? FOOD - Lets Talk

Does anyone have any luck with their cats consistently eating the same stuff? Seems as late I am going through a lot of different foods trying to find something my 7 will eat consistently. I will buy multiple brands and alternate if they will just eat it. Now what I have found funny, is I have been running into other folks at the pet store saying they are having the same problem.
I was feeding Merrick Bistro Pates (Chicken, Turkey, Duck) Most of the time they ate quiet well, sometimes the chicken wasn't much of hit depending on how the batch looked. Then Merrick came out with the Limited Ingredient food which does not contain the Carrageenan so I picked that up and they loved it for a couple of months. Now they are not wanting to really eat it. I have tried FF but not sure on flavors, other than the Turkey and Giblets which they really do not eat all that well, and trying to stay away from anything with fish in it. They will not touch EVO, 2 of them LOVE Hound & Gatos chicken, some of them like Sheba Pates and the Nutro Pates, none of them like the Wild Calling food. Just seems I am throwing away more than they eat..

Also are there brands that say gravy, i.e. Nuro Minced has gravy, that are low carb?

So thought I would pose the question to others here to see if they are having any luck with a particular brand or flavor. And if you have multiple cats do you feed them all the same or different.

 

I think your cats are.....cats... All mine seem to go thru liking then not liking a specific kind constantly. My first thought - you need a 'Monkey Boy' that will happily clean up anyone's scraps regardless of what they are. If Monkey won't eat it, there's something very wrong with the food! We go thru the food dance all the time between the 9 of them. I mostly feed Friskies pates for everyone. Luckily Dakota, the only diabetic, always likes FFeast Ocean Whitefish/Tuna - if I can't get anything else in him, he'll happily eat that one....so far. We tried several other brands like the Merricks, Halo, Pride, Wellness but they seemed to be quicker about turning their noses up at those.

I think there are a couple of sort of gravy ones that are lower carb - maybe FFeast 'Chunky' chicken? Don't have the list at my fingertips. Check Dr. Lisa's chart on catinfo.org

 

Mine are generally fed the same thing for each meal. I buy Friskies by the flat and they all get the same flavor for each meal. I did have an issue with all of them stop eating the pate flavors so I switched to the shreds and bits. However, none of mine right now are diabetic so these are not an issue. I have 7 cats.

 

You have a VERY common problem Nancey!! If you read enough posts here, you'll see that a lot of us end up setting up a buffet of food trying to find one our picky little felines will eat!

I think this says it all....LOL

 

@Chris & China that is so funny and oh so true. I honestly believe that is what mine are doing to me. I did find the food links in the Think Tank forum and there was link about Nutro foods there. One of the flavors someone had gotten numbers on was a minced with gravy and the carb was really low. So I might try it on my main 6, my oldest kitty liked it so I tried the CUTS by Sheba with her and she liked it even better. That brand is currently on sale at Petsmart and Chewy for .50 a 3oz can. My husband just shakes his head at my buffet. Actually my oldest gets 2 different foods at every feeding because she will eat so much of one and not want anymore the rest of the day, so she has to have a fall back

Also I will use the Fortiflora, but they eat just enough to eat all of it and then stop. Boy those kitties are rotten and sneaky.

@Lisa and Witn (GA) I think you actually have hit on something, seems they get tired of the Pates easily, and I think it is because the manufactures are very inconsistent with each batch. I have been told it is because of the variances in the ingredients with each batch, I don't buy nor understand that response, makes me wonder why their meat varies if it is a chicken based food, very concerning.

@Squeaky and KT - I have never had a "Monkey Boy" unfortunately. This crew even goes through spells of not eating Tiki Kat Chicken drives me crazy. I will go back out and look at Dr Lisa's list and the one on Tanya's CRF site as she has some additional brands listed. Seems to me the better the food you try to feed the less they like it. Some days it is like pulling teeth from a rattle snake.

