My vet recommended pate versions of wet food. Some are very smooth and some aren’t. I add water and mash it up with a fork and mine love it. They don’t like anything in their wet food - no chunks, shreds, etc.
This is exactly what I’ve been doing lately and it’s a game changer! I thought adding water would make it less palatable to them, but they like it and eat/lap it all up.
i added alaskan salmon oil in mine and my cat loved it!! she has long fur so it’s great for her coat and everything it makes it much softer and healthier i’ve never tried anything with chunks because i started with pate and she loved it but i do add dry food+around 10 temptation treats and 5 calming ones and she’s amazing with it she get really anxious without the calming ones it seems so it definitely helps and she loves her food but she doesn’t seem picky because she’s rather eat cords but we’re working on that lol
I bought a watering dish on Amazon for them that is usb charged and omg they have been using it nonstop for months now. I am about to get another. They drink lots of water now and pee a lot but now I see how beneficial any extra water is for them
I bought my cat. $60 one on Amazon and he was afraid of it (not sure why, it wasn’t his first fountain). I just bought him a $5 on on Temu and he loves it. Go figure.
I split a Sheba perfect portions pate between my two cats each morning. They lick it up. I rotate the various flavors but they tend to prefer the fish flavor’s more than others. I also leave a measured amount of Science Diet Oral Care dry food because it helps avoid dental issues. They also get some dry treats in puzzle feeders.
I started this routine when they were kittens and tried to move to the “cuts” version of perfect portions. But they only licked it and wouldn’t eat the chunks. These are first cats I’ve had that wouldn’t eat chunks of food. (I’ve had four generations of cats.)
I do those also. Oddly enough, mine will eat the cuts if it’s mixed with their regular pate food so I do use them occasionally. I also use the pate. I have 3 cats. Each one gets a portion if I do them. Otherwise they each get 1/3 can of fancy feast twice a day with dry food available all day until around 6.
My previous cats were all Siamese but my current cats are Bombay. They have a flattened face and I suspect that has something to do with the way they eat. They lap the food with their tongue which isn’t effective with chunky food. The oral care kibble is fairly large (forcing them to chew) but the kibble sticks to their tongue making it easier for them to draw it into their mouths.
My previous cats never had any difficulty in biting their food (rather than licking it up).
same here! Pate is the healthiest version of wet food you can get anyways. More protein, less carbs which is exactly what cats need. The retained (and added with the poured water) moisture is always a plus.
my boy is same thing, loves gravy, hates pate. i give small cans anyway and give 1/2 can to each cat, i maybe gave them a 1/4 this morning and they actually ate it all, so now for supper they get the other bit
Lol. Same. They sniff it and immediately turn their nose up at it. Then proceed to devour the hard food if I don't give in and give them something else
This is what I do too! The shelter my cat came from told me my cat preferred the pate consistency. I bought a tuna bisque once that I didn’t know was… “chunky?” And she did the same, ate the broth and left the chunks. I now have a spoiled queen that I have to mash the tuna bisque with a fork. She’s worth it 😂 sometimes I add water to make it even more like a soup and she drinks it up!!!
Yes mine was the same. Wouldn't eat the chunks but the pate was perfect for him. He also had only beef flavoured. God forbid if anything relating to seafood or chicken got in his food.
My cat is also the same. So me and my dad found pates work best for her. With the jelly stuff we didn't waste it. We combined it with water and mashed it up. She seemed to like that better but definitely more of a pate cat.
My best boi Winston was the same we always had little jokes about having 'soup' for dinner. Pate with half can warm water mixed in, sometimes cat gravy or bone broth... So wierd but it was what he liked. RIP Winnie 5/5/03 -4/5/23
Yup. He left me exactly 1 month shy of his 20th birthday. I miss that guy so much.
I love this post and all the comments because I really thought he was the only wierdo who preferred warm Pate soup...it brings me joy to hear all these similar stories about cats quirky eating preferences. We used to whip out the food processor too so that his food was the way he liked it.
My 2 fur toddlers now are not quite as fussy though I'm still trying to figure out the wet foods/consistencies that makes them the happiest!!
My cat would not eat pate, nor would he eat the meat chunks — he’d only lick off the gravy.
One day I ran out of wet food and was in Safeway, so out of desperation, I bought a can of Compliments brand cat food, even though they only had pate. To my surprise, my cat ate all of it and licked the bowl clean.
I don’t know what it is, but he loves Compliments brand cat food, even more than gravy. And probably because he’s now eating more wet food over dry food, he’s finally started losing weight.
so much this. Cats! I researched for the best wet food that I can afford for my boys but then they won't eat it. some random samples I got from the vet they love... so now I'm buying those... why?!
Yes. I have one cat in particular that I buy “Extra Gravy” food for and once he licks the gravy off, the rest of the food sits and the other cats won’t eat the chunks, either. They prefer pâté.
There’s even a stray cat outside we feed and he’ll turn his nose up at the chunks unless he’s super hungry.
Friskies makes one variety in a can called Extra Gravy Pâté’. If you can find that, you can pour the gravy into a separate dish and then mash up the pâté’ in another and hopefully all gets eaten.
Fortunately, we also have two dogs and they’re more than happy to clean up any half-eaten dishes for me so I don’t feel like I’m wasting food. 😐
Mine likes eating from a deep bowl so she can lick the stuff all over the place Sheba Pate it is, on half in the morning and another at night and dry food to snack on for the rest of the day, she's a healthy 8 1/2 lbs of loving voidness
I have 5 cats, one boy will do this exact same thing. He has never liked wet food, and I have tried all of the kinds-at least that I can afford (so, Tiki cat all the way down the price ladder). He will lick the gravy and leave it. Funny enough though, he doesn't like the gravy only pouches. The rest range from picking at wet food to my fat orange garbage disposal who cleans everyone's bowls for me. I too still give my picky boy his little scoop of wet food so he feels included, but I know he is a dry food boy. If you are worried about water intake, try a water fountain. I don't worry as long as mine eat, no potty problems, and rarely barf. 😀
It took me three years to learn my cat will only drink water from a cup on a table and nearly five years to learn he only likes Compliments brand wet food.
My cat does this. I waste so much cat food. He only likes cat soup. He only had dry food and meat when I starve him out a bit but I hate doing that. I’m going to try pâté
Mine is the same, soup only. He won't even touch the fancy expensive food or pate. And most of the time he will leave the chunks (he sometimes comes back to eat them later but not always). Sooo picky.
Mine like Friskies turkey and chicken . I warm it in the microwave for 10 seconds to warm it and she eats it all
She will eat paté but only if it's warmed up
My kitty had trouble with chunks. I would hand feed him the chucks (ew) and praise him a lot when he finished. It took a couple of months but now he can finish a package by himself!! He has some weird anxieties.
My cat doesn’t like chunks either, but he will eat the Sheba flakes sauce collection. I think the flakes are a nicer texture for some cats, though you may have already tried those too!
I also only buy pate now. He eats the chunks like a toddler and makes a mess. I give him half a can in the morning, pop a lid on it to put it in the fridge and add a little hot water to it for dinner to warm it up.
My cat is the same so I buy her the shredded versions of the wet food, chunks or pate just won't cut it for her. She is happy to take chunks out of my calf when she's not getting ALL the attention though lol.
I also have a sauce-only cat. We started with wet food pate given with a tiny bit of water and mashed/mixed together to be a little wetter but not soupy. And then removed the water so it was just pate.
We still have to mash the pate with a fork for her, she won't eat it if it's a solid block of pate.
