My cat Jasper is a very picky eater. She likes Purina One (dry) and Friskies(wet). This is what she ate since she was a kitten. I don't like to purchase these products, because I don't like the companies. I am pretty sure they test on animals and I am sure the quality of their isn't very good. I have tried switch her to healthier food, like organic raw and all different brands of organics. She won't have any of that. If it isn't her usual food, she will try to bury it (she doesn't understand that you can't bury things that are on the kitchen floor). My husband thinks it is wrong to try and switch her food. She is a healthy and vibrant kitty.

I am a raw-vegan myself and this is the one area that of my consumerism that I feel inclined to go against my morals. I know some people feed their cats vegan food, but this seems weird to me. I know most cat food isn't exactly 'natural'. A cats natural food are small birds and rodents, not cooked beef. On the other hand, cats are definitely carnivorous, unlike humans (judging by the great apes). It seems wrong to me to deprive my cat of meat, as much as I would love my little Jasper to be vegan. I wish I could feel better about the food I give her. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to change her diet to an organic one? I want her to be happy.

I don't really have any suggestions just wanted to say that cats can't survive on a vegan diet anyway. I think dogs can, but not cats. I was thinking of feeding my cat raw fish (I think fish is healthier than other meat) but I don't know if I can afford it . . .

Your cat can be raw, but not vegan. Cats are carnivores, as you said, and they need taurine, which they get from meat. If they don't get taurine, they will go blind.

From Wikipedia: "Taurine is essential for cat health, as cats cannot synthesize the compound. The absence of taurine causes a cat's retina to slowly degenerate, causing eye problems and (eventually) irreversible blindness as well as hair loss and tooth decay. This condition is called central retinal degeneration (CRD). In addition, taurine deficiency can cause feline dilated cardiomyopathy, and supplementation can reverse left ventricular systolic dysfunction. Taurine is now a requirement of the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) and any dry or wet food product labeled approved by the AAFCO should have a minimum of 0.1% taurine."

One way to transition cats to different food is to add a little bit of the new food to the old and gradually increase the amount of the new food ... however, some cats won't fall for that.

One of my cats is picky too. I switched to EVO (a high quality cat food that is very high protein, very low in carbohydrates, contains no grains and is made of real meat instead of bones and hoofs and nasty stuff like that). One cat loves the food, the picky one is, well, picking at it. I know that she is not going to allow herself to starve to death; when she gets hungry enough, she will eat what's there, and in fact, I do see her eating the food. She just likes the old food better.

You are doing the right thing to improve your cat's diet. If you want to make your own food for your cat, check out Dr. Michael Fox's site:

[tedeboy.tripod.com]

There is a recipe for home-made cat food.