Fussy eaters

[emmab]

I have to try and keep my cat on a diet food but after 3 days he turned his nose up at it. I need to keep his weight up so have been giving in and feeding him Felix. Yesterday I also tried the wet form of the diet food which he loves but is incredibly expensive and not viable long term. If I lesave the dried down long enough will he give in and eat it. The vet suggested I feed him what he likes but with a dodg tummy wouldn't think this was ideal? The vet has given him a long term antibiotic for his tummy issues.

[Ruth B]

From my experience leaving it down will just lead to bowls of old dry cat food around. I don't know how hungry they have to be to eat something they don't really like, even the strays and rescues I've known, which may be willing to eat anything for the first few weeks soon learn to be fussy once they know that food is provided regularly. So I have to agree with the vet and say feed what he will eat. Try and note if anything seems to have an unduly bad reaction, make, flavours, etc (its hard to keep track, I know, i'm trying to myself) and cut those out, but if he eats Felix, then let him have Felix.

[emmab]

Yes I think you are right. I wasn't sure if Felix causes diarrhea more in cats? He has the moist royal canin gastro which should help but is very costly and not viable long term?

[meriad]

Emma, see if your cat will eat Butchers Classic (in the orange tins). It's a really good quality high meat content cat food and really cheap and because it's cereal free it usually is fine for cats that have tummy issues.

I have a friend who's cat has 6 monthly steroid injections because of a dodgy tummy. I suggested she try the dry food I use for mine as it's hypoallergenic and her cat did well on that. She also make sure that whatever foods she feeds are cereal free and that works. Felix in gravy contains cereal, but the Felix As Good as it Looks range and the chunks in Jelly don't. It really is a mine field out there

As a by the by - I have dry food down all the time for mine and feed them wet twice a day - mornings and nights. The morning bowls stay down until I come home, the evening ones stay down until next morning and I'd only lift them earlier if they were empty. The cats do graze throughout the day.

[emmab]

I am in France so not sure if I cam get it here. I have to try dry food as we go away and it is too much for our neighbour coming in twice a day. I also have excess dried food atm as he eats something then days later turns his nose up at it. I am spending a fortune! He has to ideally be on RC gastro as it is high calorie and he depserately needs more weight on him.