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I have two cats they are brother and sister. They are refusing to eat their wet food. I tried many brands: Applaws, Royal Canin, Hill's (out of question), Schesir, Cosma nature.

They have no problem whatsoever with their dry food (Royal Canin Vet Care Nutrition). I tried to feed them broasted chicken and they ate all of it. With treats they have no problem at all. They eat all of the bag that I get them.

They have access to dry food 24/7, their bowl is always filled. I feed them wet food twice a day, at 8:00 AM and 7:00 PM.

  • Is there something that I can do to change their habit?
  • Is it possible to mix the wet and dry food together? So that I can feed them just twice a day and remove the dry food bowl?
  • Should I take them to the vet?

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2 Answers 2

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There are a couple of things you can try, one is to heat the wet food to body temperature; this is to make the smell a bit more inviting for your cats and the temperature will be more like the body temperature of your cats' natural prey.

Another thing is the texture of the food. Most cats like chewy food better than the pate type of texture. If at all possible, try to give your cats the wet food in a glass bowl. Some cats try to avoid metal and plastic bowls.

If your cats are eating the normal amount of food and are drinking water, there is no need to take them to the vet for now.

Your cats will get all nutrients they need from the dry food, so they will be fine; it is not a problem for cats to eat the same food every day.

I do understand your wish to give your cats several types of food and I think it is good for cats to have some variation in their diet and the extra water in wet food can make the cats' urine less concentrated, so it can help prevent urinary problems.

You can try to mix wet and dry food, but there is a risk your cats will eat less if you do; it might be better to remove the dry food for 2-3 hours before you try to give them the wet food.

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    Yes to dry food every day being fine. I gave a cat wet food once every few months. She'd eat about 1/3rd, then ignore it, then enthusiastically crunch the dry food the second it was back in. Lived to be 18 with no problems. Commented Aug 1, 2020 at 13:59
  • @OwenReynolds thank u for kind comment. I guess my cats are just being brats lolololololol. It's ok I love them
    – gringo
    Commented Aug 3, 2020 at 7:37
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The first thing I'm noticing is that your cats have no reason to eat the wet food. They can go get some tasty snacks (kibble) whenever they want! They may feel that there's no urgency in eating the wet food, or they may not care for the flavor or texture; particularly when compared to kibble, wet food can taste a bit "healthy," as it isn't sprayed with all the flavor enhancers used to make kibble palatable. You can think of it as a plain baked potato (wet food) compared to a potato chip (kibble); the chip may taste better, but the baked potato is healthier.

So start by reducing their free access to kibble. Don't refill it as soon as they can see the bottom of the bowl; measure it out and let it run empty, preferably some time before you offer the wet food. If they can't just run to their kibble bowl, they're much more likely to give the new stuff a try. Give them a little bit of canned, preferably in a similar protein profile (flavor) to the dry so it's a more palatable transition. Offer the same food for at least a week--don't immediately panic that they aren't eating it and switch to another. Give them time to get used to the idea. If they still aren't eating it, try a different texture; wet food comes in pate, chunk, and shredded varieties, and many cats will prefer one over another.

When they've found a wet food they like, start increasing the amount you're feeding while slowly decreasing the kibble. You're doing a phased switch at this time, encouraging them to eat more of the wet and less of the dry by letting the dry run out sooner; only fill the bowl after feeding the wet food, and don't fill the kibble bowl immediately after they leave the wet (or they'll learn faster than you might think possible that walking away from their baked potato will get them chips!)--you need to give them sufficient time to eat the wet food before offering the alternative. You'll also need to be measuring how much you're putting out, so you can decrease it.

Note that I'm not suggesting you starve them out! A cat shouldn't go more than a day without food; give them a reasonable amount of time to eat the wet, but make sure they're getting something, especially in the earlier stages of transitioning them. Make sure you're prepared to resist their begging, too; as soon as they discover that the unlimited buffet is running low on food, they'll be doing their best to guilt you into filling their bowl. You'll need to be more stubborn about moving them to wet food than they are about staying with the dry. They will fight you on this, so dig in your heels and don't let them win.

It'll take time, especially if they've been eating dry (and getting their way by resisting the wet) for a while, but it can be done! You're already on the right track by having scheduled feedings with the wet food; take note of how much food you put in their kibble bowl and how much it should be to have it start running out right around that time (measuring cups are a big help). Be patient, be willing to let some food go to waste, be willing to spend the time that it takes to find what they like, and you'll come out victorious at the end.

The site for cat hospital Cats Exclusive Veterinary Center has an extensive write-up to help transition, if you'd like even more details on how to proceed. Note that the write-up is a bit older, as one of the brands suggested for grain-free/low carb (EVO) was discontinued several years ago, but the core information is still very useful.

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    Thanks a lot Allison for your answer. These little brats know how to win. When I shout at the male he rolls on the floor and I start laughing and he Wins LOL. Cats are sneaky little brats. I didn't know that when I was young because my parents used to care of cats. But now oh mama they own me lol. I do love them a lot. Greatest partners I ever had.
    – gringo
    Commented Aug 4, 2020 at 9:20
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    You are right. I'm making that error. I always fill the dry food first. Then I go on an give them wet food. To my surprise they always start with the dry food and poof they aren't hungry no more
    – gringo
    Commented Aug 4, 2020 at 9:23
  • @gringo definitely switch that up :) Not only make sure to not feed the dry first, make sure it actually runs out at least an hour before feeding time. Most changes with cats are really just a process of being more stubborn than they are, and making the good behavior worth their while (like getting food!)
    – Allison C
    Commented Aug 4, 2020 at 15:19

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