Switching Your Cat from Commercial to Homemade Food

Cats are distinctly creatures of habit. Food bowls, water dishes and litter boxes must be in their correct and predictable spots at all times. Food must appear at precisely the correct time or you might be subjected to plaintive howls and pounces. Changing your cats food may provoke kitty revolts and hunger strikes. However, if you’ve decided to switch from commercial to homemade food, you’ve made a choice to provide food that’s high in nutrition and low in preservatives. Your cat will eventually thank you for it.

Cats tend to be picky eaters. (If you’re lucky enough to have a cat that resembles a four-legged trashcan, thank your lucky stars.) The bottom line is that your cat could care less about nutrition, he just wants food that he likes. So it’s entirely up to cat humans to find a way to finagle a new diet into their cat’s life.

How NOT to go about changing your cat’s food

You cannot simply pull the familiar, commercial cat food, slap down a dish of homemade food, and let the cat work it out. It won’t happen. We found out the hard way. My husband and I pulled all commercial food during the pet food recalls after all of our cats fell ill. We carefully researched making homemade cat food, then churned up meat, added vitamins and other ingredients to make a nice pate, and placed portions in their dishes. All three turned up their noses and walked away. Hunger wouldn’t even bring them back except for an occasional taste.

After worrying ourselves sick, we researched the problem. We discovered that most cats refuse to switch foods quickly. Cats are also all about some drama. Despite this new-found knowledge, we continued to feed homemade food because of our fear of tainted food. In the end, we failed and ended up stopping the homemade food. My husband and I chose a safe brand to feed them, which they accepted, and then reintroduced small amounts of homemade food each day.

Tips for acclimating your cat to new food

Nutrition was our primary concern since we were up against possible kidney failure in three cats. Our fears were compounded by the worry that we would expose them unknowingly to another round of poisoning. This isn’t a typical concern when transitioning cats to homemade food. Your mantra should be, “Just go slow.” Gradual introduction of new foods prevents stomach upset and loose bowel movements. Be patient. Proper nutrition is so very important for your cat’s future health and you’re taking a step in the right direction.

Give your cat a taste from your finger or a spoon. Don’t rush him. Remember that your cat has been eating commercial food for his entire life. Unless your cat was exposed to a wide variety of foods as a kitten, it’s very likely that a particular food is firmly imprinted in his memory. Take this into consideration to help stretch your patience a few more miles. Never abruptly pull commercial food and starve the cat out. Cats must have some nourishment every 24 hours or they could develop fatty liver disease.

More tips for encouraging your cat to eat new food

• Mix old and new food, gradually increasing the amount of homemade food.
• Change the cat’s regular food bowl to a flat plate or different bowl. This might help them forget their old food.
• Ditch your cat’s plastic food bowls. Their plastic dish might be retaining the smells of their old food.
• Warm the food just a little with hot water or zap the food just barely in the microwave. Always test to make sure it’s not too hot.
• Add grated Parmesan cheese, melted butter, or tuna juice to the new food to make it tasty and more appealing.

We control what we feed our pets just as much as we control our own good eating habits. Good nutrition is paramount to helping our animals have long and healthy lives. It’s important to consult with a reputable vet nutritionist before switching your cat’s diet, especially if you are going to create homemade food. You’ll need to go slowly. You might need to pull some tricks out of your hat just like Houdini, but stick with it. Your cat’s counting on you.