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Posted by PHAbymom on December 31, 2002 at 20:47:56:

In Reply to: finicky kitty posted by mandysdarkside on December 30, 2002 at 16:59:44:

I've had my cat for about 6 years now, and she's always been rather skinny. I keep dry cat food out for her at all times, but she just isn't very interested in eating it. I've tried several different brands, and she just won't eat enough to gain weight. I've tried several brands of canned cat food too, but she just eats a few bites and leaves the rest. The vet put her on a joint supplement for arthritis in her hind leg, and some hairball goo, and the only way I can get her to eat all of it is to mix it with tuna fish. It's the only thing I've found that she'll eat consistently. I'm sure it's not a very balanced diet, but if I give her a vitamin supplement, would that be OK? I'm at my wits end trying to put some weight on this cat. Any suggestions are very welcome!

Having the dry food out all the time is a good idea. Some cats don't like to eat a lot at one time but will return for a few bites periodically. The same goes for the canned food, in that they don't always want more than a few bites at a time. You might try offering her a teaspoon or so of wet food several times a day. You are also correct that tuna is not a good steady diet for cats. If she doesn't like the hairball preparation, try some canned pumpkin, plain without the spices in it. Also, if she is so finicky about her food, maybe she would like a homemade diet. Below is a link to an article on the Holistic Alternative Forum which you might find interesting.

Good luck and keep us posted!

• Information on Homemade diets

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