Cat Foods - WHAT is good??

[Kfamr]

I've always been curious as to what cat foods are good and which are "bad" so to speak. I notice I see a lot of people saying Science Diet, Purina, Pedigree, etc. are good and their cats love it. However, I would never consider feeding those brands of dog foods, unless my dog had a medical condition and needed SD.

I know there are a lot of natural dog kibbles out there and the raw diet is very well-known in the dog world, however are there the same choices for cats? I know of one person that feeds their cats raw on occasion.

I know at my natural pet food store they have a very few selections for cats, so that's why I am asking.


What do you all feed? What do you consider the highest quality cat food?

[animal_rescue]

My cats eat Exclusive, My mom says it's a pretty high quality cat food and it's the only thing we can feed Colin that doesn't make him throw up, so I think it's pretty good then.

[kittycats_delight]

I notice I see a lot of people saying Science Diet, Purina, Pedigree, etc. are good and their cats love it. .


I would never feed my cats that junk. It all contains BHA & BHT. And more additives & preservatives than you can shake a stick at.

My cats get Royal Canin. It's is THE cat food and IMO the only one fit to feed a cat. I feed them canned ALMO Nature which is 100% natural. No presevatives or additives of any kind. It consists only of meat, 1% rice and cooking broth. My cats love them both. Forgot to add if my cats would need to go on a prescription diet that too would be Royal Canin. Too many people I know have had problems with their cats on the Hill's Prescription so forget about that and besides it is Science Diet and I refuse to feed my cats Science Diet.

[catnapper]

I still like Nutro even though my guys no longer eat it thanks to Allen and Pouncer's medical issues.... they all eat Royal Cannin prescription diets. I raised a fuss when the vet wanted me ot use Hills prescription because I too do not like Science Diet.

Side note on Science Diet, the sales rep came into the store a few weeks ago and I asked him about their ingredients, and he was VERY rude and condescending... and never did answer my question.

[krazyaboutkatz]

Before Storm had his urinary blockage and crystals, I fed them Nutro Natural Choice Complete Care and they loved it and I thought it was good for them. It came in larger football shapes so they had to really crunch it to eat it. My vet even commented on how great their teeth looked.:)

Now I feed them Royal Canin Urinary S/O dry formula and both Sunny and Storm also get some of the wet formula. They love it and Storm's been doing very well on it too. It's also safe to feed all of my cats so they hopefully won't ever have Storm's problem.

My kitten Ziggy Stardust is still eating the Nutro Complete Care Indoor Kitten Formula but will also be eating the Royal Canin Urinary S/O diet soon.

I've also tried Innova and it's supposed to be a very good food but it has a lot of fish in it and Storm is allergic to fish products. They cause him to itch and scratch so he then looses his fur. Many of the better cat foods aren't sold in the large pet stores like Petco or Petsmart. You have to go to the smaller independent stores. Good luck.:)

[Russian Blue]

I've always been curious as to what cat foods are good and which are "bad" so to speak. I notice I see a lot of people saying Science Diet, Purina, Pedigree, etc. are good and their cats love it. However, I would never consider feeding those brands of dog foods, unless my dog had a medical condition and needed SD.

What do you all feed? What do you consider the highest quality cat food?

For most cat owners, I don't think raw feeding is popular. I think many become raw feeders because they have encountered medical issues with their cat and needed another feeding option.

I have been researching all the food options for a couple of years because of Nakita's medical issues. What I consider to be high quality cat food are companies that do not use BHA/BHT, artificial colours and preservatives. I also stay away from high ratio of grains to meat and unidentified meat sources noted on ingredient label. I also try to stay away from new foods on the market. Many people love Innova Evo (a fairly new product), but I've seen many discussions regarding poor results with various cats and dogs.

I have researched raw feeding because of Nakita's medical problems. If I can't solve them with her current vet I will be adding a holistic vet to discuss raw feeding or home cooked option. Right now Nakita needs to stay away from all grains as well as rice, beef, fish, turkey, chicken and any extra added fruits or vegatables. Believe me, after the last few months I have had to check almost every cat food on the market to see what I could feed Nakita. My head right now is spinning!

