Throwing out too much cat food!

[boobookitty]

My older cat Spooky was diagnosed with kidney failure a few years ago. She's doing fine except for the weight loss. I'm keeping her stable by giving her a buffet of canned food every day. One day she likes something but the next day she doesn't. When she turns up her nose on something I open another can of something else. I switch brands, flavors, consistencies, etc. Many times she licks up the gravy & leaves the meat there. I end up throwing a lot of food out & it's breaking the bank...especially when it's an expensive brand. She wants my food especially when I cook chicken. I'll give her a few bites but I'm afraid to give it to her on a regular basis. What happens when she gets sick of it? Not sure she would go back to cat food or not. Any suggestions?

 

[sivyaleah]

 
My older cat Spooky was diagnosed with kidney failure a few years ago. She's doing fine except for the weight loss. I'm keeping her stable by giving her a buffet of canned food every day. One day she likes something but the next day she doesn't. When she turns up her nose on something I open another can of something else. I switch brands, flavors, consistencies, etc. Many times she licks up the gravy & leaves the meat there. I end up throwing a lot of food out & it's breaking the bank...especially when it's an expensive brand. She wants my food especially when I cook chicken. I'll give her a few bites but I'm afraid to give it to her on a regular basis. What happens when she gets sick of it? Not sure she would go back to cat food or not. Any suggestions?

I'm in the same situation. Our nearly 16 year old boy (Casper) was diagnosed recently.  He has a long history of throwing up even if he likes what he ate.  When we adopted him about 6-7 years ago, he weighed 16 pounds. He's now down to 12 which is a healthy weight but, the loss is significant and troubling. He's in Stage 2 so we don't have to resort yet to Sub Q but feeding has turned into a real challenge.

I had been feeding both cats Fancy Feast Classics which both of them liked but, found out it's too high in phosphorous which is terrible for the kidneys. So, I went out and purchased a lot of Weruva cans, various types. Some he likes, others he will just lick up the gravy like yours does.  Some days he throws up, some days not so I'm constantly opening more food to ensure he has enough nutrition.  

Him and Cocoa both have lost more than a few teeth in recent years and I think the texture of the food partially has to do with them not caring for this brand (and other premium brands). Being better quality, it isn't chopped up and pureed into unrecognizable lumps and they both seem to have trouble eating it.  

Have you tried using any "topper"?  Finely grated Parmesan cheese (not the green shaker type, real cheese), nutritional yeast  (a bit too high in phosphorus but so little is needed it probably is ok). Forta Flora (a probiotic which has good flavor), or crushed up PureBites? These all do seem to work for me, they get Casper more interested in what's in the bowl those times he's being picky.  Even a tiny amount of tuna juice might make the difference.

Also have you tried warming the food up? I will add a small amount of hot filtered water to it (or the tuna juice warmed).  It releases aromas and, makes it more the temperature they prefer.  Plus it adds more water to their diet.

Last, have you discovered Tanya's Comprehensive FCKD website?  It's a wealth of information for cats with kidney disease.  There is also a great Facebook group related to this.

http://www.felinecrf.org/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/felinecrf/

The Facebook group has been really helpful learning to navigate the disease and I'm sure you'd get great assistance there too.

 

[cheeser]

Have you tried freezing the leftovers?

We did that awhile back for one of our cats.  Once we figured out about how much he'd eat in one sitting, we'd divvy up the can into single serving size portions and freeze them.  Then we'd thaw them out and reheat as needed.

It does change the texture a bit, and probably affects the taste.  But in some cases, that can be overcome by adding a little broth or some kind of a topper like sivyaleah suggested.  And yes, we've even been known to freeze chicken broth in ice cube trays so we didn't have to throw out a can of leftover broth. ;-)

 

[boobookitty]

Sivyaleah, thank you for all the ideas. Thankfully, my cat isn't throwing up and she has most of her teeth. I also buy Weruva for her which she loved at the beginning & cleaned her plate. Now she tends to focus on the gravy even though I chop up any big chunks. I haven't used any toppers except for tuna fish water. She'll lick that up & still leave the food. I'll have to try the grated Parmesan cheese & PureBites. I have tried warming up the food but that doesn't seem to make a difference. She does drink a lot of water on her own which is good. I'll check out that website & Facebook page you suggested. Thanks again & good luck with your kitty as well.

