A Different Canned Food Question

We've been switching brands of canned food - Tuna with sauce from 9 Lives, Turkey & Gravy from Whiskas (our cats seem to like the gravy the best), and Beef or Chicken with gravy from Science Diet. We feed them a little bit each morning and each evening, but they have dry food (Wellness) as their main food. We're not aware of them having stomach problems, but are they probably in pain?
I wasn't aware that switching food like that might be an issue - we just feed them the ones they seem to like best. They were feral rescues and are about 14 weeks old now. We figured whatever we do is better than what they were getting from garbage cans - but now I'm concerned we're hurting them!

When you make changes in a cat's diet, it's always best to make the change gradually to avoid the possibility of digestive problems. I don't think what you are doing is hurting the kittens, but it still might best to stick with one brand of food. Good luck with the kittens!!

We free-feed dry Nutro, and give canned as special treats at times. The only problem I have notice with switching brands is it causes 'gas' sometimes.

We feed our kitten:

Free Feed - Dry Nutro
1/2 a can of wet food in the morning (kitten size)
1/2 a can of wet food in the evening (kitten size)

She's got the stinkest poopies!!!

(is this caused by the wet food?)

Do kittens HAVE to eat wet food...?!?

Help Cooper is FUNKY!!!

lheeeza: Well all cats should eat at least a small portion of wet food every week.
Kittens at least at one point need to have wet food, basically because its all they can eat, and it's easier for them to digest.

I feed my cats the majority of a dry food diet, and they get a teapsoon and a half of wet food mixed with warm water every other day.

LDG,

You feed your cats one of THE absolute best brands of dry food (Wellness), then some of the WORST brands of canned? ACK!!! What about using Wellness canned? One of my cats got gas and diarrhea from 9 Lives before I became educated about cat foods. That stuff is not a whole lot better that what the ferels were scrounging for in the garbage cans. Have you read http://www.api4animals.org/areas.asp?c=4&ID=689 and http://cats.about.com/library/reviews/aabybcatfood.htm

Alternating between different brands of food per se is not problematic, as long as the brand being used is a top quality. There should be a named meat as the first ingredient (human grade, such as in Wellness would be the best), NO by-products, no or a minimum of corn, and no cancer causing artifical preservatives such as BHT and BHA. Check out the label on Science Diet. Hmmmm... not so great, is it?

It actually is GOOD to rotate between brands of food. Ingredients vary between manufacturers and by using different brands, you are more likely to be covering all bases as far as nutritional needs. In addition, feeding just one brand of food can create finicky cats who will then reject other foods. This could be a problem if, for some reason, the usual brand is not available or if the manufacturer makes changes to their product.

Wellness canned can be a little pricey. Some other good top quality brands to try for canned (especially if your cats like the chunks in gravy) are Nature's Recipe Julienne cuts (has gravy) and Breeder's Choice's Avo Derm Select Cuts (chunks in gravy). I used to use Nutro canned chunks in gravy, but kept seeing these dark blue spots on some of the chunks that made me think of mold or something, so I quit using Nutro Canned. I still use Nutro Complete Care dry, as one of the dry foods in the rotation I feed my cats (Royal Canin, Solid Gold, and Pinaccle being the others- for some reason my cats do not like Wellness dry- could be that the pieces are so small and round).


Lhezzza,

One of my kittens didn't seem to agree with Nutro wet or dry when she was a kitten and I heard of other kittens not agreeing with it. (I think the Nutro kitten has beets in it, which might be what upset my cat's stomach as a kitten.) She had loose stools from it, but did not when we switched to a different brand of food. It is not the fact that the food is canned, but what the ingredients are that matters. Canned food is GOOD for cats. After all, their natural food is a juicy, meaty mouse. Cats are designed to extrude moisture from their food and do not naturally drink enough water to compensate for an all dry, or mostly dry diet. If they don't get enough moisture, the urine becomes too concentrated, and kidney and bladder stones can develop. Like people, some cats are sensitive to some ingredients. Try another brand of canned kitten food and see if the stinky poopies get less stinky. That would NOT be with using some ordinary grocery store brand. The top quality premium foods usually result in better smelling poopies, which indicates better nutrition.