If you don't produce the food at home I don't believe any 'one' food on the market is perfect or the best. My family has a manufacturing background and we've seen what goes on behind the scenes and how standards can be nothing more than a marketing gimmick.

Right now Nakita is on Wysong Rabbit (meat only canned food) along with her Prescription food. I believe the prescription foods are good for getting your pet back on a right track but I would never feed them long term. In the past we have used Wellness dry and Nature's Variety and Merrick's canned foods. I just received a sample of frozen Nature's Variety rabbit so I'll be trying that out next.

I liked California Natural's dry/canned cat food since it was simple and not full of veggies and fruit. I think many cat foods are adding veggies/fruit to the labels as a human marketing ploy and not for the sake of cat health. Cats are meant to mainly eat meat...not foods full of grains, veggies or blueberries! ;)

Also, from all my research I believe at least 50% of a cats diet should be from raw or canned since dry food is shown to raise the incidence of obesity, diabetes, renal failure, UTI etc. Cats need the moisture that an all dry food diet does not provide. Dry food in my mind is a human convenience - it is cheap and can be stored for months. It's not exactly the best offering when considering which food to give your pet the best of health.

Would you want to eat something that has sat in a bag on a store shelf for a year as your main food source? Again, just my opinion. ;)

[jenluckenbach]

For a good 15+ years I have fed Hills prescription c/d to ALL my cats. I have never run across allergies or adverse effects of any kind. The only difference was that prior to c/d I had 4 cases of crystals/blockages (in 5 years), and since c/d I have only had 1 (Rutherford ended up making the calcium oxylate crystals, that blocked him. The crystals at the opposite end of the ph spectrum)

But, having said that, I have been looking into finding a food with better ingredients. Innova looks good. I am also trying Fromm. VERY good ingredients, low ash and magnesium (important for urinary tract health). Even nutro and royal canin can't compare with their ingredients.

And even after saying THAT, I am not ceertain that I will change their food. Why fix it if it ain't broke?? c/d from Hill's has been very good to my cats.

[GreyhoundGirl]

LOL, I've been thinking of starting a thread about this. It seems there are SO many dog food fights, but no cat food fights. But then, I didn't want to start fights, so I kept inside. I'm curious as to what other responses you'll get. :p

[kittycats_delight]

LOL, I've been thinking of starting a thread about this. It seems there are SO many dog food fights, but no cat food fights. But then, I didn't want to start fights, so I kept inside. I'm curious as to what other responses you'll get. :p

Well you really don't know much about the cat side if you thing something like this would start fights. Everyone has their own opinion and we respect that and it is pretty unusually to see fight here on the cat side. We have one common love here and that is our cats and what is best for them.

[Freedom]

I know there are a lot of natural dog kibbles out there and the raw diet is very well-known in the dog world, however are there the same choices for cats? I know of one person that feeds their cats raw on occasion.

If you google "feline raw diet" a LOT of sites come up to look at.
Here is jsut one of thousands; I picked this one because there is a listing of supplies you need, and a pictorial of making the food.
www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com/feline.htm


Here is how I approach this issue: foods can initially be graded by price.

grocery store brands - cheap, convenient, and goodness knows there are plenty of cats (and dogs) out there who survive on it. Thrive? Maybe not.

premium foods - at pet stores. Cost more, a little less convenient, and better quality.

prescription foods - at the vet. VERY expensive, not readily accessible (you are limited by the vet's hours).

Next, ask your vet what he/she suggests. This will tell you where the vet is coming from (if the vet only recommends the food he sells, he is in it for the money!)

Then tell the vet you are considering the raw diet (even if you aren't), and what supplements would be necessary? This tells you what vitamins/minerals etc. to look for when reading labels. Be ready to write down the answer to this question. For example, cats need taurine for their eyes; dogs don't need this.

