How to wean a cat off dry food: basic weaning rules and common mistakes, advice from owners and veterinarians

3875Pavel

Today, more and more cat owners are looking for a way to wean their cat off dry food. It’s not surprising - there are more and more reports that ready-made mixtures cause various diseases. And the fact that animals, having tried dry food once, subsequently refuse natural food, cannot but be alarming - thanks to special additives, manufacturers are literally hooking cats on an unhealthy diet.

But aggressive advertising has led to the fact that many owners are confident that only Whiskas (Kitekat, Perfect Fit and others) are able to provide their pets with everything they need for a happy life.

In fact, cats lived next to humans for thousands of years, never heard of dry food and felt great. Let’s try to figure it out, wean the cat off dry food and how to replace artificial food without much hassle.

Required amount of time

Let's consider how many days it takes to force a pet to completely change its natural diet to ready-made industrial food.
It will not be possible to cope with the task in one or two days. It will take much longer, on average from 7 to 10 days, and the process should be gradual. You cannot immediately deprive an animal of its normal diet; this can be dangerous to health. The older the cat, the more difficult and longer the transition to a new diet will be. But in any case, consistency and rigor are important - you should not interrupt the process you have started, or follow the animal’s lead. When combined with wet food during the transition period, it is recommended to use exclusively products of one brand so that the pet quickly gets used to its taste.

The phasing is manifested in the volumes of dry food added to the usual food. On the first day, you can offer your cat 10% of the new diet directly in granular form or soaked in broth. Dry food is mixed with regular food. Its volume should increase daily. An average increase of 10-15% will allow you to spend no more than 10 days on the transfer.

It is important to stop stirring the food from the third day of changing the diet, and from the fifth day it is no longer mixed with regular food, but given as a separate portion. One feeding necessarily includes only dry ready-made food

By the tenth day, you should completely abandon any other food, carefully monitoring the pet’s health. Warning symptoms include:

constant stool disorder;
pain, colic in the abdomen;
reducing the amount eaten;
lethargy, changes in behavior;
the appearance of discharge from the eyes, nose, ears, indicating an allergy;
manifestation of aggression towards the owner.

Reasons for changing your diet

Today, the dry pet food industry is very developed in the world, and in order for it to bring in more and more income, advertising is actively working. It is much easier for owners to purchase a supply of “crackers” for their cat than to select food themselves, prepare food, and make sure that it does not remain in the plate for a long time if the pet does not eat it right away. And if an animal is picky, it can be difficult to please. But almost all cats quickly get used to dry food - this alone should raise some doubts. You can choose it at different prices, there is even one that is much cheaper than the meat indicated in its composition.

The cheaper the food, the less trust there is in its manufacturer. Even the most expensive foods, if they really have all the nutrients the body needs, are very different from natural products: the digestive tract of a predator, which is a domestic cat, must digest the meat and bones of small animals, plant fiber, and not crackers. To remain healthy, teeth must receive full load. Dry food consists of chemical, artificially created compounds, the most expensive ones are made from natural products, but they undergo such processing that they lose the function of a complete meal. In addition, any food includes dyes and special additives that enhance taste and smell and are addictive.

Our pets are still predators, which means they must eat appropriate food. Of course, it is best to immediately accustom the kitten to it, but if this does not work out, then you need to switch it to a healthy diet as soon as possible. Abuse of dry food is fraught with urolithiasis, allergies, dysbacteriosis, and oncology.

What dry food contains

The composition of the finished feed, indicated on the label of the can or bag, includes:

animal and vegetable proteins;
fats;
carbohydrates (mostly potatoes or corn);
vitamins;
minerals;
preservatives and antioxidants (these chemicals are necessary to increase the shelf life of the product);
food colorings;
fillers (soy, starch or MCC polysaccharide).

Good to know: Manufacturers of dry cat food do not always indicate the presence of several other special additives in its composition: taste enhancers, flavors, attractants (attractive substances) and additives (addictive substances). These "cunning" additives not only make your cat eat kibble with appetite, but also turn her into a "drug addict." Therefore, an animal accustomed to dry food often has difficulty switching to natural food, which, of course, is both tastier and healthier.

Irreparable harm to the health of cats from dry food

The commercial product contains substances that cause addiction in cats. In the human diet, an analogue of Whiskas is chips and crackers. This type of food does not have all the necessary vitamins, but contains negative substances for digestion.

Dry food contains substances that cause addiction in cats

Long-term consumption of economy-class feed leads to diseases of the intestines, stomach, and urinary canal.

