Indigo Moon...Opinions?

fiddledee

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Alright, right now I am feeding my 5-6 month old indoor kitten a mixture of dry and wet food. The wet food is Wellness Kitten Formula, and the dry is Nutro Naturals for Indoor Kittens.

Nutro's revamped ingredient list seemed balanced and good, until I saw how many recalls they've had the past 2 years. So now I'm looking for a switch to a new dry food. I was browsing through Petco the other day. Royal Canin is just too much for my budget right now, and I don't like the dry food selection of other premium brands either because they didn't have enough protein for a kitten, or they were too much for my budget.

The sparkly bag of Indigo Moon caught my eye, and it seems to have decent ingredients with a good protein level. Plus it's grain-free.

Anyone here use/used this brand? Was it good?


What are your opinions on kitten nutrition in general? Should I supplement his diet with some form of raw meat if I feed him Indigo Moon and Wellness? I just want him to get the best nutrition possible, but I have a modest budget and variating lifestyle [college student].
 

sharky

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It is nearly = in carbs to your current food...

too much potato for me ///

look at wilderness by blue and core by wellness for grain frees at petco...

as for the nutro they ADDED more grain with the new revamp
 
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fiddledee

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Ah really? I never saw the old version of Nutro so ya....It's just really hard to find a good dry food with the budget I have.

Since Milo is an indoor kitty, that's why I hesitated getting Wilderness. I didn't know how much supplement he would need due to that. I've used it before [in addition to a mainly raw diet] with the Bobcat kitten I took care of for a month. It seemed good for him because he was a wild animal we were fostering at the vet I worked for until we could find a sanctuary. Plus I used raw, so I didn't know if I would have to do the same for Milo.

I would prefer to just do a 70%-80% raw diet for Milo, it's just that I cannot afford it at this time.
 

sharky

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can you do a mainly canned diet/?

Decent canned can be had at every price pt , even walmart has some


I feel your pain... I was glad to find kirkland ( costco brand) as it has rice and oats but is VERY affordable at 16$ for 25 lbs... Diamond natural s avail at feed stores may also work for you..

No supplement needed for the wilderness it is a complete food and it has oats as a grain

Can you do 50 dry 50 raw ?
 
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fiddledee

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That's what I already do mainly, probably about 60/40 dry/wet.

He loves the Wellness. His coat instantly increased in texture and shine within 5 days of gradually changing to Wellness. I feed dry in addition to the canned because of my lifestyle and the ease of it, plus any nutrients the canned may be lacking. Plus variation in diet is good at this stage in his life to make him not picky when he gets older.

My grandmother's cat was lucky and lived til he was 22 [even then he was hit by a car, not killed by age or disease] and he was mainly fed Fancy Feast wet and various cat kibbles dry. However, he was a ratter and his diet was balanced due to the many animals he caught and ate a majority of them; plus my grandmother got meat from the local butcher for herself and would give him a treat or two from it. I just want my cat to live as healthy of a life, but indoors haha.


[Bonus note kinda related but not really, but I think it would capture your interest Sharky]
Auburn University, which is where I attend currently and am applying for vet school, has a specialization rotation. For an extra semester, you stay and specialize in a field of your choice in addition to the general curriculum for a D.V.M. I've been interested in nutrition, and it turns out that a year ago a nutrition specialist came to the university and is now helping with students that want to specialize in that area. I think Cornell and Colorado State have already implemented this. And it is NOT sponsored by food groups like Science Diet or Purina. Hopefully this gets implemented at other vet schools as well.
 

furryfriends50

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All raw is very cheap if you search for good deals. Feeding raw is about the same cost as feeding kibble...but is much cheaper than kibble if you add the vet costs in. A high quality canned (Wellness etc) costs about 3 times the amount as feeding raw.

I feed all raw and mine LOVE it. They may act like wild animals sometimes when I am feeding them (they really want that food) but that is just another health benifit to feeding raw: them feeling much more hyper).

I'd avoid feeding raw along with dry as they have differant digestive times.

If you can go all raw...it is quite cheap. It is probably about an average of $0.25 a day; it may be cheaper since its a housecat and my average is based off of feeding barn cats who need more food to convert to heat.

