# Why won't my cat eat wet food?



## scottd (Jun 28, 2011)

She won't eat anything I put in front of her. She won't even lick it!

I even tried feeding her "crap" food after I remember reading it's full of flavor and smell "boosters" and such but she wouldn't take a bite of it either.

I've wasted like 20 cans of cat food in the past two weeks.

She seems to really like the Wellness dry and yes I've withheld the dry and she still won't eat the wet. I don't feel comfortable not giving her food for more than 2 days. ._.

I think I may just let her have her dry as she seems to be doing okay with it and it's of pretty good quality.


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## Penny135 (Apr 6, 2011)

Mia doesnt like wet either. I decided it wasnt worth a fight and I am giving her dry food (Taste Of The Wild). As long as she is being fed a good quality food (and Wellness is) I wouldnt worry!


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## yingying (Jul 19, 2011)

Wet food has completely different texture than dry, and usually don't smell as strong as dry. So your cat need to get used to it. You cannot just push it in front of her and expect her to love it right away (though some cats may). The "textbook way" to do is mix a little bit of wet into the dry for a few days, and slowly increase the amount of wet, until you finish the full transition. It may take weeks, or even months, but it's totally worth it


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## scottd (Jun 28, 2011)

yingying said:


> Wet food has completely different texture than dry, and usually don't smell as strong as dry. So your cat need to get used to it. You cannot just push it in front of her and expect her to love it right away (though some cats may). The "textbook way" to do is mix a little bit of wet into the dry for a few days, and slowly increase the amount of wet, until you finish the full transition. It may take weeks, or even months, but it's totally worth it


Tried it. Didn't work.


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## yingying (Jul 19, 2011)

So she won't eat her dry even when there is a TINY amount of wet? 

Or better, can you take a picture of how much wet you put in the dry?


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## scottd (Jun 28, 2011)

yingying said:


> So she won't eat her dry even when there is a TINY amount of wet?
> 
> Or better, can you take a picture of how much wet you put in the dry?


I put a tiny bit of wet under the dry and she sniffed it and walked away. She's a smart kitty. :wink


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## Penny135 (Apr 6, 2011)

The best food for your cat is what she will eat. You shouldnt feel presured into feeding wet if you dont want to.


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## scottd (Jun 28, 2011)

Well, I want to but she sure doesn't! lol.


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## SomeRandomChick (Sep 11, 2011)

Getting a cat onto wet can sometimes be very, very tricky. And yes, I've seen adult cats who would starve themselves before they'd eat wet food.

Since you said you've tried about 20 cans, I assume you've tried a variety of flavors/textures? I've found reluctant cats will often respond to either food with chunks (meat cuts in gravy), or to the old standby, Fancy Feast. FF may not be the best wet food in terms of nutrition, but it CAN help get a cat to start eating wet - it's like kitty crack.

Sorry if you've already tried it, but that's about the only suggestion I can give from experience.

You are right, better to feed high quality dry than let your cat starve.


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## Abbie (Jan 13, 2011)

When we got both our cats (from different people) we were told they categorically didn't like wet food. Within a couple of months they were (and are) on wet only very happily. It took time and patience though.

The issue could be that to your cat wet food just isn't food. It smells, looks and tastes very different to dry food. Just like you would be apprehensive to try something that you couldn't identify from past experience.

Keep trying with the introducing it gradually and slowly. Try covering the wet in a food your cat likes- crushed up dried biscuits? My girls liked fish food, sprinkles of dried fish/beef, roast beef on top. I tried heating the food up, mixing it in hot water, pouring in some gravy. 

Gradually, especially with Evie she was adamant wet food was just not for her, they started to eat it. Now they can't get enough of it.

Oh- I also tried so many different types of food. (Believe me we had issues, including discovering Evie has so many food intolerances). Often you will need to try the same food again and again. Don't keep changing it- let your cat get used to the smell, texture and look of one wet food type first.

Please persevere. An all dry diet is incredibly unhealthy for your cat. A combination of the two may please you and your kitty. Good luck!


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## hal1 (Jul 16, 2011)

Though I don't think it is necessary I still add extra water to their canned food.


