How to wean a cat off dry food: 4 working techniques, transferring the cat to homemade food

Reasons for changing your diet

Natural food is healthier than artificial food.
It is recommended to change food:

• In case of intestinal problems: constipation, diarrhea, diarrhea.
• When foam appears at the mouth, regurgitation of food, or bleeding.
• With hair loss and bald patches.
• In case of an allergic reaction (the presence of bleeding wounds resembling lichen).
• For general improvement of the pet's condition.
• After surgery (as recommended by a doctor).
• On the advice of a veterinarian due to individual characteristics.

My attitude towards pets

Since I lived in a “private” house since childhood, from then on I developed a purely utilitarian attitude towards pets. They either must serve a person, solving certain problems, or decorate the table, or... well, yes, in rare cases, provide aesthetic pleasure. And then, the latter most often referred to “foreign” animals, such as parrots and all other exotics.

In particular, our cats carried out a mission directly laid down by nature - they caught mice and chased other people's cats away from other living creatures. The dogs lived on the street and guarded the house from uninvited guests.

Of course, no one specially fed the village cats, and there was no whiskey in those days. They got something from the master’s table, but if modern city cats had looked into that cat’s bowl 30 years ago, they probably would have considered us fascists. However, why feed a cat that should eat mice?

Many years passed, I had children, and gradually the issue of pets began to arise more and more often. Friends had dogs and cats, but we had nothing. All the children’s attempts to become addicted, as it seemed to them, to “the beautiful” ran into a hard “no” on my part. Animals have no place in a city apartment!

I dealt with the dog quickly enough by setting a simple condition. Here's a rope, here's the frost outside - 30. Please, every morning and every evening, start walking the rope outside for 5 minutes. Hold out for a month, I’ll let you get a small dog. As you understand, the rope never saw the street.

It was more difficult with a cat, you don’t need to walk her, so you had to influence Alexandra, scaring her with fur on the floor, cat smell, torn wallpaper and all sorts of other passions. In addition, regularly going on vacation, the question would always arise of what to do with the domestic “livestock”.

For several years I managed to hold the line, but the day came when it was unexpectedly broken through.

Irreparable harm to the health of cats from dry food

The commercial product contains substances that cause addiction in cats. In the human diet, an analogue of Whiskas is chips and crackers. This type of food does not have all the necessary vitamins, but contains negative substances for digestion.

Dry food contains substances that cause addiction in cats

Long-term consumption of economy-class feed leads to diseases of the intestines, stomach, and urinary canal.

After the final change in the pet’s daily diet, it is recommended to feed it natural food for several months to a year. Frequently changing the type of feeding leads to diarrhea.

Be sure to read:

How to discourage cats from being tagged: what to do, folk and special remedies

Why do cats develop a persistent addiction to freeze-dried food?

Not too scrupulous and conscientious manufacturers, in the struggle for market share, add a lot of specific substances to their products (flavors, taste enhancers and other synthetic additives), which first attract animals (addictive substances), and then cause sustainable addiction (attractants) - a kind of “narcotic” " addiction. This is especially true for the most accessible and cheap cat food of the economy and super economy class (Friskies, Whiskas, Kitiket, etc.). At the same time, other food becomes unattractive and is not perceived as potential food.

Cheap dry food is addictive

Video: the dangers of dry food

How to force an animal to eat unusual and tasteless food

It is necessary to gradually transfer a cat from one type of bait to another. It should be taken into account that the cat has developed an addiction to certain flavoring additives of the chosen brand.

You need to gradually transfer your cat from one type of bait to another.

There are 4 main methods for changing your pet's feeding:

1. The hard way is to radically abolish the use of dry croquettes.
2. Gentle - reducing junk food and switching attention to the home equivalent.
3. The mixing method is aimed at combining different types of bait for gradual adaptation.
4. Switching to natural food through canned food takes longer, but is less stressful for the body.

The hard method: “There will be no more croquettes”

The strict method of weaning a pet off Whiskas is divided into several stages:

1. Preparation. A week before the appointed day, the food is mixed with an analogue that has a smaller amount of addictive substances.
2. Inclusion in the diet of biological additives prescribed by a veterinarian. This helps strengthen the stomach and intestines.
3. Discarding all dry croquettes. It is important not to hide, but rather to take the packaging out of the house. The animal should not smell artificial bait.
4. No concessions . The method is based on the instinct of self-preservation. The cat will not allow itself to starve to death. With indulgences, the furry one will understand that he will get what he wants.

The period of adaptation to new food is from 3 to 15 days. This method is contraindicated for kittens under 1 year of age: their gastrointestinal system has not yet formed and stress will lead to various diseases.

Be sure to read:

Why a cat shits on the bed: the main reasons, what to do, how the owner should behave, what not to do

It is recommended to consult a veterinarian before using this method.

Gentle reduction method

To switch to natural products, reduce the dosage of artificial food. Grain porridge, mixed or blended with meat, is placed in a bowl nearby.

