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Cat food question and super premium dry foods

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D2B

Brilliant_Rock
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Well, since PS is full of a wealth of knowledge about a huge variety of things, I was wondering if anyone can help me with my food question for my cat.

If I buy super premium dry cat food, do I still need to give wet canned food to an adult cat? I find in the heat it just goes off so quickly, it is messy,etc and if I get the super premium cat food wouldnt all the good stuff be in there allready?

any cat forums I can look at?

My cat is a rescue mixed up gorgeous bundle from the pound.

thanks heaps in advance
db
 
It''s fine to just feed a cat dry food if the cat is happy with that. Just keep in mind they need less dry food then wet and it is much higher calorie food.
 
My vet always recommends wet food - he said the moisture in wet food is necessary for their kidneys.
 
thanks
actually my cat doesnt seem to like the wet food that much, we waste a far bit of it trying to find one he likes.

So as long as all the nurient bases are covered with the dry, am happy to go down that path, it jsut seems strange, I just am used to it from childhood alway giving some canned wet food.

thanks
Db
 
hmmm, interesting about the kidneys.......
wouldnt constant access to water mitigate that? I am getting confused lol
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Good for you for taking your kitty''s nutrition needs seriously!
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OK... there''s a lot of mixed opinions on this subject (wet vs. dry) ... so you may just choose to do your own research -- and in the end, make your own comfortable decisions.

Some experts and pet parents will tell you that dry food helps keep their teeth and gums healthy... others will say that''s untrue, even ridiculous!

Some experts and pet parents will tell you that dry food is nothing more than kitty crack junk food and that wet food is absolutely necessary... others will say differently.

Some will say that dry food is OK and wet food is not necessary as long as your cat drinks adequately ( <-- and this is important). Some people (me included) will buy their kitties a fountain to encourage water drinking; this really did help our Boo to drink more.

And of course there''s the whole "anything less than a raw diet isn''t good enough" subculture!
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I would also encourage you to really read ingredient labels; just because a cat food is expensive doesn''t mean it is truly "premium" -- or even especially "good". Although, thankfully, there are a lot more good cat foods out there than there were even just a few years ago.

I free feed my Ragdoll, Boo, a mix of dry food (Wellness Core, Innova, EVO, Nature''s Variety Instinct) and feed him wet food at bedtime (Wellness, Nature''s Variety Instinct, or Merrick). And as I menioned, we have a kitty water fountain (Drinkwell Platinum) that he loves.

Boo is healthy and active and the vet says he''s doing great. So I am comfortable with what I am doing. But I am always keeping my eyes open for good new foods, and I always have a "taking good care of your cat" kind of book on my nightstand!
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(BTW, there are lots of great cat feeding threads around here; brew a cup of tea and do a search; you could be busy for hours!)
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Thanks LynnB, I will have a look around, got to love PS

I will also investigate your water fountain idea, my cat loves to try an drink straight from the tap, and seems to prefer it, so somesort of fountain might work best

will do some research
thanks
db
 
If you type in "cat food" into the Search box here, there are some great threads where this has been discussed. I found it really helpful when I was doing my research before getting my two babies.

I decided to do high quality dry for now. Currently they're still on Eagle Pack Holistic Select, because that's what the breeder had been feeding them. In a couple of weeks, I'm going to start mixing in Innova EVO and see how they do with that. I think I'm going to get them on a mix like Lynn does though - partly for one of the reasons she mentioned in a past thread (diminishing the effect of any pet food recalls if that food is only 1/3 of the kittens' diet rather than all of it) and also because I heard that EVO might cause diarrhea in kittens. I'm thinking maybe a mix of EVO, Avoderm and Wellness eventually.

They're eating a LOT now (but they're only 12 weeks old and full of energy). They drank quite a bit from their water bowl but now they're almost exclusively drinking from the tub faucet (go figure). I'm going to try their water fountain again and see if they like that better.