Health implications	Cause
Stomach colic, ulcers, intestinal constipation, kidney failure	Excessive carbohydrates
Urolithiasis, kidney problems, constipation	Insufficient fluid
Increased blood sugar, resulting in diabetes	Preservatives, flavorings, taste enhancers

After the final change in the pet’s daily diet, it is recommended to feed it natural food for several months to a year. Frequently changing the type of feeding leads to diarrhea.

Benefits of dry granules

It is quite natural that most cat owners are skeptical about dry mixtures. But at the same time, veterinarians confirm the beneficial properties of the feed. Among the main advantages are:

composition balanced in the content of nutrients, vitamins and minerals;
ease of dosage depending on the age of the pet and its personal needs;
practically guaranteed protection against poisoning;
easy storage.

Dry granules do not have the main disadvantage of natural products - they do not weather, do not become covered with a dry crust and do not deteriorate. And one more important fact - all commercial diets contain taurine, which is necessary for the health of the pet. In their natural habitat, cats obtain this substance by hunting rats and mice. Manufacturers enrich feed with the necessary amounts of taurine to fully meet the body's needs.

Functions of taurine in the body

The first information about taurine appeared in 1827. At that time, chemists were able to isolate it from beef. The highest concentrations of the substance are found in the muscles, heart, central nervous system and retina. Therefore, a pronounced deficiency can provoke the development of problems in these parts of the pet’s body.

Taurine is a substance of exclusively animal origin, so it is not found in plant foods. And, if the pet owner decides to opt for regular foods, meat will definitely need to be included in the diet. But this is quite expensive given current food prices. Therefore, eating ready-made formulas allows you not to think about this problem.

Benefits of natural cat nutrition

Food prepared at home is closer to the natural “menu” of predators, representatives of which are the felines. Ideally, from 60 to 80% of a cat's daily diet should consist of meat products, of which only a fifth or sixth can be represented by offal. Another 20% is occupied by cereals, vegetables, vitamins and minerals.

No type of dry food is prepared using this recipe, since its cost would be too high. Most often, animal protein in croquettes is represented by by-products; in premium food it is up to 50%, in dry canned economy class it is only 5-6%. By providing your cat with food that matches the nature of this animal, you maintain its health and prolong its life.

General information

The popularity of industrial cat food is understandable - owners have no time to prepare food for their pets. Ready-made food can be placed in a bowl and stored for a long time - this is undoubtedly convenient. Striving for convenience, do not forget about the needs of the cat, because its health depends on a balanced diet!

You should not feed your pet with economy class food. These products are made from cereals and do not contain meat or vitamins. Simply put, cheap food is a useless filler for the stomach. In addition, economy class products contain salts and preservatives, which contribute to the development of urolithiasis.

Premium and super-premium classes are considered optimal for everyday feeding. However, you should not blindly trust the inscriptions on the packs! Read the composition of the product, only it will show the true value of the food. Some manufacturers believe that food containing 70% grains is healthy, but this is far from true. Holistic class foods are considered the most natural, but they also have the highest price.

Why is it difficult to wean a cat off store-bought food?

Weaning your pet off dry industrial food is not an easy task. In the process of changing the diet, the animal often shows unprecedented stubbornness. Why is this happening? The habits of representatives of the cat family are more stable than humans and therefore more difficult to combat. Another difficulty is that the composition of most brands of food includes various additives that enhance taste and aroma. This is especially true for so-called budget class food. After such food, even the best pieces of meat seem tasteless to the animals.

For many cats, dry food is a kind of food “drug”

Why is it still worth weaning your animal off dry food?

If the owner doubts whether it is worth weaning his pet off industrial dry food, he needs to learn about the negative consequences of its use:

Addiction. Even super premium dry food contains chemical elements, and in economy products, chemicals are present in overwhelming quantities. Artificial additives include attractants and additives that are addictive.
Dental problems. Contrary to popular belief, dry granules do not help clean teeth - the animal simply swallows them without chewing and without training the jaw at all.
Allergy risk. A number of elements included in industrial feed can cause allergies in animals; with a natural diet, the risk of food allergies is practically absent.
Risk of developing urolithiasis. Occurs due to low moisture content in dry granules.

Owners choose feeding with ready-made food, primarily taking care of themselves, because it saves time and money - there is no need to specially buy high-quality products, spend time preparing balanced meals, or calculate portions.

Getting your kitten used to dry food correctly

How to accustom a kitten to ready-made dry food without harming the body of a small pet? At what age can you feed your cat dry food? As already noted, the transition to a new type of nutrition should be gradual and smooth. The entire process of transferring an animal to dry food will take about 7-10 days.

