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New Cat Owner Food ?

post #1 of 7
2/15/11 at 5:32pm
Thread Starter 
I am a new cat owner. I have an appx. 2 year old male cat that was adopted from the ASPCA. I am feeding Blue Buffalo adult indoor dry formula. I was told that this is a really good food. I would appreciate anyones thoughts on this. Do I need to feed wet food also? I am getting mixed messages vs wet or dry or mixed!!!!
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post #2 of 7
2/15/11 at 5:48pm
When it comes right down to it, the 'right' food is the one your cat enjoys and thrives on - wet, dry, organic, premium, not-so-premium. With a newly adopted cat, I'd let him eat whatever food the shelter was feeding him and slowly introduce him to some other choices. It is often recommended to transition over to a wet diet...but, some cats simply do not like wet food, so don't make both of yourselves crazy if your cat doesn't care for wet food.

Also, with dry food, do any transitions slowly - usually the bag will have instructions. And IMO don't get wedded to any food just based on recommendations - it really is what your cat does well on.

The most important thing a cat can have is love - and obviously your kitty has found a most loving home. Just observe him, and, I know this sounds funny, pay attention to the litter box...a lot of times the poo itself will give you a clue if the food is working for your kitty.
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post #3 of 7
2/15/11 at 6:11pm
What darlili said, but also keeping in mind that males can be more prone to crystals on a solely dry food diet, (learned that the hard way), since many cats don't drink much water themselves. My cat instantly fell in love with wet food, so it was easy to switch him over. You can experiment with different brands/flavors to see if your guy likes them. Kibble is only a food topper here but our cats simply love wet food more.
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post #4 of 7
2/15/11 at 8:20pm
Congratz on your new cat!! I would definitely introduce wet food into his diet. It is important for cats especially male cats to have the moisture content in their food for urinary health benefits. Dry only will not be good IMO. Start with small amounts mixing in with the dry and add more wet than dry over a few days to a week's time till you get to half wet and half dry. Some people feed all wet food. I feed a bit of both but more wet than dry.
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post #5 of 7
2/16/11 at 10:39am
Feral, did you mean literally mixing in the wet and dry food together? My question then would be, you would have to take up the food after 30 minutes or so? At least I do - I never leave wet food out more than 30 minutes. Even any leftover kibble gets picked up within 24 hours (mine like to nibble through the night). I'd be worried about food spoilage and contamination, I think.
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post #6 of 7
2/16/11 at 1:53pm
Thread Starter 
feeding half the recommended amount in the morning and half at night. I have mixed in a small bit of wet food with the Blue Buffalo. I guess my plan will be to mix a bit of the wet food in with the dry as he eats his portion within a half hour anyway. I'm with you darli I would not want to leave wet food out for long. I never thought I would have a cat, I have been allergic all of my life, and this one does not bother my allergies at all. So I am grateful for the help that anyone is offering.
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post #7 of 7
2/16/11 at 2:37pm
Believe me, we have all been there as new cat owners - this is a great place to come with any question, even if you think it's the dumbest question in all the world...I guarantee you someone else has had the same question.

I so wish it was easy to pick just the right food, because it really is intimidating standing there at Petsmart or wherever, staring at the dozens of brands, and all you want is what's best for your kitty. But, it's hard - what works great for one, doesn't for another - and it's how your kitty reacts that counts. But your baby is much loved - that's a wonderful start for both of you.
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