I have not even heard of any of these brands you guys mention except Blue Buffalo and Purina One. Which canned one do u guys think would be best? Purina one?
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What do you feed your cats, and why?
- Thread starter kittylover23
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I feed a mix of canned foods: Natural Balance, Evo Kitten, Instinct lamb and venison, Wellness, Wellness Core, BG, Blue Buffalo Duck, Hound and Gatos rabbit and pheasant, and Fancy Feast classic fish flavors once a week. I mix the food into little containers and a container (about 6oz) lasts about 2 days. I mix a quarter 5oz can of something (it varies each week) with 3 tablespoons of Evo kitten and then one small can (3oz) of some meat other than chicken or turkey. He eats about 6 tablespoon sized meals a day because he won't eat more than that in one sitting, and I was wasting too much food. His favorite mix is 3 tablespoons of Evo, 1 (3oz) can of Wellness chunk turkey and 1 can of Fancy feast fish. He only gets this once a week because he loves fish too much.
My cat was a feral we took in. We fed him Evo kibble while he was feral for 6 years, but he never ate much because we live near the woods and have a lot of mice and such. So wet food works better for him and he likes very strong smelling meats. We did try raw with him, various brands, with no success. We didn't want to waste it, so we put it out for the other ferals and even they wouldn't eat it either, so we stick with the canned. We used to let him out at night to hunt, but then he got tapeworms, and then one night after that something happened to him, so we don't let him out anymore, and in reality, he doesn't want to go out anymore. He doesn't even like when the front door gets opened. the other ferals we take care of (two at this point) get evo kibble and leftover Evo canned twice a day. They come on a schedule, so it never sits out long.
My cat was a feral we took in. We fed him Evo kibble while he was feral for 6 years, but he never ate much because we live near the woods and have a lot of mice and such. So wet food works better for him and he likes very strong smelling meats. We did try raw with him, various brands, with no success. We didn't want to waste it, so we put it out for the other ferals and even they wouldn't eat it either, so we stick with the canned. We used to let him out at night to hunt, but then he got tapeworms, and then one night after that something happened to him, so we don't let him out anymore, and in reality, he doesn't want to go out anymore. He doesn't even like when the front door gets opened. the other ferals we take care of (two at this point) get evo kibble and leftover Evo canned twice a day. They come on a schedule, so it never sits out long.
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All cats on a canned diet unless otherwise noted
Jennie:
Before Grain (Chicken, Beef, Turkey),
By Nature 95% (Chicken&liver, Turkey&liver, Beef&liver)
By Nature Organic (Chicken, Turkey, Turkey&Chicken),
Weruva nine livers,
Soulistic Good Karma chicken.
Wellness (Turkey, Chicken, Beef&Chicken) but only once in a very very great while
Also at the moment the "seldom fed and will not be repurchasing when used up" brands: Avoderm (chicken), Natures Variety, (Lamb, Beef, Chicken)
Why: Jennie doesn't have any apparent food intolerances aside from staying away from grain. Always searching for other brands to add into the rotation. The more variety the better for her, all foods seem to have at least one thing I don't want them to eat.
Mazy:
By Nature Organic (Turkey&Chicken, Chicken)
Why: Mazy ate Hills Prescription c/d kibble for 6 1/2 years and it ruined her digestive system. She cannot tolerate any variety in her diet at all, and she cannot tolerate anything with carrageenan. It took a long time to find a food she could eat, that she WILL eat. I wish with all my heart I could give her more variety, but every time I try, she regurgitates it.
Queen Eva:
By Nature Organic (Turkey&Chicken, Chicken)
Castor&Pollux Chicken vegetable casserole
Natural Balance Platefuls (pouch chicken)
Stella&Chewy's Freeze Dried Raw re-hydrated (chicken)
Evo ancestral diet kibble (chicken) small snack to increase caloric intake
Will be trying: Ziwi Peak air dried raw, (Lamb) when it arrives
Why: Queen Eva cannot tolerate carrageenan. She's finicky besides and has very little interest in food. The Stella&Chewy's has made a big difference, she gets one meal of it (8 nuggets) a day in addition to her regular foods. Until I added the S&C, she was eating 3 ounces of canned food, and the 1/8 cup of Evo daily, I could not get her to eat any more than that and while some might see her as "fine" I was not satisfied with her being underweight.
