How do I get my cats used to better canned foods?

Switch foods gradually. Start with a mix of mostly Fancy Feast and just a bit of the new stuff. Add more and more of the new stuff every week until you are only feeding them the new stuff. Spend a few weeks on the switch. If you go too fast you'll upset their stomachs or they just flat out won't eat the new stuff.

Good for you! It's wonderful to see someone who has a clue.

For now, allow the FF. You never want to starve a cat into submission.

Get the better foods, and add a tiny amount to the FF. Say 1/4 tsp or something like that. Do that for a week or so, then increase to 2/4. And so on, until they've eventually begun eating food that is mostly not FF.

Granted you will waste some food. But it'll be worth it!

Another thing you can try is sprinkling bribes on the new food and serving it separately. Or perhaps adding the bribes to the mixed foods, once you've increased the quantities significantly and if they start turning up their noses again.....

Bribe foods are anything your cat loves. In my case, I sprinkle dry Evo dust on Sophie's chicken necks, and Wysong's Archetype on Poppy's. My two don't seem to care for any of the other bribe foods I've seen listed, so I was glad to realize that these would work for them. Only you will know what'll work for yours.

And hey, if they eat FF for the rest of their lives, that wouldn't be the worst thing. At least it's canned!

Please ignore the ones who are trying to tell you that canned food is unhealthy for cats. Canned food has one nutrient that dry foods do not have: Water. It is very important for cats to have enough liquid in the food they eat because as a species they developed in the desert, where they had to depend on the liquids present in the bodies of their prey to satisfy the need for water. Because of this, they did not develop a good thirst instinct, so even if there is plenty of water available, a cat who gets mostly dry food to eat, will not have enough liquid to stay at optimal hydration levels. I learned this because of my cat's urinary tract problems.

All dry foods, even those made by the most reputable brands, with the highest quality ingredients, have to have more starch than canned foods often have, in order for them to hold their shape. That starch is really not good for the cats, as again, they did not develop to need them, and having more starches in the diet is causing an increase in diseases such as feline diabetes.

There was a good suggestion about gradually switching from Fancy Feast to the other brand. That is an excellent strategy. Another thing is, if the cats simply do not like that brand that you are switching too, you might like to try a few different brands and flavors. Hills isn't as appealing to my cats, and I don't think they like Felidae canned (they go nuts over Felidae dry, which they get for treats). But they really seem to enjoy Eagle Pack (mine don't like the duck, but they love the turkey), Merrick, Wellness, Natural Balance, and ... oh... some others I can't remember off hand.

I have found that with the higher quality foods, that my cats are much more satisfied with smaller amounts of food. So that bit about canned foods being addictive? Probably depends on the quality - because if the food is really high quality, and really nutritionally dense, they actually get satisfied and stop eating when they have had enough. If the food is not nutrionally dense, the cats might not feel satisfied with what looks like a reasonable portion because they have not gotten enough nutrients, and will keep wanting to eat until the need for those nutrients is satisfied.

Most pet foods on the market are basically the same from most standpoints. The only differences you may find are in some of the ingredients, and the prices. If your cats are healthy and don't have any allergies or digestive problems, I wouldn't sweat it. In fact, I myself once had a cat that was fine with the dry food from the supermarket, but would get loose and foul stools from a so-called "scientifically formulated" one obtainable in pet stores and vet offices.

so, i don't know this for sure but you could try using mostly fancy feast and a little of the best, and slowly increasing the amount of the new food and eventually only giving them the new kind. [this is what we do w. dogs and horses]

but, if all else fails and your last cat lived to be 16 with it and you don't have any other problem, I'm sure you could just stick with it..

the trick with canned food is that it is not 100% of their diet, too much wet food can decrease mess with the ph of the urine, and causes bad hygene, toothe decay, gum diesease and what not. you should be feeding about a can a day, not even, about a half can. i had the hardest time with my cats when i learned how terrible some of the foods are. i wanted them to eat the canned food that went along with their dry and they HATED it. it was too mushy ( eagle pack) so then i tried merrick, they like 3 flavors, and thats it. now they are addicted to tiki cat and innova and thats fine by me. i give them a can a day, but let them free feed off eagle pack holistic select duck and oatmeal formula the rest of the day. good luck!!

Keep them on the food they like the best. You are very lucky because some people try all kinds of food for their cats and they don't eat it. Mine chose Friskies.

Well,

All you do is just start to feed the better food and also healthier food to your cat so that your cat will get used to the other food and taste all other foods.

You don't. You get them back on dry food for 95 per cent of the time, with canned food only a few times a week as a treat.

i dont feed my cats with canned foods because they are not healthy they only get addicted to canned foods and wont stop eating them