Cats are notoriously picky eaters, and many pet parents have trouble finding food that pleases them. Although it might seem like they reject our culinary offerings for no good reason, cats are biologically, highly specialized predators with more specific nutritional requirements than dogs, who are omnivores and can eat a variety of things. Cats are obligate carnivores—they must get most of the nutrients they need from meat. Because of their specific dietary needs, they may have adapted to crave a variety of meat sources in order to increase their chances of getting a balanced diet. While some cats are more fixed in their food preferences, studies have shown a powerful “monotony effect” in many cats, meaning they tend to develop an aversion to food they’ve eaten every day for a significant period of time. So although it might seem like cats reject the food we provide for no good reason, their sometimes finicky nature illustrates that dietary variety can be important for some cats.
On the other hand, some cats don’t eat what their pet parents give them because they’re reluctant to try unfamiliar foods. Some studies have shown that kittens who eat a variety of foods with their mothers or are given different foods during kittenhood by their caretakers are more likely to accept new food as adults. So if you’re trying to introduce a new kind of food and your cat won’t eat it, he may not have learned to tolerate dietary variety when he was young.
In some cases, cats develop finicky eating habits because they’ve learned that pickiness pays off! They simply discover that if they refuse to eat their regular cat food and wait long enough, their pet parents will eventually offer them more savory fare.
First Things First: Go to the Vet
Rule Out Medical Causes
Many serious ailments can cause a decrease in appetite, including pancreatic disease, dental problems, gastrointestinal issues, cancer and kidney or liver problems. Before doing anything else, take your cat to a veterinarian for a thorough examination to rule out the possibility that illness or injury is responsible for his refusal to eat. This first step is especially important if you have an older cat or if your cat had a healthy appetite in the past but has recently stopped eating.
Your cat’s veterinarian can also tell you whether or not your cat is underweight. If he’s not, it’s possible that his eating habits are just fine! You might not think he’s consuming as much food as he should, but if he’s maintaining a healthy weight, he probably is. (If your vet tells you that your cat is overweight, please see our article on Overweight Pets to learn about ways to help him get back in shape.)
Watch Out for Hepatic Lipidosis
A number of medical problems can cause a cat to stop eating—but did you know that not eating can cause a life-threatening medical problem? Every pet parent of a finicky feline needs to know about hepatic lipidosis (fatty liver syndrome). If your cat suddenly stops eating for any reason, he may go into liver failure and could even die. Symptoms of hepatic lipidosis include vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy and a yellowish color to the skin and whites of the eyes. The risk of developing this disease is greatest for overweight cats. So if your cat suddenly refuses to eat, consider the situation a medical emergency, especially if he’s carrying a few extra pounds. Take him to a vet as soon as possible. Even just two or three days without food can have devastating consequences.
How to Improve Your Cat’s Appetite
After a veterinarian rules out medical causes for your cat’s behavior, you can try the following tips to convince your cat to ditch his fussy eating habits:
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Establish set mealtimes.
If you leave food out for your cat all day long, it might help to schedule two set mealtimes per day instead. At each mealtime, call or bring your cat to the feeding area, measure out his food and then present it to him. Regardless of how he responds, make the food available for about 15 minutes. After that time is up, remove his dish until the next mealtime rolls around. It might take a meal or two for your cat to discover that he should eat when food is available or miss out altogether, but don’t worry. He’ll most likely get hungry and get with the program. (If you’re concerned about trying this technique, contact your cat’s veterinarian for advice. If your cat is overweight, elderly or has health problems, it may be too risky for him to miss multiple meals.)
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Try something completely different.
If you haven’t done so already, try switching to a different kind of cat food.
- If your cat doesn’t eat much, make sure that every little bit of food he eats goes a long way. Feed him the good stuff. High-quality pet food brands are often tastier, contain better ingredients and provide increased levels of protein and fat. They may be a bit more expensive, but because of their higher quality, your cat will need to eat less of these foods to meet his daily requirements. (See the back of the bag to learn about feeding guidelines or ask your veterinarian for advice.)
- Consider making the switch to canned food. Many cats prefer it—and it may have health benefits, too. Some veterinarians recommend canned diets because of their high water content. Wet food may be especially good for cats with kidney problems, diabetes or a tendency to form crystals in their urine.
- When you’ve picked a new food, make the switch slowly, over about a week. Start by giving your cat a little less of his old food and a small amount of his new food. The next day, take away a little more of the old food and add a little more of the new food. Continue to gradually replace more and more of the old food with the new food. This slow transition reduces the risk of digestive upset, and it’s especially important for cats who have sensitive stomachs.
