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On face value that stuff looks fine, though the articles posted above are certainly rather distressing. Personally, the biggest problem I have with that diet are all the scientifically invalid claims - better fertility, longer life, less disease, etc., has not been shown to actually occur on raw diets. The only research I've seen cited by raw food advocates are old studies from pre 1970, which tend to have many problems associated with the research done and the conclusions reached as compared to what happens in 2014. Who feeds their cats boiled chicken and powdered milk anyway? I'm pretty meh about garlic in pet food, and advertising "Vitamin C yay!" is dumb because dogs and cats make their own Vitamin C, and it's really only people (and some primates I think) and Guinea Pigs that need a supplemental source. I don't know if they're trying to use it as a preservative or what and just trying to make it look good in marketing. If you get Fancy Feast down there, then the Flaked Fish and Shrimp Feast is something to consider. It is drat high in protein (basically no carbs), good ingredient list, doesn't break the bank, and it's a different consistency to see if that what your cat wants: http://www.fancyfeast.com/gourmet-cat-products/wet-cat-food/flaked/fish-shrimp-feast
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Aug 20, 2014 05:27
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Thank you The Blue Bunny and HelloSailorSign for your help! So glad to hear the perspective of another Australian - I'll have to check my local petbarn to see if they have that shredded chicken one. I had seen the Dine kitten food in coles and wasn't keen on it for the same reason I wasn't keen on the science diet - apparently would need to feed tonnes of cans per day and it didn't look to me to be an improvement on the fancy feast (which he loves). I'll be keeping an eye out for those other brands too! As for the links posted about the raw food - I was aware of the issue with the fresh pet meat having tonnes of sulphite preservatives in it and causing problems. I thought I knew which brands were the main culprits but one of those articles mentioned a brand which had sulphites in it despite advertising as "preservative free", which got me worried so I emailed the company who makes the rolls I'd been feeding my kitten. A rep got back to me and told me that their company does not use sulfur preservatives in any of their products (and the rolls are pasteurised, so are apparently not really raw), so there is that... Oh yeah, I did see all those claims and just attributed them to marketing spin. Just to reiterate, I wasn't interested in feeding my cat this stuff because I think raw food is superior (I honestly don't have an opinion on it and don't feel knowledgeable enough to have an opinion...). I just want not-kibble to be a bigger part of the kitten's diet and this is one he seems to consistently want to eat a lot of, which isn't the same for almost all the canned food I tried - he'll eat a decent amount some days but just have a nibble other days. Except fancy feast, he's always up for that, the farty little scamp. It has occurred to me if I took away his dry food he might eat more wet food, but I like leaving it out, for now at least, because I'm out of the house for quite long hours and he's only little. We do indeed have fancy feast here... but apparently that flavour is not in our catalogue.  (Can be seen here, if you feel like scrolling through millions of flavours of cat food: https://fancyfeast.com.au/recipes/ ) Bummer.Still, it looks like I have some options. Apparently the vets all natural log isn't too bad, he will eat wellness core sometimes, and I have the brands that the blue bunny linked to look out for and see if he likes any of them better. I do have a question about the importance of the typical analysis vs ingredient list, because I still don't really feel clued in: I find myself comparing all the foods to wellness core because its what I bought first. It has nice ingredients, the protein is 12%, fat 7.5%. The turkey flavoured kitten fancy feast has pretty average ingredients, protein 11%, fat 6%. I've noticed there are some brands with nice sounding ingredients and which are recommended on the net as good quality foods, such as Artemis and some of the flavours of Felidae (both in the links posted earlier by The Blue Bunny), which have a lower percentage of protein, such as 9%. Is there a big difference between 9% and 12% protein and is that indicative of a difference in the quality of the food? (Since canned food is about 80% moisture and thus only 20% "food", of that 20%, one brand is about 60% protein and the other only about 45%, right?) Even with the cheaper foods, I don't recall seeing any with less than about 8-9% protein. I'm interested in this especially with regards to feeding a kitten, which I thought might need more protein than an adult cat (all the food I've looked at is either for kittens or all life stages). RiverPebble fucked around with this message at 17:00 on Aug 23, 2014 |
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Aug 23, 2014 16:47
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There's great advice here about raw cat food so I was hoping y'all could help me figure out if this is safe/advisable for my two indoor-only cats (ages 13 and 3). I recently found a place nearby that sells Rad Cat - it's frozen so I defrost it in the fridge overnight then feed it to my cats the next day. The ingredients are: Certified organic, free-range chicken thigh and leg meat, certified organic, free-range chicken heart, certified organic free-range chicken liver, filtered water, organic egg yolk, organic eggshell calcium, organic kelp, organic dulse, gelatin, organic psyllium husk powder, wild Alaskan salmon oil, manganese gluconate. I'm still giving them dry food overnight and little bits throughout the day and do not intend to take them fully raw. Is this okay, or should I stick to canned+dry food only?
