Freeze-dried raw toppers for Exotic Shorthairs

Adding freeze-dried raw toppers to an existing wet food routine is a smart move — it layers in extra protein, natural enzymes, and variety without the full commitment of a raw diet. Exotic Shorthairs are prone to kidney issues and urinary problems, so keeping moisture intake high with good wet food as the base is exactly the right instinct. To point you toward the best topper: what wet food are you currently using, and does your cat have any known health issues or sensitivities I should know about?

Applaws is a solid base — high meat content, minimal filler, so you're already ahead of most. The fussiness is the key variable here. With a picky cat, the texture and smell of the topper matters as much as the ingredients. Some freeze-dried options are quite intense in smell, which can actually work in your favour with a hesitant eater — or completely backfire. I'd also want to know: does she tend to prefer fish or poultry flavours, and does she eat her food at room temperature or straight from the fridge?

Good to know. Room temperature actually helps with freeze-dried toppers because the aroma blooms more, which is often what converts a fussy cat. For a fish-preferring Exotic Shorthair with no health issues, I'd go with Natures Menu Freeze Dried Raw Nuggets in Salmon. They crumble easily over wet food, the ingredient list is clean — salmon, offal, salmon oil — and the fish smell is pronounced enough to interest a picky eater without being overwhelming. Sprinkle three or four crumbled nuggets over her Applaws to start, rather than a full serving, so she's encountering something familiar with just a hint of new. Do that for five or six days before increasing the amount.

For a cat already eating wet food, I'd keep them dry and crumbled. The slight textural contrast — soft wet food with a bit of crunch — tends to intrigue cats rather than put them off. Rehydrating is more useful if you're using toppers as a standalone meal or transitioning a dry-food-only cat. Since your base is already moist, dry crumbles work perfectly and it's less faff for you too. Just make sure any uneaten food with toppers added is cleared within an hour or two — freeze-dried raw rehydrates quickly from the wet food moisture and shouldn't sit around.

Once she's accepted them, around four to six nuggets per meal is a reasonable maintenance amount for a four-year-old cat her size — Exotic Shorthairs are medium-built, so I'm assuming she's somewhere between 3.5 and 5kg. That gives you the nutritional boost without the topper becoming the majority of her intake. Keep Applaws as the bulk of the meal. If at any point you want to increase further, just keep an eye on stool consistency — loose stools are the first sign you've pushed the raw content up too fast.