 

As a fairly new arrival to the world of Fancy Feast, my little guy will eat whatever meat I put in his bowl. But I have not yet made the "mistake" of buying a whole case of a certain kind. I'm sure the newness will wear off and he will state his opinions on this subject too.

 

Wellness makes a line of "minced" canned food. It's chunks of food in a sort of gravy-like juice. These are low carb, and were a hit with my one picky cat. They fought over it.

 

Mine were eating Friskies quite happily...OK I switched up the flavors every meal, but I never got a flat out refusal to eat (apart from one flavor that Regan prefers to try and bury because SHE doesn't like it even though the others do). As we now have to switch foods again thanks to Friskies pulling the Special Diet, I'm expecting trouble...I've just got back from buying 2 cans of every suitable food I could find at Petco to try and figure out something new they might like to eat. Thankfully Petco have said I can return anything they won't eat, but I'm fully expecting not to have the same success with anything else that I had with Friskies.

 

That is so true.

 

I have 5 indoor cats and none of them like leftovers so it seems like I've been opening up fresh cans and yes placing little buffets all over the house to see who will eat what.

A lot of it goes untouched and Riley my diabetic cat seems to just want to lick the sauce off of it.

I have gone through several different kinds of food I'm still trying to figure out what's best. Sometimes they feel like the Fancy Feast and sometimes they feel like Friskies but it's never consistent. Cats!

Luckily I have two 70 pound dog that will eat anything.

 

Well, as I thought this changing to a new food is going to be problematic. I put out the new foods tonight - Shadow likes Wellness Turkey so she's good. Rosa REALLY likes the Wellness Core Beef, Venison and Lamb (she ate almost half a can in one go and she never eats like that...but it looked like she was making sure she got her share before the others got any) so I guess she's good. Regan...well, Regan wants to know where her F******g Friskies is and isn't planning on even tasting any of this weird new stuff I'm calling food! The others will eat anything that even vaguely resembles cat food, so they're good to go. And of course Regan could actually carry on eating regular Friskies as she doesn't need any sort of special diet, except that if I put that out too then Rosa's going to eat it because that's been her food for months now. Is it safe to leave Regan with nothing but her share of the new foods overnight to see if she'll eat them when she gets hungry? The last thing we need is to start any sort of medical problems with her, but I really need her to decide that at least one of these foods is acceptable.

 

I'm going through the same thing with my Riley. He's the one that's diabetic and needs the nourishment and he's barely eating anything.

That's why I was giving him dry food mixed with soft food because that's the only thing he would eat.The rest of the cats eat anything I give them,but the one cat with the diabetic is the picky one go figure

That's why I have to open up a fresh can 4 times a day just so he'll eat something. I know the soft food is better for his blood sugar but I'm still concerned about him losing too much weight for his muscles getting weak.

I've tried just about every kind of food Fancy Feast is probably his favorite so far but I'm still trying other foods but he still only licks the broth off of it and then he's done.

 

I started on Fancy Feast Kitten, Tender Turkey Feast is the Flavor,( 1 % carbs, 3 oz is 92 calories) when Bubba got DX. Civvie cat gets it also and both love it. I have been buying it by the case. Now I will probably be jinxed, ha. I also give them both Young Again dry, it supposed to be zero carbs but BJM said it is more like 5% because of the organ meat they use. They both like that also. Hope that helps

 

I hate to say it but nice to see other doing the same food dance. The only Fancy Feast any of mine will half way touch is the Turkey and Giblets, and there are days they try to bury it. I just started trying the Sheba Pate Chicken and their Cuts (which has a little gravy) they seem to like it pretty well. But I know that is just a matter of time. I left the house today with 4 different types of food laid out for them, hoping they all don't want to eat the same thing and it goes quickly.