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Aug 27, 2014 10:17
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Hey food thread! My two cats are refusing to eat Kirkland brand stuff because they're jerks. What other foods are in that price/quality range?
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Aug 27, 2014 23:45
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Lovelyn posted:There's great advice here about raw cat food so I was hoping y'all could help me figure out if this is safe/advisable for my two indoor-only cats (ages 13 and 3). If they tolerate it fine and you nor anyone you expect to come in contact with the cats are immunocompromised, and you don't care about the extra cost, then go for it. Does it have a USDA certified organic thingy? I don't like their FAQ section (especially their part about how there's "debate" about the role of phosphorous and protein in advanced kidney disease) so I wouldn't buy their stuff because I don't like the company, but that's just me being silly.
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Aug 28, 2014 06:09
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HelloSailorSign posted:If they tolerate it fine and you nor anyone you expect to come in contact with the cats are immunocompromised, and you don't care about the extra cost, then go for it. Does it have a USDA certified organic thingy? Thank you so much for responding! They absolutely love the food. Re: immunocompromise, we are visiting my in-laws' cats this weekend, who are indoor/outdoor and likely not up-to-date on everything but otherwise healthy. I am still feeding my cats dry food in addition to the raw stuff - do you think that's enough to keep them safe? Regarding the USDA certified, the label says USDA-inspected and they have this AAFCO analysis linked on their site: http://www.radfood.com/site/1934radf/LabAnalysis2013b.pdf What do you think?
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Aug 28, 2014 09:14
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Lovelyn posted:Thank you so much for responding! They absolutely love the food. Re: immunocompromise, we are visiting my in-laws' cats this weekend, who are indoor/outdoor and likely not up-to-date on everything but otherwise healthy. I am still feeding my cats dry food in addition to the raw stuff - do you think that's enough to keep them safe? Nah, it's nothing to be vaccinated against, just bacterial growth on raw food. Most raw companies will proclaim loudly about third party bacterial whatever, and that may be true right as it is produced, but after it is transported (and may experience variable temperatures), dealt with at the store (with some temperature variation), and finally being purchased and brought home (with varying temperatures until back into a freezer) there is going to be bacterial growth. Most of the time a normal animal will be just fine. However, immunocompromised animals or people might be more susceptible to catching whatever bugs are on the food - which are then in the cat's GI tract/groomed onto the hair. AAFCO and vet nutritionists (or Crooked Booty depending on the day) are the ones who do the heavy thinking about the analyses. Looks fine briefly. I may go through it a little later. Edit: And if you happen to live in Arkansas and buy you Pedigree dog food from the Dollar store, there's a  recall! (Of 22 bags) http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm411789.htm
HelloSailorSign fucked around with this message at 19:04 on Aug 28, 2014 |
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Aug 28, 2014 18:44
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I've got a massively enviromental allergies and food sensitive dog. She cannot tolerate chicken at all, and can only kind of maybe tolerate turkey and duck if the stars align. I've got her on Blue Basics Salmon and Potato, but I'm wondering if that's as good quality as the other Blue Buffalo lines. Or if there's a better quality food out there I could be feeding her, for a comparable price. She's a toy sized mix, so I can go a slight bit pricier, since a bag of food tends to last her forever. If anyone knows and could give me some advice there, that'd be great.