Since adding a meal of Stella&Chewy's freeze dried raw (re-hydrated), she not only eats that up, her appetite in general has improved greatly. She eats all her canned food now, and sometimes even asks for more. She has gained 2 1/2 ounces in 7 weeks. I'd love to cut out the kibble, and if I can get her up to 7 pounds I will. Even though I think the kibble is counter productive (she just poops it back out, because she has suspected nutrient absorption issues) she has to have the kibble because it is, at least, something in her stomach over night. If I let her go without that snack, by morning she is beyond hungry and won't eat at all.
I'm hoping to replace her canned breakfast with the Ziwi Peak air dried raw, and feed her that canned meal at bed time instead, with maybe an occasional chicken wing or gizzard, so she can make it through the night without the acid build up in her tummy that makes her not want to eat at all. That will eliminate the kibble.
The canned food search is never ending for me. I am always researching brands, and when I find one that looks okay, I watch for a sale so I can try a case. Usually it turns out to be a dud, so I feed one can every few weeks to Jennie until it's gone then don't buy it again. If even Jennie won't eat it, I take it to the shelter.
Queen Eva usually won't eat anything new that comes in, and Mazy cannot. But I never stop searching, anyway.
Jennie:
Before Grain (Chicken, Beef, Turkey),
By Nature 95% (Chicken&liver, Turkey&liver, Beef&liver)
By Nature Organic (Chicken, Turkey, Turkey&Chicken),
Weruva nine livers,
Soulistic Good Karma chicken.
Wellness (Turkey, Chicken, Beef&Chicken) but only once in a very very great while
Also at the moment the "seldom fed and will not be repurchasing when used up" brands: Avoderm (chicken), Natures Variety, (Lamb, Beef, Chicken)
Why: Jennie doesn't have any apparent food intolerances aside from staying away from grain. Always searching for other brands to add into the rotation. The more variety the better for her, all foods seem to have at least one thing I don't want them to eat.
Mazy:
By Nature Organic (Turkey&Chicken, Chicken)
Why: Mazy ate Hills Prescription c/d kibble for 6 1/2 years and it ruined her digestive system. She cannot tolerate any variety in her diet at all, and she cannot tolerate anything with carrageenan. It took a long time to find a food she could eat, that she WILL eat. I wish with all my heart I could give her more variety, but every time I try, she regurgitates it.
Queen Eva:
By Nature Organic (Turkey&Chicken, Chicken)
Castor&Pollux Chicken vegetable casserole
Natural Balance Platefuls (pouch chicken)
Stella&Chewy's Freeze Dried Raw re-hydrated (chicken)
Evo ancestral diet kibble (chicken) small snack to increase caloric intake
Will be trying: Ziwi Peak air dried raw, (Lamb) when it arrives
Why: Queen Eva cannot tolerate carrageenan. She's finicky besides and has very little interest in food. The Stella&Chewy's has made a big difference, she gets one meal of it (8 nuggets) a day in addition to her regular foods. Until I added the S&C, she was eating 3 ounces of canned food, and the 1/8 cup of Evo daily, I could not get her to eat any more than that and while some might see her as "fine" I was not satisfied with her being underweight.
Since adding a meal of Stella&Chewy's freeze dried raw (re-hydrated), she not only eats that up, her appetite in general has improved greatly. She eats all her canned food now, and sometimes even asks for more. She has gained 2 1/2 ounces in 7 weeks. I'd love to cut out the kibble, and if I can get her up to 7 pounds I will. Even though I think the kibble is counter productive (she just poops it back out, because she has suspected nutrient absorption issues) she has to have the kibble because it is, at least, something in her stomach over night. If I let her go without that snack, by morning she is beyond hungry and won't eat at all.
I'm hoping to replace her canned breakfast with the Ziwi Peak air dried raw, and feed her that canned meal at bed time instead, with maybe an occasional chicken wing or gizzard, so she can make it through the night without the acid build up in her tummy that makes her not want to eat at all. That will eliminate the kibble.
The canned food search is never ending for me. I am always researching brands, and when I find one that looks okay, I watch for a sale so I can try a case. Usually it turns out to be a dud, so I feed one can every few weeks to Jennie until it's gone then don't buy it again. If even Jennie won't eat it, I take it to the shelter.
Queen Eva usually won't eat anything new that comes in, and Mazy cannot. But I never stop searching, anyway.
