hairball help, high fiber kibble

Hi gang!  I need some help.

My three cats currently eat Purina One for Sensitive Systems.  I started them on it after I brought Zack home and Sweet Kitty had intermittent episodes of diarrhea. I tried her on many hypoallergenic grain-free and prescription foods which didn't help. I think it was stress/IBS because she was also pulling her fur out on her forearms until she was bald there, even after steroid treatment.  She did the same thing when we adopted our dog.  Everything has cleared up, and I'd hate to switch brands, BUT...

1. Sweet Kitty and Merlin only eat half of their kibble and leave the rest.  They're obviously not thrilled with it.  Zack wolfs his down and works on the leftovers after the others have gone. He's a little tubby and the others are on the scrawny side. Everyone is fed 1/4 cup twice a day.

2. Sweet Kitty has had a lot of hairballs lately (1/wk which for her is really excessive).

3. Merlin doesn't regurgitate hairballs but he gets the hairball dry heaves.

4. Purina One for Sensitive Systems doesn't come in big value-sized bags so it's pretty expensive.  That shouldn't really be a factor, but for me it is while I get through anesthesia school.

From other posts it looks like high fiber food can be helpful. I'd like to switch to something that is readily available at PetSmart or grocery stores without artificial colors, that I can buy in bulk (20+ lb bags) and that doesn't come at a premium cost.  Purina One is about as fancy as we get around here.  (:

Can anyone give a recommendation? Thanks!

High fiber dry foods are not good for cats. Cats bodies are not designed for that kind of bulk in their diet. It can lead to serious problems such as megacolon and chronic constipation.

Get your cats on a canned diet and add 1 tablespoon of pumpkin a day, per cat, to help control hair balls.

Brush them every day to remove loose fur.

Buy cans of pumpkin at the grocery store. Make sure it is pure pumpkin, not pie filling. Put 1 tablespoon servings in ice cube trays, freeze until frozen, then remove the premeasured servings and store them in a freezer bag. Each night take out one serving per cat. Store them in a glass food container in the fridge. Add 1/3 of the serving to each canned meal. (meaning, feed three canned meals a day).

Some cats may take time to get used to the taste. Start with tiny amounts, in this case, and gradually work up to the full amounts.

You can, of course also use hair ball remedys such as laxatone or petromalt. These should be given on an empty stomach at least 2 hours before feeding, because they interfere with nutrient absorption.

The timed feedings required by having them on an all wet (grain free) diet may also help. Cats actually need that "hunger pang" to trigger the stomach to empty its contents. Allowing them to free feed kibble doesn't do this - and that more natural cycle of digestion helps many kitties pass their hair properly, before they even become hairballs.

The Conscious Cat blog just wrote about hairballs: http://consciouscat.net/2012/04/26/when-hairballs-are-more-than-just-hairballs/

Great, very important info.  I have this earlier version in my files

http://consciouscat.net/2010/04/28/some-startling-new-thoughts-on-cats-and-hairballs/

I agree, high fibre kibble is not the way to go. Another link on that topic (relating more to overweight cats, but the info is still relevant): http://healthypets.mercola.com/site.../02/fiber-rich-diets-for-overweight-cats.aspx

High Fiber Kibble: Exactly the Wrong Nutrition for Cats

......

The fallacy of the thing is that if a cat is fed a diet of species-inappropriate dry kibble for any length of time, it’s entirely possible a little tweak here or there in the ingredients can result in small improvements in certain measures. However, the overriding fact remains that not only are cats not built to digest fiber, the presence of fiber also hinders their ability to digest and absorb other nutrients and energy provided by the food.

Further, the lack of moisture in dry food is extremely detrimental for felines. Cats don’t have an efficient thirst drive like dogs and other animals. Their bodies are designed to get most of the water they require from their diets, and kibble can’t handle the job.

If your cat isn’t getting sufficient moisture from her food, she’s going without. You won’t find her at her water bowl lapping up huge quantities of the wet stuff to compensate for lack of moisture in her diet.

This puts her in a state of constant, chronic low-grade dehydration, which over time can contribute to major organ failure. With the huge popularity of dry pet food, I don’t think there’s any question why so many kitties today suffer from feline lower urinary tract disease and kidney failure.   ..........

Click to expand...

Thank you, this is very compelling information!

What about things like "cat grass?" Do cats not nibble on grass in the wild to help hairballs along?  Certainly not as a staple to their diet, but here and there?