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Try a home-cooked meal.
Try giving your cat some freshly cooked chicken or low-sodium chicken broth, hamburger or liver along with his regular food. Start off with a lot of the former and a little of the latter. When your cat starts to eat eagerly at mealtimes, you can gradually reduce the amount of cooked food and increase the amount of regular cat chow. Take about two weeks to slowly wean your cat off of the cooked meat. If he notices that you’ve suddenly gone back to giving him cat food, this technique probably won’t work.
- Although it may be tempting, resist the urge to feed your cat tasty home-cooked meals indefinitely. Unless you use a recipe formulated by a veterinary nutritionist, no more than 10% of your cat’s calories should routinely come from food you cook yourself.
- An occasional tuna treat is fine, but too much tuna can cause problems. It contains mercury, which can be bad for your cat. And it doesn’t contain significant amounts of nutrients that cats need to stay healthy, such as calcium, sodium, iron, copper and several important vitamins. For example, tuna doesn’t provide enough vitamin E. If cats don’t get enough of this vitamin, they can develop steatitis or yellow fat disease. This disease causes fever, loss of appetite and hypersensitivity to touch due to the inflammation and destruction of fat under the skin. If you plan to offer home-cooked food for a couple of weeks, stick to protein sources like chicken and beef. Tuna should not be a dietary staple for your cat.
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Warm it up.
It’s not surprising that many cats don’t go crazy for dry kibble in a bowl—or wet, cold food from a tin. They’re hunters by nature, made to detect the sounds, smells and tiny movements of small animals. After stalking their prey, they pounce, bite and then enjoy a warm meal. That doesn’t sound anything like dinnertime at your house, does it? To make your cat’s chow a little more appealing to him, try adding some warm water to his dish or microwaving his meal for just a few seconds. This technique might make the smell, taste and texture of his food a little more like what he’d eat naturally. (Before serving it to your cat, always test the warmed food with your finger to make sure it’s not too hot. Aim for slightly warmer than room temperature.)
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Spice it up…
Many cats respond well to strong aromas and interesting textures. Try adding a little chicken or beef broth to your cat’s food. Or, if you’ve been feeding him dry kibble, try mixing in a spoonful of wet food to make the meal more palatable. Some cats like fresh fruit, so you can try adding some melon, mashed banana or pureed apple to your cat’s meal. (Be sure to avoid enhancing your cat’s food with things that might hurt him. Large amounts of onion or garlic, for example, can be toxic to cats. To learn more about foods to avoid, please see our article on Foods That Are Hazardous to Cats.)
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…But keep in mind that your cat might be training you.
Some cats know their pet parents will do just about anything to coax them into eating. If your cat finds that every time he refuses to touch his food, something much better soon appears in his dish, he’ll form a habit of patiently waiting for you to give him more delectable foods. Because this can become a troublesome and time-consuming ritual for you, take note of what your cat will eat and then just stick with that. Given the importance of dietary variety and the preference for it in many cats, identify two or three of your cat’s favorite foods, and rotate regularly through them every few weeks or months. During mealtimes, avoid adding goodies to your cat’s bowl. If you know he likes a little broth or a spoonful of canned food with his kibble, that’s fine. Mix it in when you prepare his food—but stop there. If you refrain from adding additional special tidbits to your cat’s dish after you’ve given it to him, he’ll eventually learn to stop waiting for something better and dig in.
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Nix the snacks.
If you feed your cat treats during the day and find that he won’t eat his regular chow, he might just be filling up on junk food. Try giving fewer cat treats—or cut them out altogether. If your cat goes outside, it’s also possible that he’s finding food on his own! A neighbor might be feeding him, or he might be hunting and consuming his prey. If you think the former might be the case, you can ask neighbors to refrain from giving your cat handouts. If you think your cat might be eating things he kills, please see our article on Feline Predatory Behavior to learn about how to curb his hunting habits. Hunting and eating small rodents and birds are natural behaviors for cats. However, they can get tapeworms from consuming prey, and if they regularly eat animals who have ingested substances used for pest extermination, they even run the risk of poisoning themselves (rodenticide toxicosis).
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Stop hovering.
Some cats might feel a bit unnerved if pet parents hover over them at mealtimes, waiting to see if they’ll eat. After giving your cat his food in a calm, quiet area, leave him in peace for a while so he can enjoy his meal.
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Increase exercise.
Everyone knows that exercise can whet the appetite. Spending plenty of quality playtime with your cat and encouraging him to move around might make him hungrier at mealtimes and thus more eager to eat. Please see our articles on Cat Toys and Enriching Your Cat’s Life to learn about tips for keeping your cat active.