Its even cheaper than that if you can get free meat. Fall is a great time to get free meat with all the hunting...venison, duck, geese, pheasant (? don't know if that is the right time of year), even some elk. Lots of people are willing to give some of their meat from hunting away for free...they can't use all the meat and asking hunters is a good way to get free organs and heart as well
 

sharky

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Originally Posted by furryfriends50

All raw is very cheap if you search for good deals. Feeding raw is about the same cost as feeding kibble...but is much cheaper than kibble if you add the vet costs in. A high quality canned (Wellness etc) costs about 3 times the amount as feeding raw.

I feed all raw and mine LOVE it. They may act like wild animals sometimes when I am feeding them (they really want that food) but that is just another health benifit to feeding raw: them feeling much more hyper).

I'd avoid feeding raw along with dry as they have differant digestive times.

If you can go all raw...it is quite cheap. It is probably about an average of $0.25 a day; it may be cheaper since its a housecat and my average is based off of feeding barn cats who need more food to convert to heat.

Its even cheaper than that if you can get free meat. Fall is a great time to get free meat with all the hunting...venison, duck, geese, pheasant (? don't know if that is the right time of year), even some elk. Lots of people are willing to give some of their meat from hunting away for free...they can't use all the meat and asking hunters is a good way to get free organs and heart as well
WHERE did you find a COMPLETE raw formula for a quarter a day?? proper amount of bones each organ in proper amount and the right amount of muscle meat?

With dealing with hunters and the butcher directly I still only got the PROPERLY done raw down to roughly 75 cents per cat per day ... And that is a healthy cat

Raw and dry yes should not be feed together though many on here and other boards have without ill effects... IMHO I would feed one type in am and the other PM...
 

sharky

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Originally Posted by Fiddledee

That's what I already do mainly, probably about 60/40 dry/wet.

He loves the Wellness. His coat instantly increased in texture and shine within 5 days of gradually changing to Wellness. I feed dry in addition to the canned because of my lifestyle and the ease of it, plus any nutrients the canned may be lacking. Plus variation in diet is good at this stage in his life to make him not picky when he gets older.

My grandmother's cat was lucky and lived til he was 22 [even then he was hit by a car, not killed by age or disease] and he was mainly fed Fancy Feast wet and various cat kibbles dry. However, he was a ratter and his diet was balanced due to the many animals he caught and ate a majority of them; plus my grandmother got meat from the local butcher for herself and would give him a treat or two from it. I just want my cat to live as healthy of a life, but indoors haha.


[Bonus note kinda related but not really, but I think it would capture your interest Sharky]
Auburn University, which is where I attend currently and am applying for vet school, has a specialization rotation. For an extra semester, you stay and specialize in a field of your choice in addition to the general curriculum for a D.V.M. I've been interested in nutrition, and it turns out that a year ago a nutrition specialist came to the university and is now helping with students that want to specialize in that area. I think Cornell and Colorado State have already implemented this. And it is NOT sponsored by food groups like Science Diet or Purina. Hopefully this gets implemented at other vet schools as well.
That is very good to hear
... When I started going to my current vet I did not know they had animal nutrition degrees( I was in school for human
) until she showed me hers ... Now if they add oriental medicine rotations in that would make a very well rounded vet"_

You know when you see changes it is a good thing
...

Yours can and I am sure will be happy indoors ... YES my one cat will not eat raw at all... but she will go hunt grasshoppers and eat them...lol.. I say she likes her VERY fresh and natural
 
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fiddledee

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The problem with my lifestyle is that I'm a college student. The only thing I can really rely on is pre-packaged frozen raw, since I don't have the experience and no vet at this time. [I use a vet school at the moment for his health care] And of course those are expensive.

I do have butchers all around me since the university I attend has a big Agriculture program. My father hunts deer and turkey as well, but the problem is shipping and keeping a supply at hand. I will do raw in the future, but it's just not right for me at this time I don't think. He has had a taste of raw beef and chicken, which naturally he enjoys. I may add something as a treat every once in a while...

