How To Wean A Cat From Dry Food: Basic Weaning Rules And Common Mistakes, Advice From Owners And Veterinarians

2024 Author: Bailey Albertson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 12:53

Transferring a cat from dry food to natural food: mission feasible

A cat consists of what it eats. And the full responsibility for feeding the domestic cat, the balance of its diet and the closely related state of health of the pet rests entirely with the owner of the animal. When deciding to change the diet of the ward, possession of the necessary information allows you to quickly achieve the intended goal.

Content

• 1 When it is necessary to wean a cat from dry food

  1.1 Why Difficulties Are Possible

• 2 Stages of conversion to homemade food

  • 2.1 Video: how to replace a cat's diet
  • 2.2 The main mistakes of owners when changing the type of diet of cats
• 3 Testimonials from cat owners about weaning from dry food

When it is necessary to wean a cat from dry food

There are a number of situations when a person is faced with the need to wean his pet from eating dry food:

• the pet's adherence to eating cheap food from the supermarket;
• taking a kitten accustomed to eating dry food in the nursery;
• acceptance of a new pet into a family where there are already cats that are on natural food - to avoid mixing rations;
• medical conditions such as allergies or dental problems
• difficulties with buying high-quality dry food with access to a large assortment of complete natural products, for example, the cat's family moved to the village;
• the financial impossibility of providing the cat with a holistic diet, the only alternative to which will be a balanced natural diet, this will save a little, but will require a lot of attention to compiling the cat's diet and preparing food for him;
• the owner's personal commitment to the natural nutrition of their pets.

Conversion to natural food is required when feeding a cat with cheap feed

Why difficulties are possible

Difficulties are possible both from the side of the cat and from the side of the owner:

• manufacturers of low-quality food, in the struggle for market share, add taste and odor enhancers to their ersatz, which forms food addiction in cats, any other food becomes unattractive to them;
• the digestive system of the cat, when eating dry food, adapts for its digestion; assimilation of natural food requires a change in the amount of enzymes, intestinal motility, as well as in other parameters, which cannot happen at the same time, therefore, a period of adaptation is necessary, during which difficulties will inevitably arise, entailing the resistance of the cat;
• pet food habits - cats are stable in their preferences, and also have the will and energy to defend their own position;
• an owner who does not have the habit of feeding the cat with natural products may initially have difficulties with compiling a diet and preparing food for it.

Low-cost food manufacturers add flavor and odor enhancers to build food loyalty in cats

Stages of transfer to homemade food

There are certain methods for changing feed. The transition period should be at least 2-3 weeks in order not to stress the cat. There are several options for replacing the diet:

• Feeding the cat in the morning with dry food, and in the afternoon with natural food. In this case, the amount of dry food is consistently reduced. This is the best way because it is the most gentle on the digestive system.
• Both dry food and natural food are served to the cat in the same bowl, and the admixture of dry food is reduced over time. But in cats with sensitive digestion, the simultaneous presence of both ready-made industrial food and natural products in the volume of food intake can cause indigestion due to insufficient digestive enzymes, which will manifest itself with diarrhea, flatulence, abdominal pain, and a deterioration in general well-being. It should also be remembered that cats that have been eating cheap food for a long time have chronic diseases of the digestive system in 100% of cases, and their decompensation will cause both an increase in the load on the digestive system due to mixing of two diets and a sharp transition to a different type of food …
• If the cat has a weakness for a certain type of food, for example, loves chicken meat, then with the help of this product it is worth starting to replace the dry food. To determine other preferences of the pet, she should be offered other products that she should obviously like, but at the same time be complete in their composition and planned to be added to the diet, for example, boiled beef liver, rabbit or turkey meat, as well as beef.
• If you expect special problems with the transition to a natural diet, associated with both long-term feeding of the cat with cheap and addictive foods, and the stubborn nature of the pet, you can use holistic feeding as an intermediate stage. Holistic is completely balanced and does not contain attractants (enhancers of taste and smell), so the cat will not eat it either. Holistic is gradually added to the usual cat food, gradually displacing it. It usually takes 7-10 days to switch to holistic, with the main benefit being that the cat's exposure to industrial flavor and odor enhancers is cut off, and the transition to natural food from holistic is easier. An additional benefit is that the health of a holistic cat is no longer threatened by its main food. Examples of holistic foods are Acana and Orijen.

Diet changes should never be abrupt.

Video: how to replace a cat's diet

The main mistakes of owners when changing the type of diet of cats

Transferring to dry food will require some effort and patience both on the part of the cat and on the part of its owner. Therefore, it will be useful to know the mistakes that slow down the change in diet or lead to its failure:

• The implementation of a sharp transition to natural nutrition will provoke an exacerbation of chronic diseases of the digestive system (most often these are chronic gastroenteritis, enterocolitis, pancreatitis and fatty hepatosis), and will also cause stress in the cat, provoking her long-term refusal to eat, which will have a very negative effect on the relationship with the pet …
• Inconsistency in the actions of the owner, the tendency to follow the wishes of the cat, feeding her the usual food. Other family members can also do this.
• The use of treats and products from the human table as substitute products for switching to another diet (you should use only those foods that will become the basis for future nutrition). For cats, these are different types of lean meat.
• Manifestation of irritability and even aggression on the part of a person when resisting a cat. The cat is stressed and needs patience, gentleness and understanding. There is no fault of her in what is happening.

During the period of adaptation to a new diet, it is unacceptable to use treats with a replacement purpose.

Testimonials from cat owners about weaning from dry food

The need to transfer a cat from dry food to natural food can arise for various reasons. In all cases of transfer, the owner should consistently replace dry food with products of natural origin, and there must be a transition period of at least 2-3 weeks, allowing the cat to successfully adapt to the change in diet. The idea of mixing two rations in one feeding should be treated with great caution, especially if you already know about a pet's digestive system disease. When the first signs of indigestion appear, dry food should be separated. To facilitate the task of replacing, both the orientation towards the first priority use of the natural food preferred by the cat, and its transfer to holistic can help,cutting off the effect of chemical attractants of cheap feed and not threatening the health of the pet. The owner should show consistency in the implementation of the plan, as well as patience with the cat that shows resistance.