From that starting point, you have a base of knowledge to make some decisions. Don't forget, you are NOT the final decision maker! :eek: All the research in the world isn't going to ensure your cat eats what you buy. :rolleyes:

And if you are like me, there will come a time, even if just once every 3 years, when you are stuck, there is NO cat food in the house, it is late at night on a holiday weekend with nothing open the next day, and the grocery store is the only thing available. So you go buy a little to tide you (and the cat) over until you can get back onto the regular routine.

My vet recommended Science Diet 13 years ago, when I got my first cat. My cats do well, coats are great, energy is high, vet visits are minimal, so I have been happy with the results.

[catcrazylady]

I'm sure my reply won't be popular but due to the large number of cats I'm feeding cost is an issue. I feed Purina Cat Chow with L-Lysine and crushed vitamins added in. I wish I could afford to go to some of the better brands but its not an option here. I do add canned food to their dry twice a day for breakfast and dinner feedings. I do believe that wet food is good for cats but that is just my opinion.

I will say that we only feed Hills at the shelter and the vet recently told me that she only feeds that to her animals. She did say that with Hills she has had less problems with her animals as they age in comparison to any other foods she has tried.

[catmandu]

The Found Cats do well on the Nutro Complete Care Indoor Diet, and thats what they have been eating for a while now.
They love Eukanuba and Science Diet and Royal Canin.
And Fancy Feast, and Iams and Nutro Pouches.
The one I wouldnt feed is the No Name Garbage.
Presidents Choice in Canada has a Turkey and Giblets that the Porch Cats all GOBBLE up!!!

[momcat]

Groucho has never been a picky eater. Our vet recommended Iams weight control, Groucho loves it and is doing well on it. Plus there are no litter box problems.

[carole]

Ok i am a little confused, because Lexie has crystals the vet has recommended Science Diet C/D, but others mentions Royal Canin which i can obtain as well, so please can anyone give me the facts on both and why SD has been unpopular for some and not others, i really do need to make the right choice here for Lexie, Royal Canin might be a little cheaper, but there is not much in it for me, i just want her to have the right stuff that will work.

[jenluckenbach]

Royal Canin has a reputation of being a food with better ingredients than Hills. But I was never much of a label reader, until lately. So when c/d was recommended to me YEARS ago, I used it. And it has always been good to my cats.
My question to those against Hills, is this:
Do you simply not like the ingredients OR have you rtried it and had bad results?
Carole, I would go with the vet recommendation. If it works well, than stick with it (like I did). If you are not pleased with the results try something else.

Each cat is different, and even the BEST food is not the best food for each and every cat.

[Uabassoon]

Three out of our four eat blue buffalo spa select. Tuna eats royal canin s/o as prescribed by his vet.

http://www.bluebuff.com/products/cats-spa-select.shtml

I usually shop at Petsmart because it is most convinent to me and this was by far the best food avaliable there. I really like the ingredients, these are the first 5.
Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Whole Ground Brown Rice, Fish Meal, Whole Ground Barley

I've noticed that Nutro is very popular here, these are the first 5 ingredients on their indoor formula.

Chicken Meal, Ground Rice, Corn Gluten Meal, Rice Flour, Poultry Fat

I much prefer the blue buffalo because it has more sources of protien and does not have corn listed in the top 5.

A lot of brands that make high quality dog kibble also make versions for cats as well such as Wellness, Wysong, Felidae and many others. Just like you would with dog food check the ingredients. If you wouldn't want to eat what is in the food, then odds are it isn't good for your kitty!

[Sevaede]

I have just switched my cats and dog over from Chicken Soup to Natural Balance. Chicken Soup became less available and Natural Balance was a food I would have fed them even if Chicken Soup never existed.

I like them both. They've done WONDERS for Sonis fur! It is nice and smooth like after one has washed their hair. It's very beautiful looking! :) And he sheds *minimally*

Their poos are less smelly, too. :D

[The Cat Factory]

My 3 boys eat Orijen. They have been eating it for about 2 months now, and they are doing great on it. :)

[buttercup132]

I feed Nutro Kitten and Merricks wet food. I also feed m dogs Nutro wich I find is good for both. I judge cat food brands same way by dog food. Whatever is good for my dogs is good for my cat.

