Cat Chat Feline Forum

Hi. I have a Siamese cat who is 16. She has early kidney disease. Not eating the Royal Canin renal food. Only some of the biscuits. Any suggestion on what I can give her as she is not eating or being her usual self

Is she refusing the renal food, or is her appetite poor generally? A food she will eat is better than no food so if it's just the renal or the RC renal she doesn't like then I would try other brands or ordinary low phosphorous senior food if none of the renal diets are acceptable.

Poor appetite is common with loss of kidney function and depending on the stage, age and your own personal feelings about things you can be more or less fussy about renal support foods. Personally on my 3rd CKD cat at a very early stage and 13 years old I am not even trying to give renal food. My first had 8 good healthy years on Hills k/d dry with free treats, treats meaning fresh meat. My second was doing well but other health issues caught up with him before his kidneys got to any significant problem.

This website is excellent for factual information and gentle support http://www.felinecrf.org/index.htm

I tried half a dozen different foods for Tilly before finding one she likes (Purina Pro-Plan sachets and biscuits), and for a while she was reluctant to eat anything, even old favourites like chicken breast. I ordered a range of flavours and textures online and tried her with tiny quantities. I soon learned it was easier to get her to eat if I offered a very small portion at room temperature in a shallow saucer. For a while I seemed to be following her round the house with saucers, but she gradually got back into the habit of eating and is doing well.

Thanks to both replies. She eats the dry Royal Canin but just not the wet. I will just keep trying with a mixture of things. It’s interesting to read the comments here on what works and what doesn’t.

I've had cats whose values have improved purely by changing their dry to renal and leaving their wet as normal, so if she's eating dry, I wouldn't stress too much

Our cat, Blackie suddenly stopped eating his usual beloved Felix wet food and I nearly drove myself mad trying different foods all to no avail. In desperation I pulled out an old packet of RC renal diet food (which he always turned his nose up at) only to find him devouring the whole packet. In a way, it was the cat who decided he wanted to go on the renal diet

A blood test showed that his SDMA result was 17 - the vet's opinion was that result was in keeping with a cat aged 17+. He was also prescribed a course of Famotidine and 4 pieces of Mirtazapine (if needed - it wasn't).

He was diagnosed with Stage 1 CKD in 2014 after a tooth extraction- and as Blackie point blank refused anything to do with renal food, a phosphate binder was added to his Felix . The vet will be doing a urine test in the near future.

I can only hope his liking for the renal food stays with him!