Two Easy Ways to Start Earning Rewards!
Become a member today!
Members-only pricing and offers, personalized care notifications, Vital Care points back on every purchase and more!
Become a credit card member today!Earn 2X Pals Rewards points at Petco
when you use Petco Pay!APPLY NOWLearn More About Petco Pay Benefits
How to get my cat to eat new food after a recent diet change?
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Cat | British Shorthair | Female | spayed | 1 year old | 6.62 lbs
My cat isn’t eating as much as usual after I change the cat food. How can I make it eat new cat food?
1 Answer
Most Helpful Answer
Answered By Jessica Desrosiers
Veterinary Technician
Published on July 12th, 2022
First, you'll want to make sure to do a gradual change over 7-9 days, slowly adding in more new food and less old food, otherwise Shiro can get an upset stomach which may be why she doesn't want to eat the new food.
If the food is a dry food, you can wet it with a little water and warm it up in the microwave for 3-5 seconds. If the food is a wet food, you can just warm it up as it is. Cats are driven by smell, and so a smelly, warm food is likely to entice them to eat.
If Shiro still doesn't want to eat the new food, I would return to the old food for a bit, and then try again (slowly). A vet visit to rule out any issues such as stomach upset, illness, etc, is also a good idea if you see any other problems.
If the food is a dry food, you can wet it with a little water and warm it up in the microwave for 3-5 seconds. If the food is a wet food, you can just warm it up as it is. Cats are driven by smell, and so a smelly, warm food is likely to entice them to eat.
If Shiro still doesn't want to eat the new food, I would return to the old food for a bit, and then try again (slowly). A vet visit to rule out any issues such as stomach upset, illness, etc, is also a good idea if you see any other problems.
2Pet Parents found this answer helpful