How to get a Cat to Eat Wet Food

It's possible to transition even the most stubborn cats from dry to wet food. All it takes is perseverance and some ingenuity. You'll need patience, too. Cats recognize food by its smell and texture. If your cats have never eaten anything but dry food, it could take several weeks for them to get used to the smell and texture of wet food.

Things You'll Need

  • Small bowl
  • Wet food
  • Cat treats
  • Tuna, boiled chicken or deli turkey
  • FortiFlora, available from veterinarians
  • Grated Parmesan cheese
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Instructions

  1. Making the Switch to Wet Food

    • 1

      Hide a tiny bite (less than 1/4 tsp) of wet food under your cat's usual dry food in a small bowl. Gradually, over a period of a week or so, increase the amount of wet food and decrease the amount of dry in the bowl.

    • 2

      Cover the wet food with your cat's favorite treats. Again, start with less than 1/4 tsp of wet food and increase the amount gradually.

    • 3

      Offer tuna, boiled chicken or deli turkey with no added flavorings or preservatives. Many cats will "graduate" from these to wet cat food.

    • 4

      Sprinkle FortiFlora on top of the wet food. FortiFlora contains animal digest, the ingredient that makes dry food so appealing to cats. Although it's a probiotic, it can also be used as a flavor enhancer to entice even the most finicky cat. Most veterinarians sell it.

    • 5

      Add water to the canned food. He might just lap it up.

    • 6

      Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on the wet food. Many cats love Parmesan cheese.

    • 7

      Put a bowl with just a bite of wet food with "gravy" or "sauce" beside your cat's bowl of dry. Put a couple of treats on top.