What food do you use and WHY:)

tearahbey77

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I have two cats, one whom is 1-2yrs old and the other is 13 yrs old. They each get:
2-3 oz. of Canned Evo mixed with 1 Tbs of Evo dry, thats their breakfast
Then I set out 1/4 cup of Innova dry for each of them to munch on through out the day. Somtiems Louie, the young cat gets 1/2cup.
I love the idea behind Evo but worry about the high protien levels on their kidneys. People say "its natural" for them to eat that much protien but in reality, raw meat is mostly water and therefore much lower in protien.
Anyway, i Use the Evo though bc you can feed less and it has no grains.
Then they get the innova kinda as a filler, if you will. Don't get me wrong though, i luv the ingredients in Innova too!
 

4meezers3kids

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Thank you for reviving this thread!

Walter, 13, IBD ... was on Euk L/B (as his MATE had severe allergies) plus Lamaderm dry (not much) ... they stopped making Lamaderm dry and all H&77 broke loose and after 2 yrs of trying to figure it out, I lost his mate Roland in July. Roland was my SIXTH IBD cat, nobody could really help me figure out what to effectively feed him that would not lead to his a) removing all skin from his neck and chin; b) having severe pancreatitis attacks; c) not going into chronic renal failure. He was only 15! So in his memory
I am totally trying to do things differently.

Walter is now on FF grain free poultry or fish flavors (Salmon and Shrimp?), because it was what he would EAT. And he IS doing amazingly BETTER on it! Despite how gross humans think it is. I have to try to gradually sneak Wellness into it, b/c he outright refuses Wellness or Instinct, even mixed half and half. He loved the Pet Gold Sardines ... he HATED ProPlan Tuna/Mackerel, though. Since starting FF, I weaned him down to 1/2 pred every other day ... then he twice barfed bile the last two mornings, when I got him down to 1/2, every third day. As soon as he quits barfing and I lower the pred again, I want to try this picky booger on RAW.

I also have 3 young rescue cats, they are currently eating two Nutro Natural Choice grain-frees, but I HATE the starchy potatoey feel of it and just cannot believe it is healthy so since they liked it, I have big cans of Wellness grain-frees on the way ... plus they get (ALAS) SD dry 1 - 2 T per day each ... and also whatever picky Walter leaves in the way of FF or ProPlan, gets transferred to them. One in particular is a dry addict ... same guy also loves the FF!

I am so freaked out and frustrated by losing SIX cats to IBD, including my Mom's, since 1990 ... I mean they WERE all mature, into their teens, but still. So ... I am very interested in going raw, eventually for all, including the younguns.
 

jenc511

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I read this entire thread with great interest.


Lucy is currently eating Aunt Jeni's Homemade4Life (we'll be adding Nature's Variety raw to the mix). I'm just happy she took to eating raw food. She was somewhat picky with the wet food, but doesn't go for dry at all. She'll occasionally eat a few pieces, but I can leave it out for the Meezer and not worry that Lucy is eating it.

The Meezer (her name until something better comes along) likes dry food. She's eating Nature's Variety Raw Instinct chicken variety. It's a kibble-free food. I have fed Serengheti in the past (to the ferret - another grain-free food), and I'd use it again. She will eat stolen human food, so I am toying with the idea of cooking the raw food and letting her think she's getting away with something. I really don't like to feed dry, so I'd prefer to get everyone on wet (if not raw). The only reason I had dry food around for the Meezer girl is because the ferret is incredibly picky with canned food and needs to eat much more frequently than my schedule allows (I'm just not comfortable feeding such a small little guy once or twice a day). I am going to try to convert him to the raw food, though. He will eat some wet foods (Prowl by The Honest Kitchen was a huge hit with him), so I am hopeful.

The Meezer girl gobbled up some cooked chicken breast tonight, so I have high hopes for a little cooked chicken variety Aunt Jeni's.