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Sep 3, 2014 22:49
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AngryRobotsInc posted:I've got a massively enviromental allergies and food sensitive dog. She cannot tolerate chicken at all, and can only kind of maybe tolerate turkey and duck if the stars align. I've got her on Blue Basics Salmon and Potato, but I'm wondering if that's as good quality as the other Blue Buffalo lines. Or if there's a better quality food out there I could be feeding her, for a comparable price. She's a toy sized mix, so I can go a slight bit pricier, since a bag of food tends to last her forever. Depending on where you are, and whether your dog has issues with peas or sweet potato or flaxseed (you can google these and get their ingredient lists)... Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Diet has a few varieties with no poultry, no poultry fat, and no grains. No small-breed formulas (small bites only), low protein, no glucosamine, no probiotics. Blue Buffalo Basics Grain-Free has a lamb-based small-breed formula, low protein, glucosamine, and probiotics. Castor & Pollux Natural Ultramix Grain-Free and Poultry-Free formula is high protein, but not small breed, no glucosamine, no probiotics. Merrick Grain Free Real Pork & Sweet Potato is high protein, but not small breed, has glucosamine & chondroitin, has probiotics. Wellness Core Grain-Free Ocean is high protein, not small breed, has glucosamine & chondroitin, has probiotics. Earthborn Holistic Coastal Catch is high protein, not small breed, no glucosamine, no probiotics. Canidae Grain-Free Pure Sea is high protein, not small breed, no glucosamine, has probiotics. California Natural Grain Free Salmon Meal & Peas is medium protein, not small breed, no glucosamine, no probiotics. This is only a few options of grain-free poultry-free, but ones that are fairly common and able to be found at PetSmart, Petco, ranch stores, specialty pet stores, etc. Note that I marked glucosamine as that's helpful at any age for joints; I marked probiotics even though AFAIK some studies say they don't help compared to prebiotics; I marked small breed 'cause they generally need a higher calorie/cup ratio and can get tinier kibble but it's not really too important; I marked protein amount 'cause if your dog is highly active, a high protein can keep them active, but if they're a couch potato, they'll probably get tubby or loose stool or give you yellow lawn patches due to the unused proteins and the high fat to balance those proteins. These all have their own pros and cons, and it'll balance out depending on cost, and what you and your pooch need. I've had my own grain/poultry allergic dog on Basics, but that was about a decade ago I think, so there was almost nothing else available, but she was a small breed and a couch potato so it worked for her.
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Sep 4, 2014 07:26
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Culex posted:These all have their own pros and cons, and it'll balance out depending on cost, and what you and your pooch need. I've had my own grain/poultry allergic dog on Basics, but that was about a decade ago I think, so there was almost nothing else available, but she was a small breed and a couch potato so it worked for her. Thanks much for the information. I'll look into those brands, and see what our local PetsMart carries. I had her on Blue Buffalo's small breed formula before she started having the food issues (before that it was just environmental and fleas), but I didn't know the grain free Basics line had one, so I think that'll be the first I look at.
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Sep 4, 2014 07:40
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Hey nutrition thread! I recently adopted a pair of kittens, one 5 months and one 10 months. We have been free feeding them a local store brand of food and supplementing with wet food every few days (will slowly increase to daily, didn't want to overwhelm their GI tracts) Dry food stats here: http://moundspet.com/mounds-brands/purrfectly-natural/ We have been trying a variety of wet foods to figure out what they like. Brands have been wellness core, blue buffalo wilderness, etc. I want to wait until they are a little bigger to stop free feeding dry food. The 5 month old is clearly still growing (monster paws!) and the 10 month old had a litter of kittens before we got her (was spayed only a few weeks ago) and is very skinny, so I'd like her to fatten up a bit. Both love their dry food and drink water like champs. Couple of questions: 1. From everything I've seen, this dry food seems fairly decent, especially when combined with wet food on a regular basis. Am I wrong on this? It is obviously not grain free, but that is not something I am really super concerned about. Since it isn't a national brand, it's hard to get internet opinions on it. 2. Once we stop free feeding in a few months or so, would a meal of dry in the morning and wet in the evening be appropriate? I will likely play with amounts at that time. Thanks for any advice in advance! This is my first time totally being in charge of a critter's life and diet, so I want to make sure I'm not doing anything to accidentally harm my little turds. marchantia fucked around with this message at 16:48 on Sep 4, 2014 |
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Sep 4, 2014 16:35
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Acana and Orijen also make single protein dog food but they're definitely on the pricier end.
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Sep 4, 2014 19:02
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marchantia posted:Couple of questions: The Mounds food you listed has cheese in it. I don't understand that. It's also not very high in protein (I'm a fan of 40%+ but then my cat is extremely active and wrestles with my corgi all day). If your cats are doing okay on it, it should be okay, but I feel like the cheese at least in the ingredient list is a bit weird and possibly could lead to loose stool and farts (no idea how much cheese is in it). Its protein at least is mostly animal-sourced, so it'll be well-digested. That feeding schedule sounds fine.