[Bengalz]

We've had Eve on Innova wet and dry and the results have been outstanding. She has filled out and now looks like a 3 year old kitty :D I often add a capsule of fish oil to her wet food - she loves the taste. Her coat is beautiful - thick and smooth and very silky to touch. She loves her food and never misses a meal :) Potty trips are regular, healthy and not too ripe (if you know what I mean ;) ) She is looking much healthier and is a happy little girl :D

My RB kitties were on Science Diet for their entire lives mainly due to my male cat's urinary tract problems at a very early age. He lived to be 18. Without a prescription diet he may not have seen his 3rd birthday :( At that time the Hills Prescription diet was the main option available to treat his condition. That has since changed I'm sure.

Attached is a recent photo of our little munchkin - she's looks pretty perky to me

:D

[carole]

thanks for your input Jen, I just talked with Marisa the vet and she said either would be fine, both are good and do what they need to,and price wise they are the same,I have decided to try Hills because they have a money back guarantee, so if lexie does not like it they will refund my money, as Marisa said there other others too i can choose from and it all comes down to what my lil girls tastes are.

[trayi52]

My cats love Purina indoor food. I have been feeding them that for a year now with no problems.

Willie :)

[Kfamr]

Thank you all for your opinions. It seems as if dog nutrition is talked about more often than cat nutrition, from what I've seen.

My only problem with asking vets about what to feed is the fact that most have very little education on nutrition, atleast when it comes to dog nutrition. A lot of vets seem recommend Science Diet because they are sponsered by them, sell them in their offices, etc. But, if you look at the ingredients they aren't the healthiest. Of course, if it's working for your pets and your budget, why change?

I believe my brother feeds his cats Purina which may explain why their stools smell so horribly? I know this is what he can afford, so I think nothing of it.

I do wish to own a cat in the future, as most of you know, so I'd like to study cat nutrition as much as I have dog nutrition.



PLEASE do NOT turn this into a cat side vs dog side debate. I see a few of you have already.

[kt_luvs_kitties]

Mine eat a variety.

I feed Hill science diet indoor formula, and the hairball formula(for them all). I feed Nutro indoor complete care weight management (for them all). I also feed Nutro Lamb and Rice for Billy. I feed Science Diet r/d and w/d mixed for Puff. And Royal Canin is what Suzie prefers. I think M.E will be put on Hills low allergen food when I take her back for her allergies shots this week.

I like them to have a bunch of choices, and I have good luck because Billy eats his food, which is the only one REALLY on a diet that he HAS to be on. Puff eats it when she wants, but not always. It works for us.

I think whatever is best for your budget and kitty, is what you should choose. I love Hills, and Nutro and Royal Canin. I wish Innova was sold around here.. I have wanted to try that out for some time. :D

[jenluckenbach]

OH! It dawns upon my that I could mention who/what I feed the foster cats. (DUH) They eat totally separate.

They get a real variety. I try not to spend a whopping amount of money on their food (and I try not to ask for all their expenses to be reimbursed by the rescue group). So the first thing they get is whatever has been donated. And yes, most of that is grocery store type food. I try to mix these donations with something better. I check for sales and coupons for middle of the road pet store types. One of their favorites is Eukanuba Lamb and Rice (and the ONLY food I could get Simba to eat. :rolleyes: )

So far all the fosters have done fine on it, but for many it is not for an extended period of time (as they move on).

I would like to note that MANY cats can live a perfectly healthy life on Purina. As with all things, it just depends on the cat.

[carole]

I am a little puzzled that it has been said that Hills don't have the healthiest ingredients etc, here in NZ it is probably the most expensive cat food you can buy and only at a vet, not pet store or supermarket, I only ask as most of you know i am buying it tonight in fact for Lexie as recommended by the vet,they don't promote any particular cat food at my vets, and said either are good, but she has to have this special diet because of her crystals, anyhow just asking for valued opinions please.