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## Julz (Feb 17, 2011)

One way to get your cat to actually try taste the food is to take a little chunk and gently 'boop' him/her on the nose or a little tap on one foot. Being fastidious creatures, cats will lick their nose of paw to clean it and think, heeeyyyy this actually tastes good. I have to remind Sammy that wet food is food about every other day. Just a thought, in case you haven't tried it.


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## Nan (Oct 11, 2010)

Or leave a little piece on the floor. It always tastes better when its a discovery!


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## kittywitty (Jun 19, 2010)

What I do when one of my cats doesn't particulary care for a flavor of canned food, is sprinkle some dry cat food. You can grind the dry food in a cheap coffee grinder (and store in a small container) to pour over the wet food. If that doesn't work, I will also sprinkle some tuna flakes over it and my picky cat eats that plus the wet food. Sometimes you just have to trick them a little.


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## Dave_ph (Jul 7, 2009)

Fay wouldn't eat canned fro over a year and a half.

When Mia had a bout of Giardia I had to get some pro-biotic into Fay twice a day as a preventative. My vet told me she'd love the Forta Flora mixed in with some prescription Science Diet wet but that I'd have to syringe it into her. She just wouldn't go near wet food even with the FF on it.

That wasn't fun but after I did it a few times I noticed she was smacking her lips and enjoying the last bits so at the end of a syring session I offered her a spoon of the wet mixed with FF. She's been a canned food fiend ever since. I no longer need thr Pro Biotic on it. 

This was a kitty who went 36 hours without eating rather than touch anything but dry food when I first got her.


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

audreys mum said:


> Hi, I've always heard that if your cat is eating a high quality dry food (*the Real good stuff, like Hills Science Diet or Purina*)
> then it doesnt matter at all if she wont eat wet food  Apparently they get absolutely all they need from the bikkies.


Ok, let's look at this statement.
"Real good stuff" like Purina contains:
Brewers rice, poultry by-product meal, corn gluten meal, chicken, soybean meal, beef tallow preserved with mixed-tocopherols (source of Vitamin E), wheat flour, fish meal ground yellow corn, soy lecithin, cellulose, extract of cereal & malt, soybean hulls, brewers dried yeast, phosphoric acid, animal digest, potassium chloride, calcium carbonate, tetra sodium pyrophosphate, salt, choline chloride, vitamin supplements (E, A, B-12, D-3), taurine zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, L-Alanine, riboflavin supplement, niacin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, biotin, thiamine mononitrate, copper sulfate, folic acid, pyridoxine hydrochloride, citric acid, calcium iodate, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), sodium senenite

"Real good stuff" like HIlls science diet contains: 
Chicken By-Product Meal, Ground Whole Grain Corn, Brewers Rice, Animal Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), Corn Gluten Meal, Chicken Liver Flavor, Potassium Chloride, Calcium Sulfate, Choline Chloride, vitamins (L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement), Iodized Salt, Vitamin E Supplement, Taurine, minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), preserved with Mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid, Beta-Carotene, Rosemary Extract

Much ...crap... included
As compared to wet food :
Evo Chicken/Turkey:
Chicken, Chicken Broth, Turkey, Natural Flavors, Carrageenan, Minerals, Guar Gum, Vitamins, Choline Chloride, Herring Oil, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Sodium, Ascorbate, Taurine, Sunflower Oil, Sodium Phosphate, Beta Carotene

By Nature Chicken/Chicken Liver:
Ingredients: Chicken, Chicken Broth, Chicken Liver, Guar Gum, Cassia Gum, Carrageenan, Minerals (Iron Amino Acid Chelate, Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Cobalt Amino Acid Chelate, Copper Amino Acid Chelate, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Sodium Selenite, Potassium Iodide), Inulin, Vitamins (Vitamin E, A, D3, B12 Supplements, Thiamine Mononitrate, Niacin, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Folic Acid, Biotin), Choline Chloride, Flaxseed Oil, Salt, Taurine.

 I know what I'd rather eat. THe stuff that contains more actual food than additives. Food that actually has the first ingredient as a real meat and not a byproduct or meal. 

To the OP - I had this problem with SHepherd Book when he came to me. He was a kitten who was eating (gag) purina kitten chow. The litterbox was offensive (beyond belief) and his coat was dull and icky. It took about 3 weeks before he would gobble his canned food happily. He had to go a little big hungry in the process, but he did it.


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