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Sep 4, 2014 20:59
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Culex posted:cheese I didn't see that in there, that's pretty weird. I like how it really is just "cheese", so incredibly unhelpful. We aren't having any issues with gas and all their poops are solid and not too stanky, so if that's the only wonky thing I won't worry about it too much. Thanks for the help 
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Sep 4, 2014 22:01
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marchantia posted:
Sure, sounds fine. I'm generally a fan of more wet food in cats, but having them used to kibble might help later in life if they need a particular diet and kibble is one of the forms. Gives more options if they end up picky to a wet RX diet but will eat the kibble.
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Sep 4, 2014 23:25
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If they are able to self-regulate, you may not even need to shift away from free feeding. I've been lucky that my two are very good with their food and all we ever do is top up the food bowl when it's empty - they naturally regulate their intake and stay lean and healthy. This obviously will not work it you have blorpbeasts that eat everything put in front of them.
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Sep 4, 2014 23:28
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Any suggestions for fiber-rich dog treats or even a good fiber-rich dog food? I have a pitbull/whippet mix that just recently got checked out by the vet and he's physically fine but has really soft shits and has lost 4lbs so the vet recommended he gain a little bit of weight. I'm feeding him that Castor & Pollox grain-free food and started to add canned pumpkin to his diet and that has definitely helped but i'd like to do more. Vet recommended a diet of 700 calories to gain weight but he's been on and continues to be on an 800-900 calorie diet and is still skinny as hell... maybe it's the whippet? I take him on two 45 min walks a day but other than that he's a couch potato. So..... good fiber-rich foods suggestions so I can harden up his soft stools?? 
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Sep 5, 2014 07:54
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Is there much benefit to soaking dry cat food in water or is it negligible? My cat will eat it this way so I'm curious if it is a beneficial habit. I'm aware that letting it sit too long is dangerous, but it's just for a few minutes. Thanks!
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Sep 5, 2014 10:44
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Culex posted:Depending on where you are, and whether your dog has issues with peas or sweet potato or flaxseed (you can google these and get their ingredient lists)... I came here looking for nearly this exact info! My only twist is that I'm wondering thoughts on what the stinkiest, most appealing one might be. My 15 year old minpin is ridiculously picky and has decided she doesn't like her cans of Natures Variety Instinct (and we've been through all the flavors at this point). The only way we can coax her into eating it is by hiding in little pieces of lunch meat, which is NOT something I want to keep doing for many reasons. Thoughts? At various points in the past she has eaten (and a few months later refused) Merrick chicken and I think Natural Balance and a couple others I can't recall. She was eating salmon quite happily up until about five months ago. High calories is a bonus, but the most important thing is that she just EATS it.
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Sep 6, 2014 07:14
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cailleask posted:I came here looking for nearly this exact info! My only twist is that I'm wondering thoughts on what the stinkiest, most appealing one might be. My 15 year old minpin is ridiculously picky and has decided she doesn't like her cans of Natures Variety Instinct (and we've been through all the flavors at this point). The only way we can coax her into eating it is by hiding in little pieces of lunch meat, which is NOT something I want to keep doing for many reasons. I can confirm that the Blue Basics Salmon smells like complete stank if you mix it with water to make 'gravy'. It's the only way my dog will eat it. They are not lying in the instructions when it says "Add warm water and mix to fully release flavors and aroma." They just don't inform you that the aroma is going to be an assault on your nasal passages.
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Sep 6, 2014 08:02
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kitten wish posted:Is there much benefit to soaking dry cat food in water or is it negligible? The benefit is that your cat will eat it! Seriously, that's it. Well, actually, it's probably a great way to ensure your cat is getting enough moisture in their diet as well.
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Sep 6, 2014 10:07
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I was at PetCo recently and saw that they have dental chews and liquids you can add to water for cats. Are those any good? The vet said that my older cat will probably need a dental cleaning next year, and using a toothbrush on her is drat near impossible, so I was wondering if there was anything else I could try dental-wise.
