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Old June 8th, 2004, 01:03 PM
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cmt489 cmt489 is offline
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Any suggestions on how to get a cat to eat canned food?

Alright guys, I have a tough one. My vet wants me to feed Nadia, my Himilayan, wet food. Problem is, she completely snubs the stuff! I have tried the suggestions given to me by others: buying variety, buying the small cans so that there is less time that the can is open, buying good quality food (heck, I smelled the wellness lobster and chicken and I am pretty sure I could have served it as a pate to my guests - LOL!!), mixing it with her dry to get her to eat it, leaving a small amount for her to sample - all to no avail!!

Does anyone have ANY suggestions on what I can do or should I just give up on this one?

She drinks lots of water (but not excessive amounts) and gets a premium dry. She is free fed since she if I didn't do this she would probably waste away to nothing (she is currently at her all time high weight of 7 pounds... she is healthy but small - runt of the litter).

Thanks!

Michelle
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Old June 8th, 2004, 01:11 PM
Lucky Rescue Lucky Rescue is offline
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While I agree that neutered males should eat canned food, what is the reason the vet wants yours to have it? Does she have a urinary problem?

My ex-feral tom cat wouldn't eat canned food either. I just kept trying different ones til I hit on one he would eat (Friskie's Turkey and Giblet Pate) and then after that he would finally eat other kinds, but does prefer dry food. Cats do get "addicted" to one type of food if that is all they get, and it's very hard to make them switch.

You can try letting her go hungry for ONE day. Take up all the food and try the canned food at night and see what happens. Since she is free-fed, she is never hungry enough to force her to try the canned.

Your cat is a stubborn little devil, isn't she?
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Old June 8th, 2004, 01:19 PM
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cmt489 cmt489 is offline
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Thanks LR!

Stubborn doesn't even begin to explain it - LOL!!!

I will try to take her food away for the day - boy, will she be grumpy.... Worth a shot.

The reason my vet wants her on wet is that they are concerned in case anything else should happen to her she may develop kidney problems and they want more moisture in her. She had a bad year a couple of years back - liver disease and then a chemical burn of her intestinal tract (moved into my new condo and they figure there must have been some residue from the construction that she licked and burnt out her whole digestive system). All said and done, she has been cured of everything and my pocket book was $2,500 lighter ). The vet I go to is into warding off the "just in case".

Michelle
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Old June 9th, 2004, 09:09 PM
Mittens&Lara Mittens&Lara is offline
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Red face soft food feeding

I know this sounds pathetic, but I love my cat to death and would do just about anything for her. She's extremely picky when it comes to eating and it has taken me almost a year to figure out what she likes best and how she likes it. Try this......mix some of the wet food (pates, not the chunky stuff)with water, so it's more like a soup. That is the only way my cat eats her soft food - and the only way she gets a lot of water. Since your cat loves water, she may eat the soft food this way. And try lots of different brands. It took about 7 different tries before I hit the cat food jackpot. My cat particularly likes President's Choice pates from Zehrs. Good luck.
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Old June 10th, 2004, 08:14 AM
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chico2 chico2 is offline
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My cats eat wet and dry,but only the pate kind,chunky or sliced has never interested my cats.Also they would not eat food having been kept in the fridge,adding a bit of hot water or micro-wave it a little helps.
Since I have three cats,they split a small can twice a day,good quality dry food and water is there for them all day.
I bought several cans of Wellness,Nutro and the vets kind,but had to go back to Fancy Feast since that is the only thing they'll eat.I buy the Turkey/Giblets,Beef and some of the Sea-food kind,I know the sea-food is probably not that good for them,but they love it and they don't eat too much of it.
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Old June 10th, 2004, 03:37 PM
Mittens&Lara Mittens&Lara is offline
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adding water to canned food

Well, thank god someone else out there baby's their cat. Now I have proof I am not the only one to mix canned food with water or heat up the food if it's been in the fridge! My friends were beginning to think I was losing my mind . (Then they have the nerve to wonder why my pets are so loving and well-behaved!)
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Old June 10th, 2004, 03:41 PM
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Princesss04 Princesss04 is offline
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My cat likes his soft (canned) food warmed up. He is so spoilied. It sounds like your might be to. HEHEHEHE that is okay! They are worth it!
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Old June 10th, 2004, 03:57 PM
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chico2 chico2 is offline
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Hey guys,that's not spoiled,that's called Love and they give it back to us thousand-fold
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Old June 10th, 2004, 03:57 PM
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Princesss04 Princesss04 is offline
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Very true, Very true!!!!
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Old June 10th, 2004, 04:49 PM
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glasslass glasslass is offline
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Puss-Puss also loves Fancy Feast. She's always been a good eater but now she's 15yo, hyper-thyroid, and on medication. She's always been slim and very active. She gets 1 can in the morning, dry food available 24/7, a 2nd can at bedtime, and often she gets a 3rd in the wee hours of the morning (like 2-3 a.m.). My husband gets up and gives it to her without complaint, usually half-asleep! THAT's love! I always pretend to be asleep!
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Old June 10th, 2004, 06:42 PM
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chico2 chico2 is offline
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GlassLass.Your cat gets 2 cans a day,sometimes 3 Wow!!!
I am surprised she's not obese..... my 3 cats split a small can,twice a day and sometimes they don't even finish that,but of course they always have dry food too.
Today I bought a trial-size of"Chicken-soup"for the cat-lovers soul(dry food)and they loved it.

Back to the original question,keeping her without food the whole day,will probably do it,if you can stand it,Good Luck!!
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Old June 10th, 2004, 06:50 PM
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cmt489 cmt489 is offline
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I guess I will find out tomorrow - I am going to take her food away tonight (hopefully she will not bug me) and then let her get hungry while I am gone..... and can't hear her complain (does this make me evil?? )

If she won't eat it, oh well, I tried.......

Michelle

ps She is soooooooo spoilt!!
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Old June 10th, 2004, 07:09 PM
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Sometimes 4! These are the small Fancy Feast cans. Puss-Puss only weighs about 8 pounds. She's hypo-thyroid but the meds keep her at a stable level. Luckily, we became aware of her condition before any damage to her heart could occur. But even before that, she was always a big eater. She only needs her bowl (small) of dry food refilled about every 3 or 4 days. She's 15yo but still looks and moves like a young cat. Her fur is luxurious. I'll scan a picture of her tonight for you.
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Old June 11th, 2004, 03:54 PM
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Here's my skunk kitty, Puss-Puss, a.k.a. Miss Puddy, a.k.a. Elvira.
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