Everyone can compare ingredients in many brands of cat food at www.petfooddirect.com. Click on the red word "more" next to each listed food to bring up the ingredient label. Major eye-opener when you compare something like Friskies to Wellness.

Since it seems to be consensus that cats should eat at least some wet food, what can I do to entice mine into eating it? Neither of them like it, never have even as kittens. We have tried many different brands, and they usually just lick the gravy if even that. They both do drink quite a bit of water every day, and I haven't noticed strong smelling urine or anything like that. Is there a trick to getting them to eat it?

Originally posted by galensgranny

Everyone can compare ingredients in many brands of cat food at www.petfooddirect.com. Click on the red word "more" next to each listed food to bring up the ingredient label. Major eye-opener when you compare something like Friskies to Wellness.

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Wow.... scary what there putting in kitty food! :girlie:

Thanks for sharing!

Galensgranny: Thank you so much for the great resource links. And I thought hot dogs were bad!

We tried feeding the kitties Wellness. The problem was they hated it, and when they did eat it, it made their poopies really stinky. They really seem to want that gravy (though they do drink LOTS of water anyway...)

Our purchasing problem is that we live in a rural area and don't have access to Petsmart or other large pet supply stores. Outside of Wellness, Science Diet and the regular store brands, the only other option there is Nutro Gourmet Classics. There was something called Performatrin, but it has a lot of by-products listed, rice flour and guar gum, etc., which doesn't sound so great. Funny, though, it was the most expensive next to Wellness. Go figure.

My cats eat a variety of dry food and wet food to include, Nine Lives, Friskies, Kitn'Kaboodle, and generic brands as well. I've never had a problem with any of my cats w/ digestive problems or gas.
It seems to be thought by some here that those are the "worst" brands of food. All I have to say is my cats are healthy with no problems w/ their diet. Their vet is well aware of what they eat and has never criticized me. I think as long as your cat is doing well on whatever you are feeding, then don't listen to people telling you that what you are choosing is wrong.

By the way, I only use wet as a treat, not as a normal every day thing.

Edit:
I read the links above from GalesGranny. I read where it said that by-products are not suitable for human consumption. I don't get it....this is CAT food, not human food. What does one have to do with the other??

I mean, I want my cats to eat and be healthy, but why would I chose foods that are "for human consumption". If that was the case, I think I'd just feed them what I make my family for dinner.

Originally posted by dtolle
Edit:
I read the links above from GalesGranny. I read where it said that by-products are not suitable for human consumption. I don't get it....this is CAT food, not human food. What does one have to do with the other??

I mean, I want my cats to eat and be healthy, but why would I chose foods that are "for human consumption". If that was the case, I think I'd just feed them what I make my family for dinner.

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Hi Dtolle,

I understand what you mean .... however, the byproducts included in many pet foods consist of heads & feet according to the AAFCO definitions.
Poultry - the clean combination of flesh and skin with or without the accompanying bone, derived from the parts or whole carcasses of poultry, exclusive of feathers,heads, feet and entrails.
Poultry byproducts - clean parts of carcasses of slaughtered poultry such as heads,feet and viscera.

"Because of the inclusion of heads and feet, poultry byproduct meal may be lower in nutritional value than fresh poultry or poultry meal." - Canine and Feline Nutrition,Case,Carey,Hirakawa

I think because of this people try to find pet foods claiming to be "human grade" because as long as its fit for human consumption there is less likely to be byproducts such as these or the use of 4D animals. Down side is - the term "Human Grade" listed on pet foods is not an AAFCO term. Therefore just about any company could make these claims. They may even use this term simply because the byproducts they use come from human grade animals. Still, I feel many of these products claiming to be human grade appear to higher quality ingredients than generic brands and if byproducts are included they are usually specific organ meats and are listed as such. Generally, the cheaper the food the cheaper the ingredients.
Well, thats my veiw on the whole "human grade" issue.

Thank you for explaining that.