@Bobbie And Bubba - Mine would love to have their kibble back, but Frodo just can't take the carbs. I tried Young Again and Wysong Epigen 90, but 3 of my kitties ended up with bad diarrhea from eating them. Once I took it away everything cleared up. They were eating EVO prior to that for kibble. So they get canned now whether they like it or not . And I will just keep looking and trying. It is funny though.. seems they go through spells, they haven't been this picky in a good while, and this is probably the worst they have every been.

 

Well, I have a small pet food store in my house right now. Morrigan won't look at FF or Friskies or even Wellness. I'm in the midst of trying to get her SLOWLY back onto canned foods again after a bout with colitis from being on canned foods and about to finish up her meds tomorrow night. I feel for you all because not only do I have to get her back onto canned food again VERY SLOWLY...but, I have to find a brand that won't set off her digestive issues again! And she just does not like canned food! It took me over 3 months to get to a 40/60 balance of dry to wet. Now, I'm back at square one.

Another friend in here and I have been battling this (we are both Canadian) and we can't get the Young Again Zero nor the EVO Cat and Kitten kibble up here so, we are trying everything and anything we can. We've even baked cat foods until our houses were requiring gas masks to stay in them and no one wanted to drop by anymore. And yes, we've both tried the Fresh Pet to no success. FortiFlora, Parmesan cheese, grated cheeses, tuna, tuna water, freeze dried fish pieces, broth, mixing water, warming, buffets, crushing kibble, sprinkling, mixing, rolling food into meatballs, slicing, freezing, chilling, chasing them around our houses and backyards with platters of different foods, crawling under tables to get them to eat...everything but putting pot lids on our heads and doing Irish jigs to entertain them. Heck, I'd hire a Mariachi band or a string quartet to play for her IF SHE'D EAT!!!! I had less trouble with a picky 2 year old child whom I thought took the cake in pickiness! Phew...these 2 have taken home the trophies!

But, has anyone ever noticed that there's NO need to run around with different foods for them or add or sing or stand on our heads or keep a pantry full of different foods when it comes to kibble? Yes, I said a dirty word. "Kibble". I've yet to ever have to change foods with any cat when it comes to kibble. Just pour out a portion, put the bowl down and WHAM...they eat without complaint once they are on one that they like and there's rarely ever a need to change brands, flavours and our dogs don't get fat by eating left over cat food. Heck...the dog can't near the cat food bowl because kitty is guarding his/her kibble!

So, while cats are alleged to want what they have in nature...uhhhhh....Wellness, Fancy Feast, 9 Lives and every other brand of wet food is not exactly seemingly what "nature intended" either. I haven't yet to hear of a cat who had "gravy" on their mouse or both tuna and tilapia mixed with ocean white fish on a plate, chopped and grilled for them. And, why is it that putting down a plate of roasted, poached, baked, BBQ'd, grilled or fried chicken just doesn't seem to attract them either??? Heck, I'm thinking on throwing down an uncooked raw breast of chicken on the floor and let her gnaw at it....except...she won't LOOK at it! She heads straight for her kibble bowl and meows for it to be put down...corn gluten and all.

Hey...Dr. Pierson....how about marketing the same alleged taste digest or whatever they put onto that kibble that keeps them eating? You'd make a FORTUNE off of us!

Signed,
The Sugar Kitty Club

Petition anyone?

 

I made the transition to FF when Dusty was diabetic and would eat anything because he was so hungry. My non-diabetic is a sweetheart, he just came along for the ride and ate it too. I go through all the FF flavors, cycling through them weekly and sometime daily; chicken, turkey, liver, beef, salmon, cole, it keeps things interesting for them. Sometime they get picky and just turn away but I just leave it there for them and before I know it they start eating it.

I tried going the Young Again route and initially they loved it, then they starting eating less and less and acting kinda strange, groggy and lethargic. I went back to FF and everything was normal again. Dusty's BG didn't go up while on YA so that was good but they just acted too strangely for my comfort.

 

LOL. Fortiflora does have the same animal digest as dry food. Sounds like you have tired that and everything else. Ever considered raw?