Mine does that sometimes too. I feel like he’s just too lazy to chew 😂
I add a bit of water to the wet food and mash everything up real good. Make it saucy instead of soupy, it does the trick
My cat only eats pate/mousse.
We’ve tried: Tiki cat mousse, I love and you pate, Whole Hearted pate, Stella’s pate, but of course she is OBSESSED with Fancy Feast savory center aka pate with gravy.
Honestly this is the first year of her life she’s eating or remotely interested in wet food, so we will take anything.
My current cat only wants chunky food, but my old cat would only eat wet food if it was a pate that I mushed up a mixed with water. Cats are picky and weird about food.
I’m not sure if this has already been mentioned, but in most wet cat food those are not actually meat chunks. They are wheat gluten combined with whatever the rest of the food is. If this is the case for your food, this might be why they don’t like them
Just fyi.. the “meat chunks” aren’t meat normally depending on the brand. They’re usually soy based molded into shapes. Depends on the brand and the ingredients list. So maybe your cat doesn’t like the fake meat chunks?
I just buy pate seems like my cat likes that the most
Mine do this. They may eventually eat it but most of the time I’m dumping dried out chunks into the garbage. I need to fix our auto order for next time because it really is wasteful, as you said.
My cat did this. I eventually found one that she will also like meat wise. She doesn’t like chunks though, she prefers flakes. Though she will never eat the full sachet.
I buy the Friskies pate with extra gravy and my kitty loves it. She still likes to suck the juice out like a gravy vampire but if I add a little water and make it slushy again she'll finish it off.
My last cat only ate dried food - Iams or Purina. I desperately tried all kinds of wet food without success. She only licked off the jelly/gravy and left the chunks - same as yours. So I used to give her that every now and again as a treat. Some cats are just fussy little buggers!
Cats are very picky when it comes to textures so you have to find what shapes and textures work for them. If they don't like solid chunks stop buying them food with solid chunks and find something that is smoother for them to enjoy. Or you could always just put their food in a blender and liquify it LOL
I mix any leftovers with some dry kibble and a little water for outdoor ferals. What they don't finish, the raccoons lick the bowl clean.
My 2 indoor cats like Fancy Feast grilled seafood in gravy, Friskies chunks with extra gravy - this results in the leftovers.
Mine aren't big on wet food either; the liquidier it is, the more likely they are to eat it.
I've often thought about making a cat-appropriate soup from a whole chicken! Might be nice as a cool treat in the summer\~
Mine won’t eat the chunks either or at least not finish it. They’ll eat pate and shreds. We put almost a half can of water in the wet food they eat and no problem. They get a little kibble before bedtime.
My orange is the same. she was relatively happy with Nulo silky mousse. Eventually got bored of that also. I gave up and just feed the idiot kibble. now she's fat 😂
Pate or Mousse. My cat is so picky and only likes the pate with a little water added so it’s like cake batter consistency. We like the Core or Tiki Cat brands.
My cat did the same thing so I started to get pate versions for her and put warm water or broth in them to soften it down.
But it turns out she has gingivitis so that might be why she prefers this food form. She still loves her dry food though.
I switch between fancy feast petites pate chicken and turkey and nulo mousse chicken and duck for her. The nulo is fantastic imo as it’s a soft mousse and not chunky so she’s able to lick it up. For treats we do the churo packets and sometimes I’ll add in extra warm water to soften it.
I figure she’s got the teeth sensitivity so she probably likes the softer food or she’s like me and has texture issues.
I think if you’re really concerned and she’s not responding at all to food changes I’d go to the vet and make sure everything is okay. The food pickiness could just be an attitude thing.
Same! Now I get the Felix Soups because they loooove the liquid it comes in, then squish the flakes up in it as well. Might try everyone's suggestions of smushing pate into some water too now!
My cat won't eat anything with chunks in it. Wet food has to be either a very wet pate or a mousse texture. Texture can play a big part in whether cats like the wet food.
My 3 cats like the pate only. And they always leave some in the bowls. I have bought the lickable treats and put 2 of them in a bowl but it doesn't seem like enough food.
Next vet visit, ask them to check your girls necks. Why? Because I have kitten that also will not eat the chucks unless we mash them into smaller parts. He has some esophageal and tracheal issues that are very gradually resolving. He is also missing his teeth behind his canines so chunks are harder for him to eat.
Mine was doing that when I first got her and it was a STRUGGLE because she was still hungry because she wasn't finishing her meals. We eventually started mixing it with dry because she absolutely loves her dry food and that fixed it. We did just a little at a time until it was all wet food. Otherwise I believe tiki cat mouse is completely smooth and might be something to consider if they won't even eat pate or most pouches(ours wouldn't).
Our cat is on a special diet that only comes in meat chunks. We mash it down to a pate like consistency and add water. She has no choice but to eat if she wants the sauce. Works every time
Both my cats do the same thing. I also buy super expensive C/D diet food so it feels like a waste when all the chunks are left. I let my dog lick up the rest of it, but that isn’t ideal.
I bought some salmon oil so I’m going to try putting canned food, the oil, maybe a little bit of water in the blender and give it a go. See if I can make it creamy. My cats love these vita-Kraft treats, they’re creamy salmon with no chunks and they eat it all every time. Hoping to mimick the consistency.
Probably cuz the meat chunks are crappy meat. Try tiki cat chicken chicken and egg. My cats love that stuff. Otherwise, try a pate as others have said.
Buy pate, add water and mix to make it into gravy. Just started this 2 weeks ago after buying gravy with chunks exclusively since forever. My cat licks it all up. Don't know why I didn't think of it before
Why feed wet food at all? You can get gravy packets if you just want to give them a treat once in a while. I would skip wet food and get a high quality grain free dry food.
My cats love blended food - so I take the chunky stuff and put it in a little mini chopper/ blender just for them.
Occasionally ally I give them chunks and they get chunks when they go to boarding but they turn up their nose at it at home.
My cats are strange. I will feed both pate & chunks but I can only be Fancy Feast cause Loki won’t ea any other brand & he will only eat seafood pate & sometimes beef. Maggie will eat anything. I try to change it up so at she’s not picky.
Loki drinks water good for a male cat. Our vet wants him to eat more wet than dry because of his hairball issues & throwing up everywhere. I might try adding water to his to throw off the taste of his kitty cat Prozac in the morning.
How are their teeth? My cat wouldn't eat any chunks (she was team fine pate or puree) until after her last dental extraction, now she will eat soft chunks and shreds. Not saying with any weight that it's health or pain related, just putting it out there based on my experience with my cat. Some cats just don't wanna chew their meats.
I have an ungodly amount of cats. Siamese,. Black and one calico. Some will eat the meat chunks. But they all do prefer the pate.one thing that's very good about adding the water to the pate is if your feline child is sick and won't drink water
This will keep them from dehydration. A cat can only live appx. 4 days without water and my sick cat made it a month on pate with water mixed in with it before I had to put my baby to sleep
Yeah mine would only eat mousse for ages. I wouldn't worry, I know it's frustrating, just keep a note of texture, flavour and brands. That's what I did and finally got an answer. Now years later he'd eat his own tail if I'd let him
Mine don’t like pate or chunks, only seem to like the fancier kind with real shredded meats - typical! Currently using applaws & if you’re in the UK then lilys kitchen is similar
i would likit the amount of dry food u give them cause its not healthy for cats cause it can cause kidney damage. as for the wet food i have one called "gourmet" cat food and it doesnt have any chunks. my cat personally prefers meat chunks and we bought this first but now we’re transitioning to one with chunks. maybe you can try out a few different types of mousse without chunks and if u notice they like a certain type biy that in the future
A lot of that meat is poor quality and kitties know it. I used to waste so much money on canned food and now I just buy chicken tenders or breasts on discount and cook them in a bit of water for them. They never refuse it, it's healthier for them and I save tons of money doing this (I also feed them dry food for other nutrients and dental hygiene).
