Given how finicky felines can be, your cat’s transition to a raw diet can seem overwhelming. It may take some time for him to accept the new food, but patience and perseverance will pay off.
You would like to switch your cat to a raw diet, but he is so picky that you think it will be too difficult. It’s true that cats hate change, so there’s no guarantee your cat will be okay with your decision. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. The ultimate key is patience. I have known cats that have taken several months to switch completely to raw food. However, if you follow the advice in this article and refuse to give up, you will eventually succeed!
Overcome your feline’s food preferences
Kittens form their food preferences early; and once they are fixed, many will refuse any new food. A lot of cats that have eaten nothing but commercial dry food all their lives simply don’t recognize anything else as food.
How do you overcome these ingrained preferences? The first step is to set up a meal plan. Food should not be available 24 hours a day. Feed your cat 15 to 30 minute meals, two to four times a day, with no snacking in between. This ensures that he will be hungry at mealtimes.
The commonly recommended schedule of replacing ¼ of the old food with new food every week doesn’t always work very well for cats. An even more gradual approach, with many intermediate steps over time, may be necessary. It’s also better for your cat, as sudden changes can cause unnecessary tummy aches.
- If your cat currently only eats commercial dry food, it’s usually easier to switch to a good quality canned food first, before switching to raw food. This allows your cat’s digestive system and gut bacteria to gently adapt to the increased moisture, new texture, different processing and increased protein. Just getting him to eat some high quality food is a huge improvement!
- Start by putting some wet food (1/8 to ½ teaspoon) on top of the dry food. You can also mix a small amount of canned food into the dry food or sprinkle regular dry food over the wet food. If canned food isn’t palatable enough for your cat, try meat-based baby food (no onion). Throw away anything uneaten within 20-30 minutes.
- If your cat refuses mixed canned or raw food, offer only the new food for the first half of the meal period, before offering her normal food. Many cats will be hungry enough to at least taste it. Also, after seeing him there day after day, their dislike will start to lessen.
- You can use flower essences, such as Bach’s Walnut and Vine, or Jackson Galaxy Solutions’ Changing Times, to help your cat overcome mental blocks related to changing food. Shortly before mealtime, put a few drops on your fingers and massage his ears.
- Always make sure your cat eats at every meal. Otherwise, go back to the last thing he ate or offer him his favorite meal on his own. Never fast a cat or allow it to go more than 24 hours without eating. Cats (especially overweight cats) can have big problems if they skip meals, or even if they eat too little for several days. They can quickly develop life-threatening hepatic lipidosis (fatty liver disease).
- Once your cat has eaten the wet food, you can begin introducing raw food using the same method described above. See the box above for more tips.
What if he develops stomach problems?
It is a fact that raw meat is contaminated with bacteria; many harmless, a few dangerous. Although a cat’s highly acidic stomach and short digestive tract make illnesses caused by foodborne bacteria rare, it is still a good idea to take the following precautions.
Many cats will experience a change in stool, even diarrhea, with any dietary modification. As long as the cat eats well and behaves well, a little diarrhea is nothing to worry about. However, if he has additional symptoms, such as vomiting, lethargy, weakness, or lack of appetite, or if diarrhea persists, contact your veterinarian. Something else may be happening.
These two precautions will help alleviate digestive problems caused by a change in diet:
- Add a digestive enzyme supplement. Enzymes should be plant- or fungal-based and include at least one protease, lipase, and amylase. Digestive enzymes will help the intestines break down food more completely and will also help destroy some of the bacteria that may have escaped stomach acid.
- Add probiotics to help balance the bacterial population in the gut. Probiotics are “friendly” bacteria such as L. acidophilus And Bifidobacterium bifidum. Healthy bacteria will prevent any bad bacteria, like Samonelleto take a footing.
Be aware that cats often eat less raw food than other forms. A cat that eats eight ounces of canned food a day may only need five or six ounces of raw food. That translates to a healthier cat, fewer vet bills, and an overall win for you!