Good luck! There is a wealth of info out there.

ETA: Here are a couple threads to look at: https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/begging-kitties.74669/

ETA2: I'd love to see pics of your new cat!
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There''s a ton of info at catinfo.org and catnutrition.org

errrm, and in spite of what my friend LynnB claimed earlier, the raw foodies are not a subculture. We will rule the world.
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I do both wet and dry. I don''t think most cats drink enough water, so I always supplement with wet. It''s good for their kidneys in the long run (look up renal failure).
 
Wet foot has a higher water content, cats on a dry food only diet need to drink alot more water to make up for it and keep a healthy kidney function.

One problem some cats have with dry food is they overeat it, drink water which causes the dry food to expand in their stomach and they thow it up. If you cat has a tendancy to over eat small amounts of food at a time is best.
 
Date: 10/19/2009 7:06:24 PM
Author: sillyberry
My vet always recommends wet food - he said the moisture in wet food is necessary for their kidneys.
Click to expand...

I''ve had this recommendation from several vets and a pet food specialist. Wet food is easier to digest and better for the kidneys. Also easier on aging teeth (when your cat hits a certain age, you''ll notice the reduced interest in dry stuff).


Find a high quality pet food store. Not Petco/PetSmart. The people there are very knowledgable about what cats need. Ours is just down the street and they are SO helpful. The food isn''t much more expensive than the less good stuff. Our cats (and dog) like it better. Since it is better for them (less filler, more nutrients), they need to eat less of it.

Also, the high quality pet food stores will almost always give you samples (full sized cans) so you can see what your cat likes best. Our pet food store even has a money back guarantee. If your pet doesn''t like it, bring it back and get a refund.


Our cats eat GO Natural (chicken/turkey/duck formula) dry food and share a can of BG (Before Grain) wet food.
The older cat who is unable to eat dry food gets a full can of GO Natural chicken & veggies.
 
My older cat is 16+ and has been raised entirely on dry cat food. She is fed Avoderm.
 
Of the research my DH has done on this subject, he says that wet food is better because it provides necessary moisture. Just having dry food with access to water, the cat will never drink enough water to make up for the dryness in the cat food. Cats get moisture from food by nature, drinking water is not a natural thing for them. They only drink water as domesticated cats because we feed them dry food.

Our cats are on a completely raw diet (yea, we''re a part of that subculture ;) and they rarely drink water at all.

My childhood kitties lived to age 19 on a completely dry diet until they were around age 15, and they both ended up with kidney failure in the end. I wonder how their lives would have been different (or prolonged) if we had fed them wet food.

I agree that you should do some research on your own, though. There are obviously a lot of different opinions on the subject.
 
Huh, I''ve always given my kitties dry food, but it sounds like I should give them at least some wet food! I''ll have to do some research in the other threads and test a few brands with them.
 
I''ve moved my cats to an entirely wet diet after Binks had a urinary blockage earlier this year. My vet said that cats won''t drink enough water to balance out the dry food and they develop crystals in their urine. I feel all three cats Blue Buffalo (the grain free variety).

What exactly does the raw diet entail?
 
I am for the wet food too...it''s not that cat''s won''t drink enough water if only give dry food, they physically CAN''T get enough water to offset the lack of moisture in the dry food.

Male cats ESPECIALLY have issues with crystals forming urinary blockages, these blockages are DEADLY and kill quickly, sometimes before you know what is happening...and even if caught in time, sometimes the bladder/sphincter muscle is damaged and they lose bladder control altogether...and they must be hospitalized for a blockage, it is very expensive to treat this illness...we almost lost our male kitty TWICE to blockages and the second time it happened he had been on a special anti-crystal food from the vet.

I can not stress strongly enough, DO NOT feed male cats dry food exclusively! And our kitty LOVED water, he drank from the bathtub, faucets, his bowl, his water fountain, etc., but it wasn''t enough.

