Senior Cat Comfort & Care

When your cat’s desire to eat is lacking, there are some tricks you can try.

• Warm wet food slightly or add warm water to wet or dry food to release the smell.
• Add cat broth or liquid toppers to wet food for more flavor or dry food to soften it and add a yummy smell.
• Canned tuna water (not oil) or fishy cat treats added to food can amp up the stink appeal.
• A little plain Greek yogurt can improve the taste of wet food.
• Try smaller meals more often (Tip #23)
• Try different textures: pate, shreds, chunks, minced, etc.
• Find a wet food brand with a variety of flavors and textures. Cats with gastrointestinal (GI) upset often eat a new food a few times, feel sick, and don’t want that food again. This means changing food often. Different food, same brand, means less likelihood of GI distress from different brand formulations. Your vet may prefer you stick with one protein, in which case you can focus on trying different textures, like pate, shredded, or sliced.
• Talk to your vet about an appetite stimulant.

Sometimes, just sitting with your cat as they eat and praising them may be all they need. Finding what piques their interest may take some trial and error, but it is important to get them to eat.