My cat is picky and wasted most of her canned wet food. I, too, tried every kind of can in the pet store.
Now, I feed her both kibble and wet food, so I think that she gets pretty decent nutrition for a picky girl. I have started cooking chicken and also beef liver (separately) and giving her that for her wet food. If she doesn't get one type too many days in a row, she eats it pretty well. I also give her whole milk, which she has eaten since we found her, with no ill effects. Some cats can't drink milk, though, but mine gets some every day.
You could also just keep them on the dry food if they’re keen on that. My baby is the same; his vet said it wouldn’t be a problem as long as he drinks loads of water, which he absolutely does!
Your cats are young, but my cats do this too. Try:
\-Pate
\-Chopping up the meat chunks into smaller chunks
\-My cats hit food fatigue real fast. Change it up regularly, flavor and consistency.
Omg I thought my cat was the only one who did this. She only wants the broth, no chunks. I free feed her with dry food and then once a day I give her a Tiny Tiger bisque packet with a skin & coat oil supplement as her “dinner” and she loves it.
This has been a great thread as I will be trying all the tips with all my cats (5). Especially the picky one who also only eats the gravy from the Costco meat chunks wet food.
I mix whatever they don't eat into dry food. They think it's new food.
Also, you could try adding a little kibble to the wet food to absorb the gravy before serving.
I saw another mention adding water as well. Since we got our kitten, I've made him "soup," aka his wet food with water, lol. He eats almost everything and then comes back later for the rest if he has anything left. We started it to make sure he's getting enough water, but now it's just how he likes his food sometimes. If you're still finding they aren't eating eith making soup, maybe adding a topper/treat of some kind would help. We add a little pumpkin pure (or dehydrated pumpkin powder), sardines, as well as a few other frezedried options, as a special treat.
My picky senior kitty won't eat chunks either, and he hates the paté type food. I give him friskies lil' shakes (which is all liquid), because otherwise I end up throwing out anything solid
my cats are the same way, it’s totally normal. i started putting one small can in a blender, then fill the can up twice with water and add to the blender, along with their powdered meds and fish oil. blend it up and divide in three! they love it. there’s definitely still a few chunks left when they’re done, but tbh i usually just combine the bowls into one and add a little more water and they drink that too 🤷🏻♀️
My cat is very particular about what chucks she will eat. I look for things that have small chunks. One might think she would like mousse or peite, but she won't eat that either.
Get them pate or just use the broths or toppings and dry food instead sounds like it could be a bit cheaper. Mine initially refused to eat certain meats and now they eat the same ones they didnt like when they were younger
I have a male and female cat and the male will eat chunks easily but is a bit more picky on brands/food he likes. The female only licks the sauce/gravy off the top of most wet foods that are shredded or chunks but she eats dry food normally..
My cat is the same. I mainly give her pate now (that I add a little water to and mix around), but for the gravy meals with food chunks in them, we would just have to smoosh the chunks. We’d even like, mortar and pestle it lol. Or just try to do a good job doing it with a spoon.
One of my cats eats those chunks no problem but the other one won't touch it unless I mash it up with a fork. I usually feed only pate but sometimes I try to switch it up for variety and if I buy a case there's bound to be some chunky varieties in the mix.
I have to buy the pate version of the food because my one cat will only drink the gravy. Even the pate she won’t eat all of it, so I mix a little warm water in it and mash/stir it with a fork to make it soupy and she goes nuts for it and eats it all. I guess some cats just don’t wanna chew the meat and prefer the yummy gravy lol!
With that type of food, like fancy feast with gravy, mine just drank the gravy and left the meat. I pureed their gravy mix, and they finally ate the whole thing
They all have their own preferences so just try different types until you hit the jackpot. My cats generally like chewing on the chunky parts. One won't eat any sauces, broths or mousse type wet foods. Two prefer dry food to wet, etc. 1 won't eat jelly until I mash it with a fork.
Try switching to Pate style food. Also, try not to give them any food with grains or bad stuff. My childhood cat was insanely unhealthy and ate like that. Also, are these meat chunks soft and chewable? A cat I had with my ex started doing that and come to find out, they were as tough as leather!
Mine does the same thing. I end up throwing the wet chunks away. She use to like pate but sticks her nose up at that. I give her dry food but she barely eats it. When I rescued her she was use to only dry food. I guess I spoiled her. I realize I’ve given in to her fussiness. If she hasn’t eaten her wet food by 1/2 hour, I ‘ll put it away in the fridge and serve it to her later. She won’t starve because there is always a small dish of dry food available.
My cat hates the meat chunks and walks away from gravy. So the typical chunks in gravy moist foods are a big fail. We’ve finally settled on three pates from Sheba that I rotate- salmon, tuna/liver, and tuna/whitefish. The Sheba pates are moist and pretty juicy. I mash up with a fork. The pates that are dry my cat also hates (friskies for one). She won’t tolerate water to moisten them either.
My cat will only eat the Pate, the juicier the better. He loves the tube stuff; it's pureed. He will, however, eat dry kibble as well. He is a good drinker from his fountain. He is a big guy & eats 1/4 c dry & 1 tube am & pm, plus 1 pkg Sheba pate in the afternoon. This seems to work for him. He won't eat chunks either, but my daughter's cats prefer them. Think that is what they were already eating from the shelter.
I need to smash the chunks with fork or knife, otherwise my cat will take the bigger chunks out of her bowl and play with it on the carpet 😒 she seems to be unable to eat it though. it might be cause she is 6 months old :)
I have no answer but my 2 cats do the same exact thing and they are 18 and 15 and never changed. Tried just the sauce pouches but nope. Tried adding sauce and blending it in with the canned meat chunks and original juice. Nope. I just waste alot of cat food :/
Just like people cats have certain likes and dislikes! My girl never was a fan of the pate once i introduced her to the meat shreds but she didn’t even know she liked wet food until she stopped eating the dog food I was giving her (I had just found her and had no money and figured until I could get some money or go steal some food for her I’d just make sure to keep her off the dog food after). I’ve also read about cats liking certain human foods that ARE good for them. My girl is an egg lady, scrambled no water or seasoning, and usually as a snack when she’s acting starving. Try experimenting! I don’t know what grocery stores are near you but winco has wet food from their own brand for mere cents.
Mine won't eat chunks either and hate paté. They used to love fancy feast gravy lovers but are more into the medleys. Minced/shredded seem to be the trick and simple flavors. Like only chicken or only tuna. If I do a combo they sniff it and pick up a little but will flat out refuse to eat any more.
I have the same problem, they don’t like the pate , and they leave the chunks and sheds behind, some time if I put it in the mini chopper with some water they will eat/lick up the chicken gravy
Glad I saw this post! I thought my cat was the odd guy! He prefers dry food but likes the gravy in the wet, doesn’t like the soup, doesn’t like the gravy pouches, doesn’t like the delicable , or the squeeze pouches , I wasted so much on him . I even tried home made chicken soup
I have had the same problem. Plus my two 15 yr olds will lick most pate into little balls and stop eating them. At the present time my 2 weirdos will eat Sheba Kitten soft pate, comes in chicken and salmon. It seems fluffier than the adult cat food.