Cats actually lack the enzymes necessary to digest grass. Cats do seem to love it, but the speculation is that it is a "palatability" thing (they like the taste).

A recent study published about the natural diet of feral cats (Plantinga et al. 2011, "Estimation of the dietary nutrient profile of free-roaming feral cats: possible implications for nutrition of domestic cats," British Journal of Nutrition 106: S35-S48) analyzed 27 studies of feral cats diets (culled from 55: requirements were the studies were conducted for at least a year and with over 100 cats in the study). The 27 articles included in the data were carried out on four continents and represented 6,666 data points.

"The main items consumed by feral cats are mammals (785%), followed by birds (16%), reptiles/amphibians (3.7%) and invertebrates (1.2%). Fish composition is reported in three studies, and comprises 0.3% of items consumed. The consumption of plant material is reported in 21 studies..."

"Twenty-one of the twenty-seven studies reported small amounts of plant material being found in the scats, stomach and gut contents of feral cats...the authors concluded, however, that plant material is a minor component of the diet of feral cats, as ingestion is likely to occur incidentally while foraging for invertebrates." (p. S42).

As Sweet Kitty has IBS, the hairballs are an indication there continues to be a problem with her diet. Grass, IF it works to eliminate hairballs, is used for vomiting them up, not helping to pass them through the digestive tract. This isn't really a good long term solution, as the acid from vomiting isn't good for the esophagus or teeth.

I know you'd prefer a simple remedy - we all would. :lol3: But with Sweet Kitty's issues, I think you're better served by solving the problem at the source - her diet and digestive motility. :rub: A grain free food that is low in carbohydrates (and grain free is NOT synonymous with low carbs) with the fewest additives is what she needs.

I did an analysis of the cost to feed 48 brands of kibble, 40 brands of canned food, and 15 brands of commercial raw foods. Obviously I had to use national sourcing (petfooddirect) for pricing - your local prices may vary. There are links to each food so you can look up ingredients. Maybe this will be of help. Links to tables are at the end of the article. http://catcentric.org/nutrition-and...y-cat-or-i-can-afford-to-feed-commercial-raw/

Violet said:

Great, very important info.  I have this earlier version in my files
 
http://consciouscat.net/2010/04/28/some-startling-new-thoughts-on-cats-and-hairballs/

Click to expand...

Much more detailed than the current blog post! Thanks!

These posts have been very eye-opening.  I can't thank you folks enough for your help!

I headed to PetSmart today to swap out my dog's food (picky eater - so we switched from PurinaOne to Blue Buffalo and she loves it!).  While I was there I scoped out the options for different cat foods, and the more I looked at the ingredients for kibble that claims to be "wholesome," the more I kept seeing corn in a lot of varieties.

I also thought of something else. Not only is Merlin on the smaller side (kind of runty, always smaller than everyone else), he also heads to the litterbox immediately after eating (stools are normal). Would a grain-free high-protein diet help him gain some weight?  He and Sweet Kitty really could stand to gain a few ounces.  Would a higher carb content be better for weight gain?

It looks like I'll be making the switch to get away from corn either way. But how critical is it to go grain-free?

Thanks guys!

Higher carb is not the way to get a cat to gain weight. Cats thrive on animal protein and animal fat.

Cats free fed junky kibble are often overweight, but it is because of a combination of things. The food does not supply what their bodies need, so they eat too much, in an effort to get the nutrition they are lacking. The food, being inappropriate to what their bodies need, does not supply the nutrition they need, so they are not as active as they should be. Dehydration from a dry diet also plays a part. They are tired, so they just lie around and sleep. Lying around is boring, so they eat even more, out of boredom.

They have no energy, because the food they are eating does not supply the energy they need. People seem to think it is normal for a cat to "slow down" after about age three, and when they get to be 7 or 8, people think cats are couch potatoes. Cats fed a high protein low carb all canned diet will continue to be active and lively all their lives.

Sure they might slow down a bit when arthritis sets in, when they are in their mid to late teens. But cats, by nature, are not "lazy". Feed them what they are meant to eat, or as close to it as you can, and they will reward you with years of games and laughter.

:nod:

And yes, it IS eye-opening! So many vets know so little about nutrition. The bulk of their "education" comes from seminars by Hill's Pet or Royal Canin - who have the motivation to sell their special diet foods. Yet at the same time, there isn't a single vet on this planet that doesn't know that a cat is an obligate carnivore. Yet they recommend food with corn, soy, peas, wheat, etc.

