How to Get Your Cat to Take Their Supplements
Unfortunately, with a cat, we hit a bit of a wall when we deal with food or supplement refusal, and are limited in the change we can create if we cannot get our supplements into the body. It is important to understand the primary reasons for a cat's hesitance surrounding new foods or supplements so we can determine the proper approach to take.
Cats begin to learn what is safe to consume as young kittens from their Mother. After this period, a cat's fear of eating new things is called neophobia, which is a natural, survival-based instinct to avoid potentially harmful or unfamiliar substances. We feel it is important to note that a cat's refusal to try a new supplement is often a symptom of neophobia, not necessarily a dislike of the supplement itself.
Cats can also struggle with illness-induced inappetence, and this is a response by the body to prioritize an immune response to an illness over digestion (digestion is an energy-intensive process). Ultimately, all cats are detectives with a keen sense of smell, able to identify ingredient changes and bacterial differences. This is why we can't always get away with simply moving them right over to a new supplement regimen with the same speed and ease we typically see with dogs.
It takes time for a neophobic cat to accept a new item in their diet, sometimes up to three weeks. This does not at all mean it is impossible to do. It does however mean that for many feline parents, a very dedicated, patient and diligent effort may be required.
We will want to begin a new supplement with an adaptive phase, which is the introduction of something new slowly, gradually increasing at a pace that works for the individual. A cat's senses of smell and taste are closely connected in the brain, meaning scent is crucial for a cat to decide if it will eat something. This behavior may explain why a cat does not return to eat food that has been sitting out for a period as their neophobia instructs them to avoid spoiled or potentially dangerous items.
When introducing powdered supplements to a cat you should begin with the smallest pinch and mix into the meal well. Almost such a small amount it would go unnoticed because it is the scent we have to get past. If, after two days, the small pinch has been tolerated, we increase to a larger pinch for another day or two. If all is well then you would move up to 1/4 the recommended dose of the supplement in the meal for another two to three days slowly increasing the serving size up to the full suggested serving size as your cat adapts.
This same practice applies when using liquid herbal remedies. However, instead of a pinch you would use one drop in the morning meal for two days, then one drop in the morning and evening meal and so on until the proper serving is reached for your size cat.
Of course every single animal is different, and we do not want to interfere with an animal that may be ill from eating their meal all together. Due to a cat’s neophobia we may not want to interfere with their regular meals and instead place their supplement or herbal remedy in a treat food separate and prior to their main meal. This approach is also necessary if you feed your cat a dry, kibble diet (please consider feeding a wet raw or canned diet to your feline - they need the moisture in their diet). When using a treat food provide the smallest amount that works so your cat will completely ingest the food along with the supplement.
Below we offer some suggestions for treat foods into which you mix supplements and herbal remedies. Try a few different choices and find what works best for your cat.
Great Treat Food Choices
- Cooked meat rolled into a small ball
- Raw meat rolled into a small ball
- Bone broth
- Goat's milk
- Yogurt - preferably organic and sugar-free
- Baby food - as natural as possible
- Applaws - Consider the mousse or pate for easier mixing.
https://applaws.com/us/
- Inaba Churu yogurt type treats (very popular - use in moderation)
https://inabafoods.com/cats/churu/