cat food

[surffam4]

Our kittens are now 1 sooo what food should I switch them to? There is so much info out there on no by-products ect. Thanks, Jacque Hansen CLE CCE
www.the3day.org/SanDiego06/jacquehansen

[Freedom]

Oh boy, I think you may be in for food lectures galore! :D

I think most cat owners will agree that you should stick with a crunchy food (notice I am NOT saying "kibble," for those of you who don't advocate kibbles!) and use canned, or wet food rarely as a treat only. The canned food sticks to their teeth and over a short 3 to 5 years you could be dealing with dental issues.

I have always used Hill's Science Diet. It was recommended by my vet when I got my first cat ever, about 12 years ago. I have always been pleased with the results. So at age 1, I put them on the adult formula. And I give them half a can as a treat once a week. Then you get to think about whether to use the hair ball control formula. I have used that with some success; until Ebony arrived in July of this year. It gives her the runs! So she has to stay away from that variety. She is OK with petromalt once a week. And I haven't seen ANY hairballs from her since she arrived!

I am sure you will get lots more ideas and opinions from the PTers!

[emily_the_spoiled]

I am not sure I am the person to answer this either. I have switched most of my guys over to a "raw" diet and I make their food (with the right supplements). But I also use a commercial food as a "treat". It is called Evo and contains no grains, or chemicals. I had to switch my guys for health reasons so the no chemicals is important.

[catmandu]

My Cats really like the Nutro Complete Indoor Food, and they seem to do well on that diet.
There are so many New Cat Foods on the market like Go, Natural Balance, and Chicken Soup that you dont know which one is the best.
They all claim to be the best , but then again so do all products.
This should be an interesting thread.

[Jessika]

Honestly I don't like making brand recommendations because there is much debate over what is "good" and what is "best". My suggestion is to do a LOT of research and form your own opinion on what is best for your budget and your pets'. You're on the right track already! My suggestion is to learn to read food lables, and make a list of what NOT to look for in pet food adn what TO look for, and next time you're in the store read the labels to find which foods contain the "good" stuff you want to feed to your pets.

[Catlady711]

Try this website. www.PetDIETS.com (http://www.petdiets.com/default.asp?Menu=FAQs&PageName=/faqs/default.asp) It has ALOT of great information on pet nutrition for dogs and cats. It might help you in your research and decisions about what to feed your pet.


'Copied from the website'......

Founded in 1989 by Dr. Rebecca L. Remillard, Veterinary Nutritional Consultations, Inc., is an independent consulting business for professionals in the practice of veterinary medicine, for individual pet owners seeking advice, and for companies selling nutritional supplements and pet foods.

VNC makes independent nutritional evaluations and recommendations to companies on existing and potential products and also informs them of new scientific developments in veterinary nutrition. VNC receives no revenues from pet food or supplement sales!


'About the founder'


Dr. Remillard holds a B.S. and M.S. in animal science from Purdue University and the University of Maine, and in 1983 she received a Ph.D. in animal nutrition from Colorado State University. In 1987, she earned a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from the Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine and became a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Nutrition in 1991. She completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship in Surgical Nutrition at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in 1993. She has been the Clinical Nutritionist at Angell Animal Medical Center in Boston, a major metropolitan referral hospital serving more than 50,000 dog and cat cases annually, since 1993.

Dr. Remillard is founder and president of Veterinary Nutritional Consultations which has been incorporated in Massachusetts since 1993. There are fewer than sixty individuals in the world with the combined qualifications of a PhD in animal nutrition, a DVM, and Board Certification by the American College of Veterinary Nutrition. Her interests primarily lie in the area of nutrient utilization as altered by disease processes. She continues to train veterinary students, interns, residents and provide continuing education to practitioner on the subject of canine and feline nutrition. In 2004, she was an invited guest speaker at seven veterinary schools in Japan.

She served on the Executive Board of the American Academy of Veterinary Nutrition (www.aavn.org) between 1999 and 2005. Concurrently, she has served on the Executive Board of the American College of Veterinary Nutrition (www.acvn.org) since 2000; culminating as chairperson until 2006. She is considered a legal expert in the field of clinical pet nutrition, has conducted numerous clinical studies at several universities in the actual use of nutritional pet products, and has authored more than 45 publications in the field of nutrition for veterinarians. She has co-edited two editions of a major nutrition textbook, Small Animal Clinical Nutrition, for veterinarians and veterinary students. Edition IV has been translated into five languages for worldwide distribution.

Dr. Remillard has extensive relationships with professionals in veterinary medicine. She speaks annually at national and international veterinary conferences on the topic of nutrition. She has been conversing regularly with veterinarians worldwide as a Nutritional Consultant on the Veterinary Information Network since 1997, and therefore has a wide network of resources and experiences in the practice of veterinary clinical nutrition.