Switching your cat’s food will take time, dedication, and patience. The proper plan on how to transition cat food requires scheduled mealtimes, healthy treats, and switching to new foods gradually.
Cats are picky and sensitive to food changes.
Plus, pet food manufacturers spray flavor enhancer palatants on food to entice cats to eat more of it.
This can make transitioning to new foods very difficult for most cat parents.
But I’ve fine-tuned a transition plan specifically formulated for picky cats based on what actually works!
My proper picky cat transition plan focuses on one change per month. And we transition cat food very gradually.
Here’s exactly how to transition cat food:
- Transition your cat to scheduled mealtimes
- Replace cat treats with healthy alternatives
- Upgrade your cat’s meal with healthy food toppers
- Transition to better quality cat food slowly
Check out this guide today or save THIS PIN to your Cat Food board on Pinterest.
Disclaimer: Transition cat food slowly or you will make your cat sick. No matter how good the new food is.
Transition your cat to scheduled mealtimes
Scheduled mealtimes are a crucial first step when you want to transition your cat to better food. These routine mealtimes teach your cat that what you put down is what he eats.
Most cat parents free-feed dry food. Then they try to offer wet food, and their cat refuses. The cat refuses the new food because he knows you’ll cave and put down dry food for later.
The cat is used to having an all-access 24/7 buffet. So he isn’t going to eat the new food. He’d rather hold out for the crunchy cookie buffet.
Is it ok to leave dry food out all day?
No. It is not sanitary or good to leave dry food out all day. All types of food are at risk for growing mold, bacteria, and rancid fats. The longer the food sits out, the more stale and rancid it becomes.
Additionally, cats are not grazing cows. They do not need to munch on food all day. Munching on high-carb dry food all day only promotes hunger and weight gain. So now your cat is more likely to overeat and gain unnecessary weight.
Another reason scheduled mealtimes are more appropriate for cats!
But my cat acts like he’s starving!
Dry food is incredibly high in carbohydrates aka nutrition that your cat can’t use. So technically he is starved of the nutrients that he needs. This is your perfect motivation to transition cat food!
Dry food is the exact opposite of what cats eat in the wild. So we need to transition to better-quality food that matches a mouse. High moisture, high meat-based protein, moderate fat, and low (ideally no) carbs.
Your cat will not act like he’s starving once you’ve transitioned to better-quality food.
Scheduled mealtimes are an important first step. This will prevent your cat from holding out for his carb-heavy cookies.
Replace cat treats with healthy alternatives
I’m sure you’ve wondered what is in cat treats that they love so much.
Most cat treats are just as bad as dry food. They are full of carbohydrates, low-quality meat ingredients, and flavor enhancers.
Healthy cat treats are made with one ingredient: meat.
Freeze-dried raw and dehydrated muscle meats and organs are excellent cat treat options.
We need to get rid of the carb-rich treats to help our cat get used to eating better quality ingredients.
This is an easy and more affordable step than jumping straight into 10 pounds of new food.
Replacing your cat’s treats with healthy alternatives will help your cat get used to eating better-quality ingredients. This makes the transition to new food much easier.
Upgrade your cat’s meal with healthy food toppers
Food toppers are a great next step to help our cats get used to eating better-quality food.
This is another affordable and easy option before you commit to transitioning to your cat’s new food.
Healthy food toppers can also offer a boost of nutrients that your cat isn’t currently getting from his dry food.
Some fresh food is better than no fresh food!
Upgrading your cat’s meal with healthy food toppers offers nutrition and helps your cat get used to eating better-quality ingredients.
Transition to better quality cat food slowly
Now that your cat is eating at scheduled mealtimes, is no longer eating crunchy carb cookie treats, and has a fresh food boost in his meals it’s time to transition cat food slowly.
My picky cat transition plan includes an additional 5% decrease of current food each day and an additional 5% increase of new food each day.
- 95% current food, 5% new food on day 1
- 90% current food, 10% new food on day 2
- 85% current food, 15% new food on day 3
And so on. Start with one meal. And don’t move on to the next meal until meal 1 is 100% new food. Each step will take 20 days.
How do I shop for healthy cat food?
AAFCO is the organization that creates rules and guidelines for pet food manufacturers to follow when creating and labeling their products. If you don’t understand these rules, you don’t understand what you’re buying.
Learn how to read cat food labels properly. That way, you don’t have to rely on anyone else to tell you what to feed your cat.
The best cat food brands all use human-grade quality ingredients, BPA-free packaging, batch test for quality and safety, and are low in carbohydrates.
Learn how to read cat food labels. Then transition cat food slowly once you’ve found healthy human-grade quality cat food.
FAQ
What happens if you switch cat food too fast?
The cat’s digestive system is very sensitive to food changes. So your cat could get sick and develop GI issues if you switch cat food too fast. No matter how good the new food is.
How long does it take for a cat to adjust to new food?
Some cats take longer than others to adjust to new food. Especially if those cats are eating dry food. However, every cat should transition to new foods slowly to avoid picky eating and GI issues.
Can you switch cat food cold turkey?
No. You cannot switch cat food cold turkey. Switching cat food cold turkey can shock your cat’s digestive system. This can cause GI issues like vomiting and diarrhea. Switch cat food slowly to avoid these issues.
Final thoughts on how to transition cat food
How to transition cat food properly comes down to gradual upgrades in your cat’s mealtimes.
Cats are sensitive to food changes, and they are also picky about new foods.
But we can see success switching from dry to wet or raw when we follow a proven picky cat transition plan.
Ready to feed your picky cat better? Start my transition plan here.
