Food or treat recommendation for VERY picky f2

[l.i.t]

Hi everyone!

I have a 4 month old f2 named Lotto. He is high high high energy, and runs, attacks, plays all day long with only a couple of naps now and then.

With all this activity, I want to make sure he's getting enough food. But so far, the only two things he will eat are his dry kibble and mango juice (???? no idea). I've tried EVERYTHING human - meat (raw and cooked both literally repel him), fish, hamburger, bread, eggs, chicken (come on, how can he not like chicken??? lol), cereal, corn, peas, pasta, you name it - anything to get some calories into the little guy!

I've tried different varieties of canned food, but to no avail. I can't even find any 'treats' that he likes (which makes training and rewarding REALLY hard).

So every day, I give him his dry cat food soaked in water, and the dry kibble to munch on. He literally just turns his nose up at everything. I've spent tons of $$ trying to find the 'magic' food for him.....so this time, I thought I'd ask people who might know.

Has anyone else had a savannah that is a picky eater? And have you had success with anything?

L

 

[Patti]

I have yet to meet a cat that turns up its nose at the Halo Liv-a-Littles freeze dried chicken treats. I believe Stella and Chewy's makes a similar treat as well.

 

[admin]

I agree with patti. Whole Life Treats is the same as Halo and less expensive, I think...you may want to try some Stella & Chewys Goos Duck or whatever it is called and mix it in with his kibble, since it is raw, but freeze dried...

 

[KMcgown]

I also use the Whole Life treats. They all love them so its a little costly but it is freeze dried chicken...nothing else, so I do like them. If he likes that, try what Paige suggested and mix with Kibble or use as topper for wetfood. We have a few cats that won't eat unless there is dry chicken topper! Not the best habit but if they are picky it is a good way to get them to eat.

 

[l.i.t]

Thanks you guys. I've given him beefeater freeze dried chicken, and he will take it or leave it. He'll chow on it about 40% of the time, but only one piece. But I've ordered the Whole Life treats, and maybe the different brand will have an impact. I'll also look up Stella, etc and see if I can find those. Luckily, he at least loves his kibble (dry or with water mixed in) and he drinks the mango juice like it's going out of style.

Of course, I worry about him being so skinny - but he is growing like a weed, and getting longer and taller each week. Now, when he 'bullets' into our bodies (after stalking), it's like having a ham hock hit us!

I'd love to find a treat he adores, though - to help with training....particularly in the biting area right now!

Thanks for the ideas!

L

 

[l.i.t]

Thanks so much for the suggestions.....

Made progress today. Found out he will eat the freeze dried chicken if I give it to him AFTER a session of 'play'. He will eat about 5-6 little chunks. So that's a great thing! Yea!

As for other food, I'll try putting some in wet food and see if it makes a difference. Even if not, at least he'll eat them, and I can probably get him to chomp on them a few times a day.

Appreciate the help so much!

 

[admin]

If you sprinkle some of the Whole Life treat dust on his food, I bet he will eat it...works every time here

 

[Jon Swindal]

My 1 y.o. F2 Cassy is really picky also. She only eats raw hamburger, steak or chicken and won't touch dry kibble. She was spayed recently and during her recovery, she stopped eating. I was about to bring her back to the vet when I hit on something that she really enjoys now. I take hamburger and mix in dry kibble and run that through the meat grinder to really break up the kibble. i use about one cup of kibble per pound of meat. She eats it faster than I can put it down. Now I mix up a batch and put into individual serving containers and freeze. When I feed her, I make little meat balls, roughly the size of a marble. I intend to increase the amount of kibble per pound over time, in the hope that she will start to eat the kibble.

 

[l.i.t]

Jon, there's an idea....perhaps I could start with the opposite - a lot of kibble with a little tiny bit of meat? Thanks for the idea. And Paige, as soon as I get the Whole Life treats in the mail, I'll sprinkle away. Thank you!

 

[Jacq]

I wrote this in the biting forum, but have you tried Ziwipeak dried venison cat food? My cats love it, and if they don't like their food, I just mix a little in, and they always eat it.