Sadie SU, a VERY good point. I thought the OP had been mixing the food in gradually but having just re-read the posts I don't actually think she has.

Rachel, if you haven't already done it than try to introduce new food slowly. Say mixing 10% of new food in with the old food for a couple of days (yes it will create waste but if you are radically changing the diet as you are here then that is perhaps something that can be put up with for now). Then increase the new food proportion to 25% new, 75% old for a few days, then 50/50, then 75/25 etc. Just do it nice and slow and perhaps that will be all that is needed. If not then perhaps employ some of the tricks I mentioned above (you can get brewer's yeast powder in health food shops/aisles etc).

Best of luck!

Hi again,

Yep I tried the Bozita chunks in jelly and gravy but he wasn't too keen on them. I will give them another try though.

Pleased to report the catnip worked this morning! He ate some of his Smilla tuna with sardines when I covered it in catnip this morning

Sorry just seen this post. I have been giving him some gourmet and some of whatever the new food. I don't think I made that clear in the first post. I haven't really been mixing it though. I've been putting some gourmet in the bowl on one side and some of the new on the other side. Should I actually mix them together then?

As above, I had good results this morning with the catnip! Can I keep adding some to every meal at the moment?

Thanks

Have you tried adding catnip into the Grau? Hobbs suggested it earlier on this post and I tried it this morning. It seemed to work as Benny actually ate some of his Smilla sardine flavour

I don't think those tricks would work on mine. Only 1 likes catnip and that's usually in the form of a Pets At Home Easter Egg.

I'm not sure if this is the case or if its just that some are really fussy. My dads cat is 11 and has never eaten anything but Felix and Kit-E-Kat wet and Brekkies / Go Cat dry. Since I got my new cat about 3 months ago I've tried her with so many things i've lost count, trying to find something she enjoys that is of good quality. However, she has turned her nose up at almost everything good for her and also most things that are of lesser quality. So far I've found a balance, she will eat a couple of flavours of Grau, one flavour of Natures Menu, most flavours of Whiskas Simply, the Sheba pates / terrines and Orijen dry so she gets a mix of good and average. As well as the good stuff she also turned her nose up at the entire Felix and Gourmet range.

All the stuff she won't eat I have donated to my dad. In the last couple of months his cat has had Smilla all varieties, most varieties of Bozita, Natures Menu, Natures Harvest, Lily's Kitchen, Hi Life, most varieties of Grau, Simply, Schmusy, Toplife, Ziwi Peak and Applaws dry. Every single one without fail he has polished off in one sitting. A few days ago my dad rung me to say he wasn't keen on one of the Grau's, apparently it had taken hime a couple of minutes to finish it off

I have found that of the foods my cat won't touch, she can be encouraged to eat at least half of them by crushing and sprinkling freeze dried chicken (Purely Scrummy or Thrive) onto them. The problem is you have to put a layer on and then she'll pick off the top of the food, so I put another layer on and she picks off another layer and this keeps going on until she's finished. I even have to give the Orijen a dusting to increase it's appeal .

I've given the bits Benny wouldn't eat to my friends cats and they ate everything. Maybe they aren't at all fussy either!

I would have thought Benny would have been a little less fussy seeing as he was a stray and living in my friend's garage for 6 months! But as I don't know his history it makes me even more keen to make sure he gets the best diet possible as I have no idea what kind of start he had in life.

Hopefully I find a few varieties that Benny will eat so I can alternate like you do with your cat!

Just thought I'd say that the Yarrah chicken/turkey chunks arrived today, and guess what, they got eaten and one even had seconds, which is unheard of unless it's raw chicken or mince.

It smells just like wafer thin chicken, which I'm sure is what did it.

Great news. It's terrific when they actually like what's good for them! A result, I'd say

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Wendy, mum to:
Simba von Wurzbachtal, Turkish Van, born Austria, 5/9/10

RIP
Tarka, 1989 - 2008 my gentle Phileas Fogg
Bruno, 2008 - 2010 taken too soon my darling boy
Misi, 1993 - 25/3/2012 My brave, beautiful tabby