what does everyone feed?

[Nomilynn]

When I was little, we used to feed Cat Chow. Our cats were all very healthy too, until they got urinary crystals.

Meow Mix is also EXTREMELY high in fat.

Feeding a higher quality food is cheaper in the long run, because they eat less of it. It also promotes overall health so that vet costs are lower in the long run. Also, cats who eat a good quality food will absorb WAY more nutrients, therefore pooping less - makes for a much nicer litter box experience.



I feed Chicken Soup. It's a very good quality food that isn't as expensive as some other ones. I have known some people to experience very smelly feces with it though, so I think it really depends on the cat. My two do great on it. I like how it doesn't have a bunch of useless fibre and filler, like most "low" grade foods have.

[shais_mom]

Kylie has just been switched to Hills R/D Prescription diet due to being a bit chubby.
And after being spayed Kloe is now on Nutro Adult formula.
And I noticed a huge difference in odor in the box when the girls get their wet food as a treat. I try to feed foods that will reduce litter box odor and help with skin and coat.

[lady_zana]

Mine eat Purina Indoor Formula Cat Chow. It has helped their coats out tremdously. I used to feed them regular Cat Chow but since I've switched (maybe six months ago) there have been less accidents of throwing up.

[sirrahbed]

I *have* tried some of the more expensive food at times - but the kitties turn up their noses. The ones I bought were Iams, S/D prescription W/D and Nutro. The S/D they hated, the Nutro - the pieces were too big and they did not like that and the Iams turns out to be not a very high quality food. (so I was told - though it is easy to get because it is made here in Dayton) As for amounts - I give them the same amount of Cat Chow as I did the expensive ones - 1/3 cup in each bowl twice a day.

I did not know that Meow Mix was so high in fat I just know they love it.

At one time, I was giving THREE different foods: Kitten Chow for the babies, diet for Emily and Dylan and regular for skinny Eliot. What a royal pain!! I had to feed twice a day in different rooms. For awhile when the babies were small - it was pretty easy because Eliot ate on the counter top and nobody else would bother - or were not able to jump up. Now - cats are all on the counters

What *IS* a better quality food that is not more expensive in the long run, allows them to eat less and poop less - and is easy to find??? Someone had sent me a comparison link but it was not working. Anyone have such a link??

I may try the Nutro again. Natural Balance - I can't find and the Royal Canin is way too expensive here!! Plus - they are only at the Petstore and not our military store where we shop. I don't get out much and so need something easy to get.

For those who buy the huge bags - what do you store the food in??

I can easily get Iams, Nutro and Eukanuba. Are any of them considered high quality???

[Nomilynn]

The thing about the higher fat foods is they taste better - that's why if you have been feeding fatty foods, kitties won't like the "better" stuff They are way too finicky!!

I had started feeding Bassett Meow Mix, and she was a real porker. When I switched to Medical for her, I saw immediate improvements.

Of the three you mentioned, Debbie, I would say Nutro is the best, then Eukanuba, then Iams. I personally don't like Iams - I found that it made my cats coats dull and even it's weight control formula is pretty fatty. They likely will turn up their noses at first, but if you are persistent and mix in the new foods gradually, they should come around. At first Bassett HATED Medical. Then she got hungry

I buy the big bags and store it in a Rubbermaid Bin. It has always kept the food very fresh for me.

Here is a pretty good chart: http://www.showcatsonline.com/x/cat_...omparisons.htm

Basically you have to look at the food lists - and try to find out where the SOURCES of the ingredients come from. For example, if it says "poultry meal" or "chicken meal" it is basically re-constituted chicken and not nearly as healthy as "chicken." There are percentage requirements that have to do with the word choices on labels. Also, most people say "corn" is bad, but it's really not. It just depends on how much is there. When you read the food lists, pay attention to how many times a type of filler is listed.. sometimes it doens't look as bad because it's farther down the list, but it's broken up into all of its constituents and therefore there is a lot more. It's better to feed a food that says corn or wheat higher on the list than a food that has corn, corn meal, corn by products etc etc lower on the list but over and over again.

I'll look into Eukanuba a little more, if you like, and see what I can find. From the chart I found, it looks like it might be a pretty good food.

[sirrahbed]

Thanks Naomi! I have not tried Eukanuba at all but it is right there in my military store in big bags - also they have the lamb and the chicken.

It just seems to me that somebody said something negative about that brand - but I am not sure. I am thinking it might be the same people as Iams??

I had also never heard of feeding lamb to kitties before!

[Nomilynn]

Yes, Eukanuba is made by the same company as Iams... and Iams has a pretty bad reputation.

However, when your choices are limited, sometimes you just have to do the best you can And if it turns out that your kitties flatly refuse to eat anything but the cat chow, then that is still better than nothing. But it can't hurt to try

I know that at the Vet Hospital where I'm doing work experience, we feed lots of different varieties of Eukanuba, but nothing from Iams. Give it a try and let us know!

