Senior cat food questions

Hello guys.

To give some background, I have an inside cat, previously outside, that I "adopted" around 3 years ago; she is supposedly 15 now.

Recently, I have begun to look at her food options since I can afford to feed her properly. A few months ago I switched her off a horrible store brand kibble to Innova senior cat food. I supplement her diet with wet canned food, 1/3 in the morning and 1/3 at night. I buy a variety of canned food brands, including friskies, authority, nutro/natural choice, blue, etc.

Anyway, since switching her to Innova, she seems to be a lot better off, better energy, happier, I can't describe it really. However, she is reluctant to eat the cheaper canned food varieties now that she gets decent dry food, which I can understand. But good wet food is expensive! Should I simply feed her less wet food, but in good quality? Also, how should I properly feed her the wet leftovers? Should I microwave it or stir hot water into it or something else?

Okay so I apologize if I went off topic a bit.. My main questions are: should I keep feeding her Innova senior food? Maybe another brand is better(blue, wellness?). (I can spend a little more on the dry stuff, and also I'm wondering if I should feed her a lowfat formula instead?) And should I keep rotating her wet food, or is there a good quality low-cost brand that I can try out? Thanks for any help.

Haha, it seems like most cats prefer the cheap canned! She must know better . What flavors and brands does she seem to prefer? Do you think it could be a flavor issue rather than an ingredient issue?

At her age I would be reluctant to cut back on her wet food. Old kidneys need all the support they can get. I do think it's best to rotate wet foods, but of course it takes a little experimentation to find out which flavors are her favorites, and of course she'll probably change her mind now and then. Have you tried Sophistacat? It's not really high quality (lots of by-products) but doesn't have artificial colors/flavors (like Friskies does) and most flavors are grain-free.

And, no, I wouldn't recommend a lower-fat dry food. Older cats need a lot of high-quality protein and moderate fat levels to maintain healthy muscle mass and a healthy coat.

Originally Posted by hersheycake

Hello guys.

To give some background, I have an inside cat, previously outside, that I "adopted" around 3 years ago; she is supposedly 15 now.

Recently, I have begun to look at her food options since I can afford to feed her properly. A few months ago I switched her off a horrible store brand kibble to Innova senior cat food. I supplement her diet with wet canned food, 1/3 in the morning and 1/3 at night. I buy a variety of canned food brands, including friskies, authority, nutro/natural choice, blue, etc.

Anyway, since switching her to Innova, she seems to be a lot better off, better energy, happier, I can't describe it really. However, she is reluctant to eat the cheaper canned food varieties now that she gets decent dry food, which I can understand. But good wet food is expensive! Should I simply feed her less wet food, but in good quality? Also, how should I properly feed her the wet leftovers? Should I microwave it or stir hot water into it or something else?

Okay so I apologize if I went off topic a bit.. My main questions are: should I keep feeding her Innova senior food? Maybe another brand is better(blue, wellness?). (I can spend a little more on the dry stuff, and also I'm wondering if I should feed her a lowfat formula instead?) And should I keep rotating her wet food, or is there a good quality low-cost brand that I can try out? Thanks for any help.

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I never feed diet, senior, or any other special formulas because I figure that cats in the wild don't get a different diet when they are older and neither do we, so why should our cats?

Anywho, Innova is actually a really good brand. I like them because they are 50% protein which is Huge compared to most other brands. (Also they smell so good, like stew. xD) And if I rememeber correctly, their low fat and senior brands aren't full of carbs like other foods, so they should be fine to feed.

Why don't you buy the giant cans of Innova? I know at my petsmart they are almost as cheap as Authority and that stuff is Really cheap. (Ya know, besides Friskies and Fancy Feast XP)

To heat it back up, I just use hot water from the tap. I spoon out as much as I need to feed, cut it up into smaller pieces, and then spoon hot water onto it. He loves it this way.

Rotating wet food prevents them from getting addicted to a certain brand and makes sure they are getting a properly balanced diet.

Originally Posted by hersheycake

Hello guys.