I wish more vets would warn kitty owners of the risks of dry food. A lot of blockages could be prevented.
 
Dry food has much more nutrients and calories per meal than wet food. Therefore the cat has to eat more wet food than it does dry food to get the vitamins and minerals, protein and so on it needs to be healthy.
I've taken classes on pet nutrition in the past and the consensus from experts (ones that are NOT from pet food companies) is that a base diet of dry food with a wet food treat 2-3x per week is best.
Just make sure you're feeding a premium dry food. I wont give opinions on that here, because there is a huge debate on whats best, but you can do your research, start with Science diet, Wellness, Blue Buffalo and that tier of foods.
The urinary tract blockages can be caused by additions to the wet food as well, not always just water deficiency.

Hope this helps!
 
I don''t care for Science Diet. We''ve given it to our cats and dog and switched them off of it now.

Look for a high quality food at a specialty store. They have stuff out there made of "food grade" meats & veggies. Meaning that it isn''t made of rotten or fatty stuff that couldn''t be used for anything else.
Our animals love it and are visibly healthier.
 
I''m a cat vet...

Canned food is best; I feed my cats a mix of canned and dry as they love dry but I also have some overweight ones (who need fewer calories - dry is very high in calories per volume of food) and kidney failure ones who need the extra water. Choose a high quality food and you''ll be fine.
 
Date: 10/19/2009 10:06:58 PM
Author: Matata
There's a ton of info at catinfo.org and catnutrition.org

errrm, and in spite of what my friend LynnB claimed earlier, the raw foodies are not a subculture. We will rule the world.
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Click to expand...
This made me LOL (and almost spew hot tea all over my monitor!!!)
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Matata, Haven, and other raw foodies... you do know I have the highest regard and respect for feeding raw, right?!
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I only said it like that because my experience has been that it can be such a *controversial* subject, with most people (it seems) either totally for it or totally against it.






 
Wellness Core is a readily available, super premium cat food. You can get this at Pet Co. Make sure you get Wellness CORE, not just regular Wellness, as they are different. Innova also makes super premium cat food, but this brand is slightly harder to find. Many vets' offices carry it, however.

Both these brands make wet and dry food. My cat won't eat dry cat food at all, he just doesn't like it. He gets plenty of water, however, so he's just fine.
 
I feed my cats Innova Evo, and they love it! I guess they love it a little too much because I looked at them both tonight, and they seem to be gaining a bit of weight.
 
Date: 10/20/2009 8:41:09 AM
Author: Hudson_Hawk
I've moved my cats to an entirely wet diet after Binks had a urinary blockage earlier this year. My vet said that cats won't drink enough water to balance out the dry food and they develop crystals in their urine. I feel all three cats Blue Buffalo (the grain free variety).


What exactly does the raw diet entail?
Click to expand...

Depends on which way you go with it.

I feed my cat a raw diet. Yes, I'm one of those people
2.gif
.
I did a lot of research before making the switch and had found Instincts TC Formula by Feline Future and started with that. It's a powder mix that has all the necessary minerals and nutrients a cat needs. All you had to do was mix it with water and meat and it was set. I chose to freeze it into ice cubes in trays (1 oz each) for easy portioning. This got to be a PITA with having to contstantly make it so I looked for a company that makes it for you. Then I found Primal Raw Cat Food and this has been fantastic. After reading zillion reviews, I decided to order it. I was a little more expensive (because of shipping) than the other brand, but so worth it not to have to make it. Apparently a lot of vet stores and/or pet stores actually carry it in stock and I have found 3 within a hours from where I live. Next time, I will make the drive and pick some up to save on the shipping. My cat loves this food and is visibly healthier with better teeth, breath, less weight, less waste with virtually no odor, shinier coat....I could go on and on.

ETA: Oh! And Instincts TC has a special formula for cats with kidney trouble.
 
Date: 10/20/2009 9:33:56 AM
Author: ecf8503
I''m a cat vet...


