I would like to switch my cat to a less processed diet. I bought a dried food that has no by-products or corn products. I am trying to integrate chicken and shrimp (aka "human food" into her diet by combining it with her regular canned food for now and then weaning her off of the canned.

I am a little concerned for her because she really doesn't seem to favor the "human" food (for years I was so happy that she never got into the habit of wanting "my" food instead of hers" but that was before I started understanding exactly what went into HER food). She is older and already a little underweight (just came back from a nasty URI). She will occasionally eat jarred baby food, so I took the human food I cooked for her and pureed it so it is the same consistency. I've been spoonfeeding her the pureed food (she fights me a bit but generally will keep it down)and then when I go to work, I leave out a little bit of the canned food that she is used to and will eat on her own. I also have been supplementing her with NutriCal.

I really need some advice on how long it takes to really make the switch from canned to human food and if there are any tricks I can use to make it more tempting for her. And how do I make sure I am giving her enough? With a younger cat, I wouldn't worry about them losing a little bit of weight and than adjusting accordingly, but I just started getting weight back on her after her illness. I don't want to compromise her health by experimenting!

Also, I know that canned tuna has been labeled as having mercury issues. Is this something I should avoid feeding her (she does tend to like fishy stuff more than poultry)? What other types of fish can I give her safely?

Thanks so much in advance for any tips!

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