Yes, there is a secret formula to introducing a new cat food
I regret that years ago I did not know how to introduce new food properly to the cat I had then, Bastet.
When she rejected the food in a sniff, I assumed “well, so much for that idea.”
I was wrong. Now I know so many tricks that can help you get your cat to eat a healthier cat food.
Switching from dry to wet, and switching to low-carb grain-free, are very healthy switches and–contrary to what your cat may have told you–it’s do-able.
Secret cat-food switching formula
The thing about cats is they are inherently suspicious of most new food: “It’s just wrong. Something must be off about it!” they say with a tail twitch.
It’s their instinct to react to unfamiliar food smells, which is why it helps to put a little of the new food on the side of their plate for a day or two.
The way this works, as I was taught by Anne Reed, DVM, is to have your cat eat their usual “happy food” while inadvertently smelling the new (oh no!) food. They are more likely to then associate the new food with happy feelings and eventually accept it as normal.
So you introduce it s–l—o—w—l—y. Cleverly, like this…
The 6-day plan
The following 6-day formula works well for us, and follows a consistent advice theme from a variety of experts.
You may need more or fewer days, depending on your cat’s sensitivity, digestion, and how radically different the new food is. If you see alarming changes in the litter box, go back to the old food and start over more slowly, or with a different food.
- First, CONGRATULATE YOURSELF! This is something to be proud of. It takes some focus, but it pays off in the long run.
- Gradually mix the new food in with the old food, following the picture below. Start with just a dab (that they probably won’t eat) on the side of their regular food. This gets them used to the scent while enjoying their usual meal.
About the Mixing:
If your cat has been eating dry and you are introducing wet food, try mixing the wet food with another wet food they WILL eat. This might mean tuna, folks. As a last resort, if you are trying to switch from dry food to wet food, mix the new wet food with the dry food gradually.
- Don’t let your cat go more than 36 hours without eating–especially if they are overweight. Have some of their old food on hand just in case. They will need to be eating at least 3 oz of protein each day during the switch to avoid hepatic lipidosis (see below), according to Dr. Elizabeth Hodgkin’s book, Your Cat.
- Do use enticements (see below)
- If all else fails, don’t give up. Try another flavor or another brand.
Irresistible food enticements for cats
Experts get results from using enticements either during or after the switch to keep the momentum up. You can then gradually taper the enticements off over a week or so.
What’s worked with our cats:
- Tuna juice is a winner, hands down
- CET Oral Hygiene Chews for Cats, crumbled up (weird, huh? They love these.)
- Feline Instinct’s Chicken Liver Powder
Feline Instincts is wonderful company that makes supplement mixes for homemade cat food. They have helped countless cats switch to raw homemade food, so they know what they are talking about when it comes to enticement tips. Here are their top enticements:
- Halo Liv a Little’s treats, crumbled on top
- Chicken Liver Powder (mentioned above)
- “Mix any kind of food they like into the meal”
- Salmon juice, tuna juice
- Mix in beef or chicken broth
One more – Cynthia at Bee Holistic Cat Rescue and Care finds bonito flakes to be a great enticement too.
What I mean by life-saving
It’s just that there are lifesaving facts about cat food switching that I did not know about for ages. Many cat lovers may not know that:
- If an overweight cat pulls a hunger strike because they don’t like the new food, they could very quickly develop hepatic lipidosis—which could be deadly if not treated soon enough. So never play the “I’ll just wait until your starving” game with a cat—especially an overweight one. I cannot overstate this.
- If an indoor cat stays on a diet of high-carb dry food, their life could be shortened by diabetes. Or they may even develop IBD—which some experts believe is a precursor to the deadly intestinal lymphoma. (You may be interested in another vet’s post about this on ConsciousCat.net too.)
Have you had switching success?
Do you have success stories about cat food changes at your home? I welcome them in the Comments below.
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I am thrilled to find your blog here! You have so many useful bits of information that is simply overwhelming to sift through on my own via the web. I’ve been eye-crossed and frantic about trying to make sense of all the information on the web regarding my cats’ health. You’ve managed to sew together a common sensed simply written blog that is refreshingly easy to understand. THANK YOU!!!
Last year, we made the change from mostly vegetarian to vegan (hubby and me, NOT our 4 “babies”). Since then, it seems like every time I look into something…ANYTHING (from MY food to household items to the Kitties’ food) there is some new horror that is uncovered! It is extremely overwhelming and difficult to keep in perspective. The latest was discovering the food I chose for the babies, after MUCH online research, is owned by a company that performs cruel animal testing. Seriously?! I mean of all things I thought would be “safe”!! Now I’m back to square one, but my happy discovery of your blog has made my job a TON EASIER!
THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
Cody, thanks so much for your happy comment on my blog. It made my day. : ) Yes, I know that information overwhelm experience too, so I wanted to create a resource to make it easier on discerning-but-overwhelmed cat lovers like you and me.
Hi Liz,
I am switching my two cats to freeze dried raw. They recently stopped eating the wet food they’ve been eating over the last 6-9 months. Just out of the blue, completely disinterested. So I gave Soulistic a shot, thinking I had found the perfect cat food health-wise. I tried to switch them over for two weeks. I enticed them with everything I could think of, crumbled treats, tuna chunks and juice, old wet food, old dry food…It has never taken them this long to transition to a new food. They basically have started to starve themselves the last few days and I am petrified they will damage their health seriously. So of course last few days I’ve been supplementing with dry food and they seem less active and always in a bad mood.
So, I have decided on freeze dried raw. I have been having trouble finding some locally, but finally found a store with Stella & Chewy’s and Primal. I’m leaning towards Primal chicken and salmon as it seems to come out cheaper in terms of portions and seems to be more nutritionally complete. What do you think of the two? I know they’re both on the best list, but any preference? Also, as the Primal is chicken (95%) and salmon (5%), is it okay feeding them that on a daily basis cause of the fish?
I am expecting a huge struggle with the transition, but I now feel really strongly about a freeze dried raw diet (they will not go for straight raw). Any suggestions?
Thanks.