I also don't trust myself making my own raw diet right now. After vet school yes, but I don't want my kitty to end up sick because of a simple error I made. I know it isn't too difficult, it's just that if he is denied a certain essential trace element, he will end up sick. Basically the reason I won't do the homemade diet is because I don't trust myself at this moment. Plus I want to wait until I'm educated on it before embarking on it.
 

furryfriends50

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Chicken - $0.88 - $0.99 per lb.
Beef - on sale $2 a pound
Pork - on sale $1 a pound
Lamb Heart/Ground Lamb Meat - $2.99 a pound
Turkey - $1.50 a pound
Chicken Hearts - $2 a pound
Beef Heart - $2.99 a pound
Lamb Kidney - $3.99 a pound
Lamb Liver - $3.99 a pound
Chicken Necks - $0.99 a pound
Duck - $2.49 a pound
Old steaks/roast (dairy cow so not as tasty but still they love it) - free!
----------------
add in a bit of salmon oil and you got them all fed for $0.25 on average a day.

They don't get elaborate meals with tons of supplements. I simply follow by the rules of 80-85% meat, 5-10% bone, 5% liver, and 5% kidney, also a few drops salmon oil. Thats all a cat needs, thats what mice are composed of, and that is the most natural way for them to get food. Extra supplements are just a waste IMO.
 

sharky

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Originally Posted by furryfriends50

Chicken - $0.88 - $0.99 per lb.
Beef - on sale $2 a pound
Pork - on sale $1 a pound
Lamb Heart/Ground Lamb Meat - $2.99 a pound
Turkey - $1.50 a pound
Chicken Hearts - $2 a pound
Beef Heart - $2.99 a pound
Lamb Kidney - $3.99 a pound
Lamb Liver - $3.99 a pound
Chicken Necks - $0.99 a pound
Duck - $2.49 a pound
Old steaks/roast (dairy cow so not as tasty but still they love it) - free!
----------------
add in a bit of salmon oil and you got them all fed for $0.25 on average a day.

They don't get elaborate meals with tons of supplements. I simply follow by the rules of 80-85% meat, 5-10% bone, 5% liver, and 5% kidney, also a few drops salmon oil. Thats all a cat needs, thats what mice are composed of, and that is the most natural way for them to get food. Extra supplements are just a waste IMO.
Sorry for the hyjack


okay say I was doing the not dealing with a pro raw diet

each cat needs 5-6 oz per day ...

using the simplistic guide of 75% muscle , 10% organ , 10% bone 5% veggie matter

take 5 oz
.75 =3.75 muscle meat ( this alone is .25 cent s based on a meat that is 1$ a lb ). for most it would be roughly 75 cents as most meats are about 3$...
.10= .5 of organs..
.10= .5 of bone necks can provide
.05=.25 veggies( mimic a true mouse
)

so if I take the $2 lb meat plus fixings for my 5 it would run based on your $ amounts about .90 cent per cat per day
 

furryfriends50

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Originally Posted by sharky

Sorry for the hyjack


okay say I was doing the not dealing with a pro raw diet

each cat needs 5-6 oz per day ...

using the simplistic guide of 75% muscle , 10% organ , 10% bone 5% veggie matter

take 5 oz
.75 =3.75 muscle meat ( this alone is .25 cent s based on a meat that is 1$ a lb ). for most it would be roughly 75 cents as most meats are about 3$...
.10= .5 of organs..
.10= .5 of bone necks can provide
.05=.25 veggies( mimic a true mouse
)

so if I take the $2 lb meat plus fixings for my 5 it would run based on your $ amounts about .90 cent per cat per day
I've fed whole mice - they don't touch the stomach contents. THey don't unless they are truly starving.

Okay 5-6 oz of meat is a ton...I do maybe 3-4 ounces per cat per day. The maintain there body wieght very well on that.
 

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Originally Posted by furryfriends50

I've fed whole mice - they don't touch the stomach contents. THey don't unless they are truly starving.

Okay 5-6 oz of meat is a ton...I do maybe 3-4 ounces per cat per day. The maintain there body wieght very well on that.
That's because they are barn cats and maybe they are eating 1/2 of their diet by catching their prey....... like rats...... hum...... just saying..... maybe?

