Top five ways to tempt a fussy cat

If your cat won't eat or you've got a fussy cat it can be a challenge. People often ask what is the best cat food if your cat is not eating. Before thinking about food, though, the first thing to do is to check that their underlying health is okay. Sometimes not eating isn't about being fussy, it's a symptom of something more serious. A quick visit to the vet can clear this up and once you know they're healthy you can focus on their food. While giving your cat high quality cat food can make a big difference, there are also a number of other things you can do to encourage them to eat.

1. Get the temperature right

If you're feeding your cat wet food, remember they don't like it cold. In general, cats prefer their food at body temperature. If you're keeping open food in the fridge to stop it from spoiling, give it time to reach room temperature before you serve it.

2. Offer variety

The same food every day, served in the same place at the same time works well for dogs, but doesn't work that well for cats. Cats prefer a little variety in their lives. That doesn't mean you need to give them a different meal every day or switch diets every couple of months - far from it. But they will respond well to a blend of wet and dry food served to them each day.

3. Provide texture options

Different cats have different texture preferences. This is another benefit of giving a fussy cat a combination of wet and dry food - they'll get a combination of textures that ensures they will find the one they like. Plus, you'll get the added benefit of dry food helping with their dental health and wet food helping to make sure they get enough water in their diet, which helps to stave off urinary and kidney issues.

4. Enable frequent small portions

Cats prefer to eat frequent, small meals over a day rather than one or two big meals. Ideally, they should have access to food they can graze on throughout the day. However, you don't want to leave food in a bowl so long that it spoils or goes stale - it is a big disincentive for any cat's appetite, not just the fussy ones. This is another benefit of feeding a fussy cat a mixture of wet and dry food. Leaving them with a fresh bowl of dry food that won't spoil quickly allows them to graze lightly all day, while providing a single serve of wet that you only leave out for an hour or so at the end of the day gives them that touch of variety they prefer.

5. Use the power of aroma

Wet food has an advantage over dry food with a cat that won't eat. The power of smell. Cats have a highly developed sense of smell - especially when compared to their ability to taste. Where dry food does little in the way of tempting cats with its limited aromas, the right wet food will bring a cat running from the other side of the house.

In summary, offering your fussy cat a combination of wet and dry food is a great way to be tempt them to eat properly because it helps you provide variety, texture, frequent small portions and more tempting aromas. On top of this, you'll find that there really is no substitute for quality. The ingredients in super premium diets like the ROYAL CANIN® cat food have been shown to be much more tempting to fussy eaters. Plus, ROYAL CANIN® does more than simply produce one wet and dry combination. They also provide wet & dry options for specific breeds like Maine Coons and British Shorthairs that are tailor made to suit the individual needs of these breeds.