To give some background, I have an inside cat, previously outside, that I "adopted" around 3 years ago; she is supposedly 15 now.

Recently, I have begun to look at her food options since I can afford to feed her properly. A few months ago I switched her off a horrible store brand kibble to Innova senior cat food. I supplement her diet with wet canned food, 1/3 in the morning and 1/3 at night. I buy a variety of canned food brands, including friskies, authority, nutro/natural choice, blue, etc.

Anyway, since switching her to Innova, she seems to be a lot better off, better energy, happier, I can't describe it really. However, she is reluctant to eat the cheaper canned food varieties now that she gets decent dry food, which I can understand. But good wet food is expensive! Should I simply feed her less wet food, but in good quality? Also, how should I properly feed her the wet leftovers? Should I microwave it or stir hot water into it or something else?

Okay so I apologize if I went off topic a bit.. My main questions are: should I keep feeding her Innova senior food? Maybe another brand is better(blue, wellness?). (I can spend a little more on the dry stuff, and also I'm wondering if I should feed her a lowfat formula instead?) And should I keep rotating her wet food, or is there a good quality low-cost brand that I can try out? Thanks for any help.

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LOL! Your cat is just the opposite of most kitties in the fact she prefers a good food over the low end foods Innova is a fine food. Wellness, Blue are also fine foods. And of course <eh hem>, Nutro Natural Choice formulas are also great choices in food Personally I would mix it up for her but that is me. The main brand of my cat's wet diet (I also feed dry) is Nutro Natural Choice and they have thrived on it.

I have been unable to distinguish a different need for senior cats than any other adult cat. My 14 year old cat eats a mixed diet of Nutro formulas and all of the formulas are adult. Hoot is very healthy I've checked this out with my vet and done a lot of online research on it.

Adult in wet ...

Senior in dry ... senior drys are usually adjusted in protein and fat to lessen the hardship on the kidneys ... Many also have added benefits like adjustments in calcium , phosphorus and magnesium levels to help prevent urinary and kidney issues... Yes Innova at the moment is a high quality brand... IMHO try a small bag or can of others and see if kitty likes

IMHO after dealing with a few seniors the they dont eat that way in the wild is a mute issue... in the wild they would be dead by age 5 most by age 3 hense no need to worry about senior issues...

Originally Posted by sharky

IMHO after dealing with a few seniors the they dont eat that way in the wild is a mute issue... in the wild they would be dead by age 5 most by age 3 hense no need to worry about senior issues...

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Actually, the African Wildcat, from which domestic cats evolved has a lifespan of 12-15 years. The reason feral cats don't live very long is because of overcrowding, lack of food, disease associated with such close contact, beenng hit by cars, etc, etc.

Also since cats are obligate carnivores, protein does not harm the kidneys unless they Already have damaged kidneys.

Originally Posted by Minka

Actually, the African Wildcat, from which domestic cats evolved has a lifespan of 12-15 years. The reason feral cats don't live very long is because of overcrowding, lack of food, disease associated with such close contact, beenng hit by cars, etc, etc.

Also since cats are obligate carnivores, protein does not harm the kidneys unless they Already have damaged kidneys.

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I would like to see the research you read ... on the African wildcat as most I have read is inconclusive on the lifespan issue outside a zoo environment which artificially inflates lifespan like we do with our indoor cats ..

Dry food protein is metabolized differently and thus IS a taxer on the kidneys especially in the older years..Yes, there are many, many studies showing both sides of this idea ... I have seen it first hand thus I believe what I have seen with my own two eyes personally and my own ears professionally ( seen a few of those with my eyes too)

Originally Posted by sharky

I would like to see the research you read ... on the African wildcat as most I have read is inconclusive on the lifespan issue outside a zoo environment which artificially inflates lifespan like we do with our indoor cats ..