Until the kitten is 3 months old, it is best to feed the baby wet formulas, gradually supplementing the diet with dry food. Granular food can be given only after the pet's dental apparatus is fully formed. Feed your kitten food that has small granules. The kitten can handle them without difficulty. You can switch to larger granules when your pet is 4 months old.

For the first time, pour a few granules of dry food into your pet's bowl. Soak it in milk, broth or warm water. As soon as the kibble is softened, offer your pet a new treat. As a rule, kittens willingly eat ready-made food.

There are also special granular treats that will facilitate the process of accustoming kittens to dry ready-made food.

At first, you can combine wet food with dry food. Gradually reduce the portion of canned food, increasing the amount of dry food. You can also mix the granules into wet food.

On the fifth or seventh day, you can give the kitten, if, of course, he is 3-4 months old, unsoaked dry food. If the kitten refuses the offered treats, add a few drops of olive oil. Many cats find its taste attractive. If this doesn't help, try offering your kitten a different brand or brand.

Make sure that there is always fresh drinking water in your pet's bowl, since dry food contains a minimum of moisture and animals feel thirsty after eating. Stick to the dosage indicated on the package. Monitor the kitten's stool and its condition.

About the choice and quality of food

Most owners decide to switch their pet to dry food for a trivial reason - there is no time to cook for the pet separately. The reason, frankly, is valid, since high-quality dry food is many times better than food from the table. Moreover, feeding from the table is dangerous for the development of allergies, obesity, diabetes and other ailments with equally frightening names.

If you decide to switch your pet to dry food, it is important to consider in advance not only the pros, but also the disadvantages that you may encounter. Let us immediately note that dry food has more advantages:

Let us immediately note that dry food has more advantages:

Easy to buy, easy to store and no cooking required.
Easy to dose.
The food is already balanced and fortified, no additives or dietary adjustments are needed.
It has an attractive smell and is usually eaten with pleasure by cats.

There are also disadvantages:

The food may be fake, it is not immediately obvious, but damage to health is guaranteed.
Food purchased by weight may not be fresh, mixed with expired food, or of poor quality.
Constantly feeding only dry food is fraught with rapid damage to teeth. At the same time, when diluting the diet with canned food, drying has a preventive effect.
Good food costs “good”.

When deciding to switch your cat to dry food, you must understand that it comes in different qualities. Cheap, advertised economy-class food is not suitable for everyday feeding of an animal.

Products become cheaper due to:

Replacing animal proteins with plant proteins.
Using soy or legumes as a base.
The use of flavor enhancers and flavorings to develop addiction in animals.
The use of preservatives, most often salts, to extend shelf life.
Using dyes and additives to create an attractive appearance and smell.

It’s paradoxical, but against the backdrop of such strict savings on the composition of feed, manufacturers invest huge amounts of money in its advertising. Economy class food can only be considered as a temporary measure, for example, during a move or other circumstances that do not allow you to feed your cat something else.

Premium and super-premium food is suitable for everyday feeding of healthy animals. The premium line is considered everyday and assumes ideal animal health. Only the super-premium segment is suitable for feeding sterilized cats or animals with health problems.

Holistic class is considered the highest quality; no preservatives should be used in its production... which affects the price.

How to switch a cat to a natural diet

Unfortunately, despite all the assurances of manufacturers about the balanced composition and quality of their products, there are practically no universal, truly high-quality ready-made feeds. Still, natural food, a properly organized diet, will be much healthier.

When you decide to switch your cat from ready-made food to natural food, be patient in the fight against food addiction. At first, the cat may ignore pieces of boiled meat or fish placed in a bowl by a caring owner, constantly begging for its favorite treats and desired “delicacies.”

It is especially difficult to wean cats off crunchy “pads.” After flavored “drying”, natural products will seem fresh and possibly tasteless to the cat.

Working ways to wean a cat off dry food

Switching your pet to wet commercial food is usually easy, since these products also contain certain substances that attract cats. If difficulties arise, the granules are pre-soaked, giving them a consistency similar to canned food.

But if the task is to switch to natural homemade food, then you should stock up on time and a fair amount of patience. Of course, in the cat world there are individuals who happily and without problems consume any food offered to them. But this is rather a striking exception to their rules. Most often, a cat will simply sniff new food and “bury” it for a rainy day, preferring to wait for its usual diet.

