My Cats Won't Eat the Best Canned Cat Foods

Andrya said:

 
Freeze-dried raw is something l just started buying a couple of weeks ago, and they love it!! lt can stay in its bag in the cupboard, just like kibble. Add a little water to a couple of pucks, and voila - healthy meal in a minute. l like that option in case anyone else has to watch my cats, and their diet isn't suffering, it's still healthy, nutritious raw. (l'm predicting that l'll eventually become lazy and quit the homemade in favour of freeze-dried).

Click to expand...

What brand of freeze-dried do you use?  Where do you get it? I am trying to get my cat settled, too. She's liked some foods since I've switched her to canned food, but has also had diarrhea or constipation. Recently she quit eating and I was about to start syringing water before we had a "breakthrough." I always had outdoor cats before this. I had no idea a cat's digestion could be such an issue! But I had a safe place to let them out, and now i don't.

I am struggling with egtting my cats to eat the better foods also. They prefer pate and dont care for anything that looks and smells like people food. I may have to eat it myslef, just to use it up. LOL I did mix some with sheba chciken to get them to eat it. I wondered if i gave some to a shelter, would the cats eat it? As so many cats don't like those kinds/brands.

I am thinking of mixing in tuna water or something to see if that would help.

momof3b1g said:

 
I am struggling with egtting my cats to eat the better foods also. They prefer pate and dont care for anything that looks and smells like people food. I may have to eat it myslef, just to use it up. LOL I did mix some with sheba chciken to get them to eat it. I wondered if i gave some to a shelter, would the cats eat it? As so many cats don't like those kinds/brands.

I am thinking of mixing in tuna water or something to see if that would help.

Click to expand...

I am transitioning my two from a dry only diet to wet only and so far, they have not been picky about the wet foods. they have had Fancy Feast, Iams and Friskies. Pates only. The shelter I got the girls from only feeds Science Diet dry food but they do have a pet food bank for people in need and take donations for that. yours may do this, too, if they don't feed their charges canned. 

sivyaleah said:

 
You could try the Fancy Feast Classics line.  It's probably one of the best of the lower cost choices; high protein and grain-free.  Real meat is the first ingredient. Comes in many flavors.  Basically, it's kitty crack to many for whatever reason.  It only comes in 3oz cans but at as low as .45 cents a can on sale (that's about the lowest I've seen it) to an average of .60 cents, it's a pretty good choice.  We use it in rotation with other higher quality brands and I feel pretty good about using it to help cuts costs a bit.  I just stay away from the seafood flavors.

Click to expand...

No never switch them to this food - fancy feast contains toxins - mendione AND copper sulfate AND most have carageenan -terribly bad for cats. If they aren't already eating this swill, please never advise anybody to feed it. It is a ttriumvirate of  poison. The worst part is it is addictive and once they get a taste of it - it is hard to coax them into eating healthier brands.

BSchmaltzy said:

 
What brand of freeze-dried do you use?  Where do you get it? I am trying to get my cat settled, too. She's liked some foods since I've switched her to canned food, but has also had diarrhea or constipation. Recently she quit eating and I was about to start syringing water before we had a "breakthrough." I always had outdoor cats before this. I had no idea a cat's digestion could be such an issue! But I had a safe place to let them out, and now i don't.

Click to expand...

Sorry, l didn't see this question until now. l use Stella & Chewy's freeze dried. Only the Chick Chick Chicken, and the Duck Duck Goose, they have the closest profiles to what l'm looking for.

l live in Canada so we don't have the same selection of foods as in the States. This is the best freeze-dried l could find here, and l get it from the local pet store - it's a Global Pet Foods.

RemmieBrandt said:

 
No never switch them to this food - fancy feast contains toxins - mendione AND copper sulfate AND most have carageenan -terribly bad for cats. If they aren't already eating this swill, please never advise anybody to feed it. It is a ttriumvirate of  poison. The worst part is it is addictive and once they get a taste of it - it is hard to coax them into eating healthier brands.

Click to expand...