[caseysmom]

I feed potter kirkland, I really think their ingredients are pretty good, at least the dog food is not bad, I will have to look at the ingredients on the cat food, I have thrown the bag away and its in a plastic tub. I know california natural has a cat food and I love their dog food so I am sure the cat food is good also.

[krazyaboutkatz]

I am a little puzzled that it has been said that Hills don't have the healthiest ingredients etc, here in NZ it is probably the most expensive cat food you can buy and only at a vet, not pet store or supermarket, I only ask as most of you know i am buying it tonight in fact for Lexie as recommended by the vet,they don't promote any particular cat food at my vets, and said either are good, but she has to have this special diet because of her crystals, anyhow just asking for valued opinions please.

Carole, my old vet only sold Hills food and this is what I used for quite a while when I still had Cirrus but only he ate it. Then when Storm had problems, he was also fed this food. At the time he was thought to have the calcium oxalate crystals instead of the more commom struvite. The ER vet sent me home with Royal Canin Urinary S/O which will help prevent both of these crystals. I was also told that if he ate the Hill's C/D and had the oxalate cystals then this would be very bad for him because they only help prevent struvite crystals. My old vet didn't want to have to carry Royal Canin Urinary S/O so I ended up finding a different vet with much better hours and it's also open 7 days a week. He's still eating this and doing very well. I also think that the ingedients are better than the Hill's. Since you just bought Hill's then try it and see how Lexie likes it and if it will help her crystal problems. If she doesn't like it then I'd try the Royal Canin.

[carole]

Thanks for that info, yes i am concerned about her maybe forming the other crystals too, although it is not meant to happen very often, obviously it does and can, i fed her some last night and she ate it no problem, however was only like five biscuits, today i mixed them in with her old ones and yes you guessed it, the new ones were the only ones she left, so i am thinking she is not too fussed, i only went with hills because they sell a bigger bag and money back guarantee,but if royal canin stop both crystals forming, sure sounds a better option to me, might have to re-think this situation.

[sumbirdy]

I feed my cats Purina cat chow

[Zippy]

I have feed iams,meow mix,and purina for a while.I now feed nutro nautral choice complete care adult.Zippy and Pumpkin love it the best of all foods.I give natural choice wet food and iams wet food off and on.They do the best on Natural choice there coats are beautiful and they are healthy.They also eat pounce cat treats,greenies cat treats,whiskers cat treats,animal planet cat treats and get catnip too.

[Don Juan's mom]

Don Juan and Zerlina eat Nutro Complete Care Indoor Formula, with a few Pounce Tartar Control Treats mixed in at dinner. They both look great and, judging from the amount of time they spend chasing each other, they feel just fine. It also seems to help keep Don Juan at a healthy weight. :rolleyes:

Special for CCL: Petsmart has Nutro marked down on a pretty regular basis, at least around here.

Zerlina also gets a little pouch food (Nutro, Iams or Fancy Feast) as a treat. For some reason, Don Juan doesn't go near the stuff, but he does like Temptations (THANK YOU SO *%^$ MUCH, CATMANDU :rolleyes: ). I have to dole them out carefully, as more than 3 or 4 give him an upset tummy. He also gets Feline Greenies. :D :D :D

All cats are different, though. My brother Jim has his three kitties thriving on Iams Senior Formula.

Liz

[pet detective]

I feed 7 month old Milo Iams kitten dry food, and the vet said that was a good choice. Haven't had any problems or allergies yet. :)

[JenBKR]

All of my critters eat Chicken Soup :)

[Crazy-Cat-Lover]

My three are eating Summit Indoor Cat. :)

[Logan]

Has all this information helped or confused you, Kay? LOL!! It is a very deep subject and I've gone around and around on it. I truly believe that every cat and dog is different and what works for one might not work for another.

