We’ve been through a whole gamut of foods! I adopted an obese cat, and have been trying to adjust his diet so he achieves a healthy weight. While I get wanting to avoid corn, lots of pet foods that are advertise “No corn, wheat, or soy!” contain rice. And “grain free” is sometimes full of potatoes. Hardly an improvement. So…rather than fuss about individual ingredients, check the dry matter nutritional breakdown–what percentage is protein, fiber, etc. Look for a food with a lot of protein.
As for wet food…all kinds of options. Know what, though? Fancy feast classics pate (not the weird little shapes or gravy or anything) are cheap and not full of fillers. Yes, they contain by-products, but when your cat kills and eats a rodent or a bird, they consume the “byproducts” in that little thing, too.
Mr. Obese cat is currently on a prescription Hills diet (and it’s working–may have to go on it myself) that probably contains things a lot of cat nutrition experts wouldn’t recommend, but my vet does.
I think we have settled on the Rachel Ray dry food; but my local supermarket is selling the Purina Beyond Grain free food this week at a discount, so I think I’ll pick up a bag.
Our cat loves the Purina Beyond Grain Free dry food. I alternate between wet and dry food. I have tried many of the expensive wet food but she refuses to eat them. But @ordinarylives she LOVES those Fancy feast classics (and the gravy ones too). I have to wean her off of those gravy ones though.
It’s been two weeks of cat ownership and the little darling has eaten everything I put in her bowl! She eats dry every day but I also give her a can of wet at least twice a week. And she frequently drinks water from her bowl throughout the day, so hydration is not a problem.
Bathed her for the first time yesterday, since we had an unusually warm day around these parts. She wasn’t crazy about it but she held still while I sponged her down and poured some tepid water over her body. She cried just a very little bit but really she didn’t try very hard to flee. Got a great tip from another cat owner who suggested that I use plain old Dawn dish detergent (heavily diluted, of course) as a shampoo. Apparently Dawn has minimal chemical content as compared to other brands. Worked fine and my gal smelled great afterwards.
My intention is to bathe her probably no more than twice a year (and when circumstances merit, of course; a flea problem, for example. No fleas as of yet, fingers crossed. She took to the flea collar without any complaints).
Our current cats are on Prescription Hills Dry but really only the yellow one needs it for bladder stones. That said I had a cat who lived over 21 years and he was on wet food and dry food. Different brands depending on what was on sale and he was fine. So I’m not sold on the you have to go with the most expensive no corn brand. I do agree with the don’t buy Blue Buffalo though. There have been recalls on the brand and I fed it to my beagle and he ended up with Pancreatitis. My vet said our dog wasn’t the only one who had problems on that brand of food.
I have never given any of my cats a bath…Our are inside cats so no flea problems to deal with.
MichiganGeorgia, I think I am persuaded that the expensive pet store food is not necessarily superior to what can be had at some supermarkets. I have carefully read the labels and have found that there are some supermarket products which will provide solid nutrition (i.e. protein) for my kitten. For dry food we are set with is Rachael Ray Nutrish, Purina Beyond and Purina One. As for wet, the Purina Friskies variety provides sufficient protein and she likes it. I’d would like to add cat food grade tuna to her diet but I can’t find a clear answer about possible mercury contamination. I do understand that human grade tuna is not recommended.
Human grade tuna has spices, salt, and other undesirable for cats stuff added to it. Do not buy cat tuna. It is nothing like tuna for humans - it is disgusting.
Congrats on the new kitty. It sounds like she is training YOU well, LOL. May I suggest that you get her set up with a local veterinarian? Preferably one that specialized in cats. They will advise you on the best practices for food, flea and tick prevention, vaccination schedule, etc.
If you haven’t already please get her chipped. You would be surprised at how many cats and dogs get lost and when they are chipped it’s easier for who ever finds the pet to get it back to its’ owner. Plus a lot of cats don’t want to wear collars like dogs.
Fortunate to have a very well-recommended vet and Animal Hospital about a mile from my home. And yes, the Rescue Center equipped my gal with a microchip. Just registered her microchip number online yesterday.
What is wrong with dry food? My cat seems to digest it more easily than canned and I hate to switch him, but these comments have me concerned (my vet recommends dry Hill’s Science Diet Optimal Health). Isn’t dry better for their teeth? My parents fed their cats canned exclusively and almost all lost some of their teeth or had severe plaque in old age.
Most of the canned food I’ve tried seems really funky. The only brand I’ve had any luck with is Applaws, which comes in small pouches and uses only two or three ingredients…he occasionally vomits it, so I haven’t served it in about a year.
He is a good water drinker, so I’m not worried about dehydration. Most evenings I poach a small piece of fish (cod, sole, or flounder) and mash it up with the water to make almost a fish soup, which he loves. However, I like the idea of a varied diet and worry that eating the exact same thing for years and years, no matter what it is or how good it may seem, will lead to concentrations of certain toxins in the body.
After reading up on cat nutrition and getting advice from long-time cat owners here on CC, I think that the disdain for some of the mass market canned food is misplaced. Like someone said earlier; in the wild cats consume “by-products” such as animal innards, so a commercial brand with a bit of poultry by-products should be nutritious for cats. Of course, I wouldn’t think that feathers or beaks are particularly nutritious, but I don’t really know. As for chicken feet, I’ve tasted them in reputable Chinese restaurants and I find them delectable. LOL.
He’s 8 and in good health - he’s never had a digestive problem, or anything else for that matter. He has an absolutely huge appetite - he’d eat any type of cat food, I’m certain, and he’s always right there underfoot at mealtimes. We’ve always been really careful to maintain his weight because he would eat constantly if we let him. At last year’s annual check up he had inched up to the top end of his normal range, so I gradually cut him back and increase his exercise a bit, and now he’s in the middle of the range. I know that cats can digest a wide range of foods…perhaps I should do a dry breakfast and canned later in the day.
I spent a lo of money on many different kinds of healthy and prescription cat foods for my main coon and what was ultimately determined by me a long time ago and finally my vet after much $$$$ is Fuzzy Butt is just a barfer - he’s healthy but no food keeps him from throwing up on a regular basis.
However, if you have a male cat, feed them wet food daily that helps avoid urinary tract infections. Very expensive operation - he’s now a she.
Hey, will someone explain to me why the adoption process at some rescue centers is highly bureaucratic? The folks where I found my gal were very nice, informative and supportive. Yes, I had to fill out an application, answer several questions and submit a photo I.D. The process took a good chunk of the afternoon but it was painless. Now I am considering a second cat to be a companion to my gal during my hours at work. I’ve reached out to other nearby shelters (they have more cats than the place where I found my gal), but the folks at these other shelters insist upon a ledger full of personal information from potential owners…such as “references.” What’s going on in the abandoned/rescued cat situation that has caused such scrutiny?
The paperwork is supposed to make people think twice before adopting an animal, and it significantly cuts down the number of spur of the moment adoptions that often do not end well. "Awwww… Cute cat… Owwww! The litter box stinks! I want to return the cat. " You would be surprised how many adopted cats go back to the shelter or are allowed to slip out of the back door into the woods.
Cats are quite self-cleaning. My tortie even washes the other two.