The cat may go on a hunger strike

Veterinarians advise consistently following one of the following methods:

A gentle and gentle method consists of gradually mixing a small amount of natural food into the usual dry croquettes. First, just a little bit at a time, starting with 1/5 or 1/6 of the part. Then the dose of homemade food is systematically increased, gradually completely replacing the freeze-dried product with it. Before proceeding to the next stage and adding more natural food, you need to wait until the pet regularly eats the previous portion within 2-3 days.
Quite often, pets on dry rations have a weakness for some product. This could be eggs, chicken, veal, etc. It is with this delicacy that you should begin the transition to another type of feeding and replace dehydrated pieces of ready-made food with it. If it is not known for certain what the cat likes, then you need to offer him various options. Having found out the treat that interests you the most, you need to start giving it.
Two bowls are placed in front of the pet, one of which is filled with natural food, and the other with freeze-dried food. The volume of replaced dry food should be gradually reduced, and the amount of alternative food, on the contrary, increased. The proximity of the new food to the old one will allow the animal to understand that this is also food and he will show interest in it (sooner or later). At first, the cat will eat croquettes, but their decreasing quantity will not satisfy the feeling of hunger and he will have to snack on something new.
Two bowls are placed in front of the cat: with natural and dehydrated food.
The intake of natural food and old food is separated. Usually the cat is given dry granules in the morning, at lunch (if three meals a day) - too, but dinner should consist of homemade products. Then the daily ration is replaced with natural food. A pet that gets hungry in the evening may not immediately, but will begin to eat other food. If the animal is stubborn and defiantly ignores it, then the bowl of food that has been standing for half an hour needs to be removed.
A quick and radical way of translation is a sharp and irrevocable change of diet. All dry food is simply removed from the house completely, and the cat is offered only natural food. It is believed that the instinct of self-preservation (“hunger is not an aunt”) will force him to condescend to eat unusual food. But veterinarians do not approve of such a harsh method, since some particularly stubborn specimens are capable of starving for more than one day, which is extremely harmful for cats. And it’s rare that an owner can withstand the pitiful howls and reproachful look of his pet.

The cat will constantly beg for his favorite dry food.

In difficult cases, when the animal has never eaten anything in its life other than smelly, cheap croquettes and the addiction to them is very strong, the “drug” dependence should first be removed. Holistic or super premium granules, which do not contain harmful substances, are gradually added to dry economy food. After completely replacing one dry food with another, wet canned food of the same quality brand is introduced into the cat’s diet. Then they transfer to the home menu.

In especially severe cases, you will first have to overcome food addiction

What to do is not recommended

When weaning your cat off dry food, you should follow these rules:

Do not hurry. It is rare that it is possible to switch a pet to natural food in less than 2 weeks; much more often this process stretches out for a month, and sometimes longer. You shouldn’t rush and force things, so as not to harm your pet’s health and your own nervous system.
Do not be influenced by provocations and manipulations from the cat. You should ignore her screams and refusal to eat. You can't give in.
Do not pamper, trying to appease your pet with treats and treats.
Keep calm. You cannot shout at an animal, much less use physical force. Switching to another food is stressful for a cat and requires care and attention.

Changing food is very stressful for a cat

The pet’s digestive system, adapted for digesting dehydrated food, is forced to completely rebuild when switching to another type of feeding (changes in intestinal motility, composition and quantity of digestive enzymes, etc.). During the adaptation period, the cat experiences severe discomfort and does not want to change anything.

Reasons for refusing to eat

A small kitten refusing to eat is always a very serious cause for concern. The baby requires examination by a veterinarian, who is called to the house. In newborn kittens, the cause may be:

Disorders of intrauterine development. Injuries received during childbirth, as well as from being crushed by an inexperienced cat. Low birth weight due to placental insufficiency in the cat - such kittens must be supplemented artificially, otherwise they will die. Intrauterine infection, for example, with chlamydia or feline leukemia virus. Hypothermia (low body temperature) - when keeping a cat and kittens in a cold room, and especially when raising kittens without a cat. If you have hypothermia, you cannot feed your kitten because its digestive system is not functioning. The baby is gradually warmed up by giving him a solution of pedialyte or a 5% glucose solution at the rate of 1 ml of solution per 30 g of the kitten’s weight per hour, achieving active movements in the kitten. Hypothermia is very dangerous, so you should maintain the temperature in the den at 29–32 o C, lowering it every week by 2.5 o C until it reaches 21 o C. To warm the den, lamps are placed above it, and heating pads are also used. This is usually necessary if there is no cat or she refuses to be with the kittens. Neonatal isoerythrolysis (hemolysis of newborns) is a condition when antibodies obtained from a cat's colostrum attack the kitten's red blood cells, resulting in the development of jaundice. The kitten can be saved by transferring it to artificial feeding for 2 days, and then returning it to the cat. The condition is caused by a mismatch in the blood groups of a cat and a kitten; its analogue is Rh conflict in humans. The difference is that in primates, the transfer of antibodies occurs through the placenta, and the course of Rh conflict is intrauterine. In cats, the transfer of antibodies occurs with milk, so this condition is easier to suppress, since the penetration of maternal antibodies into the blood through the intestinal wall of the kitten is possible only in the first 24 hours of its life.