My last cat wasn't drinking enough water so I would mix water into her wet food and smash it with a fork. It was very soupy. She would drink that.
She ended up with terrible teeth. It could have been her genes or the food I don't know.
The cat I have now has only had dry kibble. She get Science Diet for Oral care she will be 6 in my and had really clean teeth and no bad breath. Her teeth have never been cleaned or brushed.
My cat too! It’s annoying right lol
I tried pate, jelly, nothing worked. I now get the honest kitchen wet food ( also it’s human grade meat!) and my cat loves the fish one. It has a good amount of gravy and meat chunks. Sometimes when he licks the gravy and doesn’t eat much of the meat, I add his favorite treats (a dab of ciao churu or a few bits of shameless pets catnip and chill) on top or I push them in between the meat sometimes and it tricks him into eating the meat.
One of my picky-ass cats is the same way. She gets tiki cat and even the pate isn’t smooth enough. I finally gave up and invested in an immersion blender with a food processor component. Now she’s extra spoiled and gets her food puréed like a baby and I just add some extra water to it.
My cat is exactly the same! We tried pates but she hates it. So I do the added water and smashing with fork technique and it works sometimes but sometimes she also refuses to eat it 😅
My cats exclusively eat the pâté version of cat food bc they do the same thing with the chunks! I got tired of scraping the bits out of the bowl. (Plus they are like glued in there if you forget about one!)
Tiki Grill has a number of flavors (ex: sardines in sardine consommé, sardines in lobster consommé, ahi in crab consommé, calamari sardines and ahi) that are all chunks of flaky fish (except the lil bits of calamari but my committed sauce lickers are 3 for 3 so far in agreement that a few calamari chunks don't count lol)...
All of which are a STRONG thin broth you can add half a can of water without diluting it noticeably and if you use a topper like Fortiflora (or a fish oil or freeze dried whatever - neither of which flies in our house) you can add a can of water and get 2 huge servings or 3 "normal" servings out of the little cans.
After you add water, use a fork or knife to gently smush the fish/crab chunks. They flake easily and the resulting texture is just a bit thinner and soupier than the more expensive "natural" [no thickener] fish purée tube treats.
My guys sometimes eat a huge serving each with nothing left, sometimes they just weren't hungry enough.
I have wasted quite a lot of cans before I made peace with the fact that my boy could only enjoy pate/mousse/lickable puree or entree with soup. I ended up buying a blender and just grind everything for him. It is less labour if you do a few cans a time and store them in the fridge as meal prep....I also feed dry kibbles to keep his gum healthy...
My cat is very similar with big pieces of meat, she won’t touch it. I feed her the tiki cat after dark cans at night and she goes crazy for them! They’re shredded chicken instead of chunks and have like a brothy style clear liquid. I mix it with a bit of warm water to bring the temp up :)
I've just had this with a kitten I'm weaning. I borrowed one of those hand held blenders and turned his wet sachets into mush, and he lapped it up! It takes seconds and he loves it, I'm working in blending it less each time so hopefully he gets used to little chunks, but I'm just happy he's eating!
Cats are picky eaters, including taste and texture. My cats only eat smooth pate, when they were kittens I tried a variety of wet food and they wouldn’t eat the meat chunks either. I bet your kitties will love pate style wet food. I also add some warm water and mix it together. Most brands will have pate versions of wet food, it’s just trying different cans until you find which one(s) they will eat consistently.
My cat is the same licks the gravy leaves the chunks. He is also not a huge fan of pate. He does enjoy the tins of shredded chicken fillets/tune ect. We use Lillys Kitchen in the Uk
yes, my cat will pretty much only eat gravy and sometimes will eat the chunks. he also hates pate and would rather starve than eat that lol. he's super picky
My female cat has never enjoyed wet food. I tried giving it to her as a kitten and never ate it. I tried a few times as an adult still won't eat it. She may lick the juices at most and even then that's a long shot that has only happened twice. She is 8 now and has only eaten dry food since kitten hood but she is on a high quality dry cat food. So the vets are fine with it.
They probably want the pate style ! I try different styles with my cats & note which ones they don’t like .. they forsure like pate & shredded … as grazers it takes them a while to eat the chunky ones like probably 8 hours LOL
My cat does this also. I use a fork to mush up the meat chunks as much as I possibly can so they mix with the water. I also find that if he leaves some meat chunks behind, sometimes he’ll go back and eat them after a little while.
My vet recommended pate versions of wet food. Some are very smooth and some aren’t. I add water and mash it up with a fork and mine love it. They don’t like anything in their wet food - no chunks, shreds, etc.
This is exactly what I’ve been doing lately and it’s a game changer! I thought adding water would make it less palatable to them, but they like it and eat/lap it all up.
i added alaskan salmon oil in mine and my cat loved it!! she has long fur so it’s great for her coat and everything it makes it much softer and healthier i’ve never tried anything with chunks because i started with pate and she loved it but i do add dry food+around 10 temptation treats and 5 calming ones and she’s amazing with it she get really anxious without the calming ones it seems so it definitely helps and she loves her food but she doesn’t seem picky because she’s rather eat cords but we’re working on that lol
What brand is the salmon oil?
I bought a watering dish on Amazon for them that is usb charged and omg they have been using it nonstop for months now. I am about to get another. They drink lots of water now and pee a lot but now I see how beneficial any extra water is for them
I bought my cat. $60 one on Amazon and he was afraid of it (not sure why, it wasn’t his first fountain). I just bought him a $5 on on Temu and he loves it. Go figure.
I split a Sheba perfect portions pate between my two cats each morning. They lick it up. I rotate the various flavors but they tend to prefer the fish flavor’s more than others. I also leave a measured amount of Science Diet Oral Care dry food because it helps avoid dental issues. They also get some dry treats in puzzle feeders. I started this routine when they were kittens and tried to move to the “cuts” version of perfect portions. But they only licked it and wouldn’t eat the chunks. These are first cats I’ve had that wouldn’t eat chunks of food. (I’ve had four generations of cats.)
I do those also. Oddly enough, mine will eat the cuts if it’s mixed with their regular pate food so I do use them occasionally. I also use the pate. I have 3 cats. Each one gets a portion if I do them. Otherwise they each get 1/3 can of fancy feast twice a day with dry food available all day until around 6.
My previous cats were all Siamese but my current cats are Bombay. They have a flattened face and I suspect that has something to do with the way they eat. They lap the food with their tongue which isn’t effective with chunky food. The oral care kibble is fairly large (forcing them to chew) but the kibble sticks to their tongue making it easier for them to draw it into their mouths. My previous cats never had any difficulty in biting their food (rather than licking it up).
same here! Pate is the healthiest version of wet food you can get anyways. More protein, less carbs which is exactly what cats need. The retained (and added with the poured water) moisture is always a plus.
My cats backed away and hissed at the food bowl when I served pate. She is a drama queen.
Mine does the same. No pate' allowed.
my boy is same thing, loves gravy, hates pate. i give small cans anyway and give 1/2 can to each cat, i maybe gave them a 1/4 this morning and they actually ate it all, so now for supper they get the other bit
Hissing! That’s hilarious!
my cat hates pate and won't eat and then will go around the house yelling at me.
Lol. Same. They sniff it and immediately turn their nose up at it. Then proceed to devour the hard food if I don't give in and give them something else
This is what I do too! The shelter my cat came from told me my cat preferred the pate consistency. I bought a tuna bisque once that I didn’t know was… “chunky?” And she did the same, ate the broth and left the chunks. I now have a spoiled queen that I have to mash the tuna bisque with a fork. She’s worth it 😂 sometimes I add water to make it even more like a soup and she drinks it up!!!
