This is a specific conversation about Senior cat care — what changes and what helps — ask about yours and get one honest answer for your exact situation.
inparticular.ai
A 12-year-old Burmese who's tried and rejected every wet food you've offered — that's genuinely one of the trickier situations in senior cat care, because wet food really does matter at this age. Cats age more gracefully than dogs in some respects, but Burmese especially are prone to kidney disease, hyperthyroidism, dental disease, and arthritis as they get older, and wet food helps with hydration and kidney support in a way dry simply can't replicate. Before I dig in: how long has she been dry-food-only, what wet foods have you actually tried, and is there anything health-wise you're already keeping an eye on?
She's been dry-only for about two years. I've tried probably six or seven different wet foods — pouches, trays, pâté, chunks in gravy — she sniffs and walks away. The vet mentioned her kidney values are slightly elevated at her last check, nothing serious yet but worth watching. That's what's prompted this.
inparticular.ai
Slightly elevated kidney values at 12 is exactly the kind of early warning that's worth acting on now, not later. That changes my thinking here — kidney support becomes the priority, not just getting more moisture in. Before I suggest anything, I want to understand the rejections better. When she walks away, is it immediate — like she smells it and leaves — or does she take a few bites and then stop? And with the dry food she does eat, do you know if it's a particular brand or flavour she's loyal to?
It's pretty much immediate. She smells it and walks off. She's been on Royal Canin Indoor for years and she won't deviate from it.
inparticular.ai
That tells me a lot. The immediate rejection is almost certainly texture and smell aversion — she's deeply imprinted on the low-moisture, neutral scent of her Royal Canin dry food, and wet food smells completely different to her. The good news is that Royal Canin loyalty is actually something you can work with. My recommendation is to switch her dry food to Royal Canin Renal dry — it's formulated specifically for cats with compromised kidney function, it reduces phosphorus and protein load on the kidneys, and because it's still dry and still Royal Canin, the transition is far more likely to go smoothly than anything involving a texture change. It won't solve the hydration side on its own, but supporting kidney function through diet is the most important lever you have right now, and it's one she'll actually eat.
That makes sense. Is there anything I can do alongside that to get more water into her, given she's refusing wet food?
inparticular.ai
Yes — a cat water fountain makes a meaningful difference for cats like her. Many cats who ignore a still water bowl will drink regularly from moving water, and increased water intake directly supports kidney function. The Catit Flower Fountain is widely available, quiet, and well-tolerated by fussy cats. Running the fountain near but not next to her food bowl (cats prefer their water source away from food) tends to work best. It won't replace wet food, but combined with the Royal Canin Renal dry, you're covering both the dietary and hydration angles as much as you realistically can with a cat who won't eat wet.
Should I check with my vet before switching to the Renal food, given she's only borderline at the moment?
inparticular.ai
Yes, worth a quick call. Royal Canin Renal is a veterinary diet and your vet may want to confirm the kidney values justify it now — some prefer to hold off until the cat is more clearly in kidney disease territory, others recommend the switch early. Given she's already flagged the values, I'd expect them to be supportive, but it's a ten-minute conversation that means you're managing it properly rather than guessing. Take the food name with you and ask specifically about her creatinine and SDMA numbers — those will tell you and the vet exactly where she sits.