I did a little research, hoping to find something for Butter that might help him with his constant skin problems. Today, I had my feed store guy order California Natural Chicken and Rice food for Butter. We'll have it next week. We've tried the Science Diet food (can't remember the name), hoping that would help him, but he wouldn't eat it. We've used the Pro Plan Turkey and Barley food, which he is "so so" about, but didn't love it. I'm going to try the California Natural food because it really is natural. My Golden Retrievers are doing great on the California Natural Reduced Calorie Lamb and Rice product, so after doing a little investigating, I figured I might as well try it for Butter, too.

By the way, California Natural food is made by the same company that makes Innova. I really have never compared ingredients, but for some reason, I think the CN is a bit less expensive. Wonder why? They are all discussed at www.naturapet.com

Logan

PS. I should add that Butter's favorite food is one of the cheapest, the Meow Mix Seafood Medley. He loves it! :o

[carole]

Don't mean to hijack this thread, but thought it an ideal thread for me to keep asking about the science diet, Lexie was put on Science diet prescription s/d to dissolve her crystals and yes you guessed it she does not like it even mixed in with her old ones, rang vet today and she said they quite often don't like it, silly making something cats don't like and suggested because she had very few crystals she go straight onto the maintenance one C/D and she should be fine and like it, so does anyone else have experience with either of these foods, or my problem or rather lexie's wee problem ,excuse the pun, i am keen to try the Royal Canin, can anyone tell me if it is much more palatable and their cats love it, much appreciated, thanks.

[jenluckenbach]

no experience with the Royal Canin, but I have 16 current cats (and 6 RB cats) who eat/ate it. No one refused it

[kittycats_delight]

i am keen to try the Royal Canin, can anyone tell me if it is much more palatable and their cats love it, much appreciated, thanks.

I have heard and experienced time and time again cats disliking science diet but I have yet to ever hear of a cat that turned their nose up at royal canin. I know here you can get small bags of roayl canin even the prescription food of 400g. I would suggest getting a small bag and giving it ago. I would pretty much stake anything that Lexie will love it. :D

[xcolbi]

Well I used to buy Whiskas for my cat, and she got fat. So we tried a bunch of other cat foods, one was Cat Chow, but she didn't like that one very well.

[carole]

what i like about the royal canin is it prevents against both type of crystals, also the vet said the science cd makes them fat, well my lexie needs to loose weight not gain it, and even though she said it would be fine to put her straight on that i have to really wonder, as those crystals need to be dissolved, she seems to think they will be fine, but there is always that bit of doubt, besides i cannot afford any more testing right now,we can only buy it at our vets but i will see if they do offer a small bag, probably a good idea,the only good thing about science is their money back guarantee. :) Thanks for your input, as i am so confused as which way to go really, but i had better make my mind up soon i guess, the other good thing is the science comes in bigger bags, so less trips to the vet to pick it up and is readily available, not sure if royal has to be ordered or not.

Has anyone tried the new purina natural blends,? well it is new here anyhow, it has cranberries in it, which is good for keeping urinary health up to scratch, my other cats really like it, again it is the most expensive food in the supermarket you can buy.,even more so than the excellence i had Lexie on,it was especially formulated for urinary tract care and has no preservs, colours etc, but according to the vet it does not lower the PH level , so that is why Lexie cannot stay on them, pity as she loved them so much and was very content on them,still my others love them too.

[kittycats_delight]

Carole I know you can get Royal Canin in large bags too. Here we can get small bags of 400g right up to large bags of 10kg. I would be weary when it comes to urinary health. Crystals can become a serious problem. Hopefully not in Lexie's case but I would be more the type to play it safe now than sorry later. Even the slightest chance would make me want to go with the prescription food. If Lexie doesn't like the Science Diet then money back guarentee or not it doesn't matter much. My cats have not gained any weight on Royal Canin. And they have been eating it since we came to Italy a little over a year ago. I am personally not fond of purina products because pretty well all of then contain BHA and/or BHT. And that stuff is far for benificial to your cat. But the ultimate decision is up to you or rather up to Lexie cause if she doesn't like it then it's a no go.


Good Luck and let us know what you and Lexie decide.

