Basic food concerns....

my3grrlz · Jan 11, 2013

i actually have a few concerns here.......all regarding food........

i had been wanting to feed my cats better foods for a long time now. i just recently (less than a month) started feeding my cats healthier food. a kind that i can afford. a kind that i feel is good.

i would appreciate any opinions..if any are out there.

the brand i am feeding (transitioning to) is Simply Nourish..only sold at petsmart.

i mix the 2 below..for variety of nutrients each contains and different flavors.

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=11496995&lmdn=Brand&f=PAD/psNotAvailInUS/No

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=11496999&lmdn=Brand&f=PAD/psNotAvailInUS/No

my 2 oldest who are VERY PICKY with canned foods..even this brand of canned..but they seem to like this dry brand a lot. the kitten will eat anything at this point. i am also gradually trying to use up what i had before getting the simply nourish..and the kitten seems to be eating anything i give her (which is what the other 2 won't eat). ugh! at least the canned foods that the 2 older ones won't eat won't got waste.

some concerns......

1..what is the real deal with no grain or grain in foods? meaning..why either is healthier or doesn't matter?
2..is it healthier to feed canned or dry ONLY..rather than both..or just feed both?

3..how important is canned food, to their diet?

....i only feed a certain amount each night. i had to start limiting it since one of my goofy cats decided to eat too much and vomited a little while after eating. happened a few different times. learned my lesson there.

4..how much should an 8 week old kitten actually eat per day?

....reason i ask is becuz i do have two 3 yr old cats that i am trying to limit their intake. it's so hard now that the new food seems to be a bit more filling than the crap i am getting them off of. i don't like leaving any food in their bowls all day..so i am in the middle of changing that, along with the change in food brand as well.

dcbby · Jan 12, 2013

Hi there! I'm right there with you as far as wanting to feed your cats the best food possible! I don't understand the hype with grain food vs no grain food but I've heard that the no grain food is easier on the cats digestive health. I have an older cat and a kitten as well and I've found that Natural Balance is good for cats of different ages because if you leave the dry food out like I do, you don't have to worry about the kitten eating "adult" food and vice versa because natural balance is made for all ages. But I do know science diet has a lot of fillers so I crossed that off of my list awhile ago. My kitten has food allergies and needs hypoallergenic food so I'm switching back to Natural Balance, but if your cats don't have any of these issues, Blue Buffalo is a wonderful food IMO. As far as feeding the kitten I feel like they all act as if they're starving! Lol. If the kitten won't stop meowing and begging I'd give just a little bit extra wet food. On top of whatever you're feeding the kitten now... But canned food I think is better because its said to be less fattening for the cat as opposed to them eating dry all the time. Hope I helped!

dcbby · Jan 12, 2013

Oh and I feed my kitten one big spoonful of wet food twice a day and I leave dry food out so he learns not to chow down and over eat. But if you don't want to leave it out because your limiting the other girls' intake I'd feed the kitten 1/4 cup dry twice a day

my3grrlz · Jan 12, 2013

thank you for your opinion and advice DCbby.

i believe i do feed Ivee..kitten..about 1/4 cup twice a day. i do let her take her time eating it thru the day. i do limit her canned intake at night, like the other 2. i do allow her to eat the little bit of what the other 2 leave when they are done. i do have them on a strict schedule. Bella and Sassy KNOW when it is dinner time..for canned food. i don't give them a lot either. Bella always gets about as much as i give Ivee right now..becuz Bella wastes it otherwise.
oh..that brings up a question....why in the world would a cat NOT want the meat? Bella WILL NOT eat the canned food unless it has a sauce. she started that last year some time..around spring time. so that is why i have to give her small amounts and a tablespoon of water and stir it up..to trick her. sometimes she eats the meat and sometimes she just licks up only the sauce. i let Sassy have dibs to eat what she leaves behind.

researching a few more foods..authority, blue buffulo, blue wilderness, and one other...brings on another question....
if a cat were feral it WOULD NOT get 3/4 of the ingredients that are in foods we feed them. so does it actually MATTER HOW MANY ingredients are in the food? i do understand that THEY NEED what we CAN PROVIDE for them.
in my research efforts i notice that some expensive brands have a done of ingredients..all good..but i just wonder if it actually matter? the brand that i switched them too..links above..has some good ingredients, but definitely not as much as, say, blue wilderness which is what i would ideally love to give them. due to the price of it tho, i can't afford it. bummer....

my3grrlz · Jan 12, 2013

i also wonder about TREATS. are they necessary?
i would rather give affection as a reward, rather than treats..since my 2 older cats are very picky with what the eat, even treats.

