Improve Cat Food Taste - Helping Your Cat Like Her Healthy Food

Feisty Fluffy is a finicky feline, and you’re on your last nerve trying to entice her to eat her new healthy food.

If Fluffy turns her nose up at it at first, she can go a day or two without eating. But some experts feel that after 48 hours of not eating, a cat is at risk for developing fatty liver disease. And a fatter Fluffy is at greater risk.

And what if Fluffy is ill? Maybe her immune system is compromised and you’re trying to get her to eat an important new diet that your veterinarian says is crucial to her recovery. Some serious feline illnesses cause anorexia, and a sick cat needs to eat. Anorexic cats are not finicky eaters, and you should contact your veterinarian immediately to let him know the situation and make necessary suggestions. Your cat may require syringe or tube feeding in such cases.

First, you must change foods gradually, and for some cats very gradually. Abrupt changes can force your finicky feline to go on a hunger strike.

But there are some techniques you can try to encourage Fluffy to eat and make her food more palatable. The suggested food additions should be temporary just to get Fluffy to start eating. You should be able to wean him off the additions quickly.

Add a dash of salt.
Mix in some meat baby food (no onions!).
Add some moistened cat treats.
Add a little raw meat.
Mix a teaspoon of old food.
Add warm water.
Warm the dish in the microwave or by steaming.
Add a little fish (mackerel, salmon, tuna).
Try adding a different flavor or formula or add a little canned food with beef tallow in it.
Add a homemade beef or chicken broth to the food.
Hand feed if he’s ill.
Change the texture slightly…if it is ground, add some meat chunks.
Dab a little on his paw to get him accustomed to the taste as he cleans it off.
Top dress with cottage cheese.
Food with a strong odor is enticing. Mix a little odiferous cat food.
Food left out loses preferred odor and texture. Change out old food.
Mix different consistencies—a little wet and dry.
He could be dehydrated, which reduces his appetite. Give him some low-sodium chicken broth to drink.
Add some canned pumpkin.
Add finely minced sardines.
Add tuna or clam juice.
For older cats, they may not smell very well and you might need to lift the food to his nose to let him get a good whiff.

There could be other reasons your cat is showing disinterest in the new food. Change dishes if trying to feed wet food from a bowl. Some cats prefer a flat dish. Some don’t like plastic or metal and prefer glass or ceramic. Others might like heavier dishes that don’t shift as they eat from them and push them. She may not like eating around the other cats that might be intimidating her. Let her have a quiet spot.

If your cat is healthy and you’re just changing diets and the above suggestions do not work, call your veterinarian for help. Don’t wait beyond 48 hours. Worst case scenario is to go back to her old food and even more gradually add the new food.

Next article: Raw Feeding At Home - Considering the Raw Food Diet for Your Cat