Wet food problems...advice?

wendyr

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Okay. So, I think we are going to have some trouble with the higher quality wet food we are going to get, so I just wanted to see if anyone had any advice. Here goes the tale...

Since we got the kittens (took them in off the street), we have been free-feeding them high quality dry food and giving them a meal of wet food a day. The wet food has always been the best of the bad - thanks to this site, I know what to look for - but still grocery store brands. I noticed that Conor (our girl) gets a real almost sugar high after she eats the wet (all those carbs, I'm sure...) so the husband has decided that we need to order some higher quality wet food on-line to make sure these little rascals stay healthy. I am all for this and we have decided on the brand we are going to order (Cosma) - just waiting for zooplus.co.uk to get a restock.

In preparation for this change, I bought some wet food that had higher meat content than the other stuff we had been using (this is only sold in individual packets, hence the reason why we normally don't buy it). I gave it to the kittens and they didn't want anything to do with it. Conor gobbled down a bit (she is my little vacuum), but Paddington and Steve had a bit of a go and then just turned their nose up at it. I thought it might have to do with the flavour, so I got a different one the next night, and same result. Little Steve even vomited up the small amount he had eaten.

So, I guess there are a few questions here. Firstly, do you think this is going to be a problem? I mean, if they are having issues with a food that has 30% meat content, how are they going to react to one with a 60-70%? And is there any way I can curtail potential problems? Secondly, if this is an issue - and if they will only eat my cheap ol' grocery store brand - is it better to give them that than nothing at all?

Sorry for being so long-winded....
 

gailuvscats

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i am not familiar with your brands but I don't think the additional protein would make them ill. If you would read the side of the can, they give a percentage of protein and I find most wets are between 9 and 11 or around there.
some cats are very particular about what they eat, and it is better to give the higher quality food, or at least mid range. I found that free feeding is not a good idea. They munch on that and then do not eat their main course(the wet) We eat twice a day, a little dry and wet. If anyone seems hungry after that, I will put out a handful, very little dry, and that can be out till dinner when we repeat the morning meal. My guys are healthy, not overweight, and usually hungry enough to finish their meal. If a little is left, one of them will finish it up in an hour or so.

Anyway, food is supposed to be introduced gradually,
the first ingredient is to be the chicken, or identified meat, no byproducts. I cannot give Fang anything with corn, as he will get mushy poo.

Bottom line, the cheap wet is better than no wet at all, but your guys are young and will adapt. That is the rule of thumb for an older cat set in their ways.
 

blaise

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Originally Posted by wendyr

...we have been free-feeding them high quality dry food and giving them a meal of wet food a day...we have decided on the brand we are going to order (Cosma)...I bought some wet food that had higher meat content ... I gave it to the kittens and they didn't want anything to do with it. Conor gobbled down a bit (she is my little vacuum), but Paddington and Steve had a bit of a go and then just turned their nose up at it. ... I got a different one the next night, and same result. ...

I mean, if they are having issues with a food that has 30% meat content, how are they going to react to one with a 60-70%? And is there any way I can curtail potential problems? Secondly, if this is an issue - and if they will only eat my cheap ol' grocery store brand - is it better to give them that than nothing at all?...
Your current feeding program is exactly what I use. Free-feeding high protein and fat, no grain, low carb dry (Orijen), and the same type of wet (Wellness). I remove the dry a couple of hours before the wet meals. (Cats really aren't "built" to just have a small number of large meals daily - in fact, they need to be able to have a large number of small ones in a 24 hour period. Anyone who will argue the former simply doesn't understand the small cat's anatomy and metabolic system. Contrary to what most people believe, they are NOT a smaller version of the Lion!)

I Googled Cosma foods (zooplus site)...they appear to be good quality considering the ingredients. I'm having some difficulty, though, in that the actual protein and fat percentages are not shown there, and I can't find the manufacturer's site.

In addition, I can't see any "Guaranteed Analysis" or even a comprehensive list of ingredients. So you understand my point, take a look at the North American Wellness Chicken web page. That's the kind of information that we, on our side of the pond, depend on. I therefore wonder if it's a "complete and balanced" food. If you decide to use it, I would recommend ONLY the meat-based varieties - NO fish!

Some ideas to help transition any cat to a wet diet can be found here.

You're also concerned about gastric issues associated with changing to higher quality foods. I think that, if you slowly transition to the new food, their "tummies" won't be so affected as they frequently are when people literally switch from one to another overnight. Start by mixing in just a little of the new with the old...ever-so-gradually, increase the percentage of the new until, perhaps over several weeks, you have accomplished a 100% change.
 
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wendyr

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Thanks so much for the advice! This is really helpful. Will do a gradual transition to the wet food once we order it and I think the idea of removing the dry free-fed food a few hours before their main meal is a good one. The heat has also made them eat a bit less, so that might have something to do with it all as well. I am going to have a chat with the husband when he gets back from his conference and we will make a definitive decision on which wet food to get.

Thanks again - very reassuring!
 
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