Fussy Cat (Picky eater)

Question
My cat is 18 months old and won't eat any traditional tinned cat food. She seems to like the dry food and will graze at this when she turns her nose up at what I feed her. I found tuna in brine was popular initially but now she screws her nose up at that too. She hates cat food in jelly. She hates fritz, likes sliced ham and some other human meats. What can you suggest and how much should I feed her daily and how often during the day?  She is not overweight, has plenty of energy, uses her bowels every day and is in good general health. I feel like I am failing her as an owner as I can't find a food that she really enjoys. Please help me make my cat happy!

Answer
Hi Kelly!

I certainly know about picky cats!  lol  All of mine are, to an extent.  Most cats do prefer dry...especially in the non-premium brands due to the junk ingredients.  If you think about it, dry is usually loaded with sugars which taste good, are addictive, cause immediate changes in blood glucose so that they are hungry more often, thus crave more, eat more, and gain more weight...it's a cycle.  

Please read my main AllExperts expert page for some links to pet food brands.  
http://www.allexperts.com/ep/3490-83830/Cat-Food/KC.htm

You will also find quite a lot of additional food info in some of the past articles that I have posted.  I would strongly recommend getting her on a premium food (human-grade with no by-products).  These products will have few to no preservatives, fillers, artificial coloring, etc.
If she does prefer dry and you choose to feed it, the human-grade premium brands will contain fewer grains and you can now find some that are totally meat based (Nature's Variety Natural Instinct & Innova EVO)...thus meaning virtually no sugars and carbohydrates from grains.  Please also read my last answer, as in it I listed some raw food brands (with links) that your cat might prefer as well.  I need to just create a main page with links to all of the best foods (raw, dry, and canned)...as soon as time permits! :-)  

Specifically regarding your kitty and her diet:
At only 18 months, you won't notice a problematic weight gain.  However, as she ages a weight gain would become obvious on an all dry (loaded in carbs) food...especially if she is allowed to graze all day.  It's wonderful that you offer her a variety and there is nothing wrong with that.  Try to stay away from any lunch meats that are loaded in salt or preservatives though, especially on a regular basis, as it's not nearly as healthy as feeding chicken that you boil at home or beef, etc. that you cook yourself w/out the preservatives.  You are certainly correct in worrying about her diet though!  Definitely try to get her on a premium food, then get her on a feeding schedule...you never want to leave food out all day...it just reinforces their picky behavior because they know that it will always be available to them.  It's also very unhealthy.  Cats are little carnivores and were never meant to graze all day...and certainly not on a sugar based food.  They are meant to eat large portions at once.  Grazing all day can also lead to dental problems, irritate the gastrointestinal tract, the stomach, etc.  It can also cause intermittent vomiting and/or diarrhea.  So...no leaving food out.  

I feed all of my cats only twice per day.  You can certainly give small treats between meals though.  I feed a combination of canned, raw, and dry.  I give cooked chicken and other meats, tuna occasionally, raw, etc. as treats around lunch time (not every single day) and always in a very small amount.  I feed in the morning and at night, roughly 12 hours apart, give or take 1-2 hours.  I always offer either canned (Wellness or Nature's Variety brand) or raw (the pre-packaged with added nutrients from Nature's Variety) first.  Once they have eaten their fill of the canned or raw, I immediately offer dry (which removes food particles from their teeth and increases the fiber in their diet).  As soon as they walk away from the bowl, all food is picked up until their evening feeding.  If they ever start not eating the canned or raw, then no dry is offered at that meal.  If they continue to refuse the raw or canned, I will choose another flavor or type of food.  I usually keep a large assortment of flavors and mix them up from day to day.  They rarely ever beg during the day, unless they happen to smell chicken on the grill!  All maintain a perfect weight and their litter box schedule is 100% predictable since they are on a scheduled feeding, lol.  I have 5 cats now and by scooping the litter box twice a day, at a set time, it stays clean for the duration of the day/night.  

For your kitty, the initial changing of foods and putting her on a schedule is going to be rough.  You have to wait it out though and not give in.  She is used to eating whenever she wants especially if dry is always available.  If she is grazing, then she probably nibbles a lot and may even be used to turning her nose up and then being offered something else.  Don't be surprised if after purchasing a new premium canned or raw that she walks away, refusing to eat it.  If she does not touch it after 30 minutes, pick it up and do not offer dry.  Then, at the evening meal, try again and/or with another flavor.  At night, if she still won't touch the canned, then go ahead and offer a dry but pick it up in 5-10 minutes.  She will probably be picky about the dry too but I promise it will get better.  Cats tend to get set in their ways and where diet is concerned, it can take several weeks for them to adjust to it.  If you choose to try the twice a day feeding with canned and/or raw followed by dry, just be patient and hope that she is used to it by the end of the first week.  Buy a whole assortment of the raw and canned flavors and brands, to see if she prefers one over another.  If however, at the end of a month, she still prefers dry, stick to the twice a day feeding and pick it up as soon as she walks away from the bowl.  Also, if you feed solely dry then either use a grain free dry to avoid sugars and weight gain, or alternate with a premium dry (not raw based) such as the Wellness SuperMix.  You may also notice loose stools when you switch foods, as the premium ones don't contain fillers...such as wood pulp and other trash that can also cause constipation, etc.  However, any noticeable loose stools should clear up w/in a week or so and don't be concerned unless they become frequent.  I only had problems with one of my five cats, but it cleared up in under two weeks.

I hope this helps.  If you have further questions regarding feeding, brands, etc. just reply back.