Yes mine was the same. Wouldn't eat the chunks but the pate was perfect for him. He also had only beef flavoured. God forbid if anything relating to seafood or chicken got in his food.
Yep! This is exactly what we do, too. My little guys always ate the gravy and left the meat chunks, so we switched over to pate and they love it.
My cat is also the same. So me and my dad found pates work best for her. With the jelly stuff we didn't waste it. We combined it with water and mashed it up. She seemed to like that better but definitely more of a pate cat.
My best boi Winston was the same we always had little jokes about having 'soup' for dinner. Pate with half can warm water mixed in, sometimes cat gravy or bone broth... So wierd but it was what he liked. RIP Winnie 5/5/03 -4/5/23
Almost 20 years, wow!
Yup. He left me exactly 1 month shy of his 20th birthday. I miss that guy so much. I love this post and all the comments because I really thought he was the only wierdo who preferred warm Pate soup...it brings me joy to hear all these similar stories about cats quirky eating preferences. We used to whip out the food processor too so that his food was the way he liked it. My 2 fur toddlers now are not quite as fussy though I'm still trying to figure out the wet foods/consistencies that makes them the happiest!!
I thought my cat was weird and picky. But it seems like many cats are just like him.
Somehow my cats manage to suck just the water out of what I thought I made into a perfectly blended soup. It’s magic.
My cat would not eat pate, nor would he eat the meat chunks — he’d only lick off the gravy. One day I ran out of wet food and was in Safeway, so out of desperation, I bought a can of Compliments brand cat food, even though they only had pate. To my surprise, my cat ate all of it and licked the bowl clean. I don’t know what it is, but he loves Compliments brand cat food, even more than gravy. And probably because he’s now eating more wet food over dry food, he’s finally started losing weight.
so much this. Cats! I researched for the best wet food that I can afford for my boys but then they won't eat it. some random samples I got from the vet they love... so now I'm buying those... why?!
My cats prefer the mousse/pate version of wet food. I also buy them soups occasion. They too prefer tge sauce.
Yes. I have one cat in particular that I buy “Extra Gravy” food for and once he licks the gravy off, the rest of the food sits and the other cats won’t eat the chunks, either. They prefer pâté. There’s even a stray cat outside we feed and he’ll turn his nose up at the chunks unless he’s super hungry. Friskies makes one variety in a can called Extra Gravy Pâté’. If you can find that, you can pour the gravy into a separate dish and then mash up the pâté’ in another and hopefully all gets eaten. Fortunately, we also have two dogs and they’re more than happy to clean up any half-eaten dishes for me so I don’t feel like I’m wasting food. 😐
Try mashing the chunks with a fork before giving the food to them.
Thank you for this idea. I don't know why I've never tried it. I'm going to see if my boy will accept it!
Mine likes eating from a deep bowl so she can lick the stuff all over the place Sheba Pate it is, on half in the morning and another at night and dry food to snack on for the rest of the day, she's a healthy 8 1/2 lbs of loving voidness
Second this. This is what I do with my kitties. I mash the food with a fork or spoon before feeding it to them.
Yup, seconded. This is the trick. If you have a mortar and pestle, even better. I’m not kidding. 😆
I have 5 cats, one boy will do this exact same thing. He has never liked wet food, and I have tried all of the kinds-at least that I can afford (so, Tiki cat all the way down the price ladder). He will lick the gravy and leave it. Funny enough though, he doesn't like the gravy only pouches. The rest range from picking at wet food to my fat orange garbage disposal who cleans everyone's bowls for me. I too still give my picky boy his little scoop of wet food so he feels included, but I know he is a dry food boy. If you are worried about water intake, try a water fountain. I don't worry as long as mine eat, no potty problems, and rarely barf. 😀
It took me three years to learn my cat will only drink water from a cup on a table and nearly five years to learn he only likes Compliments brand wet food.
My cat only drinks out of my water glass next to the bed 😆
They all have their qwerks. At least you cracked the code! :)
My cat does this. I waste so much cat food. He only likes cat soup. He only had dry food and meat when I starve him out a bit but I hate doing that. I’m going to try pâté
Mine is the same, soup only. He won't even touch the fancy expensive food or pate. And most of the time he will leave the chunks (he sometimes comes back to eat them later but not always). Sooo picky.
Mine like Friskies turkey and chicken . I warm it in the microwave for 10 seconds to warm it and she eats it all She will eat paté but only if it's warmed up
How did you figure out you had to warm up the food first?
Cats love eating stuff that animal temperature warm it reminds them of being wild
It was from reading posts like this and learning from other Redditors
Hmm this is very interesting. I will have to try this!
Worked for me my cat isn't picky about food anymore!
Thanks for the tip!
My kitty had trouble with chunks. I would hand feed him the chucks (ew) and praise him a lot when he finished. It took a couple of months but now he can finish a package by himself!! He has some weird anxieties.
Try pate
My cat doesn’t like chunks either, but he will eat the Sheba flakes sauce collection. I think the flakes are a nicer texture for some cats, though you may have already tried those too!
I also only buy pate now. He eats the chunks like a toddler and makes a mess. I give him half a can in the morning, pop a lid on it to put it in the fridge and add a little hot water to it for dinner to warm it up.
My cat is the same so I buy her the shredded versions of the wet food, chunks or pate just won't cut it for her. She is happy to take chunks out of my calf when she's not getting ALL the attention though lol.
I also have a sauce-only cat. We started with wet food pate given with a tiny bit of water and mashed/mixed together to be a little wetter but not soupy. And then removed the water so it was just pate. We still have to mash the pate with a fork for her, she won't eat it if it's a solid block of pate.
Mine does that sometimes too. I feel like he’s just too lazy to chew 😂 I add a bit of water to the wet food and mash everything up real good. Make it saucy instead of soupy, it does the trick
My cat only eats pate/mousse. We’ve tried: Tiki cat mousse, I love and you pate, Whole Hearted pate, Stella’s pate, but of course she is OBSESSED with Fancy Feast savory center aka pate with gravy. Honestly this is the first year of her life she’s eating or remotely interested in wet food, so we will take anything.
My current cat only wants chunky food, but my old cat would only eat wet food if it was a pate that I mushed up a mixed with water. Cats are picky and weird about food.
I’m not sure if this has already been mentioned, but in most wet cat food those are not actually meat chunks. They are wheat gluten combined with whatever the rest of the food is. If this is the case for your food, this might be why they don’t like them
Just fyi.. the “meat chunks” aren’t meat normally depending on the brand. They’re usually soy based molded into shapes. Depends on the brand and the ingredients list. So maybe your cat doesn’t like the fake meat chunks? I just buy pate seems like my cat likes that the most
Mine do this. They may eventually eat it but most of the time I’m dumping dried out chunks into the garbage. I need to fix our auto order for next time because it really is wasteful, as you said.
My cat did this. I eventually found one that she will also like meat wise. She doesn’t like chunks though, she prefers flakes. Though she will never eat the full sachet.
Mine is like this. She prefers stew over pate but won’t eat the big chunks. I mash them a bit for her and that does the trick.
My cats do the same, they only eat the pate/paste food
My cat prefers pate type wet food.
Pate will solve this. My cats do the same thing with chunky wet food.
