This is a specific conversation about Senior cat food — what they need as they age — ask about yours and get one honest answer for your exact situation.
inparticular.ai
Three refused bags of senior dry food is genuinely exhausting — and honestly, it might be telling you something useful. Senior cats often do better on wet food anyway: it's easier to chew, far better for hydration, and gentler on kidneys that are starting to work harder with age. The right food really does depend on what's going on health-wise, though. How old is your cat exactly, do they have any diagnosed conditions like kidney disease or joint issues, and what have you been trying to feed them so far?
She's 9, a Russian Blue. No diagnosed conditions yet — last vet check was fine. I've tried Hills Science Plan Senior, Royal Canin Ageing 12+, and some Purina one. She sniffs them and walks away. Currently she's just eating her old adult dry food because I don't know what else to do.
inparticular.ai
Good news: no kidney disease or other conditions means you have real flexibility. The pattern you're describing — sniffing and walking away — is classic texture and smell aversion. Dry kibble, especially reformulated senior versions, often smells quite different from what a cat is used to, and Russian Blues in particular can be notoriously opinionated about food. The brands you've tried are all decent but they're all dry, and they all have a fairly similar texture. I'd stop trying to win that battle and switch formats entirely. What's your feeling about moving to wet food?
I'm open to it. I always assumed dry was better for teeth but maybe that's not true? I just want her to actually eat something age-appropriate.
inparticular.ai
The dry-food-for-teeth thing is largely a myth — it does very little for dental health unless it's a specifically formulated dental diet. Wet food is genuinely better for a 9-year-old cat: higher hydration, higher protein, easier to eat, and much more aromatic which matters enormously for fussy cats. My recommendation is Animonda Carny Senior — it's a high-meat wet food made with real named meat sources, good protein levels, and reduced phosphorus which is exactly right for a cat heading into her senior years. Crucially, it has a strong, genuine meat smell that converted a lot of previously fussy cats. Start with a mixed pack so you can test which proteins she prefers — beef, chicken, and turkey are all in the range.
That sounds promising. Do I need to do a gradual transition or can I just swap straight over since she's basically been refusing the dry food anyway?
inparticular.ai
Since she's already not really eating the dry food, you can make a fairly direct swap — there's no established diet to gradually move away from. Just offer the Animonda Carny Senior at room temperature, not cold from the fridge, because that really does affect smell and palatability. Give it three or four days across a couple of flavours before you draw conclusions. If she's hesitant the first time, try warming it slightly with a splash of warm water. Russian Blues sometimes need a day or two to accept something new even when they actually like it — they're cautious by nature.
Really helpful, thank you. Should I keep any dry food around as a backup or just commit fully to wet?
inparticular.ai
Commit fully, at least for the first couple of weeks. If dry is available she may hold out for it and you'll never know if the wet food would have worked. Once she's happily eating the Animonda Carny Senior, you could introduce a small amount of a quality senior dry as an optional topper or treat if you want variety — but honestly, many cats do perfectly well on wet food alone, and at 9 years old it's probably the better long-term choice for her kidneys and hydration anyway.