As I said, I'm going to work in some Nature's Variety, too. That and Aunt Jeni's are the only two raw foods available at my regular local pet food store, so I'm working with these two for now. There are some others that interest me, but I'm not convinced that I need to worry about shipping in other brands (though, I think some of them are also available nearby). I don't make my own raw because 1) Aunt Jeni's and Nature's Variety work out to be cheaper than any of the canned foods, and 2) I'm lazy. I sold Dave (my BF) on Aunt Jeni's by telling him it was cheaper than the canned food (he loves cats, but doesn't go for the obsessive cat thing like I do
). The most expensive variety of Aunt Jeni's is $6.99/lb, and I pay between $1.50-2.00/5.5oz can in the brands I'm willing to feed. One pound lasts Lucy much longer than the canned food she either likes or hates, depending on the day of the week. She loves Wellness Turkey one day, and blows it off the next. She cleans her plate like a dog with the raw every time.
 

kittylover77

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Nutro Natural Choice Adult dry and California Natural dry. I alternate it every other bag. Cali Natural went up in price recently so I am going to be looking for something else now to alternate with (either another simple formula, although I dont know of any, or UTI certified dry). I am on a budget.

Wet they get Pet Guard, Eagle Pack, Wellness, some Iams flavors, basically any large cans I can find, and anything with good ingredients on sale.
I vary flavors.
 

iluvdevons

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Our Ares had been raised on dry kitten chow, and I swiched him over to Innova EVO, but it did not agree with him (diarrhea) so he gets Wellness kitten health. For wet, he has Wellness kitten, he really likes Natural Balance venison and peas, and he also gets Nature's Variety Instinct venison, rabbit, and duck. (He really likes the flavor, but he is less enthusiastic about the chunky texture.)
In the future, I am thinking of switching his dry to NV Instinct Rabbit or NB Peas and Duck, and I think I'll stick to the wet NB and NV with venison, duck, and rabbit as they seem to agree with him digestively.


Becca (and Ares)
 

icklemiss21

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They all get Orijen dry - two of them have way too many problems with wet, and Scully has actually broken a door trying to get out of a room he has been put in while Boomer gets wet, so I gave up on wet as a daily meal.

Boomer, Magnum (if he will eat it, depends on his mood) and Autumn get canned occasionally as a treat
 

gingersmom

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I'm revising: I am no longer mixing the Serengeti Dry in with the Royal Canin and NV Raw Instinct, as all three have decided that they don't want to eat the Serengeti, and are leaving it in the bowl, picking out the "good" stuff.


I've also ordered NV Raw Instinct Rabbit to try, as Penny likes raw bunny on occasion.
 

littleraven7726

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Mine has changed since I last posted too.
Dry: We have a mix for dry food-- Max Adult, Max Senior & Pro Plan Senior 11+. Mixing until the Nutro Max (both) are gone. Will be mixing Natural Balance Ultra back in as we run out. There was less barfing, they liked it, and all 3 had beautiful coats on it. We'll keep the Pro Plan probably too. All 3 like it; and there hasn't been an increase in barfing or any gastrointestinal problems.

Canned: This is where it gets real complicated
Raven- whatever he wants- which is FF Medleys, any Fish in Aspic type foods, Meow Mix pouches, and FF loaf style (mostly fish)
Nabu- FF Medleys, also loves fish, and some FF loaf flavors

Stimpy- is positively disgusted with all the FF and fish in the house.
LOVES NB chicken flavors (chicken & liver pate, ultra, indoor), also Nutro Indoor Chicken & Rice
 

jaffacake

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Maisie has Whiskers - Oh So Meaty chicken because it`s about the only thing she will eat without getting the runs. She doesn`t like buiscuts but I`m trying to get her eating some of the James Wellbeloved ones that Kitty has.

Kitty has the same and James Wellbeloved senior/light. He also gets Whiskers Dentabits and Whiskers crunch but not every day.
 

kittytales

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What?
Raw. Homemade, but did try a bag each of Nature's Variety & Bravo frozen.

Why?
I feed it because I feel it's species appropriate, and best for them. I had already been feeding my dog raw for 3yrs when I got my first cat so it was natural progression. The meat tearing/bone crunching really keeps their teeth pearly white and the breath not so offensive.

Plus, I don't think I could handle their poops otherwise!
I have used canned food intermittently (merricks and wellness), but am quickly snapped out of my lazyness when it comes out the other end!

I use Wellness dry food (now CORE) if I'll be gone for a weekend.
 

cdubbie

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She gets Cal-Nat dry. First food she didn't gorge herself on (I suspect it is due to the higher protein content)

wet food is a loooong story. I've tried them ALL, and yet she just licks the food a little bit, then it is over. And if I DONT give her the wet food as per our ritual - she cries and cries. Harumph.
 

kady05

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My 4 get all different kinds.

