Cat Food Woes!

[sirrahbed]

Nobody wants to eat their own food! Emily and Dylan are dumping their diet food on the floor...ok. They all three get regular food now as I am sick of messing with the diet food. Enter two kittens. They have discovered Purina One and now do not want anything to do with their SD kitten food I came home last night to hungry cats. There were two bowls of kittens food scattered on the floor. I filled the big cat bowls and everyone attacked them. I refilled the kitten bowls and NOO they went back to the big bowls. I tried locking them in the bathroom with their kitten food but they cried at the door and did not even touch it!!!
What do I do??? Both kittens had not eaten all day! Do I just give up and feed everyone the Purina One?? I have two bags of Science Diet Kitten but NOBODY wants any - not even the big guys

[kimlovescats]

You can try two approaches ... #1 ... put out what you want and use the "if they get hungry enough, they'll eat it" theory
or #2 - give them what they want!

As long as it is good quality food, and they are gaining weight, I don't think it matters ... you can always mix a little higher calorie / quality food in with it!

[catmandu]

I would just keep,the food,out as they will not starve! Thats what I did,with The Nutro Max Complete Catre Indoor,and now they LOVE IT!

[catmandu]

Try,a little Fancy Feast,on top,maybe!

[catnapper]

I'm having a bit of the same problem. I was successful with introducing the Weight management food until Kitten Chow entered the scene. Now The REFUSE to eat the weigh anagement, but the kittens have been chowing down. They'll eat most anything

So I bought regular Nurto for the boys, and put the Kitten Chow in a plastic container that the boys can't open. Problem is they are always looking at me with big sad hungry eyes. They've been eating Nicki's food - they are starving SOO much - but their food bowl remains full. Allen and Pouncer have put on so much weight since the Kitten Chow entered the house. What to do!?!?

[sirrahbed]

I am surprised that MY cats don't want the kitten food!!!

[DJFyrewolf36]

Remus went through a similar tizzy. I accedentally bought the Non-kitten Nutro once, I noticed my error and went back and got the kitten chow, hoping he would go right back to it...

Nope, my stubborn butt wanted the regular stuff! Sigh, he is gaining weight and developing ok so Im not too woried. So long as they don't develop problems I wouldn't worry. Maybe like Kim said, mix some of the kitten food in just to be sure?

[Laura's Babies]

Chester would eat the girls kitten chow and they would eat Chesters adult, that is why I went to only "adult" for all! By then, the girls were real close to a year old so I saw no harm in it.

NOW, at Kevlins house, he buys nothing but the "light" (diet) SD and he says they love it and eat the daylights out of it, but here, they will not touch it for nothing! CATS! Go figure!

[Craftlady]

Here is a theory, maybe they feel with the addition of the kittens the food supply might be shorter. Kinda like the stray syndrome scrapping for food. In time they will settle down and go back to normal eating. As I say, just a theory.

[Logan]

Maybe you can mix in the kitten food with some adult food, Debbie, and the kittens will eat it. Hate to see that kitten food go to waste, and I know it is important for the kittens to have that extra nutrition. I do not envy you, having to feed two different kinds. I only have two cats, and thankfully neither one have a weight problem (of course, Mimi could add some weight and I would feel good about that).

Good luck!
Logan

[sirrahbed]

Well, I caved. I am no longer in the running for Meowmie of the Year. I took a big five gallon container and dumped everything together Don't want to waste anything so these turkeys are just going to eat the same as everyone else!!

[jazzcat]

We just introduced the kitten chow to general access this past weekend and up until then it stayed in the cage in the kitchen floor and the big guys wouldn't go into the cage (icky kitten cooties or something). Anyway, so far the kittens still love the Kitten Chow but will eat anything including Disney's food if hungry and the big guys still eat their Purina One with Ripley having a Kitten Chow chaser. I hope it doesn't change (knock on wood).

[catnapper]

Originally posted by sirrahbed
Well, I caved. I am no longer in the running for Meowmie of the Year.

I'll still nominate you Debbie! I can't help but feed them when they are looking at you with such pain in their eyes. Gosh, they are convincing actors aren't they?

We are well trained.

[catmandu]

My Dad,used to say,that this,is a odd thing,to worry about,for an animal,whose Food Source,was a Slow Mouse! Sorry,Jen.

[boscibo]

I have a confession....when Hanna was a baby she preferred the adult cats' Science Diet. Since fatso Bo was chowing all the kitten food and Hanna was eating the adult food, I just fed everyone the SD. Hanna grew up fine, she's not stunted and she's always been healthy....she's a little clingy and a royal pest, but I don't think that has to do with what she ate as a kitten.

I wouldn't worry too much about it.

Now if I could only figure out how I got roped into feeding canned Fancy Feast not once, but TWICE a day, I'll have this cat food thing figured out....