cat can't seem to chew hard food

by Elizabeth
(St.Louis)

I work for a family that inherited a senior,Siamese, female cat who years back had a tumor removed from somewhere in or around her mouth. Her lower lip sticks out funny even and when i watch her try and eat the hard food they put out for her, she is not chewing it. She does not really like the food when it has been moistened with water or broth. So, I purchased canned food for her and she devours it. She almost seems to be ravenous.
The family has never had a cat before and has no idea how to handle this situation, so I am reaching out to try and find some help. The cat is about 13 years old. I have explained that her teeth could be bad or missing, etc. ( i am 50 and have had cats my entire life) They are afraid of her getting fat (she is skinny) which I just laugh at.
Any ideas as to what we can feed her so that she is satisfied? Please help.

RESPONSE:

You have done exactly what any caring animal lover would do. You saw she had a problem with chewing and supplied moist, canned food that she could handle.

The cat won't get fat from having moist, canned food given in reasonable portions daily. Explain to the owners that if she did gain a bit of weight
it would be healthy. And, if she gained more than they liked, the portions could be lowered.

It sounds like her weight is lower because she had such a difficult time eating hard food.

I compliment you for seeing the problem and trying to solve it. Hopefully, you can convince the owners to continue to help her by providing the moister canned diet.

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Jun 13, 2020

Cat's eat meat
by: MF4Mark

Cat's are obligate carnivores. That means they do not eat fruits, nuts, berries, vegetables, seeds or grains. Unless you're talking about overcooked or grilled meat, a cat has no cause to chew hard food. If it's crunchy food, you probably have no business feeding it to the cat as it will make them ill in the long run.

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