Wet Food - so what's the secret ingrediant?

lunasmom

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I have fed our cats:

Nutro Maxx wet food
Merrick wet food
Trader Joe's wet food
Science Diet wet food
Eukanuba wet food
Iams wet food

When I feed them this food, it takes them a full 24 hours to eat (yes, I know now after my last thread it shouldn't be out longer than 2 hours)

Anyhoo, I was at the store, realised that we didn't have wet food so I picked up some of Fancy Feast Medley mixes. Gave Beauty some this morning (she's having a difficult time eat dry food right now) and *poof* her meal was gone within 15 minutes.

Is there a secret ingrediant in this food?

I know a few of you will hold up crosses and start performing an exorcism on me for saying this, but I'm seriously thinking about switching them back to the by-meat, slightly less expensive stuff. Whitey is really the only cat that will eat the good stuff, but he'll eat anything.
 

vanillasugar

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Artificial everything. It's really potent smelling, and tasting. There's a reason Fancy Feast is nicknamed "Kitty Crack".
 

denice

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My cats are the same way with wet food. I tried all those except Science Diet plus Wellness, Evangers, and California Natural. They will eat a little of the Wellness Chicken or Turkey. The only two wet foods they will eat in any quantity is Meow Mix market selects and Solid Gold blended tuna. I know giving them a food with a lot of fish in it very often isn't good for them but a diet of dry food only is also bad for their urinary health. I have pretty much given up though and just give them the Meow Mix or the Solid Gold.
 

babyharley

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Have you tried the Meow Mix pouches or their Market Selects? They are really cheap (I get the Meow Mix pouches for $3.27 for 12 in a box, the Market Selects are about $1 more for the same amount) and its actually a decent wet food, compared to their dry. Its the only wet food my boys will eat- and they eat 1/2 a pouch 2 times a day, and it only takes them about 5 minutes at the most to eat it all in one sitting
 
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lunasmom

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I haven't tried Meow Mix yet. I did try Friskies about a year or two ago, they liked it, but after so long I think they got sick of it.

Thanks for the suggestion! I'm going to the store at lunch today.
 

katiemae1277

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my cats really wouldn't eat Fancy Feast, I got it because I had some ill cats that wouldn't eat and I was trying anything to get them too, since I'd heard FF was "kitty crack"
I thought I'd give it a go.... well the sick ones still wouldn't eat so I gave the remaining cans to my healthy crew just to get rid of it, and they weren't enthused either
My cats are like Denice's they eat Meow Mix or Solid Gold, they are fish lovers. I feed them a dinner of wet everyday, but they really only get about half a pouch each. I can get them to eat Wellness or Inova every once in awhile, Cali Nat was not real popular at all, they want their Meow mix!!! based on what everyone has said about their cats and the Meow Mix, I think it deserves the title of kitty crack! They are no by-products in Meow Mix pouches or cups either
 

white cat lover

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I dunno what it is, but my kids go nutso for the FF as well!! There are a few types of FF that do not contain by-products, so they arem't as bad as the other FFs. I feed the one w/o by-products sometimes....
 

pjrocco

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I like the Science Diet wet food, it taste the best and it's not watery. What's good for my cats should be good for me right?
 

jcat

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I've always suspected that FF has some kind of caramel in it that attracts/addicts the kitties. I have to admit that I tried a few flavors myself out of curiosity (just a taste), and found it sweeter and smellier than a lot of brands. Supposedly cats don't like anything sweet, but how many of us have seen cats go wild over cake, pudding, etc.?
I buy it about once a month as a special treat (junk food), but otherwise try to stick to healthier canned foods.
 

sharky

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Originally Posted by pjrocco

I like the Science Diet wet food, it taste the best and it's not watery. What's good for my cats should be good for me right?
Do you know what a meat or chicken by product is???
 

jenny82

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Originally Posted by white cat lover

I dunno what it is, but my kids go nutso for the FF as well!! There are a few types of FF that do not contain by-products, so they arem't as bad as the other FFs. I feed the one w/o by-products sometimes....
Do you know which FF do not contain by-products? I am interested.

Thanks!
 

sharky

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Originally Posted by Jenny82

Do you know which FF do not contain by-products? I am interested.

Thanks!
most of them are the fish flavors in aspic .... there are only six flavors I have come from
 

luxum

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Elvirah loves loves loves those elegant medleys, the florentine and shredded styles. The souffle style, not so much.
The by-products are far enough down the list to not really bother me too much since there is good quality protein ahead of it. What really does worry me is that it seems like every type of FF has wheat gluten as the third ingredient (even before the by-products). I really question the wisdom of wheat gluten in cat food and wonder why it's part of their recipe.

That said, Elvirah can have this every once in a while as a "junk food" treat, but i sure would not feed a cat on a steady diet of FF unless i had no choice (they won't accept anything else, other available options are even worse, etc).
 

sharky

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Originally Posted by luxum

Elvirah loves loves loves those elegant medleys, the florentine and shredded styles. The souffle style, not so much.
The by-products are far enough down the list to not really bother me too much since there is good quality protein ahead of it. What really does worry me is that it seems like every type of FF has wheat gluten as the third ingredient (even before the by-products). I really question the wisdom of wheat gluten in cat food and wonder why it's part of their recipe.

That said, Elvirah can have this every once in a while as a "junk food" treat, but i sure would not feed a cat on a steady diet of FF unless i had no choice (they won't accept anything else, other available options are even worse, etc).
Wheat gluten is a fairly digestable grain protein... it is used as a bidding agent for gravey and loaf ... not my favorite ingrediant as it can be a HIGH allegen
 

jenny82

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Originally Posted by sharky

most of them are the fish flavors in aspic .... there are only six flavors I have come from
Oh okay, thank you Sharky!
 

luxum

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Wheat gluten is a fairly digestable grain protein... it is used as a bidding agent for gravey and loaf ... not my favorite ingrediant as it can be a HIGH allegen
Yes, the allergenic potential is what concerns me. I'm fairly sure that both of mine are intolerant of corn, and i'm trying to avoid all wheat and soy as well since they are such common triggers. I can see needing a little as a binder, but as the 3rd ingredient? And i may be wrong but i think it's in the ones that don't have gravy as well.

Do you have any info on the digestibility of specific grains for cats? It seems like the info i find is either human or canine oriented and i don't think that really carries over well to felines. Perhaps i am being overly paranoid.
 

sharky

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I am not at home ... but if you drop me a pm I will get the info to you
 

white cat lover

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Originally Posted by Jenny82

Do you know which FF do not contain by-products? I am interested.

Thanks!
I just stood in the store & looked at the label of every single flavor. For some reason, people kept look at me like I was nuts!
 

bab-ush-niik

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Do you have any info on the digestibility of specific grains for cats? It seems like the info i find is either human or canine oriented and i don't think that really carries over well to felines. Perhaps i am being overly paranoid.
My vet seemed to be ok with oat and rice. Puppy is rather sensitive to grains. It could be coincidence, but I think he does better on the oats-based foods. Eagle Pack makes a Duck and Oat formula, and he loves that.
 
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