 

@Louellen - OMG!!! You should publish that.. you have me laughing like crazy and I fully understand. My crew will eat just about anything if I put the Fortiflora on it, matter of fact they know when I open a certain cabinet and pull the box out, they all go wild. But then they only eat the portion of food that has the stuff on it.

Honestly you are right just like hard food is not what they are meant to eat neither is the canned food we buy them. Raw would be the ideal choice but most of us do not have the time or money to make homemade raw food for them. And you know I do not think mine would eat it anyway. I tried giving them some raw chicken and they had no clue what to do with it, could not figure out how to eat it. That was the odd thing I have ever seen, a couple would lick at it and pick it up but wasn't sure what to do next, funny but sad at the same time. I have tried the frozen raw, they do not like that at all. Now something you might try if you haven't, or at least I didn't see it in your text, is the freeze dried raw. Mine will not eat it if I add water to it, but sprinkle it on some canned food or given as a treat and the go berserk, almost the same reaction as the Fortiflora. You have tried everything else, so cant hurt.

I guess I am going back to the Merrick Limited Ingredient, they haven't had it for several days and I just got in 2 new cases, so hopefully the will eat it again. And I will break the monotony with the Sheba or Nurto. Darn Cats!!!!

 

I'm still trying to figure out how the heck LICKING mashed GOOP is like "being in the wild"?????
Since when does a cat lick a mouse/bird/rabbit/squirrel to eat it??? Let alone, adding gravy to it? Shall we bring out our silver gravy boats next?

I "get" the idea behind all of this and why. It's just that somehow, the idea of standing in a kitchen for 3 hours, sort of "pre-digesting" meats for them by putting it all through a grinder, breaking eggs and adding supplements, just doesn't seem to match the idea anyways of what a cat would do in the wild...let alone, zipping the tab lid off of a can of 9 Lives or Fancy Feast. And, we won't get into the sprinkling some sort of flavour enhancer like FortiFlora on top of it as well. I have yet to see cats running around with salt shakers full of FortiFlora and Parmesan cheese to eat a bird or a mouse. For that matter, I haven't seen many of our house cats, let alone indoor cats, even WANT to tear into a nice juicy hunk of pre-caught and killed chicken breast! Of course they don't know what to do with a piece of raw meat. They're still sitting there, asking "so, cook it and put it through the blender, add half a dozen things to it and I MIGHT consider eating it!"

More to the point, I think Morrigan has the idea right. "Hey...Mom....I have teeth! I don't want to lick or drink my food. How about I put your steak, potato and salad through a blender for you and you can gum it down!"

But, honestly, I figure while our cat's needs to eat meat is still there...our cats have been domesticated for many years, bred that way for the most part so, they're spoiled in terms of wanting us to put on maid and butler uniforms, waiting on them hand and foot.
I encounter a cat who is a feral every time I go to a McDonalds nearby. That poor thing comes out of the bushes (where there is a plentiful supply of birds and mice and rats to eat), hungry, wanting something to eat. I take it a baggy full of cat food and put it down in a plastic dish for it. It comes out, sniffs the canned food or kibble (tried both) and you know what it does? It goes straight for begging for french fries! Can't even feed it a McNugget! It goes for the bun or the fries. I'm waiting for him to ask me to dip them in ketchup for him next. It wouldn't surprise me. I'm also going to order him a Coke next time.

 

I've really enjoyed these last few posts about cats and their food choices, @Louellen and @Nancey. Thanks for making me roll on the floor with laughter. I needed it.

 

Already tried that with my 2 - when I had ferrets, they HAD to have raw meat. My cats would beg for whatever the ferrets had...chicken, organ meat, rabbit. It didn't matter what it was, they wanted whatever the ferrets had...until they got it at which point they refused to even taste it!

 

Oh my god I am laughing and laughing over here! THANK YOU for that wonderfully funny post Louellen. I really needed that. You and your friend sound like an episode of Lucy (and Ethyl!) God, could I move next door to you guys?
Hilarious.
Ps. You're a great writer

 

Me too!!
My neighbor, staring over here-->: Crazy cat lady next door is laughing out loud over there in her garden. I think it's "time".