Daniela: I brought hubby into the loop on this discussion (we both love our kitties!), and he immediately brought up your point. Cats aren't people, and need different things than we do. Our feral kitties eat plenty of mice and rats - skin, fur, head, brains, feet and all. (If they weren't eating mouse viscera, they wouldn't be getting the tapeworm we keep treating!) I wouldn't consider that fit for human consumption, but throughout time that diet has kept many kitties alive. And I've read many places that we should be sure to feed our cats regularly and never skip a meal. Well - I have no plans on not doing just that, but their systems are built to go several days without eating and then feast. Also, they must be adaptable to many types of food or they wouldn't be as successful in the wild as they are. Of course, we are all concerned about the quality of our kitties lives, and that is at the heart of this discussion.

But I think you have a very valid point about what is suitable re: the issue of human vs. cat consumption. And let's face it - our reactions to what is fit for human consumption tend to be very "ethnocentric" (for lack of a better word). Plenty of people eat chicken's feet. The Chinese certainly cook with all parts of most animals. In some countries people eat monkey brains. Frog's legs were introduced to us from France. What about Pate? (Duck liver). Goat and Rabbit are popular in the Middle East, but the thought of eating either would make many here in the States gag. Plenty of people love liver, "sweatbreads," and "giblets," and many Latin Americans, Chinese and others eat stomach, intestines, and stuff we probably consider "viscera."

So while there may be, and probably is in many cases, a correlation between the cost of the food and the quality of the ingredients, I don't always buy myself & family the most expensive versions of products, and we certainly can't afford organics.

I really appreciate the help in becoming aware of the issues, and this thread has been really helpful to that end. But in the end I have to agree: If the cats look and act healthy, don't have gas or diarrhea, have glossy coats and gleaming eyes - that's what counts (especially if a Vet corroborates that evaluation!). And while making informed decisions is important, I'm pretty sure it's just as important to step beyond our normal U.S./European/Australian perspective about just what is or is not edible. :tounge2:

About the additives - dyes, preservatives, etc., another excellent point that I know was addressed earlier in the thread. I gotta say - the Nutro "looks" more like food than the Whiskas (the coloring issue). But what do I know? I like Cheetos and cheese popcorn!

And due to the relative simplicity of their diets it is a heck of a lot easier to be careful and picky/conscientious (chose which word you prefer!) about what our cats eat than about what we eat!

Just had to pop in here and say a great big "Thanks" to all of you for this very interesting discussion. There have been some very good questions and the answers and the links have been very helpful!

It actually is GOOD to rotate between brands of food. Ingredients vary between manufacturers and by using different brands, you are more likely to be covering all bases as far as nutritional needs. In addition, feeding just one brand of food can create finicky cats who will then reject other foods. This could be a problem if, for some reason, the usual brand is not available or if the manufacturer makes changes to their product.

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galensgranny, I just have to say I think you said that very well. I, also, have felt that way for quite a while and all of my animals get mixed brand diets (even the hamster and the guinea pigs).

LDG said "Well - I have no plans on not doing just that, but their systems are built to go several days without eating and then feast. Also, they must be adaptable to many types of food or they wouldn't be as successful in the wild as they are."

No, cats are not built to go several days without eating! Maybe you are thinking of the "big" cats, such as lions. In the wild, cats eat several mice or other small rodents per day,(if they live where there are enough food sources) as well as snacking on insects. Going without eating for several days can cause hepatic lipidosis- a very bad thing which can cause death! Any cat in the wild who is not successful in hunting up enough to eat dies. Yes, there have been cases of cats who were starved then rescued who did not develop hepatic lipidosis (though maybe they managed to find some bugs to eat to barely keep them going), but then there were plenty of cats that did develop it. See http://www.lbah.com/Feline/ftube.htm "Most species of animal can go many days without eating. This is not true for cats, especially when they are sick. Several days of not eating (anorexia) can have serious consequences in cats and lead to failure of important organs like the liver."

