Switching to adult food, concerns about urinary problems

My kitten Simon is 10 months old, and when his current bag of food is done, I'm going to be switching him to an adult food. He was raised on Nutro Max Kitten dry formula, (currently getting 1/4cup twice a day) as well as half a can of Fancy Feast kitten twice a day. (I know, Fancy Feast...sorry.)
He eats his dry food at 6am & 10pm, and gets his canned food when the dog eats, at 8am and 6pm.

He weighs 12lbs and is....round.

My question is... I'd like to switch him to Taste of the Wild Rocky Mountain dry formula. I know that's a pretty good food (it's also all life stages, so i can switch him now). He's never really had any health issues, but I'm gun shy about cat food, magnesium contents and urinary health issues. My old cat ate Iams for the first two years of his life, then we switched him to a better food (Felidae, which was at the time the cat version of Canidae.) Following the switch, he developed a UTI, and eventually struvite crystals and ended up with a blockage. It was resolved, and a life time of Purina Urinary Health (extremely picky eater refused all Rx diets and ALL canned cat foods) did the trick for him.

I'd really like to avoid any issues like that with Simon. He's a pretty good drinker, I see him at the water bowl frequently, and he likes his canned food. Should I just feed him the Taste of the Wild, continue to supplement with canned, and hope for the best?

Since he happily eats canned food, ideally you would feed him 100% wet and no dry food at all. Dry food is horribly dehydrating, even for a cat who regularly visits a water dish. Over time, dry food takes it's toll on many cats (particularly kidney/urinary tract). If it is feasible for you to feed 100% wet food, it is without a doubt the best route to go.

If you must feed him dry, do not abruptly switch foods on him. Slowly mix the new food with the old, over a period of at least one, preferably 2 weeks. Gradually increase amount of the new, and reduce the old, as the days go by.  Abruptly changing DRY cat food is notorious for causing digestive upset. Ease him into it.

I'd rather continue to do a mix of the two food, thanks. I know how to switch foods.

I guess my question is, should I just go with a known good-quality food and not worry about the magnesium content for now, because he's never had issues with it?

Kait27 said:

 
I'd rather continue to do a mix of the two food, thanks. I know how to switch foods.

I guess my question is, should I just go with a known good-quality food and not worry about the magnesium content for now, because he's never had issues with it?

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Hi there,

If your preference is to feed a mix of dry and canned, then you will want to obviously go with the best dry food you can afford. I think you already know this by the sounds of it. While dry food can be dehydrating, I wouldn't be concerned about dehydration if your cat is taking in plenty of fluids. As you are feeding canned wet food as well, this should ensure that your kitty is sufficiently hydrated.

The TOTW Rocky Mountain Feline is a pretty decent food, however, it features chicken meal rather than deboned chicken as a first ingredient, but then venison and salmon a little later in the list. There are some other (grain-free) dry food diets out there. Orijen and Acana are two that are made here in Canada, but also available in the US. Someone else may see this and chime in with some other choices.

Its always best to go with any food that is low in magnesium to avoid potential issues with bladder infections/UTIs.

My male cat became terribly constipated two separate times while on a diet of mixed dry and wet. After the first time, we increased the amount of wet and added a water fountain. This is a cat that was always drinking water and it still wasn't enough. That being said, I've had many cats over the years and only one other had constipation issues like this, later in life. Most ended up with chronic kidney disease, however.

Maybe you can increase the amount of canned  food you feed Simon so he is getting more moisture through his food. If he'll tolerate it, add water to the canned food. And just watch the litter box so you can catch any urinary problems before they cause a blockage. The same cat I described in the paragraph above developed struvite crystals while on a 98% wet food diet, but luckily he was hydrated enough to keep them moving and prevent a block. And he is now on a 100% wet food diet with no seafood. You never can tell and just need to be alert.

Good luck!