Willowy · Jan 12, 2013

Feral cats eat small mammals and birds. This is what cats are naturally designed to eat, and this gives them all the nutrients they need---from the meat, organs, and bones of their prey. The commercial food we feed our pets is made from the waste products of human food production and so it isn't nutritionally complete unless they add a ton of vitamins and stuff. Is that what you mean by so many ingredients? Or are you talking about all the fruits and veggies they like to put in cat foods? If so, than, you're right; cats have no need for fruits and veggies and those are only put in to impress the owners :lol3:.

Check out this site; very informative: www.catinfo.org

Treats aren't necessary at all, no reason to give treats if your cats don't really like them! The only reason to give treats is to make the kitties happy so whatever makes them happy is the best treat.

What were you feeding them before?

Willowy · Jan 12, 2013

Oops, forgot to go through the first post! :tongue2:

1..what is the real deal with no grain or grain in foods? meaning..why either is healthier or doesn't matter?

Cats have no need for grains/starches/carbs. Cat foods have grains and starches because 1: they're cheaper than meat and 2: because kibbles need to have starches to hold them together. Most grain-free foods have more meat and less carbs than most grain-inclusive foods, but not always. Is there any reason to think potatoes are better than, say, oats? Not really, IMO. So to me grain-free is not necessarily better than grain-inclusive unless the grain-free food really has a higher meat content.

2..is it healthier to feed canned or dry ONLY..rather than both..or just feed both?

Feeding canned only is healthiest. Cats don't usually drink enough water to keep themselves properly hydrated, which is why urinary and kidney problems are so common in pet cats. But canned food is expensive and dry food is convenient, so many cat owners find it necessary to feed some dry food, and this can work out OK for most cats. I definitely wouldn't recommend feeding all dry, though. Also, canned food is almost always higher in protein and lower in carbs than kibble is.

3..how important is canned food, to their diet?

I guess I kind of answered that there ^^. It's pretty important. Cats in the wild get all the moisture they need from the flesh of their prey, so they don't drink a lot of water. This low thirst drive means that most cats don't drink enough water if they eat only dry food, so they're chronically low-grade dehydrated.

4..how much should an 8 week old kitten actually eat per day?

As much as she wants

. Feed her at least 4 times a day, as much as she'll eat. Most adult cats need about 20 calories per pound per day, and kittens usually need 2-3 times that amount. So if she's 2 pounds she probably needs about 120 calories per day.

my3grrlz · Jan 12, 2013

Willowy said:
Oops, forgot to go through the first post!

1..what is the real deal with no grain or grain in foods? meaning..why either is healthier or doesn't matter?

Cats have no need for grains/starches/carbs. Cat foods have grains and starches because 1: they're cheaper than meat and 2: because kibbles need to have starches to hold them together. Most grain-free foods have more meat and less carbs than most grain-inclusive foods, but not always. Is there any reason to think potatoes are better than, say, oats? Not really, IMO. So to me grain-free is not necessarily better than grain-inclusive unless the grain-free food really has a higher meat content.

my3grrlz · Jan 12, 2013

so i have researched a ton of different canned foods that petsmart carries.
sheesh. i guess i will stick with the simply nourish. probably best to do that anyway..since i will be giving them the same brand of dry food.

mrsgreenjeens · Jan 13, 2013

Just thought I would add that it is NOT strange that cats don't necessarily eat meat...they are so conditioned to eat kibble that they don't even know what meat is

. When I first transitioned mine from kibble to canned, they had no idea what to do. They thought I must be trying to poison them or something

. Sometimes they would tentatively lick at whatever was in their bowls, and sometimes that would result in them running away. Too funny

. But what it took was trying every canned food known to man (or woman in this case) until I found stuff that they liked, which sometimes is just a matter of the style of the food (pate vs sliced vs flaked vs chunks....you get it) Anyway, they ALL liked the Simply Nourish canned food. But mainly I gave them Petco's brand, which is Soulistic, which is grain free and they advertise as very low carb. It's less expensive, mainly because it comes in both the 3 oz and a 5.5 oz can, and the 5.5 oz can is usually around $1.25. Now, whenever I need to give them canned food (I mainly feed them raw now) I usually do add water , just to give them even more, because I live in the desert where it is extremely dry.