 

[boobookitty]

Cheeser, I never know how much food my cat will eat at a sitting. When she's done licking up the gravy & eating some of the food she will ask for more. So I just keep adding spoonfuls to her bowl until she's satisfied. Sometimes I have to give her treats to fill her up a little more. I cater to her since I want her to eat. Thank you for your input!

 

[arouetta]

I had cats that licked the gravy, leaving the meat bits in there.  Turns out they actually prefer loaf food to bits of meat in gravy.  Could have fooled me, with the way they beg for grilled chicken and canned tuna.  Maybe you could try some loaf food?

 

[boobookitty]

Arouetta, my cats don't care much for the loaf. I do buy it sometimes as an alternative choice & it gets licked... small portions are consumed. Thanks for your input!

 

[IndyJones]

If they only eat the juice maybe they like the consistency? my Indy doesn't like the texture of a lot of dry foods.

Maybe try putting the food in a blender or food processor.

Also try microwaving the food for about 10 seconds. Makes it more appealing for a lot of cats.

I've also had success using fortiflora. It comes in a box of single use packets smells bad but cats go nuts for it.

 

[catmom marcia]

Maybe try smearing some baby food (meat and broth only, no veggies added) on top or even fish flakes (Oriental markets).  My Lacey Mae used to like grated parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.

 

[IndyJones]

I should also mention fortiflora worked well in helping my end stage ckd cat to eat.

 

[boobookitty]

Indy Jones, I thought about putting it in a blender but haven't tried it yet. I should try this Fortiflora that people are mentioning. Do they sell that in pet stores?

 

[boobookitty]

Catmom Marsha, I had tried baby food at first but she seemed to tire of that as well. I could try it again. Seems variety is the key. I do want to try the grated parm too. Thanks for your input!

 

[solomonar]

"he does drink a lot of water on her own which is good"

- How much water (volume units and how you measure)?

- Have you checked his kidney recently (up to two months ago)? Creatinine?

===

Temperature of the food? Are you sure you warm it up completely? Sometimes the gravy is only warmed at the outside. How do you warm up the food (microwave, water etc..)?

 

[IndyJones]

Indy Jones, I thought about putting it in a blender but haven't tried it yet. I should try this Fortiflora that people are mentioning. Do they sell that in pet stores?

I got it from my vet since that's how I found out about it. It might be OTC but I'm not sure. I'll get back to you on that.

 

[LTS3]

 
. I should try this Fortiflora that people are mentioning. Do they sell that in pet stores?

No but you can buy it from Amazon and other web sites. Your vet may sell it as well.

There's a $5 rebate offer on the FortiFlora web site: https://www.proplanveterinarydiets.com/products/fortiflora-cat/

 

[IndyJones]

I haven't found it in store myself but it appears amazon and Walmart sell it OTC. You could order a case online if you feel comfortable. You could also see if your vet can order you a box.

 

[boobookitty]

Indy Jones, thanks for the info. I wouldn't want to order a case until I'm sure my cat likes it. We shall see...

 

[boobookitty]

LTS3, thanks so much for the info. I'll definitely check out the prices but the coupon is a bonus!

 

[boobookitty]

Solomonar, I don't measure the amount of water. I just put down fresh water in bowls & I also have a fountain that both cats use. As far as the food warming goes, I use a microwave. I don't want to heat it up too hot and have her burn her mouth. She hasn't been to the vet recently but every time I get her tested she is pretty stable. If I don't see any changes in her I don't get her checked every couple of months. That gets expensive!