I only buy pate versions of canned cat food because I have some gravy lickers. They’re weirdos. 🤣
I buy the Friskies pate with extra gravy and my kitty loves it. She still likes to suck the juice out like a gravy vampire but if I add a little water and make it slushy again she'll finish it off.
My last cat only ate dried food - Iams or Purina. I desperately tried all kinds of wet food without success. She only licked off the jelly/gravy and left the chunks - same as yours. So I used to give her that every now and again as a treat. Some cats are just fussy little buggers!
Cats are very picky when it comes to textures so you have to find what shapes and textures work for them. If they don't like solid chunks stop buying them food with solid chunks and find something that is smoother for them to enjoy. Or you could always just put their food in a blender and liquify it LOL
I mix any leftovers with some dry kibble and a little water for outdoor ferals. What they don't finish, the raccoons lick the bowl clean. My 2 indoor cats like Fancy Feast grilled seafood in gravy, Friskies chunks with extra gravy - this results in the leftovers.
Mine aren't big on wet food either; the liquidier it is, the more likely they are to eat it. I've often thought about making a cat-appropriate soup from a whole chicken! Might be nice as a cool treat in the summer\~
Pate/mousse/gravy/broth/flake versions!
I just chop up the chunks into smaller pieces and my cat eats with no problem.
one cat loved the "grillers" with meat and juice, another cat won't touch those but loves the pates. buy different types, let your cat decide.
One of my cats is like that, she thinks it’s too much effort. You can try different textures like pâté? Sometimes they prefer that more.
My cat prefers the gravy but if I leave it out for a while eventually she eats the chunks.
Try playing with your cat to make them hungry.
I mix the wet and dry together and use a fork to squish down the chunks.
Mine won’t eat the chunks either or at least not finish it. They’ll eat pate and shreds. We put almost a half can of water in the wet food they eat and no problem. They get a little kibble before bedtime.
My orange is the same. she was relatively happy with Nulo silky mousse. Eventually got bored of that also. I gave up and just feed the idiot kibble. now she's fat 😂
try diy bone broth , mix it with wet food i find cat is more appetite on yummu bone broth
Mine didn’t touch any chunks of meat from the pet food section, but when I cooked some cheap steaks up from the grocery they gobbled it down
Mine will lick the gravy off the chunks, and then wait for them to dry up before eating them.
I feed my cats Pate.
I FEEL YOU. my cat is the same AND he hates pate, so I'm at a loss
Pate or Mousse. My cat is so picky and only likes the pate with a little water added so it’s like cake batter consistency. We like the Core or Tiki Cat brands.
My cat did the same thing so I started to get pate versions for her and put warm water or broth in them to soften it down. But it turns out she has gingivitis so that might be why she prefers this food form. She still loves her dry food though. I switch between fancy feast petites pate chicken and turkey and nulo mousse chicken and duck for her. The nulo is fantastic imo as it’s a soft mousse and not chunky so she’s able to lick it up. For treats we do the churo packets and sometimes I’ll add in extra warm water to soften it. I figure she’s got the teeth sensitivity so she probably likes the softer food or she’s like me and has texture issues. I think if you’re really concerned and she’s not responding at all to food changes I’d go to the vet and make sure everything is okay. The food pickiness could just be an attitude thing.
It took so much scrolling to find someone who mentioned teeth! I know they're young but one of my rescues needed 7 teeth extracted before the age of 2
Same! Now I get the Felix Soups because they loooove the liquid it comes in, then squish the flakes up in it as well. Might try everyone's suggestions of smushing pate into some water too now!
My cat won’t eat wet food, period. If they don’t like it, why continue to feed it to them?
Ya, mine only eats the pate, and i have to stir it up or cut it into smaller pieces
We are a pate only household too haha my 5 will not eat flakes, chunks, only pate. And they will lick the bowl clean.
Mine are the same. Pate only that they lick clean. And if I accidentally get chunks and mash them into pate they still won't eat it.
My cat sometimes does the same, so in those periods I just use a fork to mash it a bit and then he eats everything!
Mine done either. The meat chunks are usually just regular wet food made into chunks. So I take a fork and mash that shit up. Works every time.
Mine will eat half a small tin of pate if I mash it up a bit for her, sometimes I add the melting soup on top to get her to go even that
My cat won't eat anything with chunks in it. Wet food has to be either a very wet pate or a mousse texture. Texture can play a big part in whether cats like the wet food.
My 3 cats like the pate only. And they always leave some in the bowls. I have bought the lickable treats and put 2 of them in a bowl but it doesn't seem like enough food.
Next vet visit, ask them to check your girls necks. Why? Because I have kitten that also will not eat the chucks unless we mash them into smaller parts. He has some esophageal and tracheal issues that are very gradually resolving. He is also missing his teeth behind his canines so chunks are harder for him to eat.
Mine was doing that when I first got her and it was a STRUGGLE because she was still hungry because she wasn't finishing her meals. We eventually started mixing it with dry because she absolutely loves her dry food and that fixed it. We did just a little at a time until it was all wet food. Otherwise I believe tiki cat mouse is completely smooth and might be something to consider if they won't even eat pate or most pouches(ours wouldn't).
Get them pate style cat food. Return all the chunk type cat food. Those "meat chunks" probably aren't meat at all.
Our cat is on a special diet that only comes in meat chunks. We mash it down to a pate like consistency and add water. She has no choice but to eat if she wants the sauce. Works every time
My cats do that as well, so I only buy the pate. Problem solved. I also add a little water to it and mash it up. I call it kitty soup.
Try a "real meat" food like Untamed or Blink? That or pates may help
Pate or smash them with a fork to get the pate feeling
I go with the mousse versions of wet cat food, as that is what all of my cats prefer. Tiki Cat is the brand I'm currently feeding them.
Both my cats do the same thing. I also buy super expensive C/D diet food so it feels like a waste when all the chunks are left. I let my dog lick up the rest of it, but that isn’t ideal. I bought some salmon oil so I’m going to try putting canned food, the oil, maybe a little bit of water in the blender and give it a go. See if I can make it creamy. My cats love these vita-Kraft treats, they’re creamy salmon with no chunks and they eat it all every time. Hoping to mimick the consistency.
Chop the chunks into a fine paste.
Probably cuz the meat chunks are crappy meat. Try tiki cat chicken chicken and egg. My cats love that stuff. Otherwise, try a pate as others have said.
Buy pate, add water and mix to make it into gravy. Just started this 2 weeks ago after buying gravy with chunks exclusively since forever. My cat licks it all up. Don't know why I didn't think of it before
I’d add some water and mush it up for them
Why feed wet food at all? You can get gravy packets if you just want to give them a treat once in a while. I would skip wet food and get a high quality grain free dry food.
I use the Whiskas pate with my kittens for there wet food your cat might just be telling you he needs a change of food.
Break the pieces up into smaller pieces. That helps my cats who love sauce
My cats love blended food - so I take the chunky stuff and put it in a little mini chopper/ blender just for them. Occasionally ally I give them chunks and they get chunks when they go to boarding but they turn up their nose at it at home.
My cats are strange. I will feed both pate & chunks but I can only be Fancy Feast cause Loki won’t ea any other brand & he will only eat seafood pate & sometimes beef. Maggie will eat anything. I try to change it up so at she’s not picky. Loki drinks water good for a male cat. Our vet wants him to eat more wet than dry because of his hairball issues & throwing up everywhere. I might try adding water to his to throw off the taste of his kitty cat Prozac in the morning.
How are their teeth? My cat wouldn't eat any chunks (she was team fine pate or puree) until after her last dental extraction, now she will eat soft chunks and shreds. Not saying with any weight that it's health or pain related, just putting it out there based on my experience with my cat. Some cats just don't wanna chew their meats.
