Finicky Felines

I love it when our guests come into the store and they have just gotten a new kitten.  As most of us know, once we start our cat on a diet, it can be very difficult to change them to a different food.  This gives me an opportunity to get them started on the right foot. It is very important to give a kitten/cat a high moisture diet--their natural diet would be prey--such as rodents, insects, and birds.  Their prey consists primarily of water, protein and fat, with less than 10% carbohydrate (starch, sugar and fiber) content. Cats utilize fat and protein for energy. They are not like dogs and people, who have adapted to use carbohydrates for energy.
 
It is important to add variety to your cat's diet. Your cat doesn't go out and hunt only one type of prey month after month.  They would hunt for what is readily available to them at the time.  One day it might be a mouse, the next day it could be a bird. 
 
If your cat doesn't hunt for its food, it is important that you provide the best possibly alternative for your cat.  If you're not up to feeding a raw meat diet, then canned is a good substitute.  Dry kibble can also be incorporated into your cat's diet as well, but should not be the primary diet. The problem with too much dry food is that it does not contain enough moisture for your cat and it has too many grains and carbs that can create problems for your cats.  The grocery store cat foods are primarily grain based and can set your cat up for problems like diabetes, crystals in urine and obesity.
 
Making any kind of changes can be difficult when your cat(s) won't cooperate.  I know people want to change their cat's food, but the cat won't cooperate.  Here are some tips for changing your cat's food:
 
Do not feed a grocery store dry or wet food.  Feed a moist (canned or raw) high quality, protein-based food to your cat.  
 
If you are feeding a low quality food, only change one food at a time (either dry or canned) not both at the same time.
 
Do not run out of his current food, start blending the new food in.  Make changes slow and gradual as you do not want to upset the tummy.
 
If your cat won't eat canned or raw, it may have a dry-food addiction.  If you free feed, this can make things more difficult because your cat may never become hungry enough to want to try something new. Start by putting the cat on a feeding schedule, leaving dry food out only an hour each morning and night. Once he's accustomed to the schedule, put a little canned food down first. Most cats will be willing to try it at that point.
 
It is generally easier to switch to canned food first, then move to a raw food diet.
 
If your cat refuses to touch dry food with canned or raw mixed in, offer only the new food for the first half of the meal period before offering their normal food. Many cats will be hungry enough to at least taste it.  If that doesn't work, try these tricks: Start with plain meat, without veggies or supplements.  Lightly brown the meat or put in microwave for a few seconds.  Sprinkle a handful of kibbles on top of the canned or raw food. Crush the dry food into crumbs. Make tiny, bite-sized meatballs of the new food, and roll them in the crumbs.  

Make sure your cat is eating at least a little at each meal. If not, take a step backwards in terms of percentages, or offer your cat's favorite food by itself. Cats (especially overweight cats) can get into trouble if they miss even a few meals-they can quickly develop hepatic lipidosis (fatty liver disease). It is expensive to treat, and not all cats survive. 

When making changes, keep an eye on your cat's stools and watch for diarrhea-- a little can be common at first and is normal.  If your pet has additional symptoms, such as lethargy, poor appetite, or persistent vomiting, stop the new food and contact your veterinarian; there may be something else going on. 

There are several ways to prevent or resolve diarrhea due to diet change:  Make the switch very slowly; or decrease the amount of new food being fed and go back to a larger proportion of the old food. Add a digestive enzyme supplement. Add probiotics to help balance the bacterial population in the digestive system.

Once you get your cat going on a wet food diet, keep his diet varied using a variety of canned and even dry foods.

When I talk to people about changing food, a lot of times they will say, "My cat is doing fine on his dry-food diet."  Keep in mind, that yes, your cat may be doing fine, until he develops skin problem, diabetes, crystals in the urine and/or cancer.  It's best to be proactive in your pet's diet then to wait until a condition develops.
 

Kristina

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