Leave food down?

[whitekickboxing]

Since I am feeding kibbles and dehydrated raw (currently, easier for now with my husband), I have read not to leave kibbles down all day. Is this true? I do, and find that my kitty doesn't really want the wet food since she can have kibbles anytime. So here are my questions please:

1) How often do you feed and do you pick up the kibbles or only leave the wet for 1/2 hour instead of kibbles?
2) If we are feeding kibbles along with wet, what is the best brand of kibbles?

 

[Trish Allearz]

Well I only feed one critter around here raw- but he gets raw twice a day. Since I KNOW he is eating his raw- since I clean his dishes- I wouldn't worry about offering kibble for him. If the kibble is keeping your kitties from eating the raw (or deyhdrated raw)- I would think you would want to pull the kibble and only offer the raw- as long as kitty will eat it.

 

[admin]

I feed three times a day, but am around to do that...Zuri gets whole prey and Taj gets canned and a bit of real canin young adult male kibble. I do leave the kibble down, but both he and Cisco only get kibble twice a day - I don't give them enough to eat all day long...

I have learned they will not starve and I am feeding them enough

 

[Brigitte Cowell]

Right now I have completely pulled kibble from the house as I have a cat in kidney failure and so trying to make him eat only wet foods (canned and raw meat).

I think it depends on whether you would be happy with the cat only eating kibble or if you really want them eating that other diet. It may be that your cat isn't so keen on the dehydrated raw? Are you rehydrating it when you call it "wet food"? Or are you feeding a canned food as well?

I feed my cats at least twice a day with raw and canned food...but as I am around in the house most days I also give them "snacks" when they ask....

 

[admin]

Brigitte has a good point..I determined that Taj really did not like the raw food and although it is better for him, he is much happier on canned...I would love to pull all kibble as taj really does not each much of the RC, but I cannot break Cisco of the kibble habit - it is all he eats. And he is the type who would starve rather than not eat it. I have tried and he simply will then refuse to eat

Sometimes cats are so contrary - sigh...

 

[Brigitte Cowell]

You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink... we can make decisions on what is healthiest for our cats, but if they won't eat it we have to compromise I've tried the starve them into submission tactic but after the third day of refusing food I couldn't continue... I have stubborn kitties like you have, Paige!

I'm glad we don't have a Cisco here, there are ones here that love kibble but they WILL eat other foods so we could pull the kibble...

 

[shelby]

Brigitte has a good point..I determined that Taj really did not like the raw food and although it is better for him, he is much happier on canned...I would love to pull all kibble as taj really does not each much of the RC, but I cannot break Cisco of the kibble habit - it is all he eats. And he is the type who would starve rather than not eat it. I have tried and he simply will then refuse to eat

Sometimes cats are so contrary - sigh...

Paige, you might try adding a tiny bit of canned food to the kibble...gradually increasing the amount once Cisco tries it. I do understand that some cats just have a favorite and are very serious about their eating habits. Just know they will try something new better in my HO when it is added to their special preference. If he does start eating the dry spiked with the canned...you can gradually use less and less of the dry.

 

[Brigitte Cowell]

I've not had success with that method... I think it is because the preference for kibble is a texture-based decision...when you add the canned it is not so crunchy and they object to that...the minute there is enough canned in the kibble mix to soften the kibble they refuse it...

 

[admin]

Paige, you might try adding a tiny bit of canned food to the kibble...gradually increasing the amount once Cisco tries it. I do understand that some cats just have a favorite and are very serious about their eating habits. Just know they will try something new better in my HO when it is added to their special preference. If he does start eating the dry spiked with the canned...you can gradually use less and less of the dry.

I tried that Shelby and as brigitte said, I think it is a texture-based decision...he is so stubborn...refused to eat at all with any canned in his kibble. However, he does like cooked chicken at times, so am going to cook some up for him and see if that works...what we go through for these fur babies

 

[whitekickboxing]

The dehydrated raw need water added before hand. She really pretty much ignores this and I waste alot of it. I have not tried adding canned to her kibbles, little by little I will try that instead. What kibble and canned do you use please? Thanks (I know that this needs slow integration too)