"" -
Cat Categories
Paw Rating System
Rating is based on the overall value of your answers and comments. (Learn more) Below is a breakdown of the paw levels:
Paw Colors       Points
Grey 0-49
Red 50-149
Orange 150-299
Green 300-599
Magenta 600-1499
Purple 1500-4999
Blue 5000-9999
Brown 10000-24999
Black 25000+
Denotes Expert Feedback
Ask a Question

my cat can’t eat dry cat food…

4 Answers  |  Asked By: catcat66   74   

since my cat is so old i can’t give her dry cat food and i give her cat food in a can she won’t eat all of it what do i do?

Keywords:  

Answers to this question

4 Answers
Answer 1
kitty

2

How much are you feeding her. You might be feeding her to much.

The proper amount to feed per cat/per day should be about 5.5 ounces of wet (high quality grain free canned or Raw Meat/Bones/Organ) food.

The calories in that amount of food are sufficient for most “normal” sized cats. Of course a highly energetic cat will need more food to keep it healthy, and a lazy cat will need less food to keep it from getting obese. But 5.5 ounces of wet food per day is a good place to start.

Feeding wet food is the correct choice for all cats though! Cats were never meant to eat dry food, also known as cereals or kibble. We, humans, make them eat it for convenience to us. It has nothing to do with them or their nutritional needs. It’s completely species inappropriate.

All small domestic cats descended from desert cats. In the wild, desert cats derive their entire liquid intake from their prey. They do not have a thirst mechanism because they don’t need it when eating a species appropriate diet. They get all they need from what they eat. Additionally water was usually not available to them in their desert climate. So they do not often drink water. Regular ol’ house cats have descended from those same wild desert cats.

So in a home environment, your kitty does not get the moisture it needs from dry food and it’s almost always in a constant state of dehydration. Water fountains are encouraged to TRY to get your cat to drink more and your kitty may even enjoy it, but it will never meet its water intake needs drinking from a bowl.

Deadly feline illnesses such as diabetes, kidney failure, obesity, allergies, Irritable Bowel Disease (IBD), bladder stones, kidney stones, urinary tract blockages and Urinary Tract Infections (FLUTD), with and without deadly crystals run rampant these days. Cats are not taking in enough water to stave them off. Proper water intake through a species appropriate diet alone can prevent most of these conditions.

Overall, wet is all around better for any cats diet, be it canned or Raw and they should never be fed dry cereal kibble if we wish to most closely match their wild nutritional and dietary needs. Kibble meets our needs… not our cats.

By: Kat   2630  |  1 Comments to Answer
 

Comments to Answer

kitty

1

Wow. You are smart.

By: colleenelena   145

Answer 2
kitty

0

maybe she just doesn’t have such of a big appetite as she did when she was a kitten?

 

Answer 3
kitty

0

try putting a little bit of water in the bowl with the food just to soffen it up a bit. your cat probably won’t eat the dry food because it is too hard, and it won’t eat the wet food because he/she is not used to it.

By: Garylucy   53
 

Answer 4
kitty

0

if she cant eat it all then give her smaller portions but give these to her more times a day

By: kittykat1   54
 

Add Your Answer

You must be logged in to post an answer.

Join Cats.com! Sign up, Answer questions, and earn cat points to increase your rating on the site. (Learn how) Sign Up Now!