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Cats/4 finicky cats

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Expert: - 12/26/2011


Question
Money is tight and I cannot afford the wellness wet food anymore.  I have tried several different brands and they are just not happy.  They have several different dry foods and they are eating very little.  I need help on getting them to eat what I put down.  Any suggestions?

Answer
Hi Ellen,

Cats are very finicky. Wellness is a very good food. But I know your problem. Here is a very good link about feeding your cat.

http://catinfo.org/

My suggestion to you is to get a variety of flavors and types of wet foods and see what they like. I feed my cats' Friskees wet. One will only eat the pate type of canned food. The rest like whatever they get. They also like a variety in their canned food flavors. And Friskees gives them that. And you can find it fairly inexpensive on sale.

Set out two different flavors a day and see what they like. Keep track of the flavors and that's what you need to get them. Keep them to one type of dry food only. Changing that around will upset their stomachs. They do fine on one flavor only. I feed mine Purina One. It is one of the best for a supermarket dry food. If you can this is where I would spend the extra money and get a high quality dry food.

That Cat Info site has some very good info. Read it. Here is one way to get them to switch. You can try mixing some of the wet Wellness in with the wet Friskees. Just make sure it is the same flavor, chicken with chicken. This should help transition them over. Gradually reduce the amount of Wellness you use till you are giving them all Friskees. Hope this helped. Good luck and take care.

Ciao, Karen

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Karen Craft

Expertise

I can give advice on cat behavior. I can help about newborn kitten care. I can help with senior cat care. I can answer questions about cat proofing a home or making it cat friendly. I can answer diet questions. I can answer home treatments questions for cats. At present I have 13 cats in home and two ferals outside. And there's always room for one more!

Experience

I have over 40 year's experience with cats. Father was a veterinarian and I assisted him in his work. I have 15 cats at present. Most are shelter or feral rescues. I have one purebred cat. I have done cat rescues and foster care. Some thoughts to carry with you. A Cat's 10 Commandments My life is likely to last 15-20 years. Any separation from you is likely to be painful. Give me time to understand what you want of me. Place your trust in me. It is crucial for my well-being. Don't be angry with me for long and don't lock me up as punishment. You have your work, your friends, your entertainments. But I have only you. Talk to me. Even if I don't understand your words, I do understand your voice when speaking to me. Be aware that however you treat me, I will never forget it. Before you swat me, before you strike me, remember that I have teeth that could draw blood. And claws to strike back. And yet I choose not to attack you. If I don't act right then have me checked to see what is wrong. Please take care of me when I grow old. You too will grow old. On the difficult journey, on the ultimate difficult journey, go with me please. Never say you can't bear to watch. Don't make me face this alone. Everything is easier for me if you are there. Because I love you so. Take a moment today to thank God for your pets. Enjoy and take good care of them. Life would be a much duller, less joyful thing without God's critters. Pass this on.

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I have an A.A.S.

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