[carole]

Thanks i really appreciate your input very much, don't worry i am taking Lexie off her old food, thats a definite and going with the prescription food, that is not even in question, but i reckon i will try and get a small bag of royal canin, it was my first instinct after coming here to buy that instead of science, but because of the guarantee i chose the science, seems like that was the wrong choice for lexie,she sure is not fond of it, and has eaten only half her normal amount and very reluctantly i might add, still won't hurt her to loose a few pounds thats for sure,but i will be happier when she is,she is usually such a content wee girl.

Yes will let you know what i decide,i would dearly love all the cats on the best, but i just have to give them the best i can afford, after taking on the extra two that were abandoned, it has been a real struggle,one well worth i might add. :)

[kittycats_delight]

I understand completely about giving the best you can. The main reason we feed Royal Canin is because my Vixen is felv+ and needs to be on a high quality food with immunity boost for her immune system. It is costly no doubt as we spend 25 euro a month on just dry food. And an addition 60 euro a month on wet. They eat Almo Nature wet which is 100% natural. Only meat, fish, chicken or whatever the flavor may be 1% rice and cooking broth. And the canned is 1 euro a can. Good thing they only get one a day with their dry. LOL

If you cannot find the small bags of Royal Canin and you want to give Lexie a try on it. Just let me know.

Michelle

[NoahsMommy]

I will always ONLY feed my cats Royal Canin dry (I use Special for Micah and Noah's tum tums) and wet Innova. (I use wet as a treat about once a week...this enables me to sneak meds into their food when needed - sometimes it actually works! ;) )

I know this is a different issue, but all of my cats are free fed and they've NEVER been food obsessed. The cats I've raised as kittens have never (at least so far) had a weight problem...I think this is why, they don't become food obsessed when they always have a bowl of dry laying around next to their water.

I swear by feeding my IBD cat Micah a raw diet every few months or so. Not only does it put his IBD in remission, but it also put his stomatitis (body attacking his poor gums) in remission too! My vet had never, ever seen Micah so healthy. She didn't believe in the raw diet because VETS ARE NOT TAUGHT MUCH AT ALL IN VET SCHOOL ABOUT DIET...only what the larger pet food companies mail to them (ie: Science Diet).

Personally, I wont give my furballs Science Diet. It made my Micah soooo much sicker (I/D, W/D, Z/D) and when Livvy was on it for her...ahem..."more to love"...she tended to eat MORE of it and lost NOT AN OUNCE! When she was on it, her fur became really flakey (those with black cats know what I mean) and lost its luster - Livvy was known for her super shiny coat amoung friends/visitors to our place. The second I put her back on the Royal Canin, she was back to her beautiful self. Who cares if she had a bit extra to love...if it did that to her fur, what did it do to her insides??

Kass is completely correct. Cats should live on a 100% meat diet. They don't eat flowers, veggies, fruits and grains if they were set free in the wild. The idea to is provide a logical means of what they'd eat in the wild. Because sparrows and cute little squirels wouldn't make the public happy being raised for kitty chow, chicken/duck/fish it is. Royal Canin and Innova use ONLY human grade ingredients. (There are potatoes, milk and I think cranberries in Innova, but they have beneficial qualities and don't act as 'fillers' - although, my furbrats tend to eat around the potatoes!)

Raw diet, like I said has been a godsend for my Micah. Like Kass (Nakita's Fabulous Meowmie), I did a TON of research. Mainly about the cons of eating a raw diet - first and foremost the thing I thought of (negatively) is, "wont Micah get sicker? Eating RAW chicken like that?" Answer to that is NO, unless you use pork and sometimes fish...because animals like dogs and cats have MUCH shorter digestive systems than we do, if by any chance there is salmonella or e. coli hanging about, its sped through cats and dogs GI tract/system so quickly, its dead in the grass or litter box before it knew what hit it.

The idea of the raw diet is to take the animal's diet back to a natural state, when we didn't have pre-packaged cat/dog/monkey chow. Cats, if left to their own devices, will hunt sparrows, bugs (eww), small rodents, small birds, etc. They don't fillet them and only eat the tenderloin; they eat the head, feathers, feet and all. (I'm sorry, don't mean to be gross. I'm just trying to show what the cats body needs/wants when it comes to diet.)

