My Cats Won't Eat Friskies Dry Food!?

I hear your plight about running out of your usual brand of dry food, and I know how worried you must be.

I know it is hard when finances rear their ugly heads, and cats need to eat. You can get more problems with your cats if they won't eat. Liver problems can develop within a couple of days, and then they won't be interested in eating which only makes the situation even more complicated.

I don' t know how old that bag is, but its age may also be contributing to their not eating it if it has turned rancid.

For the emergency situation in which you find yourself, if the friskies are fresh, you might consider mixing in some chicken broth over the friskies to enhance its flavor.Chicken boullion or beef boullion if you have on hand may spark their taste buds.

But don't leave the mixed concoction down for long periods, since bacteria thrives in moisted dry food.

I wish you the best, Rosi and I worry with you.

Troublesniffer

Owned by cats for over 40 years

Member cat writer's association

1

smart cats

Nutrition since there are so many bad things out there is very important to your cat’s health

Contrary to what you may have heard; dry foods are not a great thing to feed a cat.

Please read the label on what you are feeding? What are the ingredients? Do you know what they mean? Is the first ingrediant a muscle meat like chicken or meal or other things?

http://www.catinfo.org/#Learn_How_To_Read_a_Pet_Fo...

http://iml.jou.ufl.edu/projects/Spring04/Perhach/P...

Dry foods are the number 1 cause of diabetes in cats as well as being a huge contributing factor to kidney disease, obesity, crystals, u.t.i’s and a host of other problems. Food allergies are very common when feeding dry foods. Rashes, scabs behind the tail and on the chin are all symptoms

The problems associated with Dry food is that they are loaded with grains and carbohydrates which many cats (carnivores) cannot process. Also, Most of the moisture a cat needs is suppose to be in the food but in

Dry, 95% of it is zapped out of dry foods in the processing. Another thing, most use horrible ingredients and don't use a muscle meat as the primary ingredient and use vegetable based protein versus animal. Not good for an animal that has to eat meat to survive.

http://www.catinfo.org/#My_Cat_is_Doing_Just_Fine_...

You want to pick a canned food w/o gravy (gravy=carbs) that uses a muscle meat as the first ingredient and doesn't have corn at least in the first 3 ingredients if at all.

THE BEST CAT FOODS CONTAIN NO GRAINS NO BYPOODUCTS NO MEAL

Cats are meat eaters not cereal or rice eaters

Fancy feast is a middle grade food with 9lives, friskies whiskas lower grade canned and wellness and merrick upper grade human quality foods. I would rather feed a middle grade canned food then the top of the line dry food.

Also, dry food is not proven to be better for teeth. Does a hard pretzel clean your teeth or do pieces of it get stuck? http://www.felinefuture.com/nutrition/bpo_ch4a.php

Please read about cat nutrition.

http://www.catinfo.org/

http://www.catinfo.org/feline_obesity.htm

http://maxshouse.com/feline_nutrition.htm#Dry_Food...

Vetinarian diets The reason your vet thinks so highly of the pet food they sell probably has more to do with money than nutrition. In vet school, the only classes offered on nutrition usually last a few weeks, and are taught by representatives from the pet food companies. Vet students may also receive free food for their own dogs and cats at home. They could get an Iams notebook, a Purina purse and some free pizza. http://iml.jou.ufl.edu/projects/Spring04/Perhach/P...

I'd get something to mix it with such as some moist food. You don't want to wait for them to get hungry enough to eat it. They can get really sick from not eating and then won't eat at all, get sicker...it's a bad place for them to be in. As you just opened the bag, you could maybe donate it to someone else or a shelter and get them their usual. Then the bag won't go to waste. I'd take it out to my barn for my barn cats if my House cats won't eat it. Those barn kitties will eat anything offered, fat little piggies...

Rosi Many cats do not care for change of any kind . You do not say if they have access to "natural food" out of doors! Just think how un natural it is for an animal used to crunching juicy rodents and sadly, birds... to be faced with dry dull little lumps. It is my understanding that feeding canned tuna is a horrible idea due to too much "ash" ? look this one up. I think over time it can cause illness... better if you eat it...yummy 4 us. I disagree with the idea of adding this and that to enhance the flavour...when they are hungry, they will eat. as long as the food is available AM & PM then maybe pick it up . Usually this will help solve the confusion. Meowwww

They'll eat when they get hungry. Next time you get a different catfood from what you normally feed, instead of feeding it until it's gone, mix it with the new stuff so they get use to it slower. Then they won't be so stubborn. If they try to pick out the Regular food and leave the New food, don't refill their bowl until it's all gone.

Edit...To those that say Friskies is one of the worst foods...Maybe you should think about the hard times some people have found themselves in recently. Some people, myself included, can't afford food that is $18 for a 7 pound bag...so bashing what this person is feeding their food isn't a solution...and if your next solutioin is to find the cat a new home, that isn't any good either...there are too many people now with money problems who are dumping their pets in Shelters of all types or turning them outdoors to fend for themselves. Life isn't all peachy king for everyone right now...so at least this person is feeding their cat something.

Edit...Thanks Debi =)

And Troublesniffer, I never even thought of the age of the food! Good one!! I'll remember that one! Kudo's! =)

Why Cats Won T Eat

It's good that they won't eat it! Friskies is probably the lowest-quality food that you can buy. It's full of corn, soy, wheat, animal by-products, gluten and other very questionable ingredients. Toss that food pronto!

Look for a food that contains NO corn, soy, wheat, animal by-products or gluten of any kind. Make sure the first ingredient(s) in the food is a NAMED meat source: chicken, turkey, whitefish, etc.

Here are some recommended foods:

Wellness http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/

Blue Buffalo http://www.bluebuff.com/

Solid Gold http://www.solidgoldhealth.com/

Innova http://www.naturapet.com/

Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover's Soul http://www.chickensoupforthepetloverssoul.com/

Merrick http://www.merrickpetcare.com/

Felidae http://www.canidae.com/

Best of luck to you.

Thumbs up from me Tina !

Mine get Breederpack and that's about the cheapest bulk biscuit you can buy, admitted they also get meat.

Rosi - have you tried mixing up some stock and pouring it on - give them biscuits and gravy they might prefer that. Or if you can get hold of a small pack of the generic one and try mixing it in.

Hey Rosi, if you didn't take much out of it, take it back to WalMart.

Tell them the neighbor opened it up to feed your cats but didn't know you were actually bringing it back...it was the wrong brand.

They should take it back!

or call the nearest store if they sell that particular brand and size. Tell them your sis bought it and it was the wrong kind and you didn't realize it til you opened it. See if they will exchange it. :)