Farm Cats Diet

furryfriends50

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I was just wondering what you thought of what i feed the farm cats, they seem to be doing great on this diet.

Each cat gets roughly 3 oz of friskies (the pate kind to avoid wheat gluten) each night. They also get 3 oz of dry food which is a mix of 1.5 ounce kirkland dry, 0.75 oz by nature dry, and 0.75 oz blue buffalo wilderness cat dry food. Since it is a large group of cats eating together, they on average would get that much food a piece. Friskies does have the meat by-products but it is the best i can afford, unless there is a cheaper and healthier alternative.

I am also trying to get my parents to let me switch our housecats off of Science Diet, though it's tough convincing my mom too because she works at a vets.

All together there are 26 farm cats (all spayed/nuetered except for stray that recently found its way in but i believe its a boy), and there are three cats at my house. The farm is about a mile away from my house, until a year ago it was the family farm (my dad and my three uncles), but because of many things we had to sell. The cats are still living there, and another farm is renting out the barns except for the one that the cats live in. Also, i'm sixteen just to let you know though that really isn't that important i guess. I can afford this cat food because i work at another dairy farm feeding calves (though i'm supposed to say i'm the assistant calf manager...).

any advice would be appreciated. thanx in advance!
 

skimble

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How great that you are still taking care of all 26 barn cats!
If they are healthy and seem to be doing ok on the present food, I would leave it the same.

The only time I have changed foods with the feral cats is in the colder months. I add kitten food or change completely to all kitten food within the same brand. They need the extra calories and fat to keep warm, healthy and have energy to fight the cold.

You are a very mature, responsible young lady. Your parents should be proud.
 

Willowy

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Wow! I think they eat better than my housecats! More variety anyway. And my poor outdoor cats only get Purina Cat Chow!

The canned food isn't entirely necessary. Being outdoor cats, they probably catch mice and birds sometimes, so they'd be getting fresh, moist food in their diets anyway. So if cost becomes a problem, you can cut out the canned food. I'm sure they enjoy it, though. Friskies is OK, I don't know of an inexpensive brand that's any better.

Kirkland is an excellent food. No reason to add the other brands, really. Blue Buffalo, especially, is pretty expensive, and not much better quality than the Kirkland.

But of course if they're doing well and you're OK with the prices, everything sounds great! Good for you for taking care of the farm cats.
 

carolina

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You are an angel for not abandoning those kitties.... And they eat really well too! IMO, your outside kitties eat way better than your inside kitties, that are on SD...
Hugs, and keep up the excellent work!!
 
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furryfriends50

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Originally Posted by carolinalima

You are an angel for not abandoning those kitties.... And they eat really well too! IMO, your outside kitties eat way better than your inside kitties, that are on SD...
Hugs, and keep up the excellent work!!
i'm trying to convince my mom to let me feed the inside cats (milo, mikey, and marty) what i feed the farm cats. she works at a veterinarian, so she thinks that since it is sold there it has to be THE highest quality food. my dad agrees with me though that we should switch the indoor cats.

Originally Posted by Willowy

Being outdoor cats, they probably catch mice and birds sometimes, so they'd be getting fresh, moist food in their diets anyway.
i haven't seen a mouse in the barn for a month, and that's when one of them brought it in lol! for the most part they keep to the barn, which is what i'd actually prefer. there are coyotes outside, and there has been cougers down by the river (about 3/4 miles from the barn). the farm also has a horrible neighbor, who has actually shot some of the farm cats for going on his property
 
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furryfriends50

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a list of the ingrediants:

kirkland - chicken, chicken meal, whole grain brown rice, ground white rice, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), natural chicken flavor, flaxseed, potassium chloride, salt, calcium sulfate, calcuim carbonate, methionine, choline chloride, taurine, dried chicory root, zinc proteinate, vitamin E supplement, niacin, manganese proteinate, copper protienate, zinc sulfate, manganese sulfate, copper sulfate, thiamine monotrate, vitamin A supplement, biotin, potassium iodine, calcium patothenate, riboflavin, pyrodoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin b12 supplement, mangonous oxide, sulfer selenate, vitamin D supplement, folic acid.

