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I am cat-sitting my friend's cat for 6 weeks. The cat is less than 2 years old and has been fed the cheapest food possible his whole life, and is disturbingly overweight. Even worse, the cat was born with only 3 1/2 legs, so getting around is only more challenging for him. I have told my friend countless times how important it is to keep this cat healthy and not overweight, but he doesn't listen.
Anyway, I'm using the six weeks to try to help this cat. I'm feeding him both wet and dry food - all natural stuff, grain free. The mass market cat foods out there are absolute crap - grain, corn, etc with a bit of animal scraps mixed in. Sick. He loves the wet food, but only eats the dry food if he's really hungry. I've been strict about portion size and only feeding twice a day.
So yesterday I bought some roasted turkey meat. No additives, no flavorings - just roasted meat. He won't touch it! He sniffed it and walked away. What's the deal? My childhood cat used to love getting little pieces of chicken or turkey from the dinner table.
Anyone else have a cat that won't eat "real" meat?
Yes, we had a stray show up at our house and when she was just living outside, she ate whatever we put down for her. Now that she is semi-feral and usually sleeps inside and depends on us for food, she will not touch any real food. We have tried turkey, roast beef, chicken, etc. and she will not eat it. However, she will eat the pouches of wet food. She prefers Walmart's Special Kitty, which our vet says is like Dunkin Donutd, but she will only eat chicken or chicken and live. Sometimes she will eat other brands, but rarely. Have you tried liver for the cat. We don't eat liver, so I would not ever have it here. For dry food, we use Friskies Purple; again, the only kind that she will eat.
My cat has always been fed the same kind of dry dog food. Its not the most expensive or the cheapest but I can always get it and she doesn't have tummy upsets over it changing. But thinking at all cats like tuna I gave her some. She approaced the bowl sniffing, backed up and circled, then took off and gave me a dirty look. I tried catfood with tuna. Finally gave it to the dog. Had to wash the bowl so as to remove every trace of tuna smell before she would go near it.
She likes her one kind of food and will possibly eat a few bites of wet food but never much. And will not eat any other dry. I think like kids some cats go for variety and some have to have those comfort foods.
Since she was spayed she wants much more food so her stipend is split between morning and evening. She keeps checking but isn't being a problem except the foood has to be in something she can't get in.
If only my beagle had even a little of the reserve of the cat. She will eat paper that once upon a time had food on it.
Anytime my cats needed to take meds of any kind, I give it to them in baby food meats. They lap it up and love it, but will only play and lick at real meat.
With dogs (yeah, I know, a totally different topic), I shove their pills in the middle of an inch of string cheese. They eat it right up and come back for more.
Sorry, but all cats are obligate carnivores. Cats do not have the enzymes to digest grains and plant type products in their systems. They don't eat plants as a source of food they eat it like medicine or for it's effects.
My cat seldom will eat meat; if she does, just a tiny piece. She doesn't seem to care for beef but occasionally I can get her to eat a little bit of chicken, turkey, tuna, or shrimp.
Being that the owner will be back in 6 weeks and will just start feeding the cat the same old way again, I am not sure switching the cat's diet is worthwhile. It might just stress the cat out. I can't really blame you for trying though. Being overweight is really unhealthy.
I am cat-sitting my friend's cat for 6 weeks. The cat is less than 2 years old and has been fed the cheapest food possible his whole life, and is disturbingly overweight. Even worse, the cat was born with only 3 1/2 legs, so getting around is only more challenging for him. I have told my friend countless times how important it is to keep this cat healthy and not overweight, but he doesn't listen.
Anyway, I'm using the six weeks to try to help this cat. I'm feeding him both wet and dry food - all natural stuff, grain free. The mass market cat foods out there are absolute crap - grain, corn, etc with a bit of animal scraps mixed in. Sick. He loves the wet food, but only eats the dry food if he's really hungry. I've been strict about portion size and only feeding twice a day.
So yesterday I bought some roasted turkey meat. No additives, no flavorings - just roasted meat. He won't touch it! He sniffed it and walked away. What's the deal? My childhood cat used to love getting little pieces of chicken or turkey from the dinner table.
Anyone else have a cat that won't eat "real" meat?
Cats get addicted to dry food the same way people get addicted to junk food or sugar. It takes a long time to switch them over.
Wet food is better than dry food. Start with a good quality wet food such as Wellness. And then you can add bits of meat into the wet food to get them adjusted.
Sorry, but all cats are obligate carnivores. Cats do not have the enzymes to digest grains and plant type products in their systems. They don't eat plants as a source of food they eat it like medicine or for it's effects.
Yes, this is true. Cats are obligate carnivores. The only veggies they get in nature is what's inside the mouse's tummy when they eat it.
Sorry, but all cats are obligate carnivores. Cats do not have the enzymes to digest grains and plant type products in their systems. They don't eat plants as a source of food they eat it like medicine or for it's effects.
that is not at all true!!! my cat eats only one flavour of cat biscuit, has never even sniffed a piece of meat or fish, or caught or chased any mice/birds/insects!!!! my cat also eats veg, and cereal,milk,yoghurt,cheese, basically anything BUT meat!!!!!
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