 

Lucky me, Salt will eat a-n-y-t-h-i-n-g……..including a few Oreos from the unopened bag he tore into a few years ago !!!!
His diet of Fancy Feast (a/k/a Kitty Crack) and safe (<7% cho) Friskies flavors have held him in remission for a few weeks now.
Mango, his picky side-kick, is not going with the k/d program recommended for his early stage kidney disease. I’ll mix some of Salt’s food in to make it more palatable for him but want to keep his pro and P low (which the FF and Friskies do not). A little orange work in progress…..

 

I have been known to do this with any variety of potato chips or Doritos…. up to and including guarding the bowl.

Thanks for a delightful series of posts @Louellen !!

 

In our house too...for whatever reason all the cats are fascinated with potato chips! It doesn't even matter what flavor - they'll try any of them!

 

I'm so glad that I could make someone laugh for a bit.

I'm now mainlining valium into one arm while draining my glass of straight up vodka in the other hand!

Morrigan is picking out what she wants for dinner tomorrow and telling me to remember to pick up more FortiFlora and Parmesan cheese as we're running a little low.

 

When I started on Young Again, I talked to the owner, and he said they would have "soft serve" stools for about 3 days and it would stop and firm up and BINGO, it did. Was your cats diarrhea longer than 3 days? If you didn't give it that amount of time, maybe you could try it again. My cats love their kibble.....

 

@Louellen , you are hysterical. Maybe a Cat Diary in the makings.......I would read it!

 

@Bobbie And Bubba Unfortunately I tired longer than I probably should have since 3 of the six that was eating it came back to normal stools. I actually went for a couple of months before just giving up on it. I have 2 long hair cats and they were getting a little tired of mom washing their furry little bottoms, and my husband was tired of holding them for me to do it.

I am fine not giving them the kibble, just wish it was easier with the canned food. And oh I just love giving them the Tiki Cat chicken, watching them try to eat that is so funny and the mess they leave behind is amazing. One of my kitties will leave his bowl and go to another's bowl to eat out it with his paw. He actually sticks the tip of his paws far enough in the bowel to catch food on his claws and then eats the food off of them. It is really funny to watch. I mean my oldest use to do water that way, but I have never seen a kitty to food that way, he came from a managed feral colony so I wonder if that is how he ate without getting smacked by other kitties.. never will know.

@Louellen I so agree with Bobbie, you need to write a cat diary, you gave me a very good laugh this morning thank you.

Frodo would eat potato chips in a heart beat, actually he will eat anything he is not supposed to eat quicker than most canned foods. The one thing he does that I will never understand is lick plastic, he will even lick the outside of the litter box.. which always gets him trouble. If he can get to a plastic contain of any kind he licks. Now I have one (Gimli) that LOVES popcorn and milk. I am guessing his original owners gave him milk, because you cannot eat cereal or ice cream without him being right under you. And bring popcorn to the couch, the boy will sit right beside you staring at you until he gets some or the bowl is empty.

What would we do without these wonderful little furry critters to make us laugh and brighten our days? Yes I am also called a crazy cat lady, but those that know me well know I will bring anything home just like Ellie Mae. Love those critters!!

 

Well it sounds like you gave the Young Again a fair shot. Wiping furry butts is not an easy task. LOL

 

Sugardance meets Riverdance!

 

ROTFL!



Best food rant ever!

 

And now I'm laughing so much I have tears streaming down my face.

Thank you so much, Louellen. I can't remember the last time I laughed at anything.

 

@Louellen , have you tried calling Young Again directly and have them ship to you ? I can't imagine that they wouldn't ship it to Cananda. That's how I get it because I don't know of any stores around me carrying it. And the owner is very nice and will talk to you about any concerns. The number for Young Again is (800) 311-6646. And if you can get it that way, try the zero carbs treats for cats, dogs and ferrets! My animals love it and its' the only way I can test the heck out of Bubba without him scratching my eyes out!

