social

Cat Won't Eat Dry Food?

My aunt's cat is in his teenage years, I'm babysitting him while she's in California. It's been four days and all he eats is milk. I have no problem what so ever, but he's super skinny and it makes him get diarrhea which stinks really badly! I want him to eat dry food, but he eats three little pieces a day and he needs to gain weight! Someone please help its been years since I had a cat and I've tried putting wet food with dry food and he still doesn't eat it!

Advertisement

Add your voice! Click below to answer. ThriftyFun is powered by your wisdom!

 

Gold Feedback Medal for All Time! 949 Feedbacks
October 5, 20170 found this helpful
Best Answer

Cat sitting is not always an easy job as cats are usually finicky about things like messing up their routine, being away from familiar things (home), and being away from their owner.

  • Has your aunt had a problem with her cat not eating properly?
  • Sometimes just messing up their routines will through a cat into a difficult stage and that might involve not wanting to eat.
  • Does he normally eat wet and dry food and are you providing the same type/kind/brand of food he usually eats at home?
  • If not, that may be some of the problem .
  • Advertisement

  • I do not believe he should be drinking milk as it is very apparent his stomach cannot tolerate it and that is why he has diarrhea.
  • This condition may actually be very bad for him as he is getting no nutrition from the milk and continuous diarrhea is bad for an animal the same as it is for humans.
  • Is he drinking water? The constant diarrhea may actually be making him dehydrated and that is not a good thing.
  • Have you discussed this with your aunt? She may have some good suggestions but I believe she does need to know what is going on.
  • Do you have his "home" food and water bowls? Cats like a larger shallow bowl for food.
  • Ask your aunt what is his favorite flavor of food and try only that for a few days.
  • Warm wet up in microwave for 5-8 seconds to see if that will help.
  • Advertisement

  • Place only a small amount of dry food in his bowl at one time.
  • Take the milk away and only offer wet food in the morning and afternoon to see if he will get hungry. Small amount of dry food in his bowl.
  • Does your aunt talk to him when eats? I know this may sound silly but many people do.
  • Here are a couple of sites that have suggestions and others will be along that will have good suggestions also.
  • www.catster.com/.../cat-health-food-8-things-wont-eat
  • consciouscat.net/.../

here is an article about giving milk to your cat and the problems it can cause.

www.thespruce.com/is-milk-okay-for-my-cat-552036

 

Silver Post Medal for All Time! 433 Posts
October 6, 20170 found this helpful

Cat not eating.

Step 1
The average cat eats 4-6 ounces 0f canned meat daily.

Step 2
The canned food is healthier for a cat.

Step 3
Try a little bit of real chicken in with the cat food.

Advertisement

Step 4
Be patient cats do not like change.

Step 5
Don't worry if the cat gets diarrhea from the new food.

Step 6
If it continues change food brands.

Step 7
Do not keep food down at all times let the cat get hungry.

Step 8
Then if he does not start eating get him checked for a health problem.

 
October 7, 20170 found this helpful

Milk is actually bad for cats, which is why he's getting diarrhea. Cats are lactose intolerant even more so than humans. Dry food is often more plant or grain based and cats are obligate carnivores, meaning they MUST eat an all-meat based diet. Try finding a dry cat food that doesn't have any grain or plant material in it. Mix it with a gravy-based canned food and see what happens.

Advertisement

If kitty snubs his nose at that, leave it out for a while. If he doesn't touch it, empty the bowl. Refill it a couple hours later. DO NOT give him milk. Keep his water bowl full. Cats can go without food just like humans can, but they need a constant source of water to stay hydrated.

Keep replenishing the dry-wet food mixture. Cats are habitual creatures, so any change takes time. If your aunt gives him milk, it'll be a hard habit for him to break, but really it will be better for him not to drink it. He's skinny probably because he's constantly got diarrhea.

Don't worry if he doesn't eat much, so long as he's got a steady supply of water. And as much as it's tempting to do, don't give in and give him milk. He might just surprise you and finally eat.

 

Bronze Feedback Medal for All Time! 226 Feedbacks
October 11, 20170 found this helpful

Cats CANNOT go without food like humans do. A cat that has not eaten for 2 days needs to be evaluated by a Vet for hepatic lipidosis. This is a liver disease that is often fatal.

Advertisement

It is caused by a cat not eating. Can you try Lactose free milk for this cat? I know it works for lactose intolerant people.

 
October 12, 20170 found this helpful

Not all cats will eat dry food. You say you "need him" to eat dry food, but my guess is you want him to for your own convenience.
If he is used to eating wet food, feed him that.

If the problem is that he won't eat anything, switch to Lactaid milk. Adult cats are lactose intolerant.

 
October 18, 20170 found this helpful

People on this website have no clue what they are talking about. I need my cat to eat dry food because he has constant diarrhea not because it's convenient. Don't jump to conclusions. The thread is how do you get your kitten on dry food. Answer the question or don't reply. People like you make me so mad.

 

Add your voice! Click below to answer. ThriftyFun is powered by your wisdom!

 
In This Page
Categories
Pets CatsOctober 5, 2017
Pages
More
🐰
Easter Ideas!
🌻
Gardening
🍀
St. Patrick's Ideas!
Facebook
Pinterest
YouTube
Instagram
Categories
Better LivingBudget & FinanceBusiness and LegalComputersConsumer AdviceCoronavirusCraftsEducationEntertainmentFood and RecipesHealth & BeautyHolidays and PartiesHome and GardenMake Your OwnOrganizingParentingPetsPhotosTravel and RecreationWeddings
Published by ThriftyFun.
Desktop Page | View Mobile
Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Contact Us
Generated 2024-02-21 19:31:35 in 2 secs. ⛅️️
© 1997-2024 by Cumuli, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
https://www.thriftyfun.com/Cat-Wont-Eat-Dry-Food.html