By Nature dry: Chicken Meal, Ground Barley, Chicken Fat (Stabilized with Mixed Tocopherols), Chicken, Chicken Livers, Ground Brown Rice, Flaxseed Meal, Ground Oats, Fish Meal, Tomato Pomace, Natural Flavors, Alfalfa Meal, Yeast Culture, Salt, Fish Oil, Taurine, Vitamin E Supplement, Choline Chloride, Zinc Sulfate, Zinc Proteinate, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Sweet Potatoes, Carrots, Blueberries, Cranberries, Dried Chicory Root, Raspberries, Turmeric, Niacin Supplement, Ferrous Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, d–Calcium Pantothenate, Manganese Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Copper Sulfate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Calcium Iodate, Folic Acid, Biotin, Sodium Selenite, Rosemary Extract, Dried Yeast Fermentation Solubles.

Blue Buffalo Wilderness: Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Potato Starch, Whitefish Meal, Salmon Meal, Chicken Fat (preserved with Natural Mixed Tocopherols), Natural Chicken Flavor, Oatmeal, Flaxseed (natural source of Omega 6 Fatty Acids), Whole Carrots, Whole Sweet Potatoes, Cranberries, Blueberries, Barley Grass, Dried Parsley, Alfalfa Meal, Kelp Meal, Taurine, L-Lysine, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Green Tea Extract, Turmeric, Salmon Oil (natural source of Omega 3 Fatty Acids), Black Malted Barley, Oil of Rosemary, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin C, Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Beta Carotene, Calcium Ascorbate (source of Vitamin C), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Niacin (Vitamin B3), Calcium Pantothenate (Vitamin B5), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Folic Acid, Biotin, Choline Chloride, Calcium Chloride, Zinc Amino Acid Complex (source of Chelated Zinc), Iron Amino Acid Complex (source of Chelated Iron), Copper Amino Acid Complex (source of Chelated Copper), Manganese Amino Acid Complex (source of Chelated Manganese), Potassium Amino Acid Complex (source of Chelated Potassium), Cobalt Proteinate (source of Chelated Cobalt), Potassium Chloride, Calcium Carbonate, Sodium Selenite, Salt, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bacillus subtilis, Bifidobacterium thermophilum, Bifidobacterium longum, Enterococcus faecium.

Friskies Wet Food (what i have does NOT have the brewer's rice in it though): Meat by-products, water sufficient for processing, poultry by-products, liver, chicken, brewers rice, natural and artificial flavors, tricalcium phosphate, salt, guar gum, potassium chloride, caramel color, carrageenan, taurine, Vitamin E supplement, dicalcium phosphate, zinc sulfate, thiamine mononitrate, ferrous sulfate, manganese sulfate, Vitamin A supplement, copper sulfate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, niacin, calcium pantothenate, riboflavin supplement, cobalt carbonate, Vitamin D-3 supplement, Vitamin B-12 supplement, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), folic acid, potassium iodide, biotin.
 

goldenkitty45

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Wow you treat your farm cats pretty good
Most farm cats only get dry foods and if they want moist, they hunt and kill and eat mice, etc.
 

sharky

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First off your doing GREAT.... for outdoor cats that can hunt for their "supplements" most will feed nearly anything ..

Originally Posted by furryfriends50

a list of the ingrediants:

kirkland - chicken, chicken meal, whole grain brown rice, ground white rice, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), natural chicken flavor, flaxseed, potassium chloride, salt, calcium sulfate, calcuim carbonate, methionine, choline chloride, taurine, dried chicory root, zinc proteinate, vitamin E supplement, niacin, manganese proteinate, copper protienate, zinc sulfate, manganese sulfate, copper sulfate, thiamine monotrate, vitamin A supplement, biotin, potassium iodine, calcium patothenate, riboflavin, pyrodoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin b12 supplement, mangonous oxide, sulfer selenate, vitamin D supplement, folic acid.
For ingredients and cost I prefer this one

By Nature dry: Chicken Meal, Ground Barley, Chicken Fat (Stabilized with Mixed Tocopherols), Chicken, Chicken Livers in a we this is fine but in a dry I ?? the need for such a out of balance meat , Ground Brown Rice, Flaxseed Meal, Ground Oats, Fish Meal, Tomato Pomace, Natural Flavors, Alfalfa Meal, Yeast Culture allegens that many high end food s have eliminated , Salt, Fish Oil, Taurine, Vitamin E Supplement, Choline Chloride, Zinc Sulfate, Zinc Proteinate, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Sweet Potatoes, Carrots, Blueberries, Cranberries, Dried Chicory Root, Raspberries, Turmeric, Niacin Supplement, Ferrous Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, d–Calcium Pantothenate, Manganese Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Copper Sulfate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Calcium Iodate, Folic Acid, Biotin, Sodium Selenite, Rosemary Extract, Dried Yeast Fermentation Solubles.