I have to disagree.  As I mentioned the Classics line of this food is, a fairly good choice when someone is on a budget.  There is no carageenan in this line.  

Also, I have my 2 cats on a rotation of varying foods, both in price and quality.  It ranges from Weruva, Tiki Cat, freeze dried such as Stella and Chewy or, Primal, some raw treats if I'm preparing a meal in which they can have some of it (plain chicken, beef or salmon for instance).   I use the Fancy Feast CLASSICS to help frey the cost.  Neither of my cats are any more partial to any one food than another.  They enjoy a wide variety of foods which are species appropriate.  If anything, their favorite is of course, the most expensive - Tiki Cat, the one which is just pure white meat chicken.  With the average cost of a can of Tiki Cat in my area at around $2.50 a 6 oz. can, and Fancy Feast Classics frequently being on sale as low as .48 cents a 3 oz. can, well for under a buck it is a great choice, again, for those on a budget looking to feed their cats a better diet than kibble.  

The Grilled line of Fancy Feast, which consists of 12 different flavors, does "not" contain carageenan in it either.

My manx breed cat eats 6 flavors of the Grilled line. He looks great, has plenty of energy, gets into things like he did when he was much younger, sleeps less during the daytime now, still drinks plenty of water daily and at his present age close to 17, it makes me feel good to see him still enjoying life in his senior years.

I have noticed one thing. He's always had to have two of his anal glands expressed twice a year. But, since he's been on Fancy Feast for the past 4 months, his anal glands have shrunk where they don't need to be expressed. With Soulistic and Nutro Natural Choice, my cat's two anal glands did not shrink.

The three main brands of wet canned cat food my old cat likes is:

Fancy Feast

Soulistic

Nutro Natural Choice

And I'm going to continue feeding Fancy Feast to my cat.

sivyaleah said:

 
You could try the Fancy Feast Classics line.  It's probably one of the best of the lower cost choices; high protein and grain-free.  Real meat is the first ingredient. Comes in many flavors.  Basically, it's kitty crack to many for whatever reason.  It only comes in 3oz cans but at as low as .45 cents a can on sale (that's about the lowest I've seen it) to an average of .60 cents, it's a pretty good choice.  We use it in rotation with other higher quality brands and I feel pretty good about using it to help cuts costs a bit.  I just stay away from the seafood flavors..

Click to expand...

Believe me I understand cost but this brand contains Mendione - synthetic vitamin K3 AND copper sulfate - they are TOXIC ingredients - http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/cuso4gen.html - look up the other - tons of articles. I too fed Fancy Feast & am trying now to get my older cat OFF - they call it kitty crack for the reason that it is filled with toxic ingredients. The K3 is not excreted & accumulates. SOME of the classic line also contains the carreeganan and they all also contain guar gum - check out chewy.com for sales on the other foods you want as they will often run sales then stock up.

RemmieBrandt said:

 
Believe me I understand cost but this brand contains Mendione - synthetic vitamin K3 AND copper sulfate - they are TOXIC ingredients - http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/cuso4gen.html - look up the other - tons of articles. I too fed Fancy Feast & am trying now to get my older cat OFF - they call it kitty crack for the reason that it is filled with toxic ingredients. The K3 is not excreted & accumulates. SOME of the classic line also contains the carreeganan and they all also contain guar gum - check out chewy.com for sales on the other foods you want as they will often run sales then stock up.

Click to expand...

With all due respect, NONE of the Classics line, which is what I suggested and others also pointed out to you, contain carrageenan; and guar gum, has not been proven to be an issue. 

Please provide us with links when making assertions in order for the community to be able to come to their own conclusions.  

It would be interesting to know what you are feeding your cats instead of ranting about everything one should not feed them.  Please provide this information also.  Many would be interested to know what you feel are safe and healthy choices if the ones we are suggesting are not to your personal liking.

Keep in mind that many people, including myself, can't afford to feed their cats premium food every day of the week - most especially when they have multiple cats in their homes.  My current rotation consists of Tiki Cat (chicken varieties) and Weruva's TruLux lines for example, which are both ridiculously expensive.  I feel supplementing a couple of cans of Fancy Feast CLASSICS to be a good way to continue feeding them a grain free diet - without carrageenan, a good way to frey the costs a little bit.

