<p>Okay, so I just brought home the most adorable Ragdoll kitten. We’ve had him for 8 days, and he’s now 13 weeks old. I can’t even begin to tell you how sweet, playful and affectionate this little guy is, so I’m sure you can probably guess how long it took for my heart to belong to him entirely. The breeder feeds her kittens a combination of Wellness Complete Health Kitten formula and Wellness Chicken Formula, so that’s what he’s been eating since we brought him home. However, I’ve been doing a little reading online, because I want to feed him the highest quality food I can afford. I’d like to keep him from being overweight (I’ve read that pet food packaging routinely recommends you feed daily quantities that end up being much higher than is healthy for the average pet dog or cat), diabetic, and kidney stressed. I’d like to wean him away from the dry stuff (which he has quickly come to prefer over the canned). What the heck do they put in that stuff, anyway? It’s like he’s addicted to it. </p>
<p>Cat’s are obligate carnivores. From what I’ve read so far, the dry stuff doesn’t provide nearly the moisture content that cats need, causing them to be chronically dehydrated (which severely stresses their kidney’s). I do put out fresh filtered water several times a day, which he does drink, so I guess that helps some. But, he should crave a moisture rich food that somewhat approximates the prey which cats eat in the wild. I’d like to alter his diet, and forestall sickness if at all possible. I know that grains, gluttens (corn being the absolute worst), and animal bi-products commonly found in cheap pet foods are terrible for cats. What do you feed your cat(s)? What has experience shown you to be best?</p>
<p>I’ve read that the worst canned food is still better than the best dry food where cats are concerned. I’ve had a tough time getting my cats to eat canned food, they much prefer dry. The canned food they have finally decided they will eat is Halo Spot’s Stew in the chicken flavor. I get it from Petco online. We went through many, many brands before I discovered one they would touch. Good luck with your new kitty!</p>
<p>My vets have always recommended kibbles because it helps keep tartar in check. Our cats eat nothing but Science Diet Light kibbles. I don’t know if they’re picky, because if they want to eat, that’s the only thing available. :)</p>
<p>I am having a problem with getting pills down my senior kitty. We tried the Greenies Pill Pockets for 2 weeks and he loved them right up until the day he wouldn’t touch them.</p>
<p>I gave ours wet food, with only a little dry.
I think i mostly gave them Newmans canned food, as it was rated good and they sold it at the grocery store, but I also gave them Innova and California Naturals.
You want to watch out for any that say " meat" and " meat by products" and stay away.
<a href=“Good Brands/Bad Brands Page Removed – Yet Another Cat Food Guide”>http://www.catfoodguide.com/good-brands-bad-brands/</a>
Ours lived into their 20’s, so I think food does make a difference.</p>
<p>I’m gathering as much information as possible, but knowing how much to believe of what one reads can be a challenge. Some online forums dedicated to pet health are frequented by a few posters who can only be described as obsessed. They are veritable fonts of information, but they can also be virtually rabid in their response to any suggestion that they feed commercially available foods. Sometimes what they say makes sense, other times, you wonder if they’re just a bit paranoid. LasMa, I just closed out from doing a bit of reading on a site that has a number of such posters. One of the things I’ve read on both that site and others, is that it’s a “damnable lie” that kibble helps control tartar. They point out that neither dogs nor cats actually chew their food in the way animals with grinding tooth surfaces do. Instead, they bite and quickly swallow their food because their jaws only work up and down, and are incapable of moving side to side the way the jaws of herbivores and and omnivores do, that their digestive tracts are fundamentally different, being suited to the tearing, swallowing, and digesting of whole chunks of meat in the way of obligate carnivores. </p>
<p>They also claim that many, many vet practices are subsidized by the Hill corporation (makers of Science Diet), and have a financial incentive to push that product (many selling it in their offices). Therefore, you’ll frequently find vets who will tell you that there’s nothing unhealthy about a dry diet, and that you shouldn’t be concerned about the additives and fillers in most commercially packaged pet foods (or any of the supposedly suspect ingredients found in brands like Science Diet). When your overweight, diabetic, kidney stressed animal needs dialysis, and “kidney support” supplements (which they conveniently also sell), as well as insulin, and other other medications to treat an easily avoided chronic ailment, it only serves that vet’s bottom line. I hate to think there are veterinarians who are that mercenary in their patient care approach. My new vet treated my kitten with the most gentle and patient handling, and her staff were so sweet. The offices were clean and gave off a very pleasant vibe, so I felt really good about our experience there. I took him in for a well kitten check, as was required by the contract I signed with the breeder. I’m due to return on July 8th for the second part of one of kitty’s vaccines administered before I picked him up (and don’t even get some of those forum posters started on the evils of many pet vaccines!), so I’ll pay more attention to the products they stock in full view out in the waiting areas. I’ll also ask the vet about her opinions on
feeding. </p>
<p>I have two 1 year old cats, sisters. One will eat anything and loves wet food. The other will not touch wet food, any kind, any flavor. She’s not that crazy about dry food either. Or cat treats. Or people food. </p>
<p>Blue Buffalo diet cat food, dispensed 2Xdaily from an autofeeder. My kitty is older and obese. The vet says unless I’m going to brush the cat’s teeth daily, I have to feed her some dry kibble. </p>
<p>Emeraldkity, thanks for the link to that site. Here’s something interesting from it concerning on particular brand:</p>
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<p>I read that with particular interest because I had also recently read a warning on another site about foods that contain phenobarbital in their formulas. If the site is to be believed, that phenobarbital comes from the carcasses of euthanized animals, which some vet practices and other animal agencies sell to pet food companies—a notion I found utterly appalling. Also diseased animals, such as sick livestock, factory farm poultry, and even road kill, can end up in commercial pet foods. </p>
<p>Also, according to the site you linked, one of the foods kitty eats right now is on the bad list, and one is on the good.
