All life stage cat food?

meowers · Sep 15, 2008

What are your experiences with the Cat & Kitten foods (all life stage food)? I have been using EVO for several months now, and their coats are soft and barely shed (they love it too).

The problem is Kitty's stomach is just too sensitive and is having sporadic diareah from this food. Too rich maybe? She is a young Manx with lower spine nerve problems caused by having no tail. She did really well on Science Diet up until about 6 months ago, then I learned its not so good and switched.

Holly is a kitten, that is why I've been feeding an all life stage food. Feeding them seperately is not going to happen, and Holly cries for Kitty if I seperate them, even just to eat.

Today I looked into California Naturals Chicken and brown rice cat/kitten food and brought home a sample. Also, they hated Wellness, even after a slow swith wouldnt eat it.

meowers · Sep 15, 2008

One more thing

I bought some Bene-Bac for Kitty and tomorrow will be her second and final dose. Hopefully that helps a little.

NuturVet Enzyme and Probiotic powder? I got some of that to give Kitty next week. Ever heard of it?

maxy24 · Sep 15, 2008

EVO is a great food but can be too rich for a lot of cats. All Life stages foods are great, generally separating the stages is done in lower quality foods because they do not put as much protein in their adult food (like they should!) so they have to have a kitten food with the right amount of protein so that the cat actually grows properly. High quality foods generally give adult cats a nice amount of protein too so their foods can be ALS. Some companies that use stages do it for money. they either jack up the senior and kitten food prices or they do what Royal Canin does and make special brands for different breeds. So say I (a Siamese cat owner) was out in the store and saw a food just for Siamese cats and I knew nothing about food, I'd be all over that food because it must be so good for them, it's made just for them.

So yeah, ALS foods are fine, I'd say your problem is from the food being too rich for her or you are over feeding. Remember you should be feeding a lot less EVO than you were Science Diet because most of the SD you were giving were empty calories, very little nutrition, so the cat had to eat more to get a proper amount of nutrition, now she can eat less and still get the right amount of nutrition. Too much and up it comes.

Tell us how they like the California Natural, that's what I'm going to try and switch too. If you want to try a Grain free but less rich food check out "Before Grain" it's a good food, just didn't work for my two.

skimble · Sep 15, 2008

I like the all life stages because of the same reason as you. I have a 5 month old, two 10 month olds and 4 adults. I rotate Taste of the Wild (grain free), Orijen (grain free) and Calif Nat Chicken and Rice.

Everyone's favorite is Calif Nat. Next is Taste.

Mine have done well on these. Even my sensitive stomach girl.

sharky · Sep 15, 2008

Originally Posted by Maxy24

EVO is a great food but can be too rich for a lot of cats. All Life stages foods are great, generally separating the stages is done in lower quality foods because they do not put as much protein in their adult food (like they should!) so they have to have a kitten food with the right amount of protein so that the cat actually grows properly. High quality foods generally give adult cats a nice amount of protein too so their foods can be ALS. Some companies that use stages do it for money. they either jack up the senior and kitten food prices or they do what Royal Canin does and make special brands for different breeds. So say I (a Siamese cat owner) was out in the store and saw a food just for Siamese cats and I knew nothing about food, I'd be all over that food because it must be so good for them, it's made just for them.

So yeah, ALS foods are fine, I'd say your problem is from the food being too rich for her or you are over feeding. Remember you should be feeding a lot less EVO than you were Science Diet because most of the SD you were giving were empty calories, very little nutrition, so the cat had to eat more to get a proper amount of nutrition, now she can eat less and still get the right amount of nutrition. Too much and up it comes.

Tell us how they like the California Natural, that's what I'm going to try and switch too. If you want to try a Grain free but less rich food check out "Before Grain" it's a good food, just didn't work for my two.

