struggling to switch my cat to wet food

I am really struggling with getting Milo to eat anything other than dry kibble. He is a 2-year-old British Shorthair and lately I have noticed some hair loss patches on his flank. My vet said it could be stress or diet related, and suggested I try increasing his hydration by moving him to wet food. But every time I put a dish of wet food next to his dry food, he ignores it completely. I am worried about his skin and I want to make this transition happen without upsetting his stomach. Has anyone else had a cat that refused to switch?

I had a similar issue with my black cat Shadow when he was younger. He was very picky. What worked for me was starting with a very thin layer of wet food mixed into the dry kibble. I used the method I found in this thread about switching from kibble to wet. It took about two weeks to get to a full bowl of wet food. Also, make sure the wet food is warm, not cold from the fridge. Cats often prefer the smell of food that is room temperature or slightly warm.

That is a good suggestion, RiverPrairie. I have a grey cat named Star who is 3 and has a very sensitive stomach. When I tried to change her food, I always looked for options in this thread about wet food for sensitive tummies to avoid any ingredients that might cause diarrhea. It is worth trying a few different textures too. Some cats like the gravy style, others prefer the chunky style. Milo might just need to find the one he likes.

My mainecoon Loki is a total foodie and I use the trick of adding a little bit of the wet food on top of the dry kibble to make it smell better. I read in this thread about getting cats to drink more water that the extra moisture in the wet food really helps with kidney health long term. If Milo is refusing it, maybe try feeding him in a quiet room where he feels safe. Stress can make cats picky about food too.

Thank you all for the tips. I tried the mixing method today with a little warmth and he actually ate a few bites of the mixture! It was not a huge amount but it was a start. I will keep working on it slowly. I just posted an update in this thread about update on milo's skin to track the progress of the patches while we do this diet change.