Toby: He's had UT issues, so right now he's eating Royal Canin Control forumla (dry) in the morning. At night he has half a 5oz. (or it might be 6oz.) can of either Wellness or Nutro Natural Choice (no fish flavors). I'd love to have him on a grain free dry, but I've read that grain free DRY is actually not good for UT health.

Sneak: As a kitten, he had stomach issues, so I had him on the Royal Canin Sensitve dry. A few months ago, I switched him to Chicken Soup & Eagle Pack Holistic (chicken & rice) mixed together. He was doing great on this, but recently I've noticed he seems to be getting sick of it. I plan on switching him over to Wellness dry, because I've given him some samples of it, and he seems to like it. As far as wet goes, he's not a big fan of it. I have yet to find a flavor he'll consistantly eat
.

Ragdoll Kittens: They eat Royal Canin Kitten. It's pricey, but I love the small pieces, and both kittens eat it up. I haven't decided what they'll be on as adults yet.. probably Wellness, or maybe Innova. Something grain free.

I feed all of these foods mainly because of this board
. I've learned a ton about everything that goes into the foods, so I apply that to what I feed the kitties!
 

exoticbabee

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Natural Balance for wet and Nutro Natural Choice Complete Indoor for dry. She likes to eat chicken flavors only so I have very limited choices. I've tried other brands but she will not eat it. But I feel good about what she eats so no complaints from me.
 

ddcats

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Canned:
Wellness Chicken & Herring
by nature Organics Organic Turkey & Turkey Liver
Blue Spa Select Turkey & Chicken

The next time I am in PetsMart, I might get other flavors in the Blue and Organics.

Dry:
Calif Natural

Why: After the recall, I researched pet food for months and have found out that my cats deserve better than the grocery store garbage that I was feeding them. Also, my older cat is SO MUCH HEALTHIER NOW.
 

kitytize

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I have changed what I am feeding also. I no longer feed California Natural because I had a cat get severely constipated on that food and was hospitalized.

I now feed Eukanuba Hairball because it does not have rice. ( I believe it was rice and/or hairballs that caused constipation in the one cat).

I feed a variety of canned mostly friskies but I only by wheat gluten free kinds.

I also feed raw and cooked meats as treats. I have one cat that may not have raw because she has gotten a bacterial infection from it in the past.
 

okuda

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Gah I just put my reply to this in the wrong post lol ...

Oh well .. here it is again!

Well I just recently changed the boys diet to
"Pet works natural ultra mix ~ Chicken"
It's one of those ones with no grains/by products/ corn and growth hormone free.

It actually looks really yummy lol, there's bits of proper vegetables in it! The boys even eat those bits first before the biscuits lol.

They were on Science diet kitten food which was only because that's what the rescue fed them and with the hard time we was having getting rid of Winstons Coccidia I didn't want to change it and give him even more of an upset tummy.

But because it just wasn't going and the antibiotics where only clearing it to a degree .. I wondered if the SD could have anything to do with hindering it. Mostly because it looks like it should be fed to fish, so I went and wandered up and down petcos Isles looking for a better food and came across the "Natural organic" food and found this one.

Winston's upset tummy was gone with in 1 week. Nice tootsie rolls now! lol
The boys coat just speaks for it's self, you could land a small aircraft with the reflection that comes off it now.


I'm still at a loss with wet tho, atm they are still on the Whiskers kitten pouches. Mostly because they are like in love with the stuff, seriously, when I dish it up, they are like climbing up my legs to get it and me-owing for all they are worth.

I have a really hard time finding kitten food that is "chunky" with gravy .. they really detest the pate (sp?) kind of kitten food, which is what most of the wet seems to be. The only food I find chunky with gravy is adult kind and I was told they need solely kitten food till 1 year of age.

They just sniff it, look at me as if I have just gone and lost my mind to dare have the audacity to put this pap in front of them, they do the "digging action" over it like they was burying poop and wander off.


Kittens!
 

Asteria

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I want to add that I now feed EVO wet (I still feed Felidae dry, too). I am impressed with the ingredients and the kitties love it. I had been wanting to add wet for a long time and I finally found a store near us that sells Natura products.
 

sphynx

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Molly free feeds on Royal Canin Fit 32, plus he has a Whiskas pouch per day... half in the morning and half in the evening. We have such a poor selection of commercial food in South Africa, so I do the best I can with what we have. I have tried and tried to get him interested in raw food, which is what I feed my Frenchie, but he is not remotely interested... not even in sardines or smelly stuff like that
 
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