Cats are so specialized to get all their nutrition from (raw) meat, bones, and organs (and that's IT), that they lack the digestive enzymes necessary to even convert beta carotene into Vitamin A. Carrot in a cat food is filler, plain and simple. A cat derives no nutrition from it at all. Cats have zero - none - no nutritional requirement for carbohydrates. And eating carbs over time ruins their organs. A high carbohydrate diet is one reason there are so many cats suffering from chronic renal failure. It is also the reason so many cats are overweight or obese, as otto explained, and it is the reason so many suffer from diabetes.

Kibble is convenient. I think it is a completely species-inappropriate food. I fed our cats kibble for the first 8 years of their lives - on the recommendation of our vet, because three of the boys developed crystals in their urine, and so we put the whole house on a prescription diet. We rescued a kitty that needed special attention in 2010, and western medicine was not able to manage his problem. We found a holistic vet trained in nutrition (animal nutrition LOL). And she began my education on the nutritional needs of cats. And she insisted that we stop feeding kibble, period. Move them to an all wet diet. As she said "there is no reason for a cat to eat kibble, ever."

Even the "best" kibble is so highly processed, that it most likely causes GI tract inflammation. Though there are no definitive studies on the subject, recent research is pointing to the idea that there is a connection between kibble and cancer in cats. And currently, about 1/3 of cats die of lymphoma. If one-third of the human population were dying from a particular cancer, you think we'd be figuring out why?

In the end, most of the pet food that is sold is simply not biologically appropriate for our animals. Feeding them a diet of only kibble is like feeding your kid a diet of macaroni and cheese and dry cereal (without milk) - yet humans have the digestive capacity to digest cereal, and cats don't. In fact, that's not really a good analogy, because pet food starts with the garbage from human food processing. The FDA was recently debating how to label out-of-date hot pockets to be used in pet food. Reprocessed-highly-processed almost-wheat-product? As it is, animals that died outside of a slaughterhouse (4D animals - dead, dying, diseased or down (disabled)) - are allowed for use in pet food. Although it's not common, this does include euthanized cats and dogs, and phenobarbitol, as an anesthesiology student, you will know is not rendered inert by heat. And like I said, it's not common, but it is and has been found in the pet food chain.

If you want to improve your cats' diets, you can at least bump that up to feeding them the equivalent of canned stew with some kind of meat in it. And better yet, canned stew from the health food store, so it's less processed and made with higher quality ingredients and mostly meat. :nod:

Otto actually did a lot of work on finding meat-based canned foods that don't have some of the worst offenders ingredient-wise (grains, fish, carageenan, and... I don't remember what else). Here's that thread: http://www.thecatsite.com/t/240614/help-me-find-a-low-phosphorus-canned-food

SevenWonders wanted to continue to include some kibble in the food he feeds his cats, and here's his thread on that: http://www.thecatsite.com/t/242051/peas-potato-starch-fish-meal-yikes

But if you want a high quality diet for the least amount of money, home made raw is really the way to go if you have or can add some freezer space: http://www.thecatsite.com/t/242250/survey-how-much-are-you-spending-per-cat-per-day

Excellent points. I'm not going to lie - I like the convenience of kibble. Hubby gets up at 5am, works two jobs and is home at 10pm so I can go to school without working and we won't have to sell our house. Since he's the one doing the morning feedings, it's simply easier for everyone to drop kibbles in the bowls.  We're not a free-feeding household because one cat is a total chow hound!

If we have it on hand, they get 2/3 can of wet food at night (right now it's 9 Lives 5.5-oz cans which were on sale at Publix for $0.21 each!!!!). They enjoy it but it really is more complicated to feed them like this. They're diving on the counter, yelling in my face, banging on cabinets, etc. We can't even open a can of soup without an audience. There's no way I'd ask my husband to deal with this at 5am.  If I'm up before him, I still feed dry.

I hate to sound like a bad cat mom, but a raw diet is just not something I plan to do right now, and an all-can diet for 3 cats gets pricey (that sale was a total fluke!).  Grain-free kibble in the morning and cans at night can't be all that bad, can it?

Ultimately, the best diet for ANY cat is the one that works for your lifestyle and your budget. Not that life will calm down much once you're out of school (you'll become an anesthesiologist then! :lol3: ), but armed with information you didn't have, you can make informed decisions that work for your lifestyle and your budget.