Actually you have the all stage a bit off.. Most adult in fact have more protein 34% vs 32% ave than all stage ... most all stages are more between adult and senior in the true premium s than a kitten and adult ... the exception is the grain free s...
BG is IMHO the worst of the grain frees lowest in protein I know of many kitten foods with = or more and relies on lots of potato ... Evo is one of the richest ... I use Taste of the wild but many have luck with CORE , instinct , pinnacle

AFFCO s all stage formula rules are very lax ... and many all stages are not actually feed tested but they are based on a % which I believe is only 30% protein for growth

Cal Natural used to be a great food but the formula and % keep changing and IMHO it is no longer a good simple food just a good food

babywukong · Sep 16, 2008

"Actually you have the all stage a bit off.. Most adult in fact have more protein 34% vs 32% ave than all stage ... most all stages are more between adult and senior in the true premium s than a kitten and adult"

I was feeding Instinct to Chance, and have recommended his new owner to feed him that too. Anyone knows if Instinct, which is branded as an all life stages food, has enough protein for a growing kitten? Have I been using the wrong brand?

sharky · Sep 16, 2008

Originally Posted by BabyWukong

"Actually you have the all stage a bit off.. Most adult in fact have more protein 34% vs 32% ave than all stage ... most all stages are more between adult and senior in the true premium s than a kitten and adult"

I was feeding Instinct to Chance, and have recommended his new owner to feed him that too. Anyone knows if Instinct, which is branded as an all life stages food, has enough protein for a growing kitten? Have I been using the wrong brand?

being grain free Yes it has enough protein/...
http://www.naturesvariety.com/instin...kibble_chicken if you read just past ingredients you'll see the Affco all stage comment

this was a based of % one not a feed tested one ... but being so high in protein adn fat IMHO would be fine for a kitten

maxy24 · Sep 16, 2008

BG is IMHO the worst of the grain frees lowest in protein

You are right, it is lower in protein which may be because they rely on potatoes but I have also been told that the very high protein grain free foods have been linked to crystals and other urinary problems in cats, more so than foods containing the non-grain free amount of protein/the amount found in BG, it is not really from any scientific studies though, their are probably other factors than coincide with high protein that is causing the urinary problems because protein alone will not do that. I have not been on this site for a long time so am not sure how you all feel about fish but I have been taught that the less fish the better. BG is the only grain free food without fish that I know of. I also do not think it is the best grain free but I still think it is a good food and more affordable than the other grain frees, although I hear TOTW is cheaper too.

hmmm I guess i was wrong about the protein thing, I should stop going off of what I have simply been told and look into it a bit myself, sorry for the wrong info, it made sense to me when I was told that. So then I guess the question would be why don't ALS foods have higher protein if they are being fed to kittens?

I would like to hear more about the California Natural as I hope to buy some soon, I'd like to know about any problems you have with it before I go out and actually buy it. I'd say PM me but I cannot be PM'd...

dave_l · Sep 16, 2008

I'd like to hear more about California Natural dry food too.

I'm looking for a brand to mix with Eagle Pack. A local store carries the Natura brands, and I was planning on either Innova or California Natural chicken & brown rice.

(I also give the kitties canned food twice a day, on most days; I've been alternating Eagle Pack and Wellness, and also trying some of the Natura brands.)

sharky · Sep 16, 2008

Califonia natural used to be chicken , brown rice , sunflower oil , chicken meal very basic and very good

still good today but it is chicken , chicken meal , brown rice , white rice , flaxseed and sunflower oil

My vet keeps a close eye on the cats on grain free ( she advocates raw, canned or dry grain free diets for cats and dogs )... to date she has seen NO increase in crystals just some being more prone to uti s if on dry food ... Protein has more to do with digestabilty ( loads of studies) than amount so a high amount with high digestabilty is a win win for Most cat s

littleraven7726 · Sep 16, 2008

Originally Posted by Meowers

Holly is a kitten, that is why I've been feeding an all life stage food. Feeding them seperately is not going to happen, and Holly cries for Kitty if I seperate them, even just to eat.

Have you tried just sitting with the kitten but not letting the adult eat the food? That's what I do with our little one. She won't eat seperated in another room, but if I sit next to her and just keep the guys out of her food she'll eat.

Maybe I just have strange cats.

But it works. We caught our little girl about a month ago now. She was underweight and injured, so she needs kitten food but I can't leave dry kitten food out. My 8 yr old and 11 yr old definitely don't need kitten food.

meowers · Sep 18, 2008

Another related question, How long to keep kitten on kitten food if feeding a premium grain free/mostly grain free food? I was planning on 1 year old.

sharky · Sep 19, 2008

life as most grain frees are all life stage... if you have one the is just kitten ie the AFFCO statement says growth or growth only then most will say switch about a yr

All life stage cat food?

meowers

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meowers

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maxy24

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skimble

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sharky

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babywukong

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dave_l

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