 

Yup....tried calling the Young Again people and they are very nice! @Bobbie And Bubba
They WILL ship to Canada...no problem.
And, nope...they don't carry it in stores. You can only get it online.

Problem is...my lottery numbers haven't won yet.

$54.99 U.S. for a 6 lb bag
$32.00 U.S. for shipping
$X.00 for duty
$X.00 for Canadian HST
$Canadian Dollar Exchange=Worthless CDN Dollars
___________________
SMALL FORTUNE

So, for us...that number is 1-800-GOT-BUCKS

Sure they were nice to me. I'd be nice to me too if I was going pay that too!

I'd live in a cardboard box if I ordered that but, I don't even know that Morrigan would eat it!

Mind you...living in a cardboard box....she'd HAVE to eat what "Nature Intended"!

I'd be hunting with a bow and arrow because I couldn't afford the bullets nor, the gun to put 'em in.

Hey...is that called, "Living With Nature"...cause that's what I'd be doing....heck....I'd have to eat Young Again too!

 

Got me going again! L_O_L!! You're a natural-born comedienne.

 

CJ, sugar free and OTJ, will now eat whatever is placed in front of her. (Shhh! Just don't tell her that what she's eating is low carb even though it's good for her figure. Or, heaven forbid, that it is cheap commercial food!) Miss Princess Bonnie (sweet but not a sugar cat), on the other hand, must have her food presented to her just right. The first time she was presented Stella & Chewy's with water, she didn't know what to do with it so she put her paw in the bowl frantically as if she was scooping up a goldfish. So less water was put in and she was hooked. Victory at last! Out her faithful servant went, buying every S & C's bag in town. But alas, not long after, Miss Bonnie decided to go on a hunger strike against S & C's (perhaps she feared her food, not part of the recall, was tainted? Word does get around here in her 'hood). So back the unopened bags of S & C's go while her desperate servant searches high and low for the right food to please Miss Princess Bonnie.

"I am NOT a picky eater" said No Cat Ever

 

What is Stella and Chewy? I've seen quite of few of you speak of it. You mix it with water? Maybe I should get some for a variety because after I posted yesterday about my cats loving Fancy Feast and YA, Bubba decided not to eat every thing this morning. NOT like Bubba the hog/cat.

 

LOL Cat Ma....if it seems too good to be true....when it comes to a cat eating....IT IS!
Never underestimate the power of a cat to deviously turn us into basket cases.
That way....they get full run of the house while we're sipping anti-psychotic cocktails in the Psycho Bars, dressed in designer jackets that tie around the back.

And they laugh and laugh at us.....

 

If there's one style I can really work it's a hug-me jacket ...

 

Yes, Critter Mom....they were designed by cats!

 

Stella & Chewy's is a freeze-dried raw food. Water is added. You can also use it as a toy to toss it at your cat. Bonnie likes to play with her food.

Btw, Bonnie must have known I was going to return the Stella & Chewy's today (perhaps she's been up late reading these posts) because she decided to end her hunger strike and eat the S&C's again this morning in lieu of her other food.

If anyone needs me, I'll be lounging in the psycho ward.

 

Rewengee!

(Mwaaaahahaha!!! )

 

LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Where can I buy one of those? It might save me from having stitches!!!!! LOL!!!!!!!!!!

 

Once again I'm rolling on the floor laughing and enjoying all your comments about food and the demands of our kitties. Thanks for the joy.

 

We're waiting for you, Cat Ma....we beat you to it!
We're 2 Librium cocktails ahead of you so, you'll need to catch up!

 

Sue and Oliver...she's already eaten 9 of my 10 fingers....does THAT count as "raw"?

 

[ ♫ ]
'Cause I'd rather stay here
With all the madmen..."
[ /♫ ]


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