When the cat has completely eaten the artificial food, it will switch its attention to the bowl nearby. It is recommended to purchase catnip to add vitamins to your diet. The cat should always have plenty of water - this speeds up the process of eliminating negative substances. The period of adaptation to homemade food is from 14 to 21 days.

Mixing Method

The mixing method is based on combining two feeds.

At the first stage, up to 20 ml of water is added to the dry croquettes. This will create the appearance of a wet type of bait. A real product from the same manufacturer is placed in an adjacent bowl. The amount of dry croquettes is gradually reduced.

When your pet is completely fed wet food, the chopped meat or fish with separate whole pellets should be placed in an adjacent bowl.

The purpose of the method is visual similarity of portions. Artificial canned food can be slowly reduced until the cat is completely eating homemade food. The period of adaptation to the new diet is 21-36 days.

Switching to natural food through wet food

When the pet is completely fed wet food, the chopped meat or fish should be placed in the next bowl.
The least stressful transition to natural feeding occurs through canned meat. Carefully replace dry food with wet food. It is recommended to increase the servings of canned food daily until the croquettes are completely replaced.

Then you should add one by one:

• cooked meat;
• vegetables;
• porridge.

The consistency of the bait should be the same. The size and shape of homemade food should match artificial food. Afterwards, the amount of canned food can be reduced until there is none left at all. The period of adaptation to home-cooked food ranges from 30 to 90 days.

Features of the daily diet of cats

However, for an animal to grow healthy, feeding it just normal homemade food will not be enough. Nutrition must be balanced . It is necessary that your pet’s diet include the following foods:

• Meat – it is better to give it to the animal raw. It shouldn't be greasy. It is best to buy beef, turkey or chicken.
• Fish. It needs to be boiled and given to your pet about 2-3 times a week. It also shouldn't be greasy.
• Yolk. About once a week, Murka should eat 1 piece.
• Liver. It is given boiled.
• A variety of regular dairy products.
• Soups and broths.
• Various porridges.
• Vegetables. This issue requires an individual approach, since each animal has its own taste preferences. For example, some people like potatoes or cucumbers, while others like melon or watermelon. In any case, this is wonderful and if your pet asks for vegetables, be sure to pamper him with them.

If your pet resists

For the furry's pleasure, it is recommended to buy fortified pads or sticks, catnip and reward them after lunch.

Be sure to read:

How to tame a cat: 5 rules for taming a wild animal

This secret has two functions:

• Add vitamins to your furry's diet.
• Reward him for eating the right foods.

Important! You can’t follow a lead and give concessions. If the animal gets what it wants once, it will demand unhealthy food.

Reward should be in a healthy way: vitamins, tasty “sticks” that contain useful substances. Don't forget about affection - your pet is stressed and needs its owner.

8 basic rules that an owner needs to follow when changing a cat’s diet:

1. Once you have chosen the method of transferring from one type of food to another, you cannot deviate from the feeding plan.
2. Give vitamins: special pads, catnip, sticks with useful substances.
3. Do not mix dry and homemade product. The transition should be from dry to wet, from wet to home feeding.
4. You should not make concessions when your pet asks for old bait.
5. Water should always be fresh and within the cat's reach. It is recommended to change it 1 to 2 times a day.
6. It is better to divide feeding into two doses: morning and evening.
7. The harsh method is not suitable for kittens and cats with nervous system diseases.

Common mistakes owners make when changing diet type

Pet owners often make similar mistakes when changing the type of diet:

• Rushing will not help . You need to wean your pet off dried food gradually. This process may take about ten days. If you act radically, you may stumble upon a boycott from the animal;
• Down with provocations . You should not be manipulated by your pet. He can go on a hunger strike and show his character. Give him this opportunity;
• If you definitely decide to get rid of your dry food addiction, you need to go all the way . Give your cat natural food to eat, replace it with fresh food, and monitor the reaction. A healthy cat may not eat for ten days. The main thing is that there is enough water. Although in practice there were cases when a cat hid in a shelter, sabotaging food, for 15 days. During this time he neither ate nor drank. Then he crawled out, naturally exhausted, but alive;
• It has already been said earlier that dry food contains special additives that turn a cat into a drug addict. They cause the cat’s physiological dependence on such food. In the future, boiled beef will seem tasteless and bland to the cat when compared with the rich taste of dry lumps.

If you do everything correctly and insist on your own, the animal’s taste buds will recover over time, and the pet will understand how tasty and aromatic natural food is.

Commercials claim that dry cat food is healthy and complete nutrition that allows the animal to be healthy and happy. But in reality everything is different.

Artificially created products are largely free of nutritional components and vitamins. They are addictive and can even cause pathologies in the animal’s body. The process of getting rid of dry food can take a long time. But in any case, it is worth carrying out if you want the best for your pet.