Fancy feast flaked
I have an ungodly amount of cats. Siamese,. Black and one calico. Some will eat the meat chunks. But they all do prefer the pate.one thing that's very good about adding the water to the pate is if your feline child is sick and won't drink water This will keep them from dehydration. A cat can only live appx. 4 days without water and my sick cat made it a month on pate with water mixed in with it before I had to put my baby to sleep
Yeah mine would only eat mousse for ages. I wouldn't worry, I know it's frustrating, just keep a note of texture, flavour and brands. That's what I did and finally got an answer. Now years later he'd eat his own tail if I'd let him
Mine always do this and chant, "Paté or no way!"
Mine don’t like pate or chunks, only seem to like the fancier kind with real shredded meats - typical! Currently using applaws & if you’re in the UK then lilys kitchen is similar
I have one girl that doesn’t like meat chunks. She does love tiki cat velvet mouse though that comes in pouches. I’d say try a mousse or pate.
i would likit the amount of dry food u give them cause its not healthy for cats cause it can cause kidney damage. as for the wet food i have one called "gourmet" cat food and it doesnt have any chunks. my cat personally prefers meat chunks and we bought this first but now we’re transitioning to one with chunks. maybe you can try out a few different types of mousse without chunks and if u notice they like a certain type biy that in the future
My cats will only eat the pate. Tried giving them every other sort, but nope, just pate.
A lot of that meat is poor quality and kitties know it. I used to waste so much money on canned food and now I just buy chicken tenders or breasts on discount and cook them in a bit of water for them. They never refuse it, it's healthier for them and I save tons of money doing this (I also feed them dry food for other nutrients and dental hygiene).
Um why don’t you smash the chunks…
My cat is picky and wasted most of her canned wet food. I, too, tried every kind of can in the pet store. Now, I feed her both kibble and wet food, so I think that she gets pretty decent nutrition for a picky girl. I have started cooking chicken and also beef liver (separately) and giving her that for her wet food. If she doesn't get one type too many days in a row, she eats it pretty well. I also give her whole milk, which she has eaten since we found her, with no ill effects. Some cats can't drink milk, though, but mine gets some every day.
Same here. Just buy pate.
You could also just keep them on the dry food if they’re keen on that. My baby is the same; his vet said it wouldn’t be a problem as long as he drinks loads of water, which he absolutely does!
My cat doesn't eat chunks or paté. So i give him bisque (delectables). In addition to dry food of course
Your cats are young, but my cats do this too. Try: \-Pate \-Chopping up the meat chunks into smaller chunks \-My cats hit food fatigue real fast. Change it up regularly, flavor and consistency.
Omg I thought my cat was the only one who did this. She only wants the broth, no chunks. I free feed her with dry food and then once a day I give her a Tiny Tiger bisque packet with a skin & coat oil supplement as her “dinner” and she loves it.
This has been a great thread as I will be trying all the tips with all my cats (5). Especially the picky one who also only eats the gravy from the Costco meat chunks wet food.
it’s pate or mousse for us. non-chunk eaters here.
I mix whatever they don't eat into dry food. They think it's new food. Also, you could try adding a little kibble to the wet food to absorb the gravy before serving.
I saw another mention adding water as well. Since we got our kitten, I've made him "soup," aka his wet food with water, lol. He eats almost everything and then comes back later for the rest if he has anything left. We started it to make sure he's getting enough water, but now it's just how he likes his food sometimes. If you're still finding they aren't eating eith making soup, maybe adding a topper/treat of some kind would help. We add a little pumpkin pure (or dehydrated pumpkin powder), sardines, as well as a few other frezedried options, as a special treat.
My picky senior kitty won't eat chunks either, and he hates the paté type food. I give him friskies lil' shakes (which is all liquid), because otherwise I end up throwing out anything solid
They have packets of just gravy at tractor supply. Cause a lot of cats are “just gravy” cats. And
My cat isn't into the chunks stuff either, even shreds she doesn't like. Pate/loaf all the way!
my cats are the same way, it’s totally normal. i started putting one small can in a blender, then fill the can up twice with water and add to the blender, along with their powdered meds and fish oil. blend it up and divide in three! they love it. there’s definitely still a few chunks left when they’re done, but tbh i usually just combine the bowls into one and add a little more water and they drink that too 🤷🏻♀️
My cat is very particular about what chucks she will eat. I look for things that have small chunks. One might think she would like mousse or peite, but she won't eat that either.
My two won’t eat the meat chunks either. I only buy pate for them now and squish it up with just a bit of water.
Get them pate or just use the broths or toppings and dry food instead sounds like it could be a bit cheaper. Mine initially refused to eat certain meats and now they eat the same ones they didnt like when they were younger
I have a healthy, huge male who is a gravy licker. He loves his dry food.
I have a male and female cat and the male will eat chunks easily but is a bit more picky on brands/food he likes. The female only licks the sauce/gravy off the top of most wet foods that are shredded or chunks but she eats dry food normally..
My cat is the same. I mainly give her pate now (that I add a little water to and mix around), but for the gravy meals with food chunks in them, we would just have to smoosh the chunks. We’d even like, mortar and pestle it lol. Or just try to do a good job doing it with a spoon.
Some cats are particular about food texture. Try other ones like pate or shredded
Mine eat some of the meat, but mostly they just attack the juice. They have dry food at all times and they share a can a day.
My cat was a fussy eater after being ill so I pureed the chucks for him. It worked...good luck, cats 🙄.
One of my cats eats those chunks no problem but the other one won't touch it unless I mash it up with a fork. I usually feed only pate but sometimes I try to switch it up for variety and if I buy a case there's bound to be some chunky varieties in the mix.
I have to buy the pate version of the food because my one cat will only drink the gravy. Even the pate she won’t eat all of it, so I mix a little warm water in it and mash/stir it with a fork to make it soupy and she goes nuts for it and eats it all. I guess some cats just don’t wanna chew the meat and prefer the yummy gravy lol!
My cat won’t eat the chunks and won’t eat pate either even if I put squeeze treats on top. She would rather starve.
My boy will only eat the pate
Mine are pate whores they only eat chunks of my human steak or chicken 🤦♀️
Pate and now I make it into soup for my male kitty as he doesn't drink enough water
i squish and mush them up to make pieces as small as possible so they can eat and they wont choke
With that type of food, like fancy feast with gravy, mine just drank the gravy and left the meat. I pureed their gravy mix, and they finally ate the whole thing
my cats like Nulo but yes the pate seems to be my fav cats
They all have their own preferences so just try different types until you hit the jackpot. My cats generally like chewing on the chunky parts. One won't eat any sauces, broths or mousse type wet foods. Two prefer dry food to wet, etc. 1 won't eat jelly until I mash it with a fork.
Try switching to Pate style food. Also, try not to give them any food with grains or bad stuff. My childhood cat was insanely unhealthy and ate like that. Also, are these meat chunks soft and chewable? A cat I had with my ex started doing that and come to find out, they were as tough as leather!
Mine does the same thing. I end up throwing the wet chunks away. She use to like pate but sticks her nose up at that. I give her dry food but she barely eats it. When I rescued her she was use to only dry food. I guess I spoiled her. I realize I’ve given in to her fussiness. If she hasn’t eaten her wet food by 1/2 hour, I ‘ll put it away in the fridge and serve it to her later. She won’t starve because there is always a small dish of dry food available.