The only other "problem" was, how did I know for absolute SURE that Micah would get the proper amount of vitamins/nutrients he needed? How does cut up chicken and chicken livers give him that? Well, when you prepare the food, you order the "mix" from a company (I used www.felinefuture.com) that has all the vitamins needed, plus capsules of salmon oil for omega-3s, powdered bone for calcium - the liver I grind is essential for taurine cats require for vision (amoung other things). A lot of animals cannot simply just go on a raw diet with chicken as the protein source, I got lucky with Micah. I know a woman from when I worked at the vet clinic that has to feed her dog ostrich meat because everything else made her dealthy ill - ESPECIALLY packaged dog food.

How was all that randomness for an answer?? ;)

I'm apart from my furballs (Noah + Micah are with David, Phoebe + Basie are with my cat rescue friend Carol and Jonah is with CiCi)...I miss them so much. :( But, I still provide their food and like a few were saying, it IS expensive, but I feel its preventative medicine...feeding them healthily, keeps them that way.

:D

[krazyaboutkatz]

Carole,the Royal Canin Urinary S/O comes in a large bag that is 16.5lbs. I usually buy 3 of them at once so I don't have to reorder so often. So far they last me about 6 months and this is with feeding 5 cats. I also usually buy 2-3 cases of the wet food and they last me a long time because Sunny and Storm are the main ones that eat this. So far all of my cats love the taste. I hope that Lexie will also love it. Good luck.:)

[carole]

Well a little update, just as we were going to the vet to change her food for the science CD, lexie decided it was toilet time, very good timing as i discovered she was now constipated, i had been gradually adding her new food, but i think too much, i had no advise given, but knew you only did it over a week or so, i think half of each was too much, poor wee girl, so we had to get something from the vet, which is hard to administer and messy and she hates, i think it is parafin oil, it has done the trick, but gosh poor lexie has been having it so rough ,poor wee lass, i have ordered the royal canin, i am sure it is the one for her, after reading all your comments, i really value your opinions and i am sold on it,more so than the vets really, as you all have experience, i doubt they have really, of course i am not so keen having to alter her diet yet again, but i guess we will get there in the end, i sure hope so, as this is hard on her and me,she was always such a content girl on her old biscuits.

[rosethecopycat]

My MIL is feeding cat & dog with Nature's Variety brand.
All I know is that it is 'no grain' and may br 'raw'.

Anyone know this brand?

Also, any one know of a food that can put some weight on my 'old man' Malfi?A/D isn't working. (his kidneys seem o.k.)


Thanks.

[Mcat]

We feed canned only and use Wellness (Old Mother Hubbard is the manufacturer). We recently found a local place that will order it; before that we got in online at Petfooddirect.com. If you enter the free food contest, they email you a 13% off code. And there are frequent sales also.

We have fed Natural Balance and Merrick as well. All 3 brands have no grain flavors and use only human grade ingredients. They do have veggies and fruits, but my cats don't seem to mind. Merrick has some really weird names for their flavors -- Granny's Pot Pie & Cowboy Cookout. My Rainbow Angel Divot used to love those.

Right now we are having diarrhea issues with Arthur and Paisley, so we are considering other food. Arthur has to be careful as he is prone to crystals and needs a low pH level.

[jenluckenbach]

any one know of a food that can put some weight on my 'old man' Malfi?
As mentioned, c/d does tend to pack the pounds on (if not carefully measured)

What about a kitten food?

[rosethecopycat]

As mentioned, c/d does tend to pack the pounds on (if not carefully measured)

What about a kitten food?

No luck with kitten foods.

Why did my vet recommend A/D if the C/D helps them gain?

[jenluckenbach]

Why did my vet recommend A/D if the C/D helps them gain?
Well probably because the c/d isn't meant to be a weight gain formula. It is for urinary tract health. But a common "side effect" is gaining wieght. ASK the vet, she what s/he says.