Canned food is best; I feed my cats a mix of canned and dry as they love dry but I also have some overweight ones (who need fewer calories - dry is very high in calories per volume of food) and kidney failure ones who need the extra water. Choose a high quality food and you''ll be fine.
Click to expand...

Dr. ecf can I ask you a question? Why is it you can only buy vet food at the vet? I mean, it''s just the formulations that are different, there are no meds in the food. I have a cat who has IBS and was on the RC limited ingredients food (IVF?) for ages and was doing well. Then I moved and lost my vet contact and didn''t think to get a new Rx. I now can''t get this food for him without jumping through the hoops of going to the vet, getting an exam done and spending $$$ for a diagnosis that''s already been made. I''ve since been giving him the Blue buffalo grain free food. Is this OK? He doesn''t seem to have issues with it, but with him it''s hard to tell until he''s got a massive flare up.
 
Date: 10/21/2009 2:36:35 PM
Author: audball
Date: 10/20/2009 8:41:09 AM

Author: Hudson_Hawk

I''ve moved my cats to an entirely wet diet after Binks had a urinary blockage earlier this year. My vet said that cats won''t drink enough water to balance out the dry food and they develop crystals in their urine. I feel all three cats Blue Buffalo (the grain free variety).



What exactly does the raw diet entail?
Click to expand...


Depends on which way you go with it.


I feed my cat a raw diet. Yes, I''m one of those people
2.gif
.

I did a lot of research before making the switch and had found Instincts TC Formula by Feline Future and started with that. It''s a powder mix that has all the necessary minerals and nutrients a cat needs. All you had to do was mix it with water and meat and it was set. I chose to freeze it into ice cubes in trays (1 oz each) for easy portioning. This got to be a PITA with having to contstantly make it so I looked for a company that makes it for you. Then I found Primal Raw Cat Food and this has been fantastic. After reading zillion reviews, I decided to order it. I was a little more expensive (because of shipping) than the other brand, but so worth it not to have to make it. Apparently a lot of vet stores and/or pet stores actually carry it in stock and I have found 3 within a hours from where I live. Next time, I will make the drive and pick some up to save on the shipping. My cat loves this food and is visibly healthier with better teeth, breath, less weight, less waste with virtually no odor, shinier coat....I could go on and on.


ETA: Oh! And Instincts TC has a special formula for cats with kidney trouble.
Click to expand...

I used to use something similar to Primal but switched to whole prey. I feed rats, mice, quail, chicks, and an occasional guinea pig. I get the quail locally and order the rest from rodentpro. Whole prey is relatively cheap but the shipping fee is a killer. My vet, who originally wrinkled her nose at the raw idea, is now a convert because of the health of the cats -- teeth, skin, fur, blood values are superb. Rodents & birds are, afterall, their natural diet and as I''ve said ad nauseum, canned & dry food is simply an attempt to reverse-engineer a mouse. We just luvz our au naturel way.
 
Date: 10/21/2009 4:13:04 PM
Author: Matata
Date: 10/21/2009 2:36:35 PM

Author: audball

Date: 10/20/2009 8:41:09 AM


Author: Hudson_Hawk


I''ve moved my cats to an entirely wet diet after Binks had a urinary blockage earlier this year. My vet said that cats won''t drink enough water to balance out the dry food and they develop crystals in their urine. I feel all three cats Blue Buffalo (the grain free variety).




What exactly does the raw diet entail?
Click to expand...



Depends on which way you go with it.



I feed my cat a raw diet. Yes, I''m one of those people
2.gif
.