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Sep 6, 2014 17:19
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In my opinion they do help a little as general maintenance, but if there is an overbearing problem you might want to try the professional dental cleaning. My cat is the king of the house and will tear me to shreds, but once he is out of the house he will let anyone do anything to him. Edit: Getting cats teeth pulled is loving expensive! Just get the cleaning done. nunsexmonkrock fucked around with this message at 17:57 on Sep 6, 2014 |
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Sep 6, 2014 17:49
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My cat had to have two teeth pulled in February (poor thing hid it really well). She was already under for a cleaning so it didn't add anything astronomical onto that cost, but avoid it if you can. (The laser treatment to help cauterize the wound is worth it; pay the extra  or whatever for it.)Trying to get a cat to take a pain pill that's just had mouth surgery is not fun. I'll check out that liquid; maybe we can keep the rest of her teeth in better shape.
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Sep 6, 2014 19:45
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Hey all! I've been trying to get my 15 year old cat to eat better. She's healthy except for some occasional diarrhea and she's really finicky about the cleanliness of her litter box. She'll go outside of it if it's not spotless. I've been reading that wet food is better than crunchy food in general for older cats because the extra water helps keep them hydrated and can stave off kidney problems (she drinks plenty of water, though, and has no urinary troubles), but she refuses to eat basically anything other than the really soupy, smelly Friskies canned food. I used to give her Natural Balance dry food, but she stopped eating that. In fact, I've tried every dry food from top-level grocery store to top-level pet store food, and she'll try it for a minute and then stick her nose up at it after a few weeks. I've given away more 90% full bags of $30 cat food than I can count. At first I thought it was her teeth, but she'll scarf down crunchy treats until the cows come home. So I bought FreshPet--the kind in the fridges in the grocery store. It's semi-soft and seems pretty legit; you can see actual flecks of spinach and carrot in the little nuggets, and the ingredient list is impressive. I'm trying to introduce it to her slowly, but I'm concerned I may not be able to empty the bag in 7 days as suggested. She loves the stuff but she doesn't have the biggest appetite, and I don't want to leave it in her bowl all day so it goes bad. It has no preservatives so I can't free-feed her. I plan on taking her to the vet for a checkup (she's healthy and putting her in her carrier is traumatizing for everyone involved so I've been putting it off), but is there any harm in letting her eat the recommended amount of FreshPet with occasional spoonfuls of wet food, instead of trying to get her to eat dry food?
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Sep 8, 2014 04:55
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How does instinct cat food rank? I gave my cat some lamb and he ate a lot of it. I have a fat main coon and a kitten someone threw out of a car and trying to be better than cheap dry food. My fat cat likes gravy and sliced or chopped up food. Any recommendations for something cheaper than $2 a can per 5.5oz? They're both good about sharing. How much should I be feeding them? The kitten is pretty small and was trying to nurse off my male main coon the other day but eats wet food and dry food fine but since I bought the welnness (didn't see not to get indoor) they haven't been eating as much dry. I've been giving 3 x 5.5oz cans a day for the two cats. I'm guessing my main coon has to be in the double digits, eats probably half a can and the kitten eats about 1/3rd of a can given. They usually leave a little bit of the wet food. Is there something better I can do than let them share? http://www.instinctpetfood.com/product/pride-instinct-grain-free-canned-cat-food-luckys-lamb-recipe http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/product-details.aspx?pet=cat&pid=21
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Sep 17, 2014 13:37
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Christobevii3 posted:How does instinct cat food rank? I gave my cat some lamb and he ate a lot of it. I have a fat main coon and a kitten someone threw out of a car and trying to be better than cheap dry food. My fat cat likes gravy and sliced or chopped up food. Any recommendations for something cheaper than $2 a can per 5.5oz? They're both good about sharing. Christobevii3 posted:How much should I be feeding them? The kitten is pretty small and was trying to nurse off my male main coon the other day but eats wet food and dry food fine but since I bought the welnness (didn't see not to get indoor) they haven't been eating as much dry. I've been giving 3 x 5.5oz cans a day for the two cats. I'm guessing my main coon has to be in the double digits, eats probably half a can and the kitten eats about 1/3rd of a can given. They usually leave a little bit of the wet food. Is there something better I can do than let them share? Let the kitten eat as much as s/he wants until s/he is about 6 months old. I can say my very active 13 lb Maine coon mix (1 year) needs about 320 calories a day, mixed between wet & dry. I find this calculator pretty good. So depending on how much wet they eat, that will alter how much dry you'll want to give them.