Last I could find no information specifically mentions mendione and copper sulfate being an issue for cats.  Please provide.  The link you gave says nothing about copper sulfate in relation to cats.  

Last I could find no information specifically mentions mendione ... being an issue for cats

Click to expand...

http://www.naturalnews.com/024244_food_pet_sodium.html

While it's a little noticed pet food ingredient, Menadione Sodium Bisulfate (and its many named variations) is one ingredient to look out for and avoid. This ingredient is commonly found in many dog foods, cat foods, and treats. Unfortunately, it doesn't have the best reputation for being a safe or useful pet food ingredient. Since there are alternatives for pet food makers to use, it makes you wonder why some put our pets at risk.

Menadione Sodium Bisulfate is a synthetic version of vitamin K. You'll see it within the fine print of many pet food ingredient lists. In addition, of course, it's not as simple to find as it should be. Some pet food ingredient lists will say 'menadione', some will say 'sodium bisulfate', and some will mention vitamin K3 in parenthesis -- and these are just a few of the possible variations you have to look for.

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/024244_food_pet_sodium.html#ixzz3145INmw3

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/024244_food_pet_sodium.html#ixzz3145DXu4Y

This ingredient can be highly toxic in high doses. Hazard information regarding menadione lists "carcinogenic effects" and states "the substance is toxic to kidneys, lungs, liver, mucous membranes. Repeated or prolonged exposure to the substance can produce target organs damage." (http://www.sciencelab.com/xMSDS-Menadione sodium bisulfite-9924604) More information on menadione sodium bisulfate and pets can be read at (http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page...) .

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/024244_food_pet_sodium.html#ixzz31456PsCU

Click to expand...

People should stop getting huffjy at others who express their opinions- we are all on here to help? or prove who's wiser?  come on- state your ideas and leave it at that- there is no need for egos on this site.

A aonecatlover This thread is over a year old. I don't know who your comment was aimed at, but they may not even be an active member now

Columbine, do you know why old, inactive threads are not closed? I think they are still searchable for information by readers after being closed, so I'm not sure why they remain open. But I'm new here...

I don't know why threads stay open. The mods may be able to answer that for you.

As far as I'm aware, though, the only threads that get locked are those where the cat has died or, occasionally, those which became counterproductive due to arguments between members.

Thanks for your reply, Columbine - good to know this!

The forum software does not automatically close old threads. Old threads just fall off the main pages and usually never appear again. They may come up in search engine results which can be confusing but once you join and get the hang of it, it's usually not a problem. 

As @Columbine  mentioned, the moderators may sometimes lock threads for further posting. We usually do that for threads where the cat has passed to prevent people from accidentally bumping up the thread, potentially causing pain to the grieving owners. Threads may sometimes be locked for other reasons as well.

sinbad1 said:

Thanks for the very helpful responses. Nightwing, Does the Natural Choice come in larger cans. i have two cats and the 3 oz. cans aren't economical at all, but I read the ingredients in Natural Choice and I'm really impressed. I think my cats would like it.

Click to expand...

sinbad1 said:

Thanks for the very helpful responses. Nightwing, Does the Natural Choice come in larger cans. i have two cats and the 3 oz. cans aren't economical at all, but I read the ingredients in Natural Choice and I'm really impressed. I think my cats would like it.

Click to expand...

sinbad1 said:

Thanks for the very helpful responses. Nightwing, Does the Natural Choice come in larger cans. i have two cats and the 3 oz. cans aren't economical at all, but I read the ingredients in Natural Choice and I'm really impressed. I think my cats would like it.

Click to expand...

Important to remember: it's not the size of the can but the amount of calories in it. If you have cats that eat 80-100 kcals at a time then it would be annoying to open several cans for each feeding. But if your cats eat small meals, you can easily split the average FF classic can between them and get close to 50 kcals.