My kitten won't touch wet food

Jasper is 5 and usually a solid eater. He's a dsh and very hyperactive, so I don't think he's sick. But for the last three days, he has completely ignored his wet food. I've tried different flavors, warmed it up, even put it on his favorite ceramic plate. Nothing. He just stares at it. Is he trying to manipulate me into buying more dry food? Because I'm done with that game.

Before assuming it's manipulation, check if he's eating the dry food. If he's refusing all food, that's a different issue. If it's just wet food, have you looked at his mouth? Cats can develop dental issues that make soft food painful to chew or lick. I wrote up a thread on this recently: Dental issues causing food refusal. Take a look at that and see if any of the signs match what you're seeing in Jasper.

My Kettle is a 3-year-old tabby who had a similar phase. It wasn't dental, it was just texture. I started mixing a little wet food into his dry kibble. He ate the mix, then I increased the wet ratio over a week. It's a slow process but it works better than trying to force him to eat straight wet. Also, make sure he's not stressed. New furniture, a different routine, even a loud neighbor can affect appetite. Stress and sudden loss of appetite covers a lot of the environmental triggers.

Rango (2yo tabby, shy) did this last month. It turned out he was just being a brat because I moved his food bowl. Cats are weird. I tried the mixing trick RiverKettle mentioned and it helped, but honestly, I just gave up and let him have dry for a few days. He came back to wet on his own. Don't stress too much if he's still drinking water and acting normal otherwise.

He's drinking water fine and still zoomies around the house at 3am. So not totally sick. I did check his teeth quickly, no obvious redness or bad breath. But I'm worried about the long term. If he stops getting the nutrients from wet food, is that bad? I saw Transitioning Peanut to wet food earlier and it seemed like a big deal for terri69's cat. Is Jasper too old to be a picky eater?

5 years isn't old, but it's not a kitten either. The concern with wet food is hydration and specific protein sources. If he's eating dry, he's getting calories, but you need to ensure he's drinking enough water. Consider adding a water fountain. Also, look at the ingredient list. If he's used to a specific protein (like chicken) and you switched to fish, that could be the issue. Have you tried going back to the exact brand and flavor he ate last week?

One more thing. If he's an outdoor cat or has access to a yard, check for predators or new animals in the area. Sometimes a cat will stop eating because they feel unsafe. Jasper is a dsh, right? They are sensitive. If this continues for more than 48 hours, call your vet. It's better to be safe than sorry.