Too bad he’s only willing to eat the dry Wellness that apparently falls into the bad category. I wonder how you get a cat off the kitty crack that is dry food… 8-| Looks like more research is called for.</p>
<p>Some cats will really get excited about liver and other organ meats. Perhaps that makes sense – cats in the wild often each such parts of their prey first.</p>
<p>If you can find Dave’s in your local independent, try that brand. I can’t keep some of the flavors in stock! Blue Buffalo is relabeling and reorganizing their cat food by texture – pate, flaked, chunked, and grilled I think. Weruva is another nice brand.</p>
<p>I’d invest in a cat fountain – there are several, although one brand, Drinkwell, which has many designs that have free falling water and seem to be most favored.</p>
<p>Well, I got 태민 (Taemin) to eat a little of the canned Wellness Chicken Formula this morning. Yippeeee! I’m not sure why he suddenly refused this food which, heretofore, he’d eaten just fine, but apparently, he’s again willing to give it a go. The breeder had told me, “He does like his canned food!” So it mystified me when he went off it. He eats two to three tablespoons of it per day, along with small amounts of the dry kitten formula which is left in his dish for feeding at will. The research I’ve done recently indicates that that’s a bad idea, however, because it encourages over eating. I just downloaded (and read) What to Feed Your Cat by Jean Hofve (rhymes with Bon Jovi) DVM, and she recommends a wet only diet, preferably raw, and homemade. She also advises feeding on a schedule instead of allowing free grazing throughout the day, because, contrary to common belief, cats do not have the innate ability to stop eating when they’re full. Many will eat as long as food is in their dish, ergo, one reason why almost half of all house cats are overweight. </p>
<p>태민 started sneezing soon after we got him home from the breeder, and it quickly snowballed into an upper respiratory event, with a bit of conjunctivitis to boot. The vet said he looked good otherwise. Clear lungs, healthy mite-free ears, and no signs of ticks or fleas. So she gave me some powdered Lysine to sprinkle in his wet food. He seemed not to notice it was there at first, but then stopped eating it… I suppose there could definitely be a connection. Now that he seems willing to eat the canned chicken again, I Think I’ll try adding the Lysine (which is an anti-viral replicator, according to the vet) again, and see how he does. I’ve also been putting drops of Colloidal Silver in his eyes for the conjunctivitis (boy does he hate that!) and it seems to be helping. </p>
<p>It seems that all I do lately is look for information on how to best keep my sweet little guy healthy. At this rate, I should be an expert on feline behavior and nutrition in no time </p>
<p>I have 2 Ragdolls, daughter has 3 and son has one (we also have a non-Ragdoll Tortie). We have settled in on Tractor Supply brand For Health indoor cat dry food. Sometimes we mix it with In the Wild (or something like that). I think the For Health is formulated really well. We feed a small can (split three ways) of wet in the evening which they view as a treat. I’ve had cats all my life and try to stick with dry food and it’s worked well.</p>
<p>Dang, my cat’s food is on the bad list- Nutro’s natural choice. I’ll have to find another grain free. My cat pukes up his food often and I have found that the grain free stuff seems to agree with him better. Thanks for the list, EK. I had checked out a similar list for the dog, but had neglected the poor cat.</p>
<p>We feed our cats dry food - Science Diet and/or Natural Balance. In the evening we split a jar of Gerber’s Baby Food (ham or chicken) mixed with plenty of water to make a liquid gravy (well-loved by the cats). My husband also sprinkles kitty treats for them (Friskies, etc.) right before bedtime - though I’m not particularly a fan of this (plus he sprinkles too many). We keep water going at all times (cat fountain). </p>
<p>My vet has no problem with dry food. And we’ve had no problem with kitty health. The cats I have now - two, age 11; one, age 7, one, age 3. My previous cats lived to ages 18/19.</p>
<p>We have two kitties who are 9 years old (they were litter mates). Both are neutered boys. One of the boys had a really bad urinary tract infection several years ago and was prescribed Royal Canin Urinary SO catfood - they both eat it and love it and have been UTI free since then. Apparently, it’s a problem for neutered males. We’re really fortunate they both love the food.</p>
<p>We have a rescue cat that refuses to eat wet food although we have tried many brands. The vet said it was likely he was given only dry food and that is what he got used to. He also had a UTI the first month we brought him home. The solution for us was a cat fountain. He wouldn’t go near it for the first week and only started drinking out of if the second week but now he drinks often. Cats love the running water, also it is important to place the water dish away from the food dish. I am not sure why this helps but i have heard it from more than one source.</p>
<p>BTMell, was there ever a time when your boys stopped using the litter box while suffering from UTI? I must admit, the idea of having a cat toilet in every place but the proper one really spooks me. I’ve read that dry food, because it is so lacking in moisture (a deficit that cannot be overcome with water drinking) greatly contributes to the forming of acidic" crystals(?) in the urinary tract and that this leads to infections. The cat may go on to associate the litterbox with painful voiding, and start to look for other places to pee in an attempt to avoid that discomfort. A high quality wet diet is supposed to help keep this from happening. The perpetual state of dehydration caused by a primarily dry food diet is also said to greatly stress cat’s kidneys, leading to kidney failure. And poor kidney function also affects urinary health. Vet bills associated with renal failure are no joke, I hear. :(( </p>
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