This might be the most difficult discussion I have with people! How to get their cats to stop eating junk food- and to eat healthy food.
It’s not difficult because the humans don’t want to do it. It’s difficult because cats are worse than your sisters cousins aunt’s nephew who only eats peanut butter and grape jelly on wonder bread.
Cats are hooked on junk food for a couple of reasons. One – it’s a whole lot of carbohydrates and eating carbohydrates leads to- you guessed it- eating more carbohydrates.
Secondly, most cat food contains “natural flavor“. Natural flavor is some addictive, proprietary, flavor additive that literally creates addiction in cats to the food.
And the third thing that makes it hard, is that most people have the mistaken idea that cats need to have a buffet available to them 24 seven.
If you’ve ever looked at a cat in the wild, it might eat a mouse once a day, maybe twice. But it sure doesn’t have mice lined up all day and all night to eat whenever it feels like it – buffet style.
The other thing that’s very important for cat owners to remember is that the cats we remember 5000 years ago went away. Humans used to worship them and we used to build pyramid size statues worshiping the cat. Cats are still really upset that the roles have been reversed.
You think I’m kidding. If you had cats, you would realize I’m serious. (cause you can just see your cat now. Remembering. When we were at their beck and call. They remember.)
So this changing to health food thing? That is not what cats are about!
So-there are different things that people can do to get their cat switched from junk food to healthy food.
First thing is we only get TWO meals a day. That’s it.
And as soon as your cat walks away from the dish, he’s done! Pick it up put it away don’t offer it again at lunchtime. It’s done!
After about a week, your cat will get used to the idea of only eating twice a day and stop knocking on your forehead at 3 AM demanding to be fed.
(I probably should’ve mentioned: your first week is going to be quite uncomfortable. Your cat is going to spend a lot of time complaining!)
Once you’ve got your cat eating twice a day, then you start reducing the portions.
Normal cat portion size is a quarter to a half of a cup of food twice a day. That’s normal. That’s the typical cat.
Everybody’s different. Just like we humans are all different. I’m just giving you a rule of thumb.
So- if the normal size is half a cup twice a day, then on week two we’re going to create hunger. We’re gonna cut back to a third of a cup twice a day. Or maybe even be fairly assertive and cut back to a quarter cup twice a day.
Now your kitty is going to start getting hungry. With hunger comes reluctant willingness to try new things.
If your cat has been eating dry food only, now it’s time to start introducing maybe some canned food or maybe some cooked people food.
I’m talking minuscule amounts at a time- just the tip of the end of your finger.
Put it down. With no emotions associated with it. Take it or leave it. If your cat doesn’t eat it that’s fine.
Some people think I’m going to insist that all animals eat raw food. Not at all! Especially not when we are trying to switch a cat from eating only kibble to eat real food. The difference between kibble and raw is far too dramatic, that change will never happen. We have to go baby steps. And every cat is different. And in houses with multiple cats, every cat will have a different switching mechanism. Where one cat might willingly start eating canned chicken and canned tuna, another cat might take six months before she’s willing to do that.
This is where people have a hard time. They offer something new one time and the cat refuses it and they think they’re never going to get the cat to switch.
PATIENCE!!
OK, getting back to our plan… Here’s the steps!
- We go to two meals a day.
- Then we started short changing on the usual food and offering new food-all sorts of different things.
- If you can get your cat completely off of kibble and get him eating ground beef, canned chicken, canned tuna for people (if that makes you cringe, read my tuna post), sushi, salmon, or rotisserie chicken, you have one!
- Once the kibble is completely out of your cats life, then we start worrying about balance. But if you start mixing vitamins into this new food from the beginning, again, your cats gonna give it the middle cat finger, or maybe try to bury it like poop in the litter box.
- When the kibble is gone, then we balance the diet.
Other games you can play:
- Try freeze dried meat. Some cats think that’s exactly like kibble and will eat the freeze dried food. That’s a win.
- Try putting a little bit of ground beef crumbled over the top of the crunchies. Try it the other way with ground beef at the bottom and crunchies on the top.
- Try letting your cat eat off of your plate while you eat (I didn’t say I was going to teach good habits; I just said I was gonna help you switch your cat to real food.)
- Put a tiny little bit of butter on the food. Fat intake drives food intake, especially in cats.
- Use seasoning! Absolutely. 100%. It’s safe! In fact, we all need salt (read my salt post). Salt tastes good and it’s required for life. (And you better read the ingredients of whatever your current crappy cat food is. Trust me. There’s salt in there.)
So there’s a short list of suggestions!
And I know it’s gonna happen-you’re gonna try this… everything I suggested above, and your cat is not going to go for it. None of it.
But you might remember, I talked about patience.
I guess I should also mention creativity.
Be creative. Be patient. You can get this done.
Still seeing patients in Tampa, Clearwater, and virtually.