Hi,

My cat doesn't seem to chew his food properly. He's one and has so far had a wet and dry diet, although he much prefers the dry food. After a long spell on Whiskas wet and dry (before I realised just how bad this stuff is), he has been eating Royal Canin kitten dry and has just started on adult dry. I've tried some Royal Canin Fit 32, which he loves, and also Joe and Jill's, which he's not keen on really - annoying as I bought 4 bags as it was half price at Sainsbury's, as well as some coley, chicken and quality butcher's mince.

Anyway, he has brought his food up a few times recently, and isn't eating as much as he normally does. When he brings up his dry food the majority is whole pieces, rather than broken up ones. Would this be just because adult kibble is bigger so he isn't used to having to break it up, or could there be other factors? Also, maybe not eating as much is because it's warmer at the moment? He seems perfectly healthy otherwise, and is sociable and happy.


I know cats do occasionally bring up their food, but I'm worried there may be another reason. Thanks!

From my observation:

Cats tend to gulp down wet as well as dry food. The only time I have seen real 'chewing' is on pieces of raw with bone where the cat has its side of face parellel to the floor and uses its back teeth to 'chew' through sinew and bone to masticate off the meat. If there is no bone/sinew and piece small enough the cat tends to swallow it, or if too big it may bite it to a more manageable size.

Some kibble is really big - RC Maine Coon comes to mind - then I think there is more chance of crunching.

This is my observation only.

Why does your cat have a hard time chewing? It's only two years old which is rather young to have dental problems already. And by the way, cats do NOT chew. Some cats simply hoover their dry food straight down the pipe. Others might crack it with a fang. But they do not chew per se.

I think the solution for your cat's inability to eat dry food is to find out why it has a hard time with it. I could suggest crushing the kibble to let him lap up the crumbs but that doesn't solve the underlying problem.

Second, why is a 2-year old cat on special food? The only thing I can think of us that is has urinary problems. Which means your poor kitty has been sentenced to Hills c/d or maybe the Royal Canin version.

If this is the case, I know I won't convince you that this is BAD food and that your cat shouldn't be on it. Certainly not long-term. But nevertheless, I highly recommend you read my blog and make an attempt to learn more about what cats should eat when they have that problem:

If it's some other problem, it would be good to know what it is. There is ALWAYS a better alternative to Hills or Royal Canin. Always.

EDIT: I should caution you about wetting down the dry food. It's ok but ONLY if the cat eats all the food immediately. Anything left over should be thrown away. That's because getting dry food wet activates the bacteria, and if you leave it out too long you'll have a bowl of germs for your cat to eat.

And doh, I also forgot my main point, which is that most dry foods are unhealthy. It's much much better to feed canned food. Even the lousy "prescription" foods almost always have a canned version. So if you're insistent on sticking with that diet then at least get the wet food instead. It'll be much healthier for your kitty.








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The problem is that commercial cat food tends to provoke dental problems right from the start, so it's not inconceivable that your cat has dental problems, even at the tender age of 2. Wet food just sticks to the teeth causing bacteria to build up and attacks the teeth, and dry food, as you've discovered is largely swallowed whole and not crunched at all. My best advice would be to get the vet to take a look, perhaps do a clean up, and then get your cat onto a more natural diet that will clean his teeth as he goes. A raw food diet with bone is ideal but not something that can be entered into lightly. I suggest you join one of the user groups on Yahoo, like Rawcat: rawcat : Raw Cat
and have a look at this site: United Kingdom Raw Meaty Bones Support & Action Group
Feel free to PM me with any issues surrounding this type of feeding. It really is the best thing for a cat. They are carnivores after all. Good luck and keep us posted.