# Changing cats' diet...



## xxshaelxx (Mar 8, 2010)

So, before I ever knew about raw and this forum, I didn't know that cats need a good, nutritional diet, just like dogs, so I had them on Friskies. Well, Rachel yelled at me big time for this. So today I went and bought a thing of Taste of the Wild kitty food for my two. Well, even my food obsessed cat won't touch it. I even mixed in the Prescription A/D diet that my vet gave me to mix into Amaya's food when she wouldn't eat. It's a wet food designed specifically for making animals want to eat. I warmed it up and everything. They won't TOUCH it. Totally turned their noses up to it.

Any suggestions on getting them to eat?​


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## RawFedDogs (Jun 16, 2008)

Change gradually. Mix 75% of old with 25% of new for a week. Then 50%-50% another week. The following week mix 75% new with 25% old then the forth week, they should go directly to the new stuff. :smile:


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## xxshaelxx (Mar 8, 2010)

I was actually thinking about that, wondering if it would work. Decided to jump in and try it, though. haha. Didn't work. I'll cross my fingers for mixing!!!​


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

Unfortunately cats are very stubborn and you can't use the logic and technique of switching dogs to a new diet to cats. They WILL starve themselves before eating something they don't want to LOL

Did you buy canned or kibble of TOTW?


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## xxshaelxx (Mar 8, 2010)

I bought kibble.

Recently they've become kind of picky. Meatball wouldn't even eat a treat the other day that he used to go nutso for!

Rachel told me that you can't starve cats into submission, too, and that if you try, they will go into liver failure after about 24-48 hours due to not having any food.​


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

She is absolutely right about cats going into liver failure, because one of my cats did almost die...but not from trying to switch her but from sadness from my other cat passing away :frown:

What you can do, is gradually increase the "quality" of the food. Like go from Friskies to a slightly better brand, and then a slightly better brand from that again, until you get up to one of the higher quality brands of cat food. You might get all the way to being able to feed them raw! Some cats are cat food "junkies" that have to be slowly weaned off of the carbs LOL


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## xxshaelxx (Mar 8, 2010)

Hmm...Then I've gotta go find another brand just above Friskies, and then I've got that bag I just opened. haha. If RawFedDogs suggestion doesn't work, then I'll definitely try that, though, because I definitely don't want them on Friskies now that I know what's in it!​


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## xxshaelxx (Mar 8, 2010)

OMG! *pulls hair out!*

Meatball wouldn't even TOUCH it with a FEW pieces of the TOTW in there! -.- Stupid cat!

He might budge if he doesn't eat by tomorrow, but if he doesn't, I'll have to try Danemama's suggestion. DX​


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## CorgiPaws (Mar 31, 2009)

xxshaelxx said:


> OMG! *pulls hair out!*
> 
> Meatball wouldn't even TOUCH it with a FEW pieces of the TOTW in there! -.- Stupid cat!
> 
> He might budge if he doesn't eat by tomorrow, but if he doesn't, I'll have to try Danemama's suggestion. DX​


My cat will eat any kind of kibble I offer her now that she's settled into our home, but TOTW is probably her least favorite.I say this because it's the one that stays in the bowl the longest. 
We had great luck with Nature's Variety Instinct Rabbit.

ETA: cats are weird.... and what she likes today she might not like tomorrow.... On the same token, I wouldn't get rid of the TOTW, she might like it next week! lol. 
We actually rotate our cat's food every single bag so she doesn't get bored.


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## xxshaelxx (Mar 8, 2010)

Yeah, I always rotated Friskies. haha. But Friskies is bad for him. 

I tried putting some extra food on top of the food mixed with a FEW pieces of TOTW. Maybe he'll just continue on through without realizing it? I mean, he's a VERY food motivated cat usually. It's only recently that I've noticed he has become picky.

Ever wonder if maybe they put stuff in the disgusting, horrible brands that gets cats addicted to where they won't eat anything else?

*ponders*​


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

^^^ Its called carbs...aka sugar...in the form of rice, corn, etc.


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## xxshaelxx (Mar 8, 2010)

Okay, so, they will NOT touch it. I mean, they hardly picked at their Friskies with a TINY bit of TOTW in the bottom of it, and tonight they just won't touch it at ALL, and I didn't put anymore TOTW in their bowls.

So, what would be the next step up from Friskies?​


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

Petcurean Pet Nutrition they have sample sizes usually for sale, but have no idea if you guys even see this brand of food where you are since it's from canada. The aroma of this food is outrageous, I'd be surprised to find a cat that wouldn't eat this, especially the Fresh Water trout formula.


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

Most small mom and pop pet stores will also give out samples of foods, but I think you have to ask for them...


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## xxshaelxx (Mar 8, 2010)

So, after some coaxing, I got Meatball to eat all of his food, including the few pieces of TOTW. Tricksie just wouldn't. Even when I gave her a bowl of JUST Friskies, she wouldn't touch it. I'm going to go looking for some cat foods today, try to get samples or just little bags. I'll try to switch Meatball over to the TOTW so that I can get rid of that bag....Wish I hadn't bought the big bag. haha.​


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## xxshaelxx (Mar 8, 2010)

UPDATE:

Meatball is officially eating all TOTW, and he appears to be doing great. I'll be monitoring him for issues over the next few weeks, just to be safe.

As for Tricksie, she's still being tricky. I've finally got her eating all of her food, though with a slight bit less than she normally gets, because towards the end she stops and I have to coax her to eat the last, like, ten or so pieces. She has been eating the Friskies with a little bit of TOTW in it, though, and I just upped the amount tonight to a LITTLE bit more. So she's slow work, but she's doing it. XD


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

Good to hear, as it is really important especially for cats to eat a high protein diet, continue the good work.


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## Unosmom (May 3, 2009)

I feed my cats totw as well, but mix is with trader joes brand canned, which is very affordable with decent quality ingridients. They also have this cat tuna, its like kitty crack, though I dont feed it much due to murcury.


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