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Wow that is allot of different stuff. I see that variety is important. I may start with Blue buffalo and fancy feast. I have 3 cats and a kitten. None of them go outside. It sounds like your boy had a terrible experience; since he has no interest in going out. Poor guy! So they should eat twice a day? I've always let cats eat whenever they feel like it. Can't leave the canned out. As a child we always had cats. All we could afford was something called Kozy Kitten. I'm sure its awful. Thank God things aren't that bad now.
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My cats are fed seven times a day. Breakfast is served in 3 small meals. Snack (when I come home for lunch) is one meal, supper is two meals, then a bed time snack.
I weigh them weekly to be sure they are getting the right amounts.
I don't remember who posted that they thought their cats are healthy because they are fat, but I want to state here that overweight cats are NOT healthy. Fat cats are at high risk for many diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes, fatty liver disease and urinary tract illnesses.
I weigh them weekly to be sure they are getting the right amounts.
I don't remember who posted that they thought their cats are healthy because they are fat, but I want to state here that overweight cats are NOT healthy. Fat cats are at high risk for many diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes, fatty liver disease and urinary tract illnesses.
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According to their web site the by Nature Organics products have carrageenan:
http://www.bynaturepetfoods.com/productpages/organiccannedcat.php#ttl
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I know, thanks. The website is incorrect. The labels on the cans do not have carrageenan listed. I wrote to the manufacturer about this a few months ago because I thought they had changed their formula and I was using an older batch.I was told that the error was on the website and would be corrected. Obviously they have not corrected it yet, but the can labels, including the new batch (with different numbers and dates from the previous order) are correct and still do not list carrageenan.
That's great news! I'm just starting to use the by Nature products. I spoke to one of their customer reps today and she said they are in the process of revamping their web site info.
It is not the vet's opinion at all if she says, "Cats don't chew their food." There is no way that can be an opinionated statement because it is an observation. It is well-known that teeth are for tearing off pieces of their prey and cats lack the teeth needed to chew food. If cats chewed food their kibbles and treats would not be much smaller than dog kibbles and treats.
What is an opinionated statement is Fancy Feast Classics are good for cats.
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Thanks for telling me! I'll be glad when it's fixed, it always makes me nervous that they are planning to start adding carrageenan to the organic. It would be an almost "perfect" food if they would eliminate the stupid menadione sodium bisulfate (artificial vitamin K) but it is the very last ingredient so I try not to worry about it too much.
However, the By Nature 95% DOES have carrageenan listed on the label, just so you know. That's the less expensive line, and Jennie eats it, but Mazy and Queen Eva do not.
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Oh rats. I got the 95% ones. I wasn't sure the organic was worth the extra $ but maybe it is!
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It's hard to know. I don't trust ANY pet food manufacturer very much. But Mazy and Queen Eva eat the By Nature organic without diarrhea (Queen Eva) or regurgitating (Mazy cat). Queen Eva won't eat any of the 95% flavors at all, but she likes the organic (as much as she can be said to like
anything :lol3
, so I guess there must be some difference.
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We don't know what happened, but he came home hours later than usual covered in filth and he'd lost his collar too. He was scared to death. Even if we let him outside with us supervised, he still gets very nervous, so he prefers inside, which is fine with me.
I always thought twice a day was some kind of rule, but in the wild, he would catch something small if he could every couple of hours, so we just go with his tummy schedule, which turns on mostly at night when he would have been out hunting. We don't free feed though, so he has to come to me to eat. He's good at letting me know when he's hungry. He comes up and taps me with his paw when he wants something. He hates people and other animals so much. My step son came over yesterday and he hid under the bed the entire time and he barely ate a thing all day or night because of his nerves.
I feed my cats three times a day.
I feed Woody Nutro Max Indoor Chicken flavor. The reason I use Nutro Max is because the pieces are bigger and he has to chew them. That way he won't swallow the pieces whole and then throw it up.
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I just started using 4Health from Tractor Supply. We have 14. Cats so I cannot afford the Premium brands at this time. 4Health is a midrange price and while my cats like it they are not eating as fast as they did with Friskies Indoor. I think it is because it is a better food so satisfys them.
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I wish the Weruva food didn't have as the 3rd ingredient "Potato Starch"
I had read that:
"Many pet food manufacturers have recently begun to add potato starch to dog and cat food. This practice is unfortunate, because most consumers are not aware that potato starch is High Glycemic and contraindicated in pet foods of any type.
The Glycemic Research Institute[emoji]174[/emoji] does not accept canine/feline foods or treats that contain high levels of potato starch. It is added to pet food because it is a very inexpensive raw material that adds bulk to the formula. This is also the case with corn."