Honestly, 9Lives is so junky, I wouldn't bother feeding it. There are opinions that the worst wet food is better than the best dry food. I really don't know if this is true. Cats don't have a thirst drive like dogs do, and on kibble are often chronically dehydrated, because the food provides no moisture. If your cats aren't drinking much water, maybe save up to buy them a water fountain. "Moving" water often helps increase water intake.

You may find that it's cheaper to order whatever food you're going to get online. If you choose autoship, you save 15%, and if you buy a several month supply, you don't need to pay any shipping charges. http://www.petfooddirect.com

Bear in mind that most cats actually eat less than the amount of food recommended by the manufacturer (so it probably costs less to feed your cats than this table indicates). This table lists food options from lowest cost to highest cost, it indicates whether or not they're grain-free, and the bottom row indicates the carbohydrate content of the food on a dry matter basis. Maybe it will help you figure out what works for your budget: http://catcentric.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Combined-Products-Cost-Comparison-1.pdf

Thank you for all your information.  I decided to head back to PetSmart and pick up Blue Buffalo Wilderness Chicken formula based on fiber content (similar to what they're eating now, but no grains) and price.  It smells like fish food and it was a tremendous hit - I mixed it with their old kibble (25% new, 75% old) and they really chowed down, ate it ALL and then started bugging me for more!

Nobody ran to the litterbox immediately afterward and nobody is showing signs of reflux (I forgot to mention Sweet Kitty occasionally gets reflux, and she does a lot of "burping" with her mouth closed followed by a lot of swallows and a lip smack. She's a GI anomaly).  I'll see how they tolerate it poops-wise but right now I'm very pleased that Sweet Kitty and Merlin like it.

I'm a little embarrassed about the 9 Lives but I bought it out of desperation because they hate their kibble so much, and I'm a bargain hound.  (:  I love the idea of a fountain, but I did buy one and nobody would use it.  I do see them drink when I'm home but I could sneak water into their wet food, or BB suggests adding water to enhance the flavors and aromas of the kibble.  (:

A MILLION THANK YOUS to everyone for your advice and support.  Thank you for not judging me.  (;

Blue Buffalo does seem to be very popular. :nod: I'm so glad you found something you can afford that they like!

As to the water.... definitely add some to any wet food you feed them. That's what we did - helped keep their urine nice and dilute. :nod: You can add it to kibble, but ONLY if you don't leave it out. Kibble often has a lot of bacteria, and when water is added to it and left out for anything other than immediate eating, it is the perfect environment for bacteria soup. :slant: I'd stick with adding it to canned food.

BTW - as far as supermarket foods go, when Fancy Feast is on sale, you can buy the classic cans. It's not a quality food, and uses coloring, but it is low carb, and cats almost universally love it. I'd avoid the cans other than classic style though, they all have wheat gluten.

And we're here to help, and provide information, not to judge.

Hi again!

We've been doing the grain-free Blue Buffalo Wilderness kibble for over a week now and more wet food.  All the cats are loving meal time and are silky and shiny, but there haven't been any improvements in hair ball frequency.  Sweet Kitty still gets a hairball up in the middle of every night.

So far I've been brushing her every other day, and giving treats with petrolatum.  What about "indoor formula" grain-free food?  I haven't tried the pumpkin yet (Sweet Kitty is extremely picky and won't touch food that's been meddled with) but I'll pick some up at the grocery store next time anyway.

The one tiny difference I see is that last night's hairball wasn't as big as they usually are.  Is that an improvement?

MrsH, is there a holistic vet you can get to? If you're in the States, you can search for one here: http://www.ahvma.org

I know this isn't what you want to hear, but hairballs really aren't "natural" in cats. It reflects a problem with normal motility. I didn't read back through the thread, but do the cats free feed? The problem with that is that their stomachs are then never empty, and cats "need" the hunger pang to stimulate gastric emptying. This is why timed feedings can help with the issue of hairballs.

I see a holistic vet (among others). The Chinese Medical diagnosis of hairballs is a "spleen Qi deficiency." There are herbal treatments to correct this, and they worked for our Chumley. Just another thought....

But yes, the brushing would help reduce the volume of hair kitty ingests.

If you look at the bag, you'll see that 'indoor forumla' actually has More carbs than regular kibble and therefore is counter productive to weight maintenance. (what most people get it for)
Think about it, if you decided to become a recluse, would you buy special food for yourself because now you are an 'indoor' person? Your metabolism and food needs did not change just because you now only live inside.