A week ago, my cat stopped eating her wet foods. We tried giving her the regular dry food but she refused that too. Just as we were about to take her to the vet, my sister accidentally dropped some chicken on the floor and my cat devoured it so fast, we barely had time to take it away from her. Since then, we’ve only been feeding her chicken because she won’t eat anything else. We’ve tried adding sweet potato and carrots to her food, but she won’t touch them. I’ve read that cats can develop allergies from too much chicken and that they may get urinary tract infections if they eat more dry food than wet food. I’m getting worried because this is my first cat, and I’m afraid I’m not taking care of her the right way. Can anyone help with advice on how to care for my cat properly?
So you’re feeding her chicken-based wet food, right? Cats need very specific diets, and making home-cooked meals requires advice from a vet nutritionist.
My concern isn’t with allergies or hydration (food allergies aren’t that common in cats, and they don’t usually develop chicken allergies just from eating it), it’s about the lack of nutrients in just chicken. Plain cooked chicken doesn’t give your cat all the vitamins and minerals she needs. If it’s raw chicken, that’s even worse because of the risks of bacteria, especially with the bird flu going around. I recommend trying different brands of cat food, like Purina, Hill’s, or IAMS, both wet and dry. If she still refuses regular cat food, she might need to see a vet. If there’s a medical issue causing her to avoid food, it’s important to address that. If after the vet visit she still won’t eat normal food, try gradually mixing in cat food: Start with 80% chicken and 20% cat food, then shift the ratio slowly over a few days until it’s all cat food. You can also top her normal food with chicken as long as it doesn’t make up more than 5-10% of her daily calories.
Try other wet foods. Kittens need kitten food to grow properly, and only eating lean meat won’t give her the full nutrition she needs. But before switching foods, definitely take her to the vet. A kitten refusing food it used to eat is not normal.
Your cat is just spoiled. Unless there’s a really specific medical reason, animals won’t starve themselves to death.
Chicken is the best diet for cats. I give my cats about 20% raw chicken, 5% raw pig fat, and the rest I fill with good fiber like Cheez-Its (toasty), Cool Ranch Doritos, and sometimes Takis if they need a bowel flush.