Friskies

My cat Dot has always been somewhat of a picky eater, she likes fish and chicken but won't touch beef.  Over the years (15) she's lost some teeth, so a few years ago we had to give up the dry food.  That's okay, said the vet, she can live just fine on canned food.

I've bought her a variety of the cheap store-brand stuff, mixing up flavors every day.  But she got to the point where nothing floated her boat, she'd often leave her bowl untouched.

So I switched to name brand stuff, Friskies, which is more expensive.  At first the devoured this enthusiastically, then lost her taste for it after a year or so.  For the past year I've been alternating the Friskies with the no-name stuff, and she eats it - but without much relish.

During this time she has gotten skinny.  She's always been slim, but she was getting scary skinny.  Took her into the vet, and she said it's just her natural metabolism.

But I didn't like how frail she seemed.

So I said, hell, we can afford it now, and bought her some Sheba and Fancy Feast.  You know, the 99 cents a can stuff.

Her interest in food was reinvigorated.  And over the past month she's put on weight, to the point where she feels pretty normal again now.

Who knew?  Name brand cat food can starve your cat.

If you get desperate, there's prescription food you can get from the vet, and they should let the cat try it in the office before you buy a whole supply. If she likes it, it's extra-rich, and guaranteed to put weight on.

It's normal for cats to not care for beef. Chicken and fish are part of their natural diet. Then again, my daughter makes her own cat food using venison and her cat loves it.

Annie, eleven years old, also had to have some teeth removed and we switched her from dry food to wet food. I don't understand your vet's comment, "she can live just fine on canned food." Wet food - all else being equal - is much better for cats than dry food. It's easier on their kidneys, which are quite delicate.

I found a food that Annie gobbled down three times a day: Tiki Cat Puka Puka Luau Succulent Chicken in Chicken Consomme Grain-Free Canned Cat Food. She loved the stuff, at a buck fifty a can. Then one morning, after eating the stuff for a couple of months, she wouldn't touch it. Period. I found another food she liked: Wellness Complete Health Turkey & Salmon Formula Grain-Free Canned Cat Food. She scarfed it down for a couple of months, then refused to touch it. Very strange cat.

We went through countless brands and flavors, and she will eat something for a while, then just refuse it. And trust me - I found this out the hard way - 99 cents for a can of cat food is not expensive.

At my daughter's suggestion, we took her to the vet and had her thyroid checked. Turns out she had a problem. This problem will cause loss of appetite in cats. We medicate her twice daily for the thyroid problems and her appetite returned.

Now, she is just picky. She asks to be fed, but then refuses some foods. Never know from one day to the next what she will eat.

It is not normal for cats to be skinny. Thyroid and kidney problems are the primary causes of cats losing weight.

Vet checked those and said she was fine.

She just won't eat the same flavor two meals in a row (and she eats 7-8 times a day). Damn spoiled princess is what she is.

That is odd. Most cats will find something they prefer and stick with it. Consider the dry food: you didn't have to get her different brands and flavors of that, did you. But the manufacturers spray dry food with a chemical that cats are crazy about, so the flavor is probably not important.

Annie's appetite problems were solved temporarily by the thyroid medication. She eventually went back to not eating  much. The vet gave us some pills for her. They are actually a people pill - an anti-depression medication. One of the side effects of the medication is increased appetite. It works really well; she will eat damned near anything. Unfortunately, it also makes her a bit crazy for about a half day. And loud. I should say LOUD!