Which strategy should I use?

Meekie

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I have a picky eater who has decided the only wet food she likes is tuna. I found some tuna and chicken mix (in the shreds she likes) and she's eating it. So I decided to be bold and bought a case of the same food, but with just chicken.

I'm dying to know if she will eat it but I'm not sure giving it to her right away is a bad idea. It is the same brand, in the same sauce, with (probably) the same chicken cuts, but no tuna. I have no idea if she's ok with the chicken or just tolerating it since it's mixed with tuna.

Should I:
A. Just give her the chicken and hope for the best? or
B. Mix the chicken in with the tuna/chicken and s l o w l y increase the chicken to tuna ratio?

I know every cat is different, but I have the distinct impression with this one that once she snubs a food flavor, she will never again give it a chance.

The whole point is to get her off the tuna. It's fine once or twice a week, but she's been eating it every day since Monday.
 
Furballsmom

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Hi!
I'd try B, (or a meal of the chicken while you still have some of the chicken/tuna left, just in case she decides it's a no-go). You might be able to alternate, in other words a meal of chicken only, a meal of chicken/tuna, etc.
 
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Meekie

Meekie

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Furballsmom said:
Hi!
I'd try B, (or a meal of the chicken while you still have some of the chicken/tuna left, just in case she decides it's a no-go). You might be able to alternate, in other words a meal of chicken only, a meal of chicken/tuna, etc.
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That's probably the wisest way to go about it. Still, I'm so curious as to whether she will eat the chicken alone.

Her appetite is much better at night so I'll be able to use that to my advantage.
 
Astragal14

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Meekie said:
She ate it! She recoiled from it at first, but I left it there and ten minutes later she was chowing down.

Whether she continues to eat it remains to be seen . . .
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This is great!! I would definitely stick with option B during the day but maybe she'll be more open to chicken only at night?

It's interesting you said her appetite is better at night. My picky girl is definitely more picky during the day yet she will eat almost anything at night! She has a microchip feeder (it was a necessity - she's a grazer and our other cat is very very opportunistic). I started putting 1-2 oz of new foods in her bowl overnight and she usually eats all of it, and almost always eats at least half (I can count on one hand how many times she didn't touch her food). It's so helpful because I always want her to eat more proteins than just seafood and chicken. She'll even try foods she doesn't like! She REALLY hates duck but she'll eat at least 1/2 oz when it's mixed with gravy!
 
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Meekie

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I got bold this morning and mixed a tiny bit of Wellness shreds in with her chicken and tuna mix. She ate an acceptable amount. Between this, and the other recommendations I've gotten, I'm feeling more confident that she and I will get this food problem down. Thanks everyone!

Astragal14 said:
This is great!! I would definitely stick with option B during the day but maybe she'll be more open to chicken only at night?

It's interesting you said her appetite is better at night. My picky girl is definitely more picky during the day yet she will eat almost anything at night! She has a microchip feeder (it was a necessity - she's a grazer and our other cat is very very opportunistic). I started putting 1-2 oz of new foods in her bowl overnight and she usually eats all of it, and almost always eats at least half (I can count on one hand how many times she didn't touch her food). It's so helpful because I always want her to eat more proteins than just seafood and chicken. She'll even try foods she doesn't like! She REALLY hates duck but she'll eat at least 1/2 oz when it's mixed with gravy!
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She definitely eats better at night. Some days she doesn't even finish her tuna and chicken mix.

I used to feed her dinner around 6 pm but she rarely ate it until at least nine. At first I thought that she, like an older cat I had, prefered it to be just a little dried out, but when she does eat it right away she licks up all the broth first so I doubt that's the reason. She just doesn't seem to get hungry until after midnight. In the mornings, her bowl is usually empty and licked clean. It makes sense, cats being nocturnal and all.

I've been withholding kibble during the day in order to get more wet food into her. At night, she finishes whatever kibble I give her.

There are also times when she doesn't eat much even at night. Stomach problems? If it continues I will have to try and find out if anything's wrong.
 
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