Things to Try When Your Cat Won't Eat

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Don’t you just hate it when you try and feed your cat and they simply refuse? It’s kind of that same feeling you get when you’re trying to feed your baby and they decide they’re just not going to eat no matter what. We however, must be persistent in ensuring our cats get their proper nutrition and food in on their days. While your cat might always prefer one food, it’s important to get them to eat various things. When your cat refuses to eat, here are some tips that might help in getting them chomping again….

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Variety in their diet – sometimes cat owners are dedicated to certain food brands. If you are one of these people see if the brand has multiple flavors. That could help. You also need to pick your battles with your cat. Your cat doesn’t need to have one brand or one flavor. You can mix it up. The point is, be flexible.

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Medication hidden in food is a no no – if you mash up your cat’s pills in food that might turn them off to said food permanently. They might develop an automatic response to that food and never want to eat it again. It’s best to never mix medication and food right from the start.

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Use a dish that works – Sometimes the particular dish you use to feed your cat might be a problem. Some cat dishes tend to be deeper than others and it might simply be a shallower dish that does the trick when your cat won’t eat. When all else fails, check your dish.

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Keep the dishes clean – germs and other bacteria can grow in a cat dish if it’s not kept clean. Also, horrible smells can develop from meats so you’ve gotta keep those dishes fresh and clean so your cat doesn’t develop a nasty taste for his or her dish.

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Sprinkle something tasty on it – ever have a baby that hates oatmeal and you mix in a little bit of sugar or even apple sauce? Same goes for your cat. There might be a food they’re not taking to that can be altered simply with a little bit of “seasoning” and it makes all the difference.

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Heat the food up a little – a cat is more likely to eat when they can smell the food. If you take something out of the refrigerator it’s not as likely to have as much of an odor as when you heat it up for 5-10 seconds. Try a little heat so the smell emanates.

Check your cat’s health – when you’ve tried everything and you cat still doesn’t eat? At that point it might not be their fault or stubbornness. It might be that they’re sick. Call your vet.

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