I did a lot of research before making the switch and had found Instincts TC Formula by Feline Future and started with that. It''s a powder mix that has all the necessary minerals and nutrients a cat needs. All you had to do was mix it with water and meat and it was set. I chose to freeze it into ice cubes in trays (1 oz each) for easy portioning. This got to be a PITA with having to contstantly make it so I looked for a company that makes it for you. Then I found Primal Raw Cat Food and this has been fantastic. After reading zillion reviews, I decided to order it. I was a little more expensive (because of shipping) than the other brand, but so worth it not to have to make it. Apparently a lot of vet stores and/or pet stores actually carry it in stock and I have found 3 within a hours from where I live. Next time, I will make the drive and pick some up to save on the shipping. My cat loves this food and is visibly healthier with better teeth, breath, less weight, less waste with virtually no odor, shinier coat....I could go on and on.



ETA: Oh! And Instincts TC has a special formula for cats with kidney trouble.
Click to expand...


I used to use something similar to Primal but switched to whole prey. I feed rats, mice, quail, chicks, and an occasional guinea pig. I get the quail locally and order the rest from rodentpro. Whole prey is relatively cheap but the shipping fee is a killer. My vet, who originally wrinkled her nose at the raw idea, is now a convert because of the health of the cats -- teeth, skin, fur, blood values are superb. Rodents & birds are, afterall, their natural diet and as I''ve said ad nauseum, canned & dry food is simply an attempt to reverse-engineer a mouse. We just luvz our au naturel way.
Click to expand...

Yea, unfortunately my cats are terrified of mice...that wouldn''t work for us. LOLL
 
Date: 10/21/2009 2:36:35 PM
Author: audball

Date: 10/20/2009 8:41:09 AM
Author: Hudson_Hawk
I''ve moved my cats to an entirely wet diet after Binks had a urinary blockage earlier this year. My vet said that cats won''t drink enough water to balance out the dry food and they develop crystals in their urine. I feel all three cats Blue Buffalo (the grain free variety).


What exactly does the raw diet entail?
Click to expand...

Depends on which way you go with it.

I feed my cat a raw diet. Yes, I''m one of those people
2.gif
.
I did a lot of research before making the switch and had found Instincts TC Formula by Feline Future and started with that. It''s a powder mix that has all the necessary minerals and nutrients a cat needs. All you had to do was mix it with water and meat and it was set. I chose to freeze it into ice cubes in trays (1 oz each) for easy portioning. This got to be a PITA with having to contstantly make it so I looked for a company that makes it for you. Then I found Primal Raw Cat Food and this has been fantastic. After reading zillion reviews, I decided to order it. I was a little more expensive (because of shipping) than the other brand, but so worth it not to have to make it. Apparently a lot of vet stores and/or pet stores actually carry it in stock and I have found 3 within a hours from where I live. Next time, I will make the drive and pick some up to save on the shipping. My cat loves this food and is visibly healthier with better teeth, breath, less weight, less waste with virtually no odor, shinier coat....I could go on and on.

ETA: Oh! And Instincts TC has a special formula for cats with kidney trouble.
Click to expand...

Please be careful with the special "kidney formula" foods.

Our vet prescribed a special "kidney formula" food for Miglet. She would have been about 15 at the time. We fed it to her daily exactly as the vet and the food directions said to.
After about a year on this stuff (well known big brand), she was losing energy and sleeping a lot more. Also losing bunches of weight.
Went to a nice pet food store and talked to them. They suggested a non-kidney diet food. After about a week on this stuff, Miglet was moving more and gaining some weight back.
That special kidney diet almost killed her.

Cats need protein. If you take too much out of their diet, they WILL get sick.
 
Oma''s Pride is my favorite retailer for pre-mixed raw. They make both feline and canine varieties and I know there is a distributor down in Providence (though I know you just moved!). Bo''s breeder has been feeding her cats raw for over a decade...she used to have to get all of her information from a person who was doing a lot of feline diet research over in Australia because there was nothing available in the U.S. and now she''s become an Oma''s Pride distributor because she loves the food so much. I used Oma''s Pride myself when I first switched to raw, but now prefer to mix the meals myself.
 
Interesting, I''ll have to look into that. Thanks NEL.
 
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