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Sep 17, 2014 21:03
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Does anyone know the quality of this cat food: Oven-Baked Tradition? Our cats got disinterested in the Taste of the Wild food we had them on, but they seem to love this stuff. But it's an unfamiliar brand.
melon cat fucked around with this message at 02:24 on Sep 23, 2014 |
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Sep 23, 2014 02:20
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melon cat posted:Does anyone know the quality of this cat food: Oven-Baked Tradition? Our cats got disinterested in the Taste of the Wild food we had them on, but they seem to love this stuff. But it's an unfamiliar brand. The general consensus is that more protein is better. On a dry matter basis, their regular diet has less than Friskies Grillers does (31.1% and 34.1% respectively), and less than TotW Salmon and Trout (35.5%) (just example diets I picked out). The ingredients are nice, sure, and if they like the food then why not use it. The "grain free" line of theirs looks like it has a good protein level, though. They've got AAFCO statement in their FAQ for "all their diets" for all life stages. All in all, not a bad looking diet, but I personally prefer larger pet food companies as then problems in production tend to be caught sooner - either more people are watching them, or there are enough animals on it where patterns can be seen more readily. Also they have some of the least stupid holistic/chemical/whatever myths on their site as gospel, so they don't make me  as much as other "holistic/premium" companies.
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Sep 23, 2014 05:32
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melon cat posted:Does anyone know the quality of this cat food: Oven-Baked Tradition? Our cats got disinterested in the Taste of the Wild food we had them on, but they seem to love this stuff. But it's an unfamiliar brand. Looks fine. Personally don't like the fish, as they don't say what kind of fish; kinda low protein on them all too, but that's fine for the low-activity cats. Prebiotics are nice.
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Sep 23, 2014 05:33
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Thanks for weighing on my food question, guys. I'll keep looking for a higher-protein alternative, but it's good to hear that the Oven-Baked stuff isn't horrible for our cats.
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Sep 23, 2014 06:40
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How do I add kibble to a cat's diet who eats only wet food? Right now my cats gets two meals of wet food a day, but I don't think it's quite enough food, and since I'm not made of money and don't want to open three cans of wet food a day (I own two cats), I thought maybe a small meal of kibble at between the wet food meals would be a good idea. The food I picked was Wellness Core, because I used to feed it to one of these cats (before I got the other one) and he did great on it, and I know it's a good food. I gave it to them yesterday and all seemed well, but today one of my cats just took a horrifically smelly, diarrhea poo poo in the litter box. I know you have to switch slowly when you're switching diets, but I thought just adding kibble wouldn't be the same thing, but I guess it is. I'm tempted to just stop feeding the kibble altogether and just knuckle down for more wet food, but is there a way I can slowly introduce this stuff into their diet? Is it as simple as just slowly increasing the amount per feeding over a week or two? I don't free feed it because these cats would be so goddamn fat if I did.
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Sep 23, 2014 23:07
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Daily Forecast posted:How do I add kibble to a cat's diet who eats only wet food? You're right, add it slowly to avoid diarrhea. You CAN just start full on, and deal with the diarrhea etc. but it is a lot more stressful to all parties involved. I'd start with just like, an eighth cup of kibble per cat for a few days, then if everything goes well, increase it until you find a good ratio of kibble/wet. (Check the cat calorie thing I linked a few posts up, compare to the foods kcal/cup.) Each cat shouldn't even be eating a full cup of food a day, so an eighth a cup seems reasonable for starting, to me.
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Sep 24, 2014 04:09
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Is there a reason you think it's not enough food? Are they underweight? If they're maintaining appropriate weight and condition off what they're getting now, there's no need to add more food. Don't make them fat.