In kittens that previously developed normally, the reason for refusing to eat may be:

helminthic infestation; infection; in some cases, when solid food is introduced and there is a lack of drinking water, the kitten may experience constipation, which reduces appetite.

Stages of transition to homemade food

There are certain methods that allow you to replace feed. The transition period should last at least 2-3 weeks so as not to cause stress to the cat . There are several options for replacing the diet:

Feed the cat dry food in the first half of the day, and natural food in the afternoon. At the same time, the amount of dry food is consistently reduced. This is the best way because it is the most gentle on the digestive system.
Both dry food and natural food are served to the cat in one bowl, and the amount of dry food is reduced over time. But in cats with sensitive digestion, the simultaneous presence of both ready-made industrial food and natural products in the amount of food taken can cause indigestion due to a lack of digestive enzymes, which will manifest itself as diarrhea, flatulence, abdominal pain, and deterioration in general well-being. It should also be remembered that cats that have been fed cheap food for a long time have chronic diseases of the digestive system in 100% of cases, and decompensation of their course will be caused by both an increased load on the digestive system due to mixing two diets, and a sharp transition to another type of food .
If your cat has a weakness for a certain type of food, for example, loves chicken, then you should start replacing dry food with this product. To determine the pet’s other preferences, you should offer her other products that she knows she will like, but at the same time be complete in composition and planned to be included in the diet, for example, boiled beef liver, rabbit or turkey meat, as well as beef.
If special problems are expected with the transition to a natural diet, associated both with long-term feeding of the cat with cheap and addictive food, and with the stubborn nature of the pet, you can use holistic feeding as an intermediate stage. Holistic is completely balanced and does not contain attractants (taste and smell enhancers), so the cat will not eat it either. Holistic is gradually added to the cat’s usual food, gradually replacing it. It is usually possible to switch to a holistic diet in 7–10 days, and the main benefit is that the cat’s exposure to industrial taste and smell enhancers is cut off, and the transition to natural food from a holistic diet is easier. An additional benefit is that the health of a cat undergoing holistic treatment is no longer threatened by the main product of its diet. Examples of holistic foods are Acana and Orijen foods.

Changing your diet should never be sudden

Video: how to replace a cat's diet

The main mistakes owners make when changing the type of cat diet

Switching to dry food will require some effort and patience on the part of both the cat and its owner. Therefore, it would be useful to know the mistakes that slow down the change of diet or lead to its failure:

Making a sudden transition to natural nutrition will provoke an exacerbation of chronic diseases of the digestive system (most often these are chronic gastroenteritis, enterocolitis, pancreatitis and fatty hepatosis), and will also cause stress in the cat, causing it to refuse food for a long time, which will have a very negative impact on the relationship with the pet .
Inconsistency in the actions of the owner, the tendency to follow the cat’s desires, feeding it familiar food. Other family members can also do this.
Using treats and foods from the human table as replacement products for transition to another diet (you should only use food that will become the basis for future nutrition). For cats, these are different types of lean meat.
Manifestation of irritability and even aggression on the part of a person when the cat resists. The cat is stressed and needs patience, gentleness and understanding. It’s not her fault for what’s happening.

During the period of adaptation to a new diet, it is unacceptable to use treats for replacement purposes.

What should be included in the diet?

For your pet to live a long and healthy life, it needs to be fed properly. What do cats like to eat and what should be included in their weekly diet?

READ DIY scratching post for cats: diagrams, sizes, photos

Try to regularly give your cat the following foods:

Raw lean meat. Chicken, rabbit, turkey or beef are great.
Fish. It also should not be greasy and must undergo heat treatment.
Egg yolk. One piece per week is enough.

A variety of dairy products. Here, too, you need to remember about fat content.
Broths and soups. Diversity is allowed here. The main thing is that the pet likes it.
Boiled liver and offal.
Raw and stewed vegetables. It all depends on the individual preferences of the animal. Some people like melon, others like cucumbers.
Cereals in the form of porridges and casseroles.

