My cat is a very picky eater and won't eat. What's the vet's advice?

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It sounds like Wilkie, much like my cat, is spoiled. I would say that the reason he does this is likely because he loves your company and eating is a great way to make sure that you stay around. If your preferred eating times and where you eat coincide with his, you may not need to do anything about this, as you can just enjoy your time together. There are several ways to get your cat to eat independently. Not all cats will respond to these but I have had a good majority of cats respond well. 1. Continue joining your Wilkie for part of his meal but not all of it. Put his food down and stand over him as you usually do, but walk away before he is finished. If he complains or stops eating, rejoin him and repeat. 2. Slowly pull back and extend the times you are away from him. Leave him alone to ignore his food for about 5 minutes, then 10 and then 15, etc. He probably won't like this but it will not hurt him to temporarily have an irregular eating schedule. Most cats will eventually eat their food when they are hungry. 3. Work on bonding with Wilkie during non-mealtimes. Plan regular play sessions and brushing sessions. Cuddle with him while you read or watch TV. If you are hanging out in a different room, peak your head in periodically and say hello to him and pet him. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Hello, Cats can be very finicky eaters. Most truly healthy cats with no dental disease will not starve themselves of kibble if left with only that option. However, cats can seriously damage their liver if they go too long without eating, and some cats are both very finicky and very strong willed. You may just have to make your cat his special texture food. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Good Afternoon...thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I empathize with your struggle and Munchkin's picky diet. I certainly do not want to cause alarm, but many times cats will become "picky eaters" for many other reasons other than their teeth. As a veterinarian, this symptom always give me pause. Cats with dental issues still usually have a normal appetite, even with a bad tooth - they will still eat. There are many other conditions which can cause an older kitty to change their eating habits and influenced "what tastes good to them" - conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease (even with no other GI symptoms), kidney disease, liver disease, and many types of cancers (that can be within any organ of the body...) can cause an older kitty to change their appetite preferences. I would want to know if Munchkin is maintaining her weight, or has she lost weight? If she has lost weight, this is also more concerning. I would recommend you monitor her weight very closely - if she is maintaining (and has not lost weight within the past 6-12 months...). You may want to consider a visit to your veterinarian for additional diagnostics including a full senior bloodwork/urine profile, and possibly an abdominal ultrasound and chest radiographs to ensure nothing more sinister may be going on. I hope this helps, good luck!

Wilkie good stay on the cat food if it all possible as this in shores he's getting the appropriate vitamins, minerals and proteins. If he's been checked out and there's no dental issues going on then you can try continuing with the wet food and may even try warming it up slightly as that entices cats to eat. You could also try adding warm low-sodium chicken broth to his dry food to see if that helps get him to eat better.I would be concerned about tooth root abscesses that can only be detected with the dental x-ray given his history.

I would first make sure that she does not have a medical condition that is making her not want to eat; especially if this is a new behavior. If a vet has checked her and deemed her healthy, then there are a few good tips for getting her to eat normal cat food in the article at the link below. https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/feline-picky-eaters I hope that helps and all is well with Kiki.

Thanks for the question. There are some dogs and cats that are picky eaters like Baluu. When you bring home a new food if Baluu is willing to eat it, this is likely what is going on. You can approach this two different ways. One is to stick to one food and see if after a couple days Baluu gets hungry enough to eat it. The other is to simply buy small bags of food, and switch to a new food every few weeks. My own dog is quite picky, and after months of trying, I gave up and now we just rotate through different foods. He is happy, and I am no longer frustrated trying to get him to eat. I do recommend that when you switch foods you mix the old food and the new food together for a few days to avoid stomach upset. I hope this helps.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Causes of a decrease in appetite are: intestinal parasites, viral or bacterial infection, he ate something gross that is upsetting his stomach, he ate something that is stuck, food allergy/intolerance, Inflammatory Bowel disease, Addison's disease, new treat/food/table food. Sometimes this can be behavioral as well, he is waiting for something better like the Pedigree. If there is not other symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, or lethargy then that is likely the problem. If you recently got a new bag of his food the company may have changed the formula or there is a issue with that bag of food. If you really don't want to feed him Pedigree then hold your ground. Offer his normal food, you can add water to it to make it more tempting, and if he doesn't eat it then pick it up. Do not offer treats or any other food and then he is not fed again until his next meal time. You can also consider feeding him once daily. If he is otherwise sick, please repost with his symptoms and we will provide advice. I hope this helps and I wish you and Puku the best!