Switching cat food can be a lot easier if you follow the 80-20 rule of mixing foods. Serve 80% old food with 20% new food. Eventually, start increasing the portion of new food until it clicks your cat’s taste buds. When your feline friend gets comfortable with new food, replace old food with a new diet. If your cat is too reluctant to try the new food, use other methods like hand-feeding small amounts and adding familiar flavors. 

During this process of switching cat food, be prepared for some wastage as cats will take time to get accustomed to any new food. 

Cats can be a lot fastidious at times, especially when it’s about adopting the changes either in their routine or in their diet. If you’re a pet parent, you’ll know that switching cat’s food is no walk in the park. Felines are obsessed with the food they eat every day. Unlike most of us, cats don’t prefer to explore new tastes and cuisines of food. However, the convenient way to get cats to eat new food is to include it in their regular meal gradually.

The inherent wild nature is why cats refuse to eat new food. Felines remain cautious regarding specific smells, textures, and colors, so they are suspicious about eating something they’ve never had before. Switching cats to a new food have many reasons, like weaning a kitten, changes in nutritional needs due to increasing age, or medical conditions that require a special diet.

Here’s what you can do for switching cat food.

Weaning a kitten

Kitten’s weaning process begins at about four weeks of age. With mother cats, kittens usually get weaned by eating from the mother’s plate. But if the kitten is abandoned, you will know the time is right to wean if the kitten starts biting or chewing on the bottle. Mix the dry kitten food or canned food with kitten milk replacement formula so that the new food feels familiar to the kitten. Add a lot of water to the dry mix and then reduce the amount of water as the kitten grows.

Gradual transition is the key to introducing adult cats to new food

How will you react if you’re given a plate full of weird and strange food items at your usual meal time? Of course, you’d try to figure out what it is before tasting the food item. It is advisable to add small portions of new food to your cat’s bowl. Let your feline be familiar with the new diet and gradually develop the habit of consuming it. Keep the process slow because offering a little bit of something daily can go a long way.

Make the food flavorful

If your cat rejects the new food with a sniff, try to add the flavor of your cat’s favorite canned food to make the unfamiliar food smell familiar. One of the most recommended ways to make your feline eat the new food is to pour water from the canned tuna on the food slightly. Cats love to eat anything soaked in tuna water, and they’ll surely prefer to eat that food.

Recognize your cat’s diet routine

Another way of switching cat food is to provide a bowl full of new food at their regular meal time. This happens to be the time when your cat can be hungry, so they’d at least give it a shot to sniff and taste new food. If your feline friend still doesn’t consume the food, replace it with the small bowl of their regular meal. Repeat the process till your cat becomes aware of the new diet and notice how they try consuming the new food within a few days or weeks.

Apply the mixing rule for switching cat food

Felines are neophobic; therefore, a change in their diet can disturb their eating schedule. You need to plan the transition process tactfully. All you need to do is add a small portion of new food to your feline’s usual food. Initially, begin with the 80-20 rule, serve 80% old food with 20% new food. Eventually, start increasing the portion of new food until it clicks your cat’s taste buds. And, as your feline friend gets comfortable with new food, that is when you can replace old food with a new diet.

Hand feed the cat

Do not force your feline to eat new food. If cats stay reluctant to consume the food you offer, keep trying new methods. You can dip your finger to take the small amount of canned food you want your feline to try and place the food on their gums. Moreover, have a handful of dry cat food and let them eat from your hand. Using these methods will make your cat curious and encourage them to taste what food you have in your hands. You can repeat the same process every day till your cat develops familiarity with that food.

Provide a comfortable surrounding

If too many people or other animals are in the house, your cat may not feel comfortable adopting changes to its diet. Instead, try to feed your cat in a separate space. Also, consider offering attention and comfort to your feline friend when they are dealing with accepting a new food. You can slowly stroke or pet your cat while trying new food. When your cat feels disturbed by your petting, leave him alone but stay beside him to support their efforts.

Try interactive feeders while switching cat food

Serve new food in interactive feeders for cats. Interactive feeding bowls help with cognitive stimulation and physical activity and entice cats to try new food without much fuss as they’re involved in the bowl.

Switching cat food can be challenging, but ensure that they don’t miss out on meals in the transition process. If cats refuse to eat, they may starve and develop a malignant health condition known as hepatic lipidosis due to their delicate metabolism.

Patience, consistency, and compassion are key factors in transitioning a cat to a new food.

Happy Feeding!