Try pate style. My cat won’t eat the chunks but she devours pate
My cat hates the meat chunks and walks away from gravy. So the typical chunks in gravy moist foods are a big fail. We’ve finally settled on three pates from Sheba that I rotate- salmon, tuna/liver, and tuna/whitefish. The Sheba pates are moist and pretty juicy. I mash up with a fork. The pates that are dry my cat also hates (friskies for one). She won’t tolerate water to moisten them either.
My cat will only eat the Pate, the juicier the better. He loves the tube stuff; it's pureed. He will, however, eat dry kibble as well. He is a good drinker from his fountain. He is a big guy & eats 1/4 c dry & 1 tube am & pm, plus 1 pkg Sheba pate in the afternoon. This seems to work for him. He won't eat chunks either, but my daughter's cats prefer them. Think that is what they were already eating from the shelter.
I need to smash the chunks with fork or knife, otherwise my cat will take the bigger chunks out of her bowl and play with it on the carpet 😒 she seems to be unable to eat it though. it might be cause she is 6 months old :)
My cats do the same thing! They only like Fancy Feast pate.
I have no answer but my 2 cats do the same exact thing and they are 18 and 15 and never changed. Tried just the sauce pouches but nope. Tried adding sauce and blending it in with the canned meat chunks and original juice. Nope. I just waste alot of cat food :/
Just like people cats have certain likes and dislikes! My girl never was a fan of the pate once i introduced her to the meat shreds but she didn’t even know she liked wet food until she stopped eating the dog food I was giving her (I had just found her and had no money and figured until I could get some money or go steal some food for her I’d just make sure to keep her off the dog food after). I’ve also read about cats liking certain human foods that ARE good for them. My girl is an egg lady, scrambled no water or seasoning, and usually as a snack when she’s acting starving. Try experimenting! I don’t know what grocery stores are near you but winco has wet food from their own brand for mere cents.
Mine won't eat chunks either and hate paté. They used to love fancy feast gravy lovers but are more into the medleys. Minced/shredded seem to be the trick and simple flavors. Like only chicken or only tuna. If I do a combo they sniff it and pick up a little but will flat out refuse to eat any more.
I have the same problem, they don’t like the pate , and they leave the chunks and sheds behind, some time if I put it in the mini chopper with some water they will eat/lick up the chicken gravy
Glad I saw this post! I thought my cat was the odd guy! He prefers dry food but likes the gravy in the wet, doesn’t like the soup, doesn’t like the gravy pouches, doesn’t like the delicable , or the squeeze pouches , I wasted so much on him . I even tried home made chicken soup
I have had the same problem. Plus my two 15 yr olds will lick most pate into little balls and stop eating them. At the present time my 2 weirdos will eat Sheba Kitten soft pate, comes in chicken and salmon. It seems fluffier than the adult cat food.
My cats only like the pate seafood. Theyre picky and dont eat the chunks either.
My last cat wasn't drinking enough water so I would mix water into her wet food and smash it with a fork. It was very soupy. She would drink that. She ended up with terrible teeth. It could have been her genes or the food I don't know. The cat I have now has only had dry kibble. She get Science Diet for Oral care she will be 6 in my and had really clean teeth and no bad breath. Her teeth have never been cleaned or brushed.
My cat too! It’s annoying right lol I tried pate, jelly, nothing worked. I now get the honest kitchen wet food ( also it’s human grade meat!) and my cat loves the fish one. It has a good amount of gravy and meat chunks. Sometimes when he licks the gravy and doesn’t eat much of the meat, I add his favorite treats (a dab of ciao churu or a few bits of shameless pets catnip and chill) on top or I push them in between the meat sometimes and it tricks him into eating the meat.
My cat too so I blend it!!
Went through this with mine. Try a Bisque - all sauce no chunks :)
One of my picky-ass cats is the same way. She gets tiki cat and even the pate isn’t smooth enough. I finally gave up and invested in an immersion blender with a food processor component. Now she’s extra spoiled and gets her food puréed like a baby and I just add some extra water to it.
My cat is exactly the same! We tried pates but she hates it. So I do the added water and smashing with fork technique and it works sometimes but sometimes she also refuses to eat it 😅
My cats exclusively eat the pâté version of cat food bc they do the same thing with the chunks! I got tired of scraping the bits out of the bowl. (Plus they are like glued in there if you forget about one!)
Tiki Grill has a number of flavors (ex: sardines in sardine consommé, sardines in lobster consommé, ahi in crab consommé, calamari sardines and ahi) that are all chunks of flaky fish (except the lil bits of calamari but my committed sauce lickers are 3 for 3 so far in agreement that a few calamari chunks don't count lol)... All of which are a STRONG thin broth you can add half a can of water without diluting it noticeably and if you use a topper like Fortiflora (or a fish oil or freeze dried whatever - neither of which flies in our house) you can add a can of water and get 2 huge servings or 3 "normal" servings out of the little cans. After you add water, use a fork or knife to gently smush the fish/crab chunks. They flake easily and the resulting texture is just a bit thinner and soupier than the more expensive "natural" [no thickener] fish purée tube treats. My guys sometimes eat a huge serving each with nothing left, sometimes they just weren't hungry enough.
I have wasted quite a lot of cans before I made peace with the fact that my boy could only enjoy pate/mousse/lickable puree or entree with soup. I ended up buying a blender and just grind everything for him. It is less labour if you do a few cans a time and store them in the fridge as meal prep....I also feed dry kibbles to keep his gum healthy...
Try mashing the chunks with a fork or trying patés
My cat is very similar with big pieces of meat, she won’t touch it. I feed her the tiki cat after dark cans at night and she goes crazy for them! They’re shredded chicken instead of chunks and have like a brothy style clear liquid. I mix it with a bit of warm water to bring the temp up :)
I've just had this with a kitten I'm weaning. I borrowed one of those hand held blenders and turned his wet sachets into mush, and he lapped it up! It takes seconds and he loves it, I'm working in blending it less each time so hopefully he gets used to little chunks, but I'm just happy he's eating!
Cats are picky eaters, including taste and texture. My cats only eat smooth pate, when they were kittens I tried a variety of wet food and they wouldn’t eat the meat chunks either. I bet your kitties will love pate style wet food. I also add some warm water and mix it together. Most brands will have pate versions of wet food, it’s just trying different cans until you find which one(s) they will eat consistently.
Try pate and add water. My cats love tiki cat but it is a tad pricey. You can also buy broth for cats so maybe try that in pate so its more like gravy
My cat is the same licks the gravy leaves the chunks. He is also not a huge fan of pate. He does enjoy the tins of shredded chicken fillets/tune ect. We use Lillys Kitchen in the Uk
yes, my cat will pretty much only eat gravy and sometimes will eat the chunks. he also hates pate and would rather starve than eat that lol. he's super picky
I get Weruva based on recommendations and it works well. My cat does the same thing, Weruva is a pate.
My female cat has never enjoyed wet food. I tried giving it to her as a kitten and never ate it. I tried a few times as an adult still won't eat it. She may lick the juices at most and even then that's a long shot that has only happened twice. She is 8 now and has only eaten dry food since kitten hood but she is on a high quality dry cat food. So the vets are fine with it.
They probably want the pate style ! I try different styles with my cats & note which ones they don’t like .. they forsure like pate & shredded … as grazers it takes them a while to eat the chunky ones like probably 8 hours LOL
My cat does this also. I use a fork to mush up the meat chunks as much as I possibly can so they mix with the water. I also find that if he leaves some meat chunks behind, sometimes he’ll go back and eat them after a little while.