Your cat is testing you, and she won (the battle, not the war). Cats are often neophobic (afraid of new things) and can benefit from a slow transitional period.

There's a few questions you want to ask yourself. Why do you give the food? People give wet foods for patability as well as providing a food that has water content (dry food obviously holds very little water).

The problem with only feeding wet foods is that the teeth get no maintenance. There's no scraping motion to clean the teeth of your cat so what you see is that cats that are fed wet foods only will devellop soft, bad teeth over time. The best way to counter this is by providing something hard to eat (such as uncooked bone, not kibble!). You can think of a chicken drumstick or a chicken neck or wing.

To get back to your original question: The reason your cat is standing in front of the place where you stock your dryfood is because dry food usually has a very strong scent. Pet food companies put scent agents in the food in order to make it appealing to the cat. They know a cat chooses their food with their nose. Do not give in though, this is an artificial appeal. Grain or other vegetable ingredients are not naturally appealing to a cat so they have to make them smell different in order to get cats attracted to it.

I would try to slowly transition your cat to a wet food (with added hard matter for the kitty's dental life) and keep the following in mind:

- Never let your cat go without food for more than two days.
- Some cats take time and persistence to convince.
- Bone is the cat's natural dental stick.

 

This again? lol.

The problem with only feeding wet foods is that the teeth get no maintenance. There's no scraping motion to clean the teeth of your cat so what you see is that cats that are fed wet foods only will devellop soft, bad teeth over time. The best way to counter this is by providing something hard to eat (such as uncooked bone, not kibble!). You can think of a chicken drumstick or a chicken neck or wing.

Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.

Dry food only IS bad for your cat. Wet food only isn't.

 

Wet food is bad for teeth? Total myth. Cats shatter dry food with the tips of very sharp teeth, it's not like the kibble turns into Scrubbing Bubbles and magically cleans their teeth.

Bones are a good idea, I'm thinking of trying that (raw chicken wings) with my girls.

And I wouldn't go more than 24 hours without feeding Cleo.

 

Not to mention a lot of cats actually swallow most of their dry food whole....

 

My Mia only likes dry food. I have just gotten to the point where I am feeding her a quality food and she drinks a lot, so I'm not worried anymore. Wellness is a good food so try not to make yourself feel guilty that she wont eat wet. Cats like what they like. :wink

 

Sometimes Rochelle will go on a food strike. You need to stay strong and not give in...otherwise the cat will think she's won, and she will try it again. Cats are crafty like that, and they are very smart little manipulators. They know what they like and what they want...but it's you who needs to find that happy medium you can both live with and then stick with it.

If Rochelle refused to eat what was in front of her, I would have to do one of three things. 1.) Add a food topper...tuna juice, tuna flakes, parmesan cheese, some favorite treats, just something to entice the cat. OR 2.) I would leave her for a half hour with her food alone in the bathroom. If she was still refusing, I would pick up the dish, and try again later. OR 3.) I would have to sit in the bathroom with her, and literally hand feed her (a bit annoying, but she's a true princess through and through, and sometimes she likes to be "pampered"...she still pulls this from time to time, although almost exclusively with her raw meals only now).

If any of my girls refuse food flat-out for more than 24 hours, I know something is wrong, and it's time for a vet visit. This actually came into play twice in the past few weeks...Samantha refused to eat and it turned out she was blocked up because her anal glands refused to express themselves...Alice refused to eat and it turned out she had a URI. Not eating can be a good indicator of sickness.

Then again, Cleo could be like my Samantha. Samantha gets really bored with the same food every day, and if I don't switch up brands, proteins, and food consistencies, every meal, she will start to snub her food until I give her something different. This is why I have a list of about 6-8 different brands of food to buy, and I switch it up every day (example: Monday she eats Wellness Turkey, Tuesday she eats Merrick BG Quail and Chicken, Wednesday she eats Nature's Variety Instincts Rabbit, etc.).

 

Sometimes Rochelle will go on a food strike. You need to stay strong and not give in...otherwise the cat will think she's won, and she will try it again. Cats are crafty like that, and they are very smart little manipulators. They know what they like and what they want...but it's you who needs to find that happy medium you can both live with and then stick with it.

My wife and I had been wondering if our cat (Honey) was doing such a thing until bowel issues arose as well as the lack of appetite. It's really confusing.

 

ok So, its been a few days and kitty had been eating her wellness. Also a friend of mine feeds her cats Acan dry food Champion Petfoods | ACANA | Products - Puppy Small Breed, it's grain free. I put some down on her wet food and triked her into eating it all. Crossing my fingers this works long term