Because the recommended amount is more than that...
 

carolina

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Originally Posted by Fiddledee

The problem with my lifestyle is that I'm a college student. The only thing I can really rely on is pre-packaged frozen raw, since I don't have the experience and no vet at this time. [I use a vet school at the moment for his health care] And of course those are expensive.

I do have butchers all around me since the university I attend has a big Agriculture program. My father hunts deer and turkey as well, but the problem is shipping and keeping a supply at hand. I will do raw in the future, but it's just not right for me at this time I don't think. He has had a taste of raw beef and chicken, which naturally he enjoys. I may add something as a treat every once in a while...

I also don't trust myself making my own raw diet right now. After vet school yes, but I don't want my kitty to end up sick because of a simple error I made. I know it isn't too difficult, it's just that if he is denied a certain essential trace element, he will end up sick. Basically the reason I won't do the homemade diet is because I don't trust myself at this moment. Plus I want to wait until I'm educated on it before embarking on it.
Good for you, IMO this is a very responsive point of view.... You are going to be a good vet!
 

furryfriends50

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Originally Posted by carolinalima

That's because they are barn cats and maybe they are eating 1/2 of their diet by catching their prey....... like rats...... hum...... just saying..... maybe?

Because the recommended amount is more than that...
Except for the fact that they are scared to death about leaving the barn...wild dogs who given the smallest chance would go after one of them. Heck the dogs have actually tried to attack me.

The recommended amount is 2-4% of their body wieght. On average each cat wieghs ten pounds. They were fed 2% of their wieght in the summer, then I upped it to 3 when it started to get colder/damper. Now its 4% since it gets below freezing some nights. Its probably going to be 5% in the winter. They do great on that...you don't know what works great for my cats because you don't know them.

Unless some mice voluntarily go into the strawmow...well those have to be some pretty dumb mice. The cats in the strawmow don't know how to get down, they never had to learn. They have all the need or want up there so to them there is no point
Same with some of the haymow cats. A few do actually live downstairs now that there is no possible way for a dog to get in however most haven't been brave enough to do so yet.

Thanks
 

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Originally Posted by carolinalima

That's because they are barn cats and maybe they are eating 1/2 of their diet by catching their prey....... like rats...... hum...... just saying..... maybe?

Because the recommended amount is more than that...
Actually, the "recommended amount" is 2 to 4 % of a cat's weight in ounces. Obviously, that varies considerably by cat.

Originally Posted by sharky

... .75 =3.75 muscle meat ( this alone is .25 cent s based on a meat that is 1$ a lb ). for most it would be roughly 75 cents as most meats are about 3$...
ALL of the products I buy cost less than $3 a pound, and I live in the Northeast US. Today's turkey drumsticks were $1.79, and the chicken leg quarters cost me $.49 cents. Beef kidney and chicken liver were $1.29 and $.89 respectively while the chicken necks rang up at $.59 and the gizzards at $1.49. I haven't picked up beef and pork in a couple of weeks, but the last time I did, they were around $2.29.

So, yes, a raw diet can be both incredibly healthy AND inexpensive.

Actually, with the vast array of prices across the states, never mind globally, why would anyone want to argue with price points anyway?

*shrug*
 

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Just to toss in my 2 cents...I free feed my cats and had them on Purina Indoor and switched them over to Taste of the Wild and Im in love with the food. It has helped with poo issues that I had with 2 of my cats and Ive noticed their attitudes coats and general spunkyness has changed since we switched foods. I personally highly recommend TOTW for cats and Im even switching my dog over to the canine version!
 
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fiddledee

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As far as Taste of the Wild goes, how much is it? [Just for an average 5lb or so bag] Also, where can I purchase it?
 

sharky

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Originally Posted by Fiddledee

As far as Taste of the Wild goes, how much is it? [Just for an average 5lb or so bag] Also, where can I purchase it?
about 10 $ for 5lbs... IMHO one of the best foods for the price... feed and pet stores ie not big box stores
 

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Originally Posted by sharky

about 10 $ for 5lbs... IMHO one of the best foods for the price... feed and pet stores ie not big box stores
Did you guys see that now they have canned too?
 
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