Ragdoll

The cat grew little by little, delighting the family with her calmness - she didn’t rush around the curtains, didn’t climb on the table, she quickly got used to the toilet, she only scratched her claws on the “claw picker” - an almost perfect domestic cat. Time passed and, as expected, the cat looked more and more like its owner - not an ounce of excess weight, half a day in front of the mirror, but the neighbor cats were simply going crazy. And they were a little afraid. I'm talking about Emma now.

The cat happily accompanied us on trips into nature, devouring local wildlife in the form of jerboas and guarding the camp.

Who is my mistress here?!

But her breed puzzled all cat owners. We definitely knew my mother - an ordinary village lady, my father was unknown, but there was no need to talk about any kind of royal blood. Nevertheless, the cat’s appearance was incomprehensible until we accidentally stumbled upon a similar photograph in one of the catalogs. Almost our Emma was looking at us, and under her signature was a ragdoll.

Therefore, in order to once and for all solve the problem with Emkina’s identification, we began to tell everyone that this is a type of ragdoll, although most likely it is just a cross between a purebred Siamese and an ordinary cat.

Emka’s appearance still misleads everyone, and even such a large site as Zoovet (Encyclopedia of Pets) posted her photo (and without my consent) in the ragdoll section.

Emmanuelle misled professionals

Why wean?

This diet promotes the formation of tartar in your beloved animal.
Unlike wet store-bought products sold in special bags or jars, dry food has many disadvantages, which are the main reason why owners decide to switch their four-legged friend to natural food or give him wet food. The main disadvantages of dry products are:

• The presence of a large number of chemical additives that negatively affect the health and well-being of the pet.
• Lack of fluid in the body, especially if the kitten is not accustomed to drinking the required amount of water. This leads to disruption of the digestive organs and kidneys.
• No load on teeth. The finished dry product consists of small granules that the cat will simply swallow, since there is no need to chew them. As a result, plaque, tartar, and gum inflammation form on the teeth.
• Abundance of salt. Dry foods, especially cheap ones, contain a lot of salt, which in excess leads to kidney dysfunction in cats.
• Dysbacteriosis. Due to the lack of favorable conditions for reproduction, beneficial intestinal microflora dies over time. The cat suffers from abdominal pain, diarrhea, and colic.
• Oncology. The chemicals that make up the food, accumulating in the body, contribute to the degeneration of healthy cells into cancer cells.

During the selection of optimal factory nutrition, animals often suffer from allergic reactions.
Artificial food from bags can cause a severe allergic reaction in an animal, because it is impossible to immediately select food that is ideal for an individual case. Vitamin deficiency is a common reason why many owners switch their pets to natural food. Unscrupulous manufacturers violate the recipe and do not add the required amount of vitamins and other nutrients necessary for the full growth and development of the cat.

Meat products

Most veterinarians recommend transitioning a cat to homemade food through bait.
You can start by adding a small piece of meat to the food. For cats, it is preferable to buy beef. Pork should not be given under any circumstances, as there is a high risk of the meat being damaged by helminth eggs. Lamb is considered a heavy meat for cats; it can be given, but not immediately and a little at a time. How to distill moonshine a second time and why is it important to do this?

Before you start giving your cat meat, you need to put it in the freezer for a day. This is done to prevent unwanted worm infestations. The method is not 100% effective, but it still significantly reduces the risk of infection. Beef should be frozen as a whole piece, without chopping. This will help preserve meat juices and help preserve flavor.

The most preferable option for meat bait would be the so-called “skoblyanka” from frozen meat. You need to take a frozen piece of beef and peel off layer by layer with a sharp knife. This fraction will be as convenient as possible for your cat.

Poultry meat

From poultry meat, all types of poultry, without a flat beak, are most suitable for cats. Goose and duck meat are very fatty and therefore should not be used in a cat's diet. When choosing a part of a carcass, there are no clear preferences. But for overweight cats, it is better to take meat from the breast of the bird. Red meat, in turn, contains a special mineral that has a beneficial effect on the animal’s cardiac system and the composition of its blood.

Fish meat

It is unlikely that you will find a cat that does not like fish. Fish meat can and should be included in the diet, but certain conditions must be observed. First of all, this is heat treatment. Seafood such as shrimp or squid can simply be blanched in boiling water, while river fish need to be thoroughly boiled. Phosphorus is practically not destroyed during heat treatment. If your cat eats raw fish, there is a risk of infection with various viruses.

Our leap days.

6 years passed, and suddenly Alexandra became concerned about Emma's health. And the reason for such sudden activity was the death of several cats of friends, who somehow happened to pass almost at the same time. And in all cases, doctors associated the deterioration in animal health with the abuse of Whiskas and other dry foods.

This diagnosis seriously frightened Sasha and she decided to take Emma seriously, first of all eliminating dry food from her diet.

And since the implementation of such a step required remarkable determination, I had to be the manager of this project.

And the day came when the last piece of cat cracker disappeared from the cat's bowl.

Emmanuel

That day did not foretell anything bad......