Also, you can easily feed many different canned foods without having to worry about slowly transitioning them like you have to do with kibble. You can feed Simply Nourish for breakfast, Soulistic for lunch, Fancy Feast for dinner, etc. and it shouldn't upset their stomachs (as long as it's canned)

my3grrlz · Jan 13, 2013

mrsgreenjeens said:
Just thought I would add that it is NOT strange that cats don't necessarily eat meat...they are so conditioned to eat kibble that they don't even know what meat is

.
okay...i was hoping that would be the case. i am not sure what Bella's deal is. she DOES KNOW what meat is. she has been eating canned food since she was a kitten. so i am stumped as to what her malfunction is.

When I first transitioned mine from kibble to canned, they had no idea what to do.
i am not actually transitioning them to canned only. that is a bit too expensive. and i don't really see the need for only canned diets.
i have read other posts about it..and understand why some ppl do it. to each there own.

They thought I must be trying to poison them or something

. Sometimes they would tentatively lick at whatever was in their bowls, and sometimes that would result in them running away. Too funny

.

gotta love em.
same with Bella. what little stinkers sometimes. picky + cats = frustration

But what it took was trying every canned food known to man (or woman in this case) until I found stuff that they liked, which sometimes is just a matter of the style of the food (pate vs sliced vs flaked vs chunks....you get it)
i know exactly what you mean. again..frustrating.

Anyway, they ALL liked the Simply Nourish canned food. But mainly I gave them Petco's brand, which is Soulistic, which is grain free and they advertise as very low carb. It's less expensive, mainly because it comes in both the 3 oz and a 5.5 oz can, and the 5.5 oz can is usually around $1.25.
mine seem to like a select couple of the Simply Nourish..which i am fine with. but as you probably know..they only come in the 3 oz cans. we do have a Petco a few mins away..so i could try the Soulistic. i do look for the grain free as well. kind of thinking it might be cheaper in the long run. since I DO LIMIT there canned food anyway..and there are 3 grrlz.

Now, whenever I need to give them canned food (I mainly feed them raw now) I usually do add water , just to give them even more, because I live in the desert where it is extremely dry.
i also add water..to trick then into thinking it is more sauce. most of the time when i do that they end up eating it. i do it becuz Bella is so picky with most canned food..unless i make it saucier.

i won't do the raw thing. i don't even eat much meat myself..more fish and anything, for sure. other meats gross me out. i only cook it for my husband and daughter. so i would totally be lazy in making sure i gave it to the cats.

Also, you can easily feed many different canned foods without having to worry about slowly transitioning them like you have to do with kibble. You can feed Simply Nourish for breakfast, Soulistic for lunch, Fancy Feast for dinner, etc. and it shouldn't upset their stomachs (as long as it's canned)
what a great idea. i am actually do that now tho. i have to use up the food i had bought before realizing that i wanted to transition to healthier canned foods. and good idea since there is only about 4 or 5 flavors of the Simply Nourish at the Petsmart. my goofy older cats only like 1..yes 1..of the flavors of that brand so far. out of 3 or 4. i have seen there is a better quantity of the Soulistic brand. may just have to try it. thnx for the tip.

Basic food concerns....

my3grrlz

TCS Member

Thread starter

dcbby

TCS Member

dcbby

TCS Member

my3grrlz

TCS Member

Thread starter

my3grrlz

TCS Member

Thread starter

Willowy

TCS Member

Willowy

TCS Member

my3grrlz

TCS Member

Thread starter

my3grrlz

TCS Member

Thread starter

mrsgreenjeens

Every Life Should Have Nine Cats

my3grrlz

TCS Member

Thread starter

Latest Posts

Connect with us