Blue Buffalo Wilderness: Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Potato Starch this is PURE carb almost at least with grain you get some fat and protein, Whitefish Meal, Salmon Meal, Chicken Fat (preserved with Natural Mixed Tocopherols), Natural Chicken Flavor, Oatmeal, Flaxseed (natural source of Omega 6 Fatty Acids), Whole Carrots, Whole Sweet Potatoes, Cranberries, Blueberries, Barley Grass, Dried Parsley, Alfalfa Meal, Kelp Meal, Taurine, L-Lysine, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Green Tea Extract, Turmeric, Salmon Oil (natural source of Omega 3 Fatty Acids), Black Malted Barley, Oil of Rosemary, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin C, Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Beta Carotene, Calcium Ascorbate (source of Vitamin C), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Niacin (Vitamin B3), Calcium Pantothenate (Vitamin B5), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Folic Acid, Biotin, Choline Chloride, Calcium Chloride, Zinc Amino Acid Complex (source of Chelated Zinc), Iron Amino Acid Complex (source of Chelated Iron), Copper Amino Acid Complex (source of Chelated Copper), Manganese Amino Acid Complex (source of Chelated Manganese), Potassium Amino Acid Complex (source of Chelated Potassium), Cobalt Proteinate (source of Chelated Cobalt), Potassium Chloride, Calcium Carbonate, Sodium Selenite, Salt, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bacillus subtilis, Bifidobacterium thermophilum, Bifidobacterium longum, Enterococcus faecium.

Friskies Wet Food (what i have does NOT have the brewer's rice in it though): Meat by-products, water sufficient for processingcheaper and less tasty than broth, poultry by-products, liver, chicken, brewers rice, natural and artificial flavors, tricalcium phosphate, salt, guar gum, potassium chloride, caramel color, carrageenan, taurine, Vitamin E supplement, dicalcium phosphate, zinc sulfate, thiamine mononitrate, ferrous sulfate, manganese sulfate, Vitamin A supplement, copper sulfate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, niacin, calcium pantothenate, riboflavin supplement, cobalt carbonate, Vitamin D-3 supplement, Vitamin B-12 supplement, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), folic acid, potassium iodide, biotin.
obviously a low end food but see my first comment
 
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furryfriends50

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for the dry food would there be any other brand you would recommend? i am hoping to be able to go to a store that has EVO and other brands that are high quality in a few months. Would you recommend trying EVO or not?

any other high quality foods that Petsmart carries?
 

sharky

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Nutro max and Authority are both good solid foods at a fraction of what your paying ...

EVO IMHO would be a waste of money for cats who are regularly able to hunt , plus about 50% of cat s get loose stools from the richness
 
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furryfriends50

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with authority and nutro max though there is corn, which i have noticed some of the farm cats can't handle.

actually they don't really get much food from hunting, no mouse dares come near the barn lol! cookie is the only one that really eats mice/rabbits because he is a wonderer. he can be gone up to a month at a time, so he has to be eating quite a few mice! though there are probably a few stops he makes at places with cat food, like a few of the other farms. when they are outside though there is the risk of coyotes getting them, and if they wander to close to the river there are occasionaly cougars. if they go into the nieghbors yard it is very risky, because he will shoot the cats that go into his backyard!
 

sharky

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okay with no corn

diamond naturals aka costco kirkland

chicken soup for the cat lovers souls

no grain good price taste of the wild

chicken soup also has a wet food ( some areas about the price of friskies others it is about 1$ for 6 oz ...

I buy 13 oz wellness by the case ( pet store gives 10% off for a case) for about 2$ a can
 
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furryfriends50

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Originally Posted by sharky

okay with no corn

diamond naturals aka costco kirkland

chicken soup for the cat lovers souls

no grain good price taste of the wild

chicken soup also has a wet food ( some areas about the price of friskies others it is about 1$ for 6 oz ...

I buy 13 oz wellness by the case ( pet store gives 10% off for a case) for about 2$ a can
thanks so much, i'll try the chicken soup wet and dry hopefully pretty soon!!! might try that instead of using the by nature. do you know how much the large bag normally costs? i know a place near here though that sells that. i might try a few cans of wellness from that same place for the farm cats. i was wondering though with the taste of the wild if i found the right ingrediant list - are peas really the second ingrediant?
 

sharky

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Yes TOTW has peas as second ingredient...This provides some protein and carbs and lots of vitamins ( per my vet who has a degree in companion animal nutrition ( yup I asked )) ... downside to peas is they are a common allergen ...


Most stores that carry horse food will carry chicken soup ... 16 lb bag here at a feed store is about 18-20$ ... at pet store up to 30$ ..
 
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