I had read that:
"Many pet food manufacturers have recently begun to add potato starch to dog and cat food. This practice is unfortunate, because most consumers are not aware that potato starch is High Glycemic and contraindicated in pet foods of any type.
The Glycemic Research Institute[emoji]174[/emoji] does not accept canine/feline foods or treats that contain high levels of potato starch. It is added to pet food because it is a very inexpensive raw material that adds bulk to the formula. This is also the case with corn."
I'm not a fan of Potato Starch or Pea Fiber, but they are both pretty common.
Still MUCH better than feeding any type of Genetically Modified CORN.
My Indoor (and Foster) Kitties get a large variety:
(Wet)
Wellness GF Chicken
EVO 95% Chicken & Turkey
Innova Cat & Kitten
By Nature 95% Chicken
Occasionally Friskies Poultry Platter
(3 or 4 times per month they get Fish)
BFF Tuna Pumpkin Valentine / Tuna & Shrimp / Tuna & Chicken
By Nature 95% (Salmon, Mackerel and Sardines)
(Dry - usually served in small quantities after soaking in warm water for a few minutes)
Blue Buffalo Wilderness Duck
EVO Chicken & Turkey
Evolve *
Feral / Garden Kitties get Innova Cat & Kitten mixed with Friskies Poultry Platter Wet,
and Evolve or 4Health Dry.
* For those of us who must feed some Dry, Evolve is an affordable option ($16. for 15 lbs at WalMart)
that has no corn, wheat or soy. Compared to 4Health in another thread.
Still MUCH better than feeding any type of Genetically Modified CORN.
My Indoor (and Foster) Kitties get a large variety:
(Wet)
Wellness GF Chicken
EVO 95% Chicken & Turkey
Innova Cat & Kitten
By Nature 95% Chicken
Occasionally Friskies Poultry Platter
(3 or 4 times per month they get Fish)
BFF Tuna Pumpkin Valentine / Tuna & Shrimp / Tuna & Chicken
By Nature 95% (Salmon, Mackerel and Sardines)
(Dry - usually served in small quantities after soaking in warm water for a few minutes)
Blue Buffalo Wilderness Duck
EVO Chicken & Turkey
Evolve *
Feral / Garden Kitties get Innova Cat & Kitten mixed with Friskies Poultry Platter Wet,
and Evolve or 4Health Dry.
* For those of us who must feed some Dry, Evolve is an affordable option ($16. for 15 lbs at WalMart)
that has no corn, wheat or soy. Compared to 4Health in another thread.
Bo gets mainly Merrick (Turducken, Grammys Pot Pie and Thanksgiving Dinner).
When he DOES deviate from his obsession with Merrick he gets--
- Addiction rabbit flavour and duck flavour
- Wellness grain free (beef/chicken and turkey)
- Weruva duck/chicken flavour (not very often)
- Natures Variety Instinct chicken
- Fancy Feast chicken pate
- there's probably more but I can't think of them right now
And soooooon Tiki Cat's chicken formulas will be coming into Canada! So exciting!
His entire is all canned at this point... has been almost a month now! :nod:
He gets all canned because kibble is inferior and was causing severe constipation and suspected collitis. He was bleeding when he pooped
He is now doing very well and his coat/energy have improved DRASTICALLY.
When he DOES deviate from his obsession with Merrick he gets--
- Addiction rabbit flavour and duck flavour
- Wellness grain free (beef/chicken and turkey)
- Weruva duck/chicken flavour (not very often)
- Natures Variety Instinct chicken
- Fancy Feast chicken pate
- there's probably more but I can't think of them right now
And soooooon Tiki Cat's chicken formulas will be coming into Canada! So exciting!
His entire is all canned at this point... has been almost a month now! :nod:
He gets all canned because kibble is inferior and was causing severe constipation and suspected collitis. He was bleeding when he pooped
He is now doing very well and his coat/energy have improved DRASTICALLY.
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My two males get Purina Urinary Tract Health formula after my older male developed a bladder stone. The younger one has no issues, but he likes the UT kibbles anyway, so I figure it won't do any harm to let him eat that.My female kitty was eating Purina kitten chow until she fell ill. Everybody also got treats and occasional canned food. Usually my female would get the wet food to keep her weight up because my boy kitties are tubs and they don't need too many extra calories. A can of Fancy Feast would usually sate her.
