First time here...need advice on food

This is my first time posting here. I have 2 persians named Pumpkin & Blaze. Pumpkin is 10 and Blaze is 6. Until I got my golden retriever puppy I have been feeding all my animals grocery store food. After getting the new puppy I started researching dog and cat food and I realized I've been feeding my poor animals crap for many years. My cats ate almost all dry food. About 2 moths ago Blaze got really sick. He had a blockage and was in kidney failure. After spending 2 days at the vet and $500 he came home. I was told he had to be on a prescription urinary tract diet (which was purina) or a store brand urinary tract formula for the rest of his life. I was also told it didn't matter if he ate dry or canned. They said I should use whichever I had been feeding. I have been giving him Purina One Urinary care and Purina ProPlan Urinary canned but looking at the ingredients it doesn't seem like a very good food. I would like to switch to almost all canned but both are very picky. The love the ProPlan urinary canned. I can't find any premium brand urinary care food. My question is does it matter if I do not use a urinary care formula if I put him on a really good canned food. I usually add some water to the canned just to make sure he gets enough water.

I am very soory for this long post but I really want to start feeding my guys the best food I can.

I think if your cats love proplan urinary canned food, stick with that for now and work on getting the dry food up in quality. I mean, Purina is not spectacular, but it is no 9 lives or AlleyCat... You can add water to their wet food and make it even more soupy, even warm it up to get them to eat it. Changing foods is hard on cats, especially seniors who have been eating low grade food their whole lives. Just take small steps. Work on upping the dry first and stick with the same wet since they like it.

If the food you are feeding now is working I would not change. I fed Purina One Urinary Tract food for 9 years with good results. I do think you can feed any canned though.

First let me say welcome to the site. It is good that you want to feed your babies good food, but if the vet said you need to leave your cat on a urinary food, I would do that. Urinary problems can be chronic and if your cat is doing well I would leave him on a urniary tract formula. I know it's a pain, but would it be possible to feed the 2 differnt cats differnt foods, then you could switch the other cat to a good food? Sorry I'm not much help, but maybe someone with a lot more knowledge on food will be along shortly.

If it is working dont change it ...

UTI foods with better ingrediants
Max cat by nutro

Royal canin- cant remember formula

Samuda had chronic UTI's and blockages and was put on Methigel methionine gel supplement (looks similar to Petromalt, but is prescription med for UTI's) because I did not wish to feed him (and my other cats!) Prescription C/D, which I think is horrible and probably very unpalatable. I feed mainly Nutro canned and dry, but also ProPlan, Natural Balance, Optimum Nature's Recipe, Triumph, Trader Joe's, and Solid Gold Katz-n-Flocken. I believe that the higher-quality, non-supermarket foods have a better composition for ALL cats than any cheaper foods. The other posters seem pretty much unanimous on sticking to what your cats eat, so I'd follow that, and perhaps, as one or more suggested, switch the dry to a higher-quality type.

Thank you everyone for your suggestions. I think for now I will stay with the ProPlan Urinary canned and try Felidae dry. Thanks again...

Originally Posted by Blaze&Pumpkin

Thank you everyone for your suggestions. I think for now I will stay with the ProPlan Urinary canned and try Felidae dry. Thanks again...

Click to expand...

If memory serves Felidea is not a UTI friendly by the % ....

Royal Canin SO is for urinary health. We had a cat at the shelter with a previous blockage who was on it, wet and dry. Science Diet also makes one, but I wouldn't feed that.

You should be able to get the R.C. at any vet...

Thanks for reminding about the Proplan urinary formula. Mine liked that
one too. I used to get it. Actually I feed whatever canned she will
eat in rotation,and I do see alot of people buying the proplan so it must be o.k. for those needs. I have been Buying Natural Balance ckn & Liver,
on rotation, she likes this one, but not really sure if it is a good one for UTI?
Anyone know if this canned o.k.?
Canned is very important and add water to make it soupy.
Water is good to clear out our babies.
I just started using Wysong Uretic about 3 wks. ago (non prescription)
so I dont have conclusion as yet whether this dry helps or not.
I am hoping so, I dont want to buy any Purina One.
I'd rather use Max cat if she will eat it, of course its up to the cat

Brenda

I think Natural Balance and Max Cat are both excellent foods; I don't know about the specialized dietary needs regarding those foods and varieties you mention, but for general adult cat maintenance and health, as well as palatability, we swear by both!