Cat likes junk food

October 5, 2018 2:40 PM

How can I get my cat to not turn up his nose at higher quality food?

I tried to get my cat (old pic) to eat wet food, it was a non-started. So I settled on a "premium" dry brand that doesn't have as much junk and no corn. He has eaten that without complaint for four years. Recently, he had to go stay with family for a few months, and he was given Meow Mix, which has corn as its number one ingredient. Now that he's back home, he's very, very reluctant to eat his old premium food at all, and wouldn't try much or any of a higher-end stuff I got at a pet store.

How do I convince this guy to eat better? He has much more and worse stool and gas when he's on Meow Mix, and I'm worried about long-term health problems since I've read that male Siamese often have bladder problems as they age.

posted by skewed to Pets & Animals (8 answers total)

Wish I could help you, but mine is also a brat. She’s on a combination of maropitant and mirtazipine (sp?) now, for nausea and appetite. It helps a lot, but I still have to vary her food regularly. (She might be your little dude’s food opposite: variable junk wet food for her or bust.)
posted by schadenfrau at 3:08 PM on October 5, 2018

Usual best practice is to start with the old stuff and then slowly (like, take a month just so you don't lose her good will with an abrupt change) ratio in the new stuff so that eventually it's all new stuff and no old stuff.
posted by Lyn Never at 3:11 PM on October 5, 2018 [9 favorites]

yep, my one-eyed boy is also massively fussy about his food. I have to mix new plus old together for at least 2 weeks when I'm moving him back onto to the healthy stuff after anytime on the cheap brands. I'ts frustrating, but persevere!
posted by sarahdal at 4:02 PM on October 5, 2018 [1 favorite]

When my critter was alive, he was the same. What I did was mix his nasty fast food cat food into high quality wet food and then sprinkle the meow mix on the top. And then I wouldn't give him any thing else. Eventually he would hold his nose and eat the wet to get to his beloved meow mix.
posted by frumiousb at 4:10 PM on October 5, 2018 [2 favorites]

In addition to the slow transition, you could try mixing in a bit of tuna or sardine juice to see if that makes it more attractive. Another thing that's probably a little niche but hypnotized a previous cat of mine is bonito flakes. If you can get bonito flakes they're quite shelf stable and a big bag will last a long time - just crumble some up and mix it into the dry food.

Some cats that aren't food motivated are having trouble just going from chill/nap/patrol directly to eating food, especially if that food isn't their most favorite thing. Get him to run around and play and attack a bunch of toys and generally simulate some hunting behavior and expend some of his energy, like fifteen minutes before dinner. Then put down some food and see if he tries it. Kind of like, protein bars are yucky but after a good workout they're definitely more edible.
posted by Mizu at 4:46 PM on October 5, 2018 [1 favorite]

Also try getting an interactive feeder for the slow transition but keep in mind this is a thing you are buying for a cat so there is a non-zero chance he will ignore it in favor of the box it comes in. Cats gonna cat.
posted by ananci at 10:09 PM on October 5, 2018 [2 favorites]

What brand is the premium dry food? Mine turn their noses up at most of them but they seem to really like the Blue Buffalo Wilderness. It’s 100% grain-free.
posted by MexicanYenta at 11:22 PM on October 5, 2018

If you do get bonito flakes and your cat loves them like mine did, make sure you keep the bag somewhere you’re absolutely sure he can’t get to. I had the bag by my microwave in a cubby about chest level (though I’m short...). One night, my cat jumped up there, grabbed the bag, chewed through the plastic and gorged himself on fish flakes. And also spilled about half of them all over my apartment. Don’t be like me.
posted by Weeping_angel at 1:52 AM on October 6, 2018 [4 favorites]