Cats are not adaptable to many kinds of foods. Many kinds of small mammals and insects, yes. A small amount of pre-digested grains from a mouse's stomach, yes. Not large amounts of corn. Not blood soaked sawdust from the slaughterhouse floor, or hydrologized feathers, which are actually legal ingredient in cat food, even having AAFCO numbers, appearing on cat food labels under the term "by products". That is the God honest truth that anyone can research. Not all by-products will be blood soaked sawdust, or hydrologized feathers, but since there is no way to know from the label what the by-products are, I wouldn't feed food with by-products to my cats. If a company is allowed to use those things, and they sure would save the company money, don't you suppose many companies would take advantage of that money saving option? Particulary since they can "hide" that fact under the handy umbrella term "by-products"? Here is a plant that makes the rendered feathers http://www3.sympatico.ca/rothsay/specs/fem_spec.html

Read more of what they make to use in cat food http://www3.sympatico.ca/rothsay/render.html "Animal fat and animal protein remain the primary products of the renderer's art. Originally, the animal fats went almost entirely into soap and candles. Today --- from the same basic animal material --- renderers produce many grades of tallow and semi-liquid feed fat. The proteins are made up of meat and bone meals, bloodmeal, feather meal and other animal protein by-product meals of various types. Thus recycled, the feed fat and animal protein meals are used to enrich the rations of cattle, hogs, poultry, sheep, companion animals, and more."

I don't think melted down fat that used to only be used to make soap is an acceptable thing for my cats to now eat.

Do you think the FDA makes sure pet foods are wholesome and nutritious? NO, they do not. See their own words, http://www.fda.gov/cvm/index/consumer/market.htm "There is no requirement that pet food products have premarket approval by FDA. The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act does require that pet foods, like human foods, be pure and wholesome, contain no harmful or deleterious substances, and be truthfully labeled." How about that!!

How do you think some manufacturers manage to sell big bags of cat and food for small amounts of money? Not by using wholesome,easily digested ingredients, that's for sure. Companies that process food for human consumption also make food for cats, using all the leftovers and "wastes". And they get very creative about that. Sure, if you gauge the protein content of blood soaked sawdust in a lab it will have a protein content. Is it a very bio-available content when a cat eats it? NO. Might it have something to do with cats puking up their food and having digestive upsets, stinky poops, diarrhea? Yes.

The "fit for human consumption", or "made with human grade ingredients" would indicate that hydologized feathers, ground beaks and feet, and blood soaked sawdust are NOT used in that particular food. It was said that cats do eat the brains and skin, etc. of the mice, and some would not consider those parts "fit for human consumption". Actually, those parts would be fit for humans to eat, just not desireable.

Leftovers from bakeries get put in the vat for pet food too. They are "recycled" garbage. You wouldn't feed your cat old Twinkies on purpose, but you very well may be doing just that. Here is a company that picks up the "recyclables"
See http://www.resourceventure.org/cgi-b...ng-type=single "Will the recycler pay for recyclables? They may pay for some materials. Call for specific materials and payment.
Comments: They are specifically looking for grain-based products (i.e., bread, cookies, pies, etc.) The materials are brought to their plant, mixed together, dehydrated and sold as animal feed. No corn syrup." This is NOT the range of foods cats are meant to eat!!

The sin of pet food labeling and manufacturing is that the term "by-product" can mean almost anything, and most people imagine it to be things like brains, hearts, intestines, etc. That would be fine if that is all by-products meant. But it's not. I could get into more, but this is way too long as it is.

Very informative and well said, Galensgranny!

galensgranny:

Thank you. You put a lot of time, effort and work into the research. I, an analyst by profession, stand in shame. I was willing to base opinions on uninformed assumptions. As we all know, to "assume" makes an "a$$ out of u and me."

I appreciate your persistence in this dialogue. While I do believe we need to stand outside of our traditionally human-centric view of what is "good" in food, what is or is not food/nutritional in and of itself isn't open to much interpretation (I've never seen any cats eating sawdust).

Unwilling to let it go, all of us have benefited from your interest in and dedication to your furbabies' health. Obviously my comparison of inexpensive cat food to people junk food is inappropriate, for my junk food does not include things like blood soaked sawdust.

The point, after all, is what is best for our kidlins. While we may all make different decisions in the end as to what and how to feed our pets and/or feral communities, at least we all now have the ability to make better informed decisions.

Thank you.