Many less experienced owners are interested in whether cats can have cheese? On the one hand, it seems to be a dairy product, but on the other, it is quite fatty and can cause harm to the animal. The answer in this case is quite simple. If you occasionally pamper your pet with a small piece, nothing bad will happen. But you shouldn't feed your cat cheese regularly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytcopyrightru

However, for an animal to grow healthy, feeding it just normal homemade food will not be enough. Nutrition must be balanced. It is necessary that your pet’s diet include the following foods:

Meat – it is better to give it to the animal raw. It shouldn't be greasy. It is best to buy beef, turkey or chicken.
Fish. It needs to be boiled and given to your pet about 2-3 times a week. It also shouldn't be greasy.
Yolk. About once a week, Murka should eat 1 piece.
Liver. It is given boiled.
A variety of regular dairy products.
Soups and broths.
Various porridges.
Vegetables. This issue requires an individual approach, since each animal has its own taste preferences. For example, some people like potatoes or cucumbers, while others like melon or watermelon. In any case, this is wonderful and if your pet asks for vegetables, be sure to pamper him with them.

Basic principles of eating natural foods

When changing your diet, you should know that natural food is not the food that a person prepares for himself, but specially prepared dishes for cats from approved products, without salt and spices. A balanced diet is important for normal well-being, health, and the proper development of all systems of the animal’s body. Eating well is about more than just making the right food choices. The responsible owner must also adhere to the recommendations for organizing the feeding regime. Very young kittens should be fed frequently - up to 5 times a day, from four to five months - 3-4 times, after six months - 3 times, and from a year - 2 times a day. In order to prevent vitamin deficiency, experts advise enriching pets' diet with vitamin and mineral supplements, such as Canina Canivita, Gimpet, BEAPHAR KITTY'S TAURINE + BIOTIN, Doctor ZOO.

The volume of the daily portion should be calculated based on the following standards: per kilogram of weight of an active healthy animal there should be at least 10 grams of protein, 2 grams of fat and carbohydrates. The sufficient energy value of an animal's diet during the growth period is 200 kcal, and 80 kcal is enough for an adult cat.

Whatever the feeding regimen, the pet should have free access to a bowl of water. It should always be fresh, for this it must be changed 2 times a day.

Table: which foods can be included in a cat’s diet and which cannot

Allowed	Prohibited
Beef, lean poultry meat - chicken, turkey	Fatty meat - pork, duck, goose
Boiled by-products 1–2 times a week	Cow's milk
Fish, only marine varieties, boiled - 1-2 times a week	River fish
Cottage cheese, kefir	Any flour products, sweets
Yolk	Potatoes, legumes
Vegetables, except those on the prohibited list	Mushrooms
Cereals	Onion garlic
Oil - regular vegetable or flaxseed	Spices
Oil - regular vegetable or flaxseed	Any canned, pickled and sausage products

A cat's natural diet is not food from the human table

More than half of the daily amount of food - 60–70% - should come from meat (it can be boiled or raw) and dairy products. You can give the yolk once every 7 days, and boiled fish with the same frequency. Cereals should be well boiled, all food should be given to the pet warm. Oil should be added to the main dish 2-3 times a week - half a teaspoon. The only acceptable way to process food for a cat is cooking.

Looking for an alternative to dry food

As a rule, when eager to radically change a pet’s diet, the owner keeps in his head a bunch of dry food – natural food. Sometimes natural nutrition is replaced by the synonymous “homemade food”, but the essence remains. Transferring cats from dry food to wet canned food usually occurs less frequently and is easier.

The choice between dry food and natural food is not as obvious as it seems

Therefore, now we will focus on the analysis of two “opposites”. It is from the dyad “dry food - natural products” that the owner most often comes from, wanting to switch the pet to a healthy, high-quality diet. This position is sometimes characterized by a slight shade of maximalism.

The dangers of dry food

With the indicated approach, dry food is demonized and endowed with all the negative traits that you can think of, the list of which includes:

Dry food is filled with dyes, flavors and other “chemicals” that are incompatible with the pet’s stomach;
Once having tried food with flavor enhancers (all foods without exception, of course, contain this), the cat will get used to it like a drug and will be hooked for life;
Under the beautiful word “offal”, manufacturers hide waste from slaughterhouses that it was a pity to throw away;
Dry food is like fast food - it quickly fills the cat's stomach without giving it any nutrients.

Dry food is sometimes associated with slow-acting poison

As a result, we have a sick, dying cat who has developed obesity, tumors and liver failure. But is it?

Of course, in all these arguments there is a rational grain, buried under emotionality and susceptibility to widespread rumors. For example, cheap lines of food really do not use the best ingredients, but gain interest in the eyes of cats due to an attractive unnatural aroma. Feeding your pet with economy-class food for many years can indeed lead to adverse consequences.

Saving on animal nutrition cannot lead to positive results

However, to extend these radical statements to all dry food manufacturers as a whole is inconsistent, to say the least. The main evidence of the fallacy of such tactics is the practice and statistical studies cited by veterinarians. According to research, there has been no correlation between kidney problems in animals and the consumption of certain feeds. We will discuss this misconception in more detail below.

Similar studies are carried out both by the laboratories of the feed manufacturers themselves and by independent research institutes

No dry food - a radical method

There are 4 main stages of transition:

Preparation - natural and dry food are mixed, with a minimum amount of granules. This nutrition system lasts for 2-3 days. Adding biological additives

To stimulate the gastrointestinal tract, vitamins are added to food to stimulate the digestive system. Cleaning up dry food - you can’t hide it, it’s important to completely remove the food from the house so that the cat doesn’t smell or hear the familiar rustling sound. Donate food to pet-loving neighbors or feed homeless animals. No concessions - the cat may refuse to eat for several days, but he will not be able to starve himself and will begin to eat unusual food

You should not succumb to your pet’s “provocations,” as he will quickly understand how he can get his usual food.

The period of adaptation is 3-14 days.

How to force an animal to eat unusual and tasteless food

It is necessary to gradually transfer a cat from one type of bait to another. It should be taken into account that the cat has developed an addiction to certain flavoring additives of the chosen brand.

You need to gradually transfer your cat from one type of bait to another.

There are 4 main methods for changing your pet's feeding:

The hard way is to radically abolish the use of dry croquettes.
Gentle - reducing junk food and switching attention to the home equivalent.
The mixing method is aimed at combining different types of bait for gradual adaptation.
Switching to natural food through canned food takes longer, but is less stressful for the body.

The hard method: “There will be no more croquettes”

The strict method of weaning a pet off Whiskas is divided into several stages:

Preparation. A week before the appointed day, the food is mixed with an analogue that has a smaller amount of addictive substances.
Inclusion in the diet of biological additives prescribed by a veterinarian. This helps strengthen the stomach and intestines.
Discarding all dry croquettes. It is important not to hide, but rather to take the packaging out of the house. The animal should not smell artificial bait.
No concessions . The method is based on the instinct of self-preservation. The cat will not allow itself to starve to death. With indulgences, the furry one will understand that he will get what he wants.

The period of adaptation to new food is from 3 to 15 days. This method is contraindicated for kittens under 1 year of age: their gastrointestinal system has not yet formed and stress will lead to various diseases.

Be sure to read:

How to stop a kitten from shitting anywhere: the best ways, when to teach it, why it doesn’t go to the litter box

It is recommended to consult a veterinarian before using this method.

Gentle reduction method

To switch to natural products, reduce the dosage of artificial food. Grain porridge, mixed or blended with meat, is placed in a bowl nearby.

When the cat has completely eaten the artificial food, it will switch its attention to the bowl nearby. It is recommended to purchase catnip to add vitamins to your diet. The cat should always have plenty of water - this speeds up the process of eliminating negative substances. The period of adaptation to homemade food is from 14 to 21 days.

Mixing Method

The mixing method is based on combining two feeds.

At the first stage, up to 20 ml of water is added to the dry croquettes. This will create the appearance of a wet type of bait. A real product from the same manufacturer is placed in an adjacent bowl. The amount of dry croquettes is gradually reduced.

When your pet is completely fed wet food, the chopped meat or fish with separate whole pellets should be placed in an adjacent bowl.

The purpose of the method is visual similarity of portions. Artificial canned food can be slowly reduced until the cat is completely eating homemade food. The period of adaptation to the new diet is 21-36 days.

Switching to natural food through wet food

When the pet is completely fed wet food, the chopped meat or fish should be placed in the next bowl.
The least stressful transition to natural feeding occurs through canned meat. Carefully replace dry food with wet food. It is recommended to increase the servings of canned food daily until the croquettes are completely replaced.

Then you should add one by one:

cooked meat;
vegetables;
porridge.

