What should I do?

I boycotted Iams. My boys have been eating Iams since they were a kitten and we first got them. So, we are trying Max Cat by Nutra (I think, the bag is downstairs and I don't have time to go down there and check.).


So on the switch one of them (I am not sure which) is throwing up and has diarrhea. I haven't seen them do this I've only ever seen the aftermath. I'm guessing it isn't settling well with his stomach.


However, none of them are acting as if they are uncomfortable and they are all their happy playful and lovable self. I'm just concerned about dehydration or something bigger.


Any suggestions on what it could be and what to do would be so helpful. Maybe I'm being paranoid but I just don't think the food switch is being so friendly on their tummy.

I would go slower on the switch. It has to be a slow mix. Just add a small amount of the new food to the old. Cats and kittens will not show sign of being ill until it becomes severe. Do not under estimate the severity of their discomfort due to their behavior. The switch should take at least a week and a half or two.

If you are boycotting them because of the animal abuse issue, they really had no idea the company that was doing this for them practiced such things and have since stopped their contract with them. Somewhere in my files I have their response on this issue.

MA, could you either post a link to that or email it to me? I have been telling family and friends to boycott them due to the information I've seen online, and if there is a change for the better, I would certainly want to pass that along as well.

Thanks!

Oh, MA thanks.. if that is the case then I will no longer boycott Iams. I just refused to support anything that was treating such animals so horrible. Yay, gonna pick up the Iams for my boys tomorrow.

I wouldnt use Iams either.. I dunno but I heard they use by products now. I only want pure ingredients for Zoey. She loves her Nutro wet food and I have been feeding her that chicken soup for the soul dry food, she absolutely LOVES it. I made no slow switching attempts either... I guess Zoey isnt as finiky as some other cats.

Blah,

I have to have something that will be gentle on Jake's stomach. We are sure it is him, and he's having a very tough time switching food.


Whenever I give them a treat like tuna (I split one can between the three of them).. I have to give him small small portions at a time or he'll get sick. Any drastic change makes him sick. Poor baby, he's so damn sweet I hate to see him sick from changing food.

I am still looking for it, it came in through the writers' group I belong to and I now I stored it on disc- I just have to find it

"If you are boycotting them because of the animal abuse issue, they really had no idea the company that was doing this for them practiced such things and have since stopped their contract with them. Somewhere in my files I have their response on this issue."

Whoa! What happened? This is the first I've heard regarding Iams and animal abuse issue. Could anyone tell me what happened with Iams or refer me to articles regarding this?

Here is something that was posted on another board I visit:

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has filed a formal complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) against the Iams Company of Dayton, Ohio, and its parent, Procter & Gamble (P&G), headquartered in Cincinnati, for making allegedly false claims on the Iams Web site regarding its care of the cats and dogs the company uses in its research and product development.

Recently, PETA investigated an Iams contract laboratory and documented horrendous conditions for the animals and cruel practices that it believes show that the companyâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s claims are deceptive. The claims PETA disputes include the following:

Iams: “[Iams] will only conduct the veterinary equivalent of any tests on cats or dogs which are acceptable in nutritional or medical studies in people.â€
Among PETAâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s findings:Tubes were stuck down dogsâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji] throats in order to force them to ingest vegetable oil.

Iams: “Each animal is given the best possible veterinary care and treated with care and respect.â€Among PETAâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s findings: Dogs were dumped together on cold concrete flooring after having huge chunks of muscle cut out of their thighs.

Iams: “[Iams] will not fund or participate in any study requiring or resulting in the euthanasia of cats or dogs.â€Among PETAâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s findings: Twenty-seven of the 60 dogs who had thigh muscle removed were deliberately killed.

Iams: “We will ensure the humane treatment of cats and dogs … creating a total culture of care.â€Among PETAâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s findings: Cats and dogs had developed neurotic behaviors, including whirling ceaselessly in their cages from confinement, isolation, and lack of exercise inside barren cages in windowless, dungeon-like buildings.

Call, write, e-mail, or fax Iams and P&G. Tell them you wonâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t be buying Iams for your animal companions until they stop conducting nutritional experiments on cats and dogs and, instead, rely on laboratory analysis of formulas for nutritional composition and in-home palatability studies using dogs and cats whose human companions have volunteered them for such tests.

Jeffrey P. Ansell, President
Iams Company
7250 Poe Ave.
Dayton, OH 45414-5801
Tel.: 1-800-675-3849
937-898-7387
E-Mail: [email protected]

A.G. Lafley, CEO
Procter & Gamble Co.
1 Procter & Gamble Plz.
Cincinnati, OH 45202
Tel.: 1-800-543-1745

Bill Miller, Director of Sales
Iams Canada
920 Gana Ct.
Mississauga, ON L5S 1Z4
Tel.: 1-800-658-5657 (press 5 for the name directory)
Fax: 905-565-4711

If your baby has a really sensitive stomach, the switch was probably too hard for him. Mix the food with mostly his Iams, then gradually increasing proportions of the new food. Make sure he has plenty of water available - put several water dishes around the house.

It's also possible the new food might just not agree with him...if the Iams works, I'd just stay with it. I've had good luck with my barfy cat giving her the Science Diet "Sensitive Stomach" dry food. Several of the better quality cat foods offer a chicken or turkey & rice version...this is often recommended for cats with sensitive tummies.

My kitty Onyx doesn't handle food switching very well either. I tried switching them to Science Diet at one point , and they hated it. The only food they seem to like and settles well with them is Iams. It keeps Onyx's dry skin at a minimum and they love the taste.

I didn't pay much attention to what was said against Iams food- because I'm sure if you look hard enough there's a skeleton in the closet of every pet food manufacturer out there.

I stick with what works for my kitties, and Iams it is.

Also please bear in mind that PETA quite often goes over-the-top in sensationalism and propaganda.

Originally posted by hissy
Also please bear in mind that PETA quite often goes over-the-top in sensationalism and propaganda.

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You've hit the nail on the head there, for sure!