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Proper nutrition is an important part of a cats well-being, even more so when a disease process is identified.  Conditions such as kidney disease, inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes, food allergy, and even obesity often require dietary modification in order to achieve optimal nutrition for health (in some cases e.g. kidney disease, this may result in slowing progression of disease).  Our beloved feline friends can sometimes be extremely fussy when it comes to food!  Some of you may have attempted changing diets in the past with no success….Quote kitty “I will only eat my finely sliced tuna, warmed to 25 degrees, out of my pink ceramic princess bowl” end quote!  Sound familiar?  If we prescribe a dietary modification for your cat – don’t despair!  We can get there slowly but surely in the majority of cases if we consider the following tips:

Transition gradually  

Most importantly, a diet change should be made gradually. Switching from the old food one meal to new food the next often results in the cat refusing to eat it.  The transition period from old to new diet should be at least 7 days; however, many cats may require 3-4 weeks or longer depending on acceptance of the new food.

Avoid stressful periods  

A new diet should not be commenced during a stressful period (i.e. cats that are unwell) as this may result in food aversion – meaning your cat will never eat this food as they may associate the new food with feeling unwell.

Use a suitable food dish  

A suitable food dish is important.  Some cats prefer a flat dish like a saucer (especially if transitioning from a dry to wet diet) so as their sensitive whiskers don’t rub on the sides of the food dish (this may cause discomfort, and affect acceptance of the new food).

Provide old and new  

Option 1

Mix the old and new food, gradually adding more of the new food over time.

Option 2

Provide both foods (old and new) in food dishes side by side.  This assists with gradual transition and allows the cat to express their preferences.

Temperature may be important

Try to use fresh food at room temperature where possible.  Sometimes gently warming food will increase palatability.  Some kitties may eat refrigerated food that is warmed, but others will only eat food from a newly opened container.  To make things even more tricky, some cats may only eat food that has been refrigerated in a plastic container (rather than being stored in the original can).

Texture and formulation may be important 

Offer foods with different textures e.g minced, chunks with gravy, pate-style etc (where possible dry vs. wet food).  It is important to remember that a cats preference may change with age or disease status.

Add flavour enhancers

To enhance palatability and encourage your cat to eat, you may be required to add flavour enhancers.  Things like tuna juice, low-sodium chicken broth, oregano, brewer’s yeast or small amounts of regular food mixed in tend to work well.

One change at a time

Remember to only change one component at a time, otherwise this will make it difficult to determine what your kitties preference is.

If all else fails, try a different brand

If there is reluctance to eat the new diet despite following all the above steps, it may be necessary to switch to a different brand.  While specific prescription diets have general features in common, they are not the same foods.  Some kitties will express preference for one brand over another.

With some time, patience and a few little tweaks we can generally encourage even most finicky felines to accept a  new diet!

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