The consistency of the bait should be the same. The size and shape of homemade food should match artificial food. Afterwards, the amount of canned food can be reduced until there is none left at all. The period of adaptation to home-cooked food ranges from 30 to 90 days.

Monosodium glutamate is one of the causes of addiction

The food additive E621, which is a flavor enhancer, is included in most dry diets intended for feeding pets:

This component not only gives the product an unnatural taste, but also irritates the taste buds. Cats get used to the rich taste and aroma of granules, so natural food does not arouse their interest. Refusing the “correct” food, the pet will use all its charms, begging for familiar food and treats

It is important for the owner not to give up at this moment. Also watch the video on how to wean a cat off food:

Also watch the video on how to wean a cat off food:

Common Mistakes

There is a list of the most common mistakes that almost all animal owners make when they start switching their pet to dry food. The first thing to avoid is forceful methods of influence. This can scare the cat away and even cause negative psychosomatic reactions. Veterinarians advise acting gently, unobtrusively, gradually helping the animal adapt to its unusual diet.

Another wrong step is to refuse to feed the cat any other foods. If your pet categorically refuses to eat ready-made food instead of the usual dishes, you should gradually and gently offer him dry food. The cause of trouble can be poor digestion of food.

Buying the cheapest food for a pet that is about to change its diet is a very bad decision. Cheap products from the mass market segment are not suitable for purebred animals. The older the cat, the more carefully you will have to select food. The best solution is super premium or holistic food made from natural raw materials by well-known brands. In 99% of cases, an allergy to ready-made food is associated precisely with the purchase of low-grade goods, and not at all with individual intolerance to the ingredients.

An animal’s refusal to eat dry food may be due to the fact that it is stored incorrectly or loses its attractive taste and smell. The container for granules must be hermetically sealed. After eating, the bowl with leftover food should be emptied and thoroughly cleaned of food residues.

To learn how to switch a cat to dry food, watch the following video.

Why does a pet refuse food?

An animal may refuse ready-made industrial food for a number of reasons, some of which require immediate human intervention.

So, let's figure out why the cat doesn't eat dry food. The first reason for refusing ready-made industrial food is stress due to the transition to a new type of feeding. If the cat was previously fed natural products and suddenly replaced its usual food with dry food, then it could experience stress. The transition from one type of feeding to another should not be abrupt, so as not to injure not only the nervous system, but also the digestive system of the animal.

Similar article: What cat treats can you give your pet?

As for the well-being and health of a pet, often refusal of dry food can be triggered by various diseases (pathological processes in the body, metabolic disorders, indigestion, poisoning and other diseases of the digestive system, anemia, kidney and urinary tract diseases, diseases of the oral cavity , the presence of parasitic individuals in the body, etc.). Experts recommend taking a close look at the animal’s behavior and habits. At the slightest symptoms of illness, you need to show the cat to a veterinarian, who will assess its health.

Often, refusal of dry food can be triggered by the weather: in the summer, cats, exhausted from the heat, try to eat less and drink more.

If your cat refuses ready-made industrial food, it is worth considering whether the food was stored correctly at home. If the integrity of the sealed packaging is violated and storage conditions are not observed, the food may lose its original qualities, including taste.

Some cats, for example, prefer meat and meat by-products over fish. Try offering the animal a different type of food. If the cat develops an appetite, then the reason for refusing to eat is probably due to individual taste preferences. However, you should not exchange super-premium or premium food for a lower-quality product; such a replacement will negatively affect the functioning of the animal’s stomach.

If your pet resists

For the furry's pleasure, it is recommended to buy fortified pads or sticks, catnip and reward them after lunch.

Be sure to read:

How to teach a kitten to drink water from a bowl?

This secret has two functions:

Add vitamins to your furry's diet.
Reward him for eating the right foods.

Important! You can’t follow a lead and give concessions. If the animal gets what it wants once, it will demand unhealthy food.

Reward should be in a healthy way: vitamins, tasty “sticks” that contain useful substances. Don't forget about affection - your pet is stressed and needs its owner.

8 basic rules that an owner needs to follow when changing a cat’s diet:

Once you have chosen the method of transferring from one type of food to another, you cannot deviate from the feeding plan.
Give vitamins: special pads, catnip, sticks with useful substances.
Do not mix dry and homemade product. The transition should be from dry to wet, from wet to home feeding.
You should not make concessions when your pet asks for old bait.
Water should always be fresh and within the cat's reach. It is recommended to change it 1 to 2 times a day.
It is better to divide feeding into two doses: morning and evening.
The harsh method is not suitable for kittens and cats with nervous system diseases.