a while, but I need some advice!

Sophie is just over a year now, and is healthy, aside from having URI I discovered. However, I don't think the URI has any involvement in this issue.

She's just a picky eater.

When it comes to wet food, that is. I'm not worried about it being a sign of another problem, because she eats a healthy amount of her dry food (which I leave out all day).

I wonder if maybe it's because I ran out of her good quality cat food once or twice this summer, and had to run to the corner store for Friskies... She will ALWAYS eat Friskies!!

However, when I give her good quality stuff, there is a 3 out of 4 chance she will turn her nose up at it. I've tried a variety of brands, flavours, gravy/non, etc. And there's no rhyme or reason to it - she could like it one time, and go off it the next. I've wasted so much food on her account

I seem to have better success with fishy flavours, but I heard that its best to avoid giving them fish.

Tonight, I had the brilliant idea of sprinkling her food with catnip, but she just got irritated with me that I "wasted" perfectly good nip on her food...

I've tried heating it up, adding water. No difference. She's hungry and begs! Its just that she doesn't like it!

Any recommendations? Should I cave and give her the cheap wet??

 

[sharky]

Cheap wet is better than no wet ... Give her the Friskies... IMHO I would mix some better stuff with the Friskies and see if she will eat... As long as she does Not have a history of UTI Fish is okay ..

URI could cause issues as Fish and the artificial stuff in Friskies smells more than other foods... I take it she has seen the vet about the URI?

 

[farleyv]

I have to give Friskies because of a diabetic cat. So they all get canned Friskies. I totally agree, low end wet is better than high end dry.

We do our best for our cats, but ultimately, if they won't eat the better wet, what good is it?

Mine have been on Friskies for a couple years. Knock on wood, but everyone has great coats, are active, for their age.

I think with all the "holistic" foods out there now, lower end foods get a bad rap.

 

[tico]

Thanks for your replies! That's good to know!

Regarding the URI, I just mentioned at the vet once, how in the mornings she sometimes gets a runny nose, and occasionally coughs, out of breath (verrrry mild) - and he just checked her heart, and told me that it was likely a URI, which he likened to a coldsore virus which comes and goes, but never completely leaves if you have it. He didn't seem concerned, I guess because its mild.

 

[sharky]

Originally Posted by Tico

Thanks for your replies! That's good to know!

Regarding the URI, I just mentioned at the vet once, how in the mornings she sometimes gets a runny nose, and occasionally coughs, out of breath (verrrry mild) - and he just checked her heart, and told me that it was likely a URI, which he likened to a coldsore virus which comes and goes, but never completely leaves if you have it. He didn't seem concerned, I guess because its mild.

Next time you see the vet, which you should if it is a daily thing... Please Ask about Herpes, it can act like a URI but is easier to treat and is a life long condition

 

[2coons]

I'm curious about the comment "low end wet is better than high end dry" - what does this mean?

I'm currently migrating my 'coons to high-grade dry food from Meow mix, and was pondering the cases of Friskies wet I have in the closet. I was going to just donate them to a shelter, but should I hang on to them and give them as a 'treat' every once in a while?

I was under the impression that they were a really poor nutrition choice but it seems from the comments here that it's ok to mix them in with the high-grade food once in a while?

 

[sharky]

Originally Posted by 2coons

I'm curious about the comment "low end wet is better than high end dry" - what does this mean?

I'm currently migrating my 'coons to high-grade dry food from Meow mix, and was pondering the cases of Friskies wet I have in the closet. I was going to just donate them to a shelter, but should I hang on to them and give them as a 'treat' every once in a while?

I was under the impression that they were a really poor nutrition choice but it seems from the comments here that it's ok to mix them in with the high-grade food once in a while?

Wet food mimics a cats natural prey in moisture , dry matter protein and fat ... ALL of them do... The "best dry" on the other hand may have less questionable and more digestible ingredients than the lower end dry but it still takes some moisture to digest... If you have ?s pm me