You recommended we switch our cat to a better quality food. We'd been free-feeding dry food and giving a little bit of canned food at night. You told us to swap that and only give dry food in a food puzzle at night and feed canned throughout the day. You said to increase the number of times we feed the cats, which we've done. The problem we're having is they don't seem to like any of the brands of canned food you recommend. Is it ok to just continue to feed them the canned food we were using prior to your visit?
Dear Transitioning Food,
Thank you for paying close attention to my food recommendations! You are currently feeding a low quality canned food that contains very little "real" meat so I suggest we work harder at making sure the transition to the new food is done successfully. However, that said, the worst canned food is still better than the best dry food, so you making the switch to mostly canned, and in smaller, more frequent meals, is a huge step in a better direction for your cats' health.
Cats don't like change so when you put new food down, they are likely going to turn their noses up at it - even if it's a food they might have liked in a different set of circumstances. You will see the best results if the transition happens gradually and very slowly.
First, select new food that is similar in protein and texture to their current food; for instance, if they prefer chicken flavor shreds, then choose one of the better brands that offers poultry selections in the shredded texture. Start by putting just a small amount on the edge or side of the bowl/plate and then slowly mix a little of the new food each day, increasing the amount as you go. Here is a good chart to go by:
If you're reading this blog and not sure what to feed your cat, check out Cat Talk Radio's What to Feed Your Cat podcast here: https://www.catbehaviorsolutions.org/podcast/episode/46580721/what-to-feed-your-cat