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Sep 24, 2014 05:25
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HelloSailorSign posted:Is there a reason you think it's not enough food? Are they underweight? If they're maintaining appropriate weight and condition off what they're getting now, there's no need to add more food. Don't make them fat. Well, one of them seems to be, yes. He eats the same amount as the other cat but he hasn't gained any weight since we adopted him. He hasn't lost any, either, so I'm not too concerned about medical etc, but I'd like him to gain a few pounds. The other one seems to be at a good weight but I can't give one of them kibble and not the other. The other cat would cry so much. They're both quite food motivated cats. Also, I'll admit it's part of an experiment to get them to stop fighting. During the day, they're perfectly fine, but as soon as the lights go out and the sun goes down and it's time for bed, they'll fight. Horrifically. They never used to do that, and I think the reason why is because I started separating them when feeding them, because if I don't one of the cats will finish way earlier and bully the other cat away from his food, and if Jasper (normal weight) does that then Theodore (underweight?) simply won't go back to his food no matter how much you urge him to. He just loses interest. He eats until the food's gone if I lock Jasper in the bedroom with his own food. Once I started doing this, though, the fighting started. I guess because they no longer associate eachother with delicious food? Yesterday I fed them a (about fourth of a cup) meal at 3 PM when I got home from work, and then at 11PM, right before I go to bed, and for the first time in about a month they didn't fight, and I actually got to sleep a whole night through. Today, they got their first wet meal at 7AM, then kibble at 3PM when I got home, then wet food at 8PM, and tonight I'll give them some kibble again at 11PM. I did and will give them about half what I did yesterday, though, and hopefully Jasper's stomach will take it better. He's the one who had diarrhea. Theodore was fine. If it just keeps them from fighting, maybe I'll just keep them at a couple of very small meals of kibble a day. Shouldn't hurt Jasper too much to get a snack and Ted might put on a few pounds, hopefully. Have to bribe these goddamn cats with food so they shut up. edit: can't talk about my cats on the internet without posting pictures Jasper:  Theodore: 
Daily Forecast fucked around with this message at 05:51 on Sep 24, 2014 |
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Sep 24, 2014 05:38
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Would someone please direct me on what cat food to get for my two indoor cats? 1. Normal size, had UTI issues in the past. Have been feeding Purina Urinary Health dry food but he hates it. 2. Super fat rescue cat. Have been feeding Purina Indoor formula to attempt weight loss, but not much luck. Each cat prefers the other cat's food to their own. It's maddening. I'm willing to try wet food, but I don't have very much money and can't afford the expensive UTI diet that the vet recommended. Please give brand names if possible. I know of the list in the op, but I can't afford to try a ton of things. Also, is there a reliable chart for how much to feed a cat based on weight for weight loss?
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Oct 12, 2014 16:54
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MY ABACUS! posted:Would someone please direct me on what cat food to get for my two indoor cats? Sorry I can't recommend a food. Some cat foods or stores let you return the food and get your money back if you cat doesn't like it.
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Oct 12, 2014 21:03
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MY ABACUS! posted:Would someone please direct me on what cat food to get for my two indoor cats? UTI? Wet food wet food wet food. It can help prevent future problems significantly, especially when it's a high quality food. Ask your vet specifically what nutrients to focus on/avoid, and what numbers to look for in foods. Different UTI problems have different needs. If you don't want the expensive vet stuff (which isn't always good anyway), just let them know and ask for alternative options. It's certainly possible that whatever you get for sickcat will be fine for fatcat to eat too. I don't like recommending anything that is medical-based. But I do like to focus on wet food supplements for UTIcats. Cats don't really get too thirsty as their natural meat food is pretty uh, moist. You may even be able to just add supplements of healthy unsalted meat broth to the kibble to get more liquid in. But really, find out what your cat needs to get, or needs to avoid, and then there are probably non-scrip foods you can find.
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Oct 13, 2014 01:13
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Culex posted:Cats don't really get too thirsty as their natural meat food is pretty uh, moist. Definitely worth the $30 and honestly, cleaning it out once a week is less work than serving fresh still water every few hours. Cats are picky about water, but they'll drink the poo poo out of clean moving water. Maggie Fletcher fucked around with this message at 04:13 on Oct 13, 2014 |
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Oct 13, 2014 03:54
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Maggie Fletcher posted:Cats are picky about water, but they'll drink the poo poo out of clean moving water. Ugh so true!! Mine LOVE fresh moving water, but the little adorable furry bastards won't drink from the fountain(s) we bought them. Oh no....They prefer to jump up and turn on the faucets in the bathrooms when we are asleep or in the other room. So many times we hear the water go on and walk down the hall to see them all sitting there waiting patiently for their turn for the yummy sink water. Now we have a new 14 week old kitten (Finbarr) added into the mix since our oldest passed away, and apparently he has been watching the others. We caught him trying to turn on the faucet water this morning. Ungrateful fuzzballs...they have no idea how good they have it.
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Oct 13, 2014 21:44
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