How to wean a cat from cat food?

It is convenient, practical to feed a cat with dry food. When using economy-class products, this solution also looks advantageous. The benefits to the animal itself remain in doubt. Owners are thinking about changing their diet and switching to natural food, but cats are reluctant to do so. Changing the diet must be carried out correctly so as not to create unnecessary stress for the animal.

When people notice how unwillingly cats approach new food, they begin to doubt the feasibility of a replacement. There are more reasons to refuse dry food than you might think.

1. Even a very expensive brand has chemical elements in its composition, and it's generally scary to think about cheap options. Among the additives are those that cause addiction. Such exposure harms the animal as well as humans.
2. Eating dry food can result in dental problems. It is believed that particulate matter helps to clean the oral cavity. In practice, cats practically do not chew on granules, so the jaw muscles do not develop properly.
3. A food supplement can trigger food allergies. When feeding with natural food, this risk is minimized.
4. There is practically no moisture in the granules, which can lead to urolithiasis. The risk is small, but with a natural diet it is not at all.

It is necessary to transfer an animal from one type of food to another gradually, with a lion's share of patience. Allocate such methods.

1. Hard - a radical substitution of dry food for ordinary food.
2. Mixing is a combination of both options to develop addiction.
3. Gentle - a gradual decrease in food portions with attention to normal food.
4. Going through wet food. Dry food is replaced by canned food, and they are already homemade.

The last two options are considered the most correct. The animal is not subjected to additional stress, and the body does not suffer due to a change in diet.

Wet food is not a natural product, but it is more moist and fragrant. The best option for the transition are canned meat. Their aroma is slightly weaker than that of dry food, but also attractive to the cat. You need to start with a gradual change. Reduce the number of pellets, increase the amount of servings of wet food. At some point, completely remove the dry food and feed only a little canned food.

Introduce organic foods into your diet one at a time. Start with aromatic meats, healthy vegetables and cereals. Think everything in advance so that the animal receives the right amount of vitamins and nutrients. The size and shape of slices of ordinary food should resemble canned food. Over time, begin to reduce the amount of wet food. Here the scheme is similar to the very beginning of learning. This method allows you to loyally wean a cat from dry food in 1-2 months.

The method allows you to teach homemade food for a month, but the exact timing depends on the nature of the animal. It is worth acting carefully and slowly. Of course, some animals easily agree to something new in food, but most cats are skeptical about this. Do not manipulate hunger. As a result, you can get a nervous, aggressive animal with a bunch of diseases and a tendency to overeat.

When it comes to a fundamental change in products, you need to think not only about psychological factors, but also about physiological ones. The animal simply can not abruptly change to ordinary food, because the gastrointestinal tract simply does not know how to digest it. The body is used to cereals and produces a certain amount of the necessary enzymes. Restructuring will occur gradually, the stomach does not tolerate haste. Act like that.

1. The first 3 days, think everything so that the cat ate 90% of the feed and 10% of natural products. Everyone knows that combined nutrition harms animals, but in this case it is the safest solution. Acquaintance with new food is better to start with small pieces of poultry meat. It is important, if you give a large piece, then the cat simply does not understand how to eat it.
2. If the previous stage was successful, then from 4 days redistribute food so that natural products make up 25% of the diet. Observe the condition of the cat during this period with special care. When increasing portions of ordinary food, be guided by the well-being and health of the animal. The stage may take about 10 days.
3. If everything goes according to plan, then for 6-7 days feed the animal with natural products in the morning and in the evening, and in the afternoon provide access to dry food. Portions of granules should be small, just 1 tbsp. l When you change the diet, you are accustomed to both new products and the new regularity of meals. Give organic foods at the same time to develop a habit. Access to dry granules allows the cat to remain calm, helps to understand that she is not deprived of anything.
4. When 10 days have passed, review the diet again. This time, dry feed should remain 25%. It happens that the animal simply can not completely refuse dry food. Veterinarians advise in this case to allocate a separate meal and give the cat literally a couple of granules. Do not mix dry food with conventional products or soak in milk. Such an action can lead to digestive problems.

The method helps to transfer from cat food in 3-15 days, depending on the characteristics of the animal and the composure of the owner.You can not use it when weaning small kittens up to 1 year old, otherwise you can encounter a lot of gastrointestinal diseases. Before starting, you need to consult a veterinarian.

1. Mix familiar granules with an analog that is less addictive. Feed this week.
2. Variety of nutrition with dietary supplements advised by the doctor. This is necessary to improve the function of the gastrointestinal tract.
3. Throw away all dry food. It is important to remove the granules from the house so that the cat does not smell.
4. Just wait until the animal begins to fully eat normal food. Do not indulge even during hunger strikes. This is the cruelty of this method, you need to firmly defend your position in front of the cat.

Starvation can lead to gluttony, so you need to monitor the portions of food. There may be disruptions in the digestive tract, which should also be discussed with the veterinarian. If the animal itself is nervous or aggressive, then abandon this method of changing the diet.

The main goal is to fool visual perception. The transition in this way occurs in 21-36 days. Act like that.

1. At the very beginning, add about 20 ml of water to a serving of granules to soften everything. In a second bowl, put dry food without liquid.
2. Gradually reduce the contents of the latter until the animal begins to increasingly eat wet crackers.
3. Leave the contents of the first bowl the same, but put organic products in the second. You can put a couple of granules for the look and smell. Over time, they will have to be removed, which can slightly increase the time of addiction.
4. Now reduce the number of wet crackers so that the cat will eat more food from the second bowl.

It happens that cats do not want to change their eating habits. As a manipulation, the animal can even resort to starvation, which always scares the owners.

1. Do not push the pet. Do not try to force-feed or force the animal to eat what you give.
2. Consult an experienced veterinarian. A cat’s health status can affect his stubbornness.
3. Once again, carefully review the menu that was made for the animal. Add more of his favorite foods there. Responsibly approach the question of the distribution of servings and useful microelements.
4. A hunger strike is permissible, but not more than a day. At this time, you can remove the food bowl, leaving only clean water. To allow a long stay without food is not worth it. In general, such a measure is considered extreme.
5. Give only fresh food in a slightly warm state. A piece of meat should be soft, juicy and with a pleasant aroma. If the cat does not like something in appearance, then natural food can cause disgust.
6. Experiment with dishes. Perhaps the cat simply does not want to eat meat for breakfast, and porridge for dinner. Swap places to understand your pet’s preferences.

See how to wean a cat from dry food.