Dry food protein is metabolized differently and thus IS a taxer on the kidneys especially in the older years..Yes, there are many, many studies showing both sides of this idea ... I have seen it first hand thus I believe what I have seen with my own two eyes personally and my own ears professionally ( seen a few of those with my eyes too)

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I think dry food is taxing on the body in general, so your point is kind of moot.
Wet or raw protein does Not tax on the kidneys. Cats are obligate carnivores, and since I'm sure at least Some wildcats have made it to senior status, it would be silly to presume that too much protein could harm them, since it's the only thing they eat.

Oh, and I just did a simple google search to see that African Wildcats live quite a long time. I can also find you links to similar species which also specifically list that captive ones live this long, and wild ones live this long, and that in the wild, they do still live quite a long life.

Originally Posted by Minka

I think dry food is taxing on the body in general, so your point is kind of moot.

Wet or raw protein does Not tax on the kidneys. Cats are obligate carnivores, and since I'm sure at least Some wildcats have made it to senior status, it would be silly to presume that too much protein could harm them, since it's the only thing they eat.

Oh, and I just did a simple google search to see that African Wildcats live quite a long time. I can also find you links to similar species which also specifically list that captive ones live this long, and wild ones live this long, and that in the wild, they do still live quite a long life.

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Please re read and realize I only stated DRY food... wet , raw and homemade are not ... I feed raw to a Crf cat , so shockingly I may know a wee bit more than you think...

Originally Posted by sharky

Please re read and realize I only stated DRY food... wet , raw and homemade are not ... I feed raw to a Crf cat , so shockingly I may know a wee bit more than you think...

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I Know you were only talking about dry, which is why I said: "I think dry food is taxing on the body in general, so your point is kind of moot."

But if you were only talking about dry, what was the point of saying that I was wrong about seniors needing the same nutrition as adults?

Can we please keep this to food issues and not he said/she said please?

Since she is doing well Innova must be a good senior food for her... many on here use the old adage if If it aint broke dont fix it

... If you do want to try what appears to be better (I say this cause the Best food may not be best for her.. Example in my home none of my cats handle most no grains ( which one would say is better for them) but all handle a mid grade with grain just fine ) try a small bag and slowly mix it into the Innova....

For wet IMHO any is good if it is decent quality even better... I will send you a PM on brands as it depends where you live... ie now 13 oz Innova cans are 1.99 at Petsmart yet the small shops can charge up to 3.50 for same can

Originally Posted by hersheycake

Hello guys.

To give some background, I have an inside cat, previously outside, that I "adopted" around 3 years ago; she is supposedly 15 now.

...

Okay so I apologize if I went off topic a bit.. My main questions are: should I keep feeding her Innova senior food? Maybe another brand is better(blue, wellness?). (I can spend a little more on the dry stuff, and also I'm wondering if I should feed her a lowfat formula instead?) And should I keep rotating her wet food, or is there a good quality low-cost brand that I can try out? Thanks for any help.

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Hi, Hersheycake. Welcome to TCS!

As has been said, "senior" foods are marketing hype. As has also been mentioned, older cats need even more support for their kidney health than their younger counterparts, and kibble is hard on the bodies of the strongest and healthiest of kitties.

Any canned product that is grain-, fruit- and vegetable-free and has a high percentage of a named meat (i.e. "turkey" instead of "poultry") is going to be a good choice for maintaining or even improving your elderly lady's well-being. That can sometimes be hard to find, but Nature's Variety Instincts, Evo 95% meat, and some of the Wellness and Natural Balance varieties are a good place to start. A "grain-free canned cat" search on petfooddirect.com will yield a veritable cornucopia of options, and you can conduct a side-by-side analysis of the ingredients and nutritional profiles. (Feline-nutrition.org has a nice article on deciphering pet food labels under their Nutrition section that offers additional insight into choosing different products - you might find it interesting.) Once you've picked out several good prospects, you can canvass your local stores to see which ones fall within your price range.

Like others, I totally recommend feeding a rotation of canned foods; this will keep your girl from becoming fixated on any one product (a problem if they change or stop producing it) and will protect her from potential quality control issues by diluting them. Before I switched to raw, I was feeding my cats 21 different varieties; they didn't get any flavor more than once a week!

Best regards!

AC