How to Get a Picky Cat to Take a Supplement

Here's how to give a cat a supplement, even a picky one. Check with your vet first, then choose a format your cat already likes. Offer the full amount in a small portion they will finish, kept apart from their regular meal.

That first step matters more than it sounds. Cornell's Feline Health Center says supplements are usually not necessary for a cat on a complete and balanced diet, and should never be given without a veterinarian's approval.

Does my cat need a supplement at all?

Often not. AAFCO, the Association of American Feed Control Officials, says healthy cats fed a complete and balanced diet for their life stage do not need supplements.

It also explains the reason for caution. Adding a supplement to a complete diet risks going over the upper limits for some nutrients. AAFCO singles out vitamin D as having a fairly small gap between what's needed and what's toxic.

The Merck Veterinary Manual agrees that nutritional supplements are not required, and may be harmful in some cases. Our guide on whether cats need vitamins goes through the nutrients one by one.

If your vet does suggest one, AAFCO's advice is to use the dose your vet gives and follow the label directions. The rest of this guide is about getting that dose into your cat calmly.

Why are cats so fussy about new flavors?

Part of the answer is in their genes. A 2005 study in PLoS Genetics found that cats lack a working version of one of the two genes needed for the sweet taste receptor. Unlike most mammals, they may be unable to taste sugar at all.

The same researchers note that cats respond to salty, sour and bitter tastes, and to amino acids, the building blocks of protein. Cats generally avoid tastes that seem bitter or very sour to people, and they show a preference for selected amino acids.

A 2023 study in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association tested 10 commercial flavorings on 46 healthy cats at home. As the AAFP summarized it, the base mattered most: oil-based flavors were rejected in 60% of samples, water-based ones in 85%.

Two more findings stand out. Sweet water-based flavors were the least accepted of all. And the owners were not good at predicting which flavors their own cats would like.

Texture plays a part too. Cornell notes that dry food may be less palatable to a cat than moist or semi-moist food, and that some cats become very selective about what they'll accept.

Which supplement format is easiest for a cat?

Supplements come in most of the same forms as oral medicines. The Merck Veterinary Manual describes how each one is given:

• Powders dissolve quickly and are usually mixed into food. Merck points out that the animal has to eat all of that food to get the whole dose.
• Liquids and pastes go in by syringe or spoon, which lets you measure the right amount. Pastes are thicker, and flavoring may be added.
• Chewable tablets are sometimes flavored to taste better to pets.
• Capsules hide bad tastes, which is why they are used for bitter drugs.

For cats who resist one form, the AAFP's advice for oral products is to consider other options, such as smaller tablets, capsules or flavored chews, and to choose products designed with cats in mind.

Given the flavor and texture findings above, a savory, moist format may be an easier place to start than a dry tablet.

One option in that format is the Squeeze Vita Stick Variety Pouch: seven creamy 15 g sticks, each made with two proteins from chicken, salmon, tuna, pollack and lobster, plus a vegetable and a fruit.

The label says it can be squeezed straight from the stick, into a small bowl, or over food, and it is made for cats and dogs 12 months and older. Our comparison of supplement sticks, chews or powders covers each format in more depth.

How to give a cat a supplement in food without putting them off

Use a small portion, and make it something other than the usual dinner. The AAFP recommends a different food source if you are hiding something in food, so it doesn't disrupt your cat's usual eating.

The Merck Veterinary Manual gives the reason. Mixing medication into food could have the accidental effect of causing cats to avoid their food. The same caution makes sense for a supplement with a strong smell or taste.

Keep the portion small enough to be finished in one go. Merck's point about powders applies to anything mixed in: the dose only counts if every bit is eaten.

Here is a simple order built on those sources:

1. Ask your vet whether the supplement can be given with food, and how much to give.
2. Offer a tiny taste of the plain carrier food first. Owners in the 2023 flavor study often guessed wrong, so watch what your cat actually does.
3. Mix the full dose into a spoonful of that food, away from the regular bowl.
4. Stay nearby until it's gone, so you know the whole amount went in.
5. Offer the regular meal as normal, untouched.

Cornell's reason for protecting that main meal is serious: it warns that a cat that refuses to eat can develop serious medical problems.

How do I make it a routine my cat accepts?

Treat it like training. The AAFP position statement on positive reinforcement says rewards must come within 3 seconds, so you don't reward whatever happens next by accident.

The reward has to be something that particular cat wants, and it can vary between cats. The AAFP lists treats, catnip, interactive play, and petting or grooming as common favorites.

The AAFP is equally clear on the other side: physical punishment should never be used with cats. It notes that punishment can cause fear and stress, and damage the bond between you.

Keep the rest of the day predictable. The AAFP encourages caregivers to keep feeding times, cleaning, interactions and medication times consistent, and it is frank that giving anything by mouth is real work for the caregiver.

If you're also giving tablets, our guide on how to give a cat a pill covers the hands-on technique.

Call your vet promptly if:

• your cat stops eating their regular food, or eats much less, after you start a supplement
• you're unsure of the dose, or the label and your vet's advice don't match
• your cat takes any medicine or eats a prescribed diet, since the AAFP specifically warns against disrupting a cat's usual eating
• you're tempted to use a human product. AAFCO says animal feed supplements are not like human dietary supplements, and Merck lists xylitol among possibly toxic ingredients in human supplements

Questions new cat parents ask

Can I mix a supplement into my cat's wet food?

Ask your vet first. If they agree, the AAFP suggests a different food from the usual meal, and Merck notes that the whole portion has to be eaten for the full dose.

Do cats like sweet flavors?

They may not be able to taste them. The 2005 PLoS Genetics study found cats lack a working sweet receptor, and in the 2023 flavor study, sweet water-based flavors were the least accepted.

What if my cat refuses the supplement?

Don't force it. Ask your vet about another format, such as a capsule, a liquid or a flavored chew, which is the route the AAFP suggests when one form isn't working.

Can I give my cat a human supplement?

Not without your vet. AAFCO warns that animal feed supplements are not like human dietary supplements, and human products can contain ingredients such as xylitol that Merck flags as possibly toxic.

Sources

• Cornell Feline Health Center: Feeding Your Cat
• AAFCO: Supplements
• Merck Veterinary Manual: Feeding Practices in Small Animals
• Merck Veterinary Manual: Giving Medicine to a Cat
• Merck Veterinary Manual: How Drugs Are Given to Animals
• Merck Veterinary Manual: Toxicoses in Animals From Human Multivitamins and Supplements
• Li X, et al. Pseudogenization of a Sweet-Receptor Gene Accounts for Cats' Indifference toward Sugar. PLoS Genetics, 2005
• AAFP: February 2023 Timely Topics, summarizing Nichelason AE, et al. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 2023
• AAFP: Chronic Pain Toolkit, Patient Support
• AAFP: Positive Reinforcement of Cats Position Statement

This article is for general information and is not veterinary advice. Talk to your vet about your own cat — they know the animal in front of them.