Cat Food

[Sleepwalker]

Hi everyone.

My 1yr old cat is hooked on dry cat foods. I know the majority of cats prefer tinned food, but not mine. And what is noteworthy is that the more the worse the food is the more he likes it (I always try 2 get him the best money can buy, but sometimes there is no supr quality food in our local store and I have 2 buy just a quality stuff). Well, he also likes shrimps and some sorts of meat - veal and chicken, but he would often refuse even them and go about the house meowing and asking 4 dry biscuits. I know they are not too good for his health and I would like to give him something healthier, but I am not sure about the proper diet for a cat and internet resources seem to be of little help. Does anybody have this kind of problem and if yes, what measures do you take to reason your pet?

Thanks,
N

[Mrs_Savas]

Your first issue with a cat that doesn't eat canned food, is hydration.  Cats are a specific type of carnivore that don't get enough water just from having a water bowl to drink from.  Even if they seem to be drinking a lot of water, they aren't getting enough hydration that way.

In fact, ideally, cats don't drink much water at all - they should get their hydration from their food.  A cat that is drinking a lot of water is doing it because their food is making them thirsty.

The best processed cat diet is a human grade regimen, dry and canned.  "Human grade" is just what it sounds like, food that is graded fit for human consumption.  Most importantly, it is grain free and low in sugars.  Don't worry too much about ash, you will get some of that no matter what you feed your cat.

Google "human grade cat food" and see what you can find out.  Or PM me and Savas (my husband and co-CL, who is the expert in this kind of thing) and I will recommend some food brands and supplements for you.

In a pinch, meat flavored baby food is a good source of hydration for cats.  Not nutrition, it is negligible in that department, at least for cats, but it is mostly water, so it's good for that.

Don't hesitate to contact me, if you want some more information.

[heatherlynn22]

my little girl venus, she's 10 months old now, gets her canned stuff as a treat once or twice a month. her normal food is just dry food. she gets 9 lives growing years. when we talked to her vet he said that it was fine that she only eat dry food. of course she does have her kitty treats she gets when she's a good girl and i occasionally slip her a piece of chicken or steak when i'm cooking.

[Sleepwalker]

Tx a lot for posting here, with lots of sad stuff going on with so many kitties here I felt kinda awkward asking about nutrition issues. I read about Hissie, wow, big girl, keep her going, Lynnkay! I think u've done great not to give up on her. I lost a small kitten in the past, no one could even really tell me what happened to him... So I am scared out of my wits to lose my darling Fox, though he seems to be perfectly alright now. I just want him to have a long and healthy life, so very much concerned about his diet. As for the foods Lynnkay mentioned, I will try asking about them in specialized stores. U c, I live in Ukraine and we don't seem to have that wide range of pet food here. I bought Hill's today, but again I am not certain it's any better than, say, Gourmet or Royal Canine or Proplan (dunno if you have those over there, lol). I try to judge by the price and the looks of it (the less attractive the pack is the better for me). Same thing with vets here - they all suck! Absolutely no care for pets, the best u can hear is - put it to sleep! Oh I didn't mean to sound so drastic, but this sit with vets here really pisses me off any time I think of it.

[Jacqui805]

My cat (about 10 mos. old), ate ONLY canned food as a "baby", but NOW, will ONLY eat dry food too.  She will not eat the canned no matter what.  I have lots of it leftover, and when I've run out of the dry stuff, I've tried giving the cans to her, and she won't touch 'em.  

I don't know a whole lot about cat nutrition, but I DO know, that one should try to buy food that's low in "ash".  This is for good urinary-tract health, which is especially important for male cats.

[lynnkay]

Proper diet is all too important with cats. Me and my kitty Hissie had to learn this lesson the hard way. Hissie just spent the last 6 weeks, going back and forth to the vet, having overnight stays at the vet and even intestional surgery. As my friends here on MedHelp educated me on, Hissie's diet was to blame for her problems. Hissie simply loved Nine Lives...canned and dry. So, I fed Hissie what she wanted, thinking I was doing the right thing. Nine Lives, Friskies, etc. are considered commercial catfoods. As you know cats are strictly carnivores. Commercial catfoods have fillers in them such as grain. Cats systems cannot tolerate grains. Commercial catfoods are what are typically found in grocery stores, etc. Do you have a Petco or a pet store near you? They carry the high quality catfoods, that are good for kitties. I just recently switched Hissie's catfood and her diet. I have her on Wellness and Holistic brand catfoods. Plus, I am giving her salmon oil mixed in with her food. It is good that your kitty at times, will eat shrimp, veal and chicken. But, I do understand about your kitty begging for the bad stuff. I got another cat named Paradise. I have switched her diet as well. Hissie is liking her diet change, but Paradise is not. I am certain others will answer your question in more technical detail than me. The good people on this forum pulled me and Hissie through a very tough time. My kitty Hissie is 15. But, regardless if a cat is 15 or 1, a proper good diet is everything. Hissie had to have intestional surgery for a large dried up hairball. Brought her home and she did good for a few weeks. Just last week, she spent 2 days at the vet's. She was very constipated and it was due to the catfood I had always given her. Hissie is now back home and so far she is doing great. For an old girl, she has no other health problems, that the vet can find. Just the diet she was on. I have researched on the net like you. The best advice I received right here on MedHelp. Keep us posted on your kitty. Just trying to help others, by giving my testimony, on what happened to my sweet girl Hissie. I am using persistance and patience with my other cat Paradise, on this new diet change.