[christa]

Mine eat Purina Pro Plan. Josie has always had a lot of gastro-intestinal problems . . . a really sensitive stomach, and that's about all she can eat.

I also give them something called Purina Feline EN (Gastroenteric), which you can only get from your vet. We usually just give these packets to them as treats. Just firms up their poopy.

[shais_mom]

Like I said I started feeding Nutro and while the peices ARE bigger (which I don't really like either) but it helps them actually CHEW their food. Kylie threw up a few weeks ago when they were both finishing up the Iams I had and it was the whole peices of the little Iams. Unfortunately Kylie is on Science Diet now and the peices are the same as Iams. But little Kloe has NO problem eating the larger Nutro peices.
I don't know Debbie, what about the Nutro Max Cat? What are the peices like in that?
I would guess that at least Purina One would be better then the Meow Mix and Cat chow.
Kylie had a bit of gastrititis when I first got her when I tried to switch her foods too much, but we haven't had too much of a problem since.
Like I said earlier also I have to find a food normally for Kylie that is for hair and skin/coat b/c of hairballs.
I know that Royal Canin is expensive but it is excellant... but that is what I fed Kylie at first when I got her and she porked up!
What about Science Diet? Have you looked into that.. The Natural Care? Is that what it is called? Can't remember...
You can try Eukanuba - it would be better then the other I would think. Like Nomi said You never know till you try it..
Is Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover's soul available in you're are Debbie?

[wolfsoul]

Originally posted by Nomilynn


Basically you have to look at the food lists - and try to find out where the SOURCES of the ingredients come from. For example, if it says "poultry meal" or "chicken meal" it is basically re-constituted chicken and not nearly as healthy as "chicken."

I have to disagree with you on this one. Chicken meal is ALOT more expensive than just chicken -- that's why you will often see the lower quality foods do not have chicken meals, but just chicken. The reason for this is because chicken or any other meat for that matter is 70-80% water, fat, and oil. So when you see Chicken as the #1 food on a list of ingredients, it is actually water that is number one. You can count of the chicken being more in the middle to bottom of the list. A meal is just a meat that has been rendered so that the water, fat, and oils, have been removed. Therefore it is pure meat.

Eukanuba is not a high quality food -- they recently came out with a new line of foods that is much better, however. Eukanuba and Iams are the same company.

Caleb gets Healthwise in the morning, and NV raw at night.

[prechrswife]

Our cats get Cat Chow Indoor formula.

[lisalee]

Originally posted by Nomilynn

Feeding a higher quality food is cheaper in the long run, because they eat less of it. It also promotes overall health so that vet costs are lower in the long run. Also, cats who eat a good quality food will absorb WAY more nutrients, therefore pooping less - makes for a much nicer litter box experience.

I sure wish Sash ate less on premium food, not him though. I alternate with Natural Balance and Royal Canin Slim.

[Nomilynn]

Originally posted by wolfsoul
I have to disagree with you on this one. Chicken meal is ALOT more expensive than just chicken -- that's why you will often see the lower quality foods do not have chicken meals, but just chicken. The reason for this is because chicken or any other meat for that matter is 70-80% water, fat, and oil. So when you see Chicken as the #1 food on a list of ingredients, it is actually water that is number one. You can count of the chicken being more in the middle to bottom of the list. A meal is just a meat that has been rendered so that the water, fat, and oils, have been removed. Therefore it is pure meat.

Eukanuba is not a high quality food -- they recently came out with a new line of foods that is much better, however. Eukanuba and Iams are the same company.

Caleb gets Healthwise in the morning, and NV raw at night.

I may be wrong on my exact terminology. I would have to look it up in my notes that I took in school.

Where do you get your raw diet? I personally would never feed a "homemade" raw diet to a cat. Cats nutritional needs are SO specific it is hard to ensure that they are getting everything they need.

All I know is after I took nutrition in college I was paranoid that my girls weren't getting what they needed I was on the verge of anxiety for weeks afterward LOL!

[Shelteez2]

My cats get Innova Lite dry food. And Suki gets a little bit of Sheba wet food twice a day. Sheba isn't great, but it's one of the few wet foods she will eat. Chloe won't touch wet food.

[wolfsoul]

Originally posted by Nomilynn

Where do you get your raw diet? I personally would never feed a "homemade" raw diet to a cat. Cats nutritional needs are SO specific it is hard to ensure that they are getting everything they need.

It's from a pet supply store called Bone Appetit. I think that if a cat is getting a homemade diet, that as long as there is lots of variety, then he would get all of the nutrition he needs. I think it's like with people -- we certinaly don't get the exact amount of vitamins we need to survive in one day, but over a period of, say, a week, our diet balances out from the variety of food we eat, and so we get enough vitamins. If a cat were on the exact same homemade diet every single day, unless it had been analyzed for the correct amount of vitamins and approved by nutritionists, I doubt it would provide enough nutrition. But if the cat was fed a different meal every day, I believe it would be the perfect diet.