Chula and Paul split a can of Fancy Feast three times a day and a cup of Purina Pro Plan Urinary Health dry food overnight. Total monthly cost is about $96 or $48 per cat.
You shouldn't give up on wet food yet! Try different flavors/textures/brands to see what she likes. Big hits in my house are Soulistic, Weruva, Nutro natural choice sliced variety. I'd also be careful about keeping kibble for too long. 2 months is okay, probably, but kibble is usually pretty old by the time it hits the store anyway and once its opened it goes stale really fast. I always buy the smallest bags of kibble possible to ensure they eat it before it goes off.
Hekitty will not touch wet food. I've seen her go 4 days without eating, until I gave in and put the dry out. I feed her Pure Balance, although I will be changing brands after the first of the year. One bag lasts a bit over 2 months, and costs just under $14, so about $7 in food.
I wanted to get her on at least one can a day, but...no deal. No cans, no human food, no "natural" wet diet. Kibbles. My girl wants her kibbles. I do, however, have 4 water bowls out now, to encourage drinking. Dunno about her kidneys (tho they seem fine) but her teeth are exceptional.
So far I've tried over 25 different brands/flavors trying to tempt her. I even tried tuna, since she will drink the drained water from a can of tuna, althought she will not touch the tuna itself. Go figure. The smallest bag of Pure Balance, which is the best food I can afford right now, does last just at two months, but I put it in an airtight bin as soon as it comes into the house. Someday, maybe, I'll find that magic wet food that she likes. I do keep trying.
You shouldn't give up on wet food yet! Try different flavors/textures/brands to see what she likes. Big hits in my house are Soulistic, Weruva, Nutro natural choice sliced variety. I'd also be careful about keeping kibble for too long. 2 months is okay, probably, but kibble is usually pretty old by the time it hits the store anyway and once its opened it goes stale really fast. I always buy the smallest bags of kibble possible to ensure they eat it before it goes off.
I have one like this too, he's a licker so he only drinks tuna juice. The only canned food he even tried to eat was the juice from Tikicat's Chicken and Salmon. Strangely, he likes the raw food I make. I feed him boneless meats (with alnutrin) and i add extra water so it's easy for him to lick up.
So far I've tried over 25 different brands/flavors trying to tempt her. I even tried tuna, since she will drink the drained water from a can of tuna, althought she will not touch the tuna itself. Go figure. The smallest bag of Pure Balance, which is the best food I can afford right now, does last just at two months, but I put it in an airtight bin as soon as it comes into the house. Someday, maybe, I'll find that magic wet food that she likes. I do keep trying.
haven't tried that one, and don't have a blender. I'll ask Hekitty to get me one for Christmas...she's the best shopper
Have you tried putting wet food through a blender @Mamanyt1953 and adding hot water to it to make soup? Some cats like that and if the food is warm it smells stronger and more appetising. You could also try crushing up a handful of her dry food and sprinkling that over the wet.
Mine would all happily gorge themselves on dry food if I let them.
Do you free feed? Ive been reading that for fussy cats its best to have scheduled meal times and have hunger work in your favor.haven't tried that one, and don't have a blender. I'll ask Hekitty to get me one for Christmas...she's the best shopper :bigwink: She always knows just exactly what I want! I'll let you know after Christmas how it went. I may get it for myself before if the budget allows. I so want to get her on something besides straight kibbles.
@missmimz
She won't even touch raw. This is one finicky pussycat. I did try raw, chicken, turkey, beef, even pork. Nothing doing.
I really don't, although it would seem that I do. I put out the amount that her vet says she should have at each meal (I took the ingredient/feeding suggestion panel from her cat food bag in for him to look over), morning and night. It takes her from one meal time to the next to finish the entire recommended amount. She's just a grazer. And I just can't see withholding food for 24 hours just to get her on a schedule.Do you free feed? Ive been reading that for fussy cats its best to have scheduled meal times and have hunger work in your favor.
I would totally try to withold a meal or two because wet food is so much better than dry. But i know its hard since theyre our babies. One thing i did is dab a little bit of wet food on my finger and smear it on his nose/mouth area to force him to taste it. Might help them realize it does taste good.I really don't, although it would seem that I do. I put out the amount that her vet says she should have at each meal (I took the ingredient/feeding suggestion panel from her cat food bag in for him to look over), morning and night. It takes her from one meal time to the next to finish the entire recommended amount. She's just a grazer. And I just can't see withholding food for 24 hours just to get her on a schedule.
Do you TNR your ferals? Might save you some money on cat food! :lol3:My ferals' food costs about $50-55 additionally, but it varies.. When they have babies I replace 1/3 to 2/4 of the food with kitten food .. Plus their wetfood.. I buy Proplan Outdoor, Proplan Junior, Friskies wetfood and/or pate, depending on when they have little ones They are also fed by a restaurant owner next to my building, so I don't have to feed them grain-free food, since they get their necessary quantity in proteins.
Even if I am unemployed and half of my montly income is spent on cat food (+vet expense when necessary), I wouldn't try to decrease the amount. It wouldn't be fair to the ferals epsecially. :heart2:
Yes I was wondering that alsoDo you TNR your ferals? Might save you some money on cat food! :lol3:
Do you TNR your ferals? Might save you some money on cat food!My ferals' food costs about $50-55 additionally, but it varies.. When they have babies I replace 1/3 to 2/4 of the food with kitten food .. Plus their wetfood.. I buy Proplan Outdoor, Proplan Junior, Friskies wetfood and/or pate, depending on when they have little onesThey are also fed by a restaurant owner next to my building, so I don't have to feed them grain-free food, since they get their necessary quantity in proteins.
Even if I am unemployed and half of my montly income is spent on cat food (+vet expense when necessary), I wouldn't try to decrease the amount. It wouldn't be fair to the ferals epsecially.
Don't you think I've tried?? LOLYes I was wondering that alsoDo you TNR your ferals? Might save you some money on cat food!
. We appreciate all that you do, it is a shame you can't stop the reproduction however. God bless you!Don't you think I've tried?? LOL
Haven't had the chance to trap all of them! There was a small cat colony. I managed to trap most of them, and as soon as they were spayed/neutered they turned into "basket case" for the rest of the cats.. So, I found them homes. The others cannot be caught. I've tried everything. They've just become too smart for the traps. But when they give birth, I find homes for the babies.. Well most of them, cause 2 of them have grown with one of the mommies and have turned out just like her. Too hard to get.
These are 2 pairs.. 2 females and their "steady" male mates.. One of the females is the one who has raised the babies just like her, so plus 2 "heirs" of the throne That's 6 in total. They have found refuge in an old house next to my building. But they're not always there. Also, whenever I put traps they don't even go near them. They know damn well what that is. When I try to pet them, or go near them in general, they don't trust me. But somehow they trust me around their babies. Go figure..
These are the only ones I couldn't find homes for. And I don't think they will fit into a home. They're too "wild" to interact with humans, or children for that matter.. So, right now, I do what I can.. They cannot be caught, but I don't let them starve.. If they get pregnant, I see to develop a relationship with the little ones from the start, so I don't have hard time finding them homes in the long run.. But the parents, remain "strongheaded".. :dk: