Fancy Feast It Is

thesighrye said:

I'm surprised these other people berated you for feeding them FF. I thought FF was supposed to be....well, I dunno, fancy? 

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I think it's better to be informed what's really  in our commercial pet food. You can read here and find out why probably a lot of well-informed feline advocates from that forum don't favor lower end foods that are owned by huge profit-making corporations: 

http://www.littlebigcat.com/nutrition/selecting-a-good-commercial-pet-food/

http://www.bornfreeusa.org/facts.php?p=359&more=1

http://truthaboutpetfood.com/four-years-later-fda-rejection-letter-to-consumers

http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-industry-exposed/shocking-truth-about-dog-food/

In the end, it will be your decision what you feed your pets. I think those who are passionate about their animals can get carried away and judge those who continue to feed these foods to their cats, as most  people are unlikely to be informed. Perhaps they didn't go the proper way to educate and convince those who do use these brands about the by-products and rendered meats, and whole heartedly agree that they definitely could've approached it better to the OP. There are much nicer ways of putting things to newcomers. However, I also think they have good reasons to be very critical about pet nutrition. Unfortunately, I've learned not to trust any big corporations on a lot of things (not just pet food) but it's the prime reason I decided to go raw. At least I see the meat is actual chicken, turkey, quail, rabbit, etc, and I have control of other supplements and ingredients as needed. Knowledge is power, so while I don't condemn those who feed Friskies or FF, or other brands, I personally feel it's necessary they are also informed about their choices.

Hope this helps many others out there as well... and best wishes to everyone and all their pets!

EmandJee said:

 
I think it's better to be informed what's really  in our commercial pet food. You can read here and find out why probably a lot of well-informed feline advocates from that forum don't favor lower end foods that are owned by huge profit-making corporations: 

http://www.littlebigcat.com/nutrition/selecting-a-good-commercial-pet-food/

http://www.bornfreeusa.org/facts.php?p=359&more=1

http://truthaboutpetfood.com/four-years-later-fda-rejection-letter-to-consumers

http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-industry-exposed/shocking-truth-about-dog-food/

In the end, it will be your decision what you feed your pets. I think those who are passionate about their animals can get carried away and judge those who continue to feed these foods to their cats, as most  people are unlikely to be informed. Perhaps they didn't go the proper way to educate and convince those who do use these brands about the by-products and rendered meats, and whole heartedly agree that they definitely could've approached it better to the OP. There are much nicer ways of putting things to newcomers. However, I also think they have good reasons to be very critical about pet nutrition. Unfortunately, I've learned not to trust any big corporations on a lot of things (not just pet food) but it's the prime reason I decided to go raw. At least I see the meat is actual chicken, turkey, quail, rabbit, etc, and I have control of other supplements and ingredients as needed. Knowledge is power, so while I don't condemn those who feed Friskies or FF, or other brands, I personally feel it's necessary they are also informed about their choices.

Hope this helps many others out there as well... and best wishes to everyone and all their pets!

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Thank you .  Well said ..

Knock on wood, I'm lucky so far.  My cat will eat any texture of food, from pate to chunks, to slurry.

Since I add a fair amount of water to his meals, it ends up looking like a blended power shake anyway. 

That is great .. You are so lucky he is not picky .

This is a refreshing and supportive discussion on what we manage to feed our cats, and how we make our decisions.  There are some interesting articles here on the site including some that help choose which type of food might suit you / your cat best, which wet or dry foods might be best, and how to calculate things like the amounts of protein and carbohydrates from the commercial food labels. Here are links to just 2 of the many articles that might be of interest if you haven't already read them. 

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/choosing-the-right-food-for-your-cat

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/how-to-compare-cat-foods-calculate-carbs-dry-matter-b

I currently feel it is best for me to follow my vet's advice for Mouse and feed a dry dental kibble along with enzyme tooth brushing as his gums show inflammation quickly if this is changed and that takes priority over longer term health for now.  He is happy and health on this diet and loves the food.  I have tried to introduce tiny amounts of high protein wet food but so far found nothing that takes his fancy - commercial or nice stinky fish like sardine, mackerel, or pilchard. Yes, the experimenting cost me a fortune too!   Even mentioning home cooked is painful (he definitely made it clear that was not to his linking,    one sniff and he was off).  He needs to eat and he needs to stay clear of the serious gum infections that he is prone to, but like all of us here I think, I will keep an eye on my cat's health, cat food developments and our options, and from time to time try something different to see if it works.  

EmandJee said:

2cats4me,

I'm sorry you felt you were "berated" on that other site...I think if you were new there, some folks will be blunt about certain things and be adamant about their opinions. I can sort of understand their view somewhat as a feline advocate, and I always want to encourage everyone to feed their cats canned food and to stay away from Purina, Science Diet, Royal Canin and the like. I know several people who feed their cats a heavy kibble diet, and yet they are able to afford the luxuries to eat almost every night out (not fast food), go on nice long far-away vacations, splurge on the latest tech toys, buy a new vehicle, etc, so you are head and shoulders above them for even attempting to do what you have! :smile2:  I also think there are a lot of folks who feed their cats Friskies and or FF too! Some cat-owners could have also realized much later about the importance of feline nutrition, or their adult/senior cats just won't eat much else already.  If someone were to berate you again, I'd simply reply, "Dr. Pierson seems to believe feeding canned food is better than dry food, and right now this is the best I can do, thank you for your opinion." This way, they'll know you've already read her website and know a thing or two about nutrition and not just clueless or simply buying the cheap food simply because it's inexpensive and easily accessible. Dr. Pierson also notes: 

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Just curious - Why stay away from Royal Canin & Science diet? Both my last cats had this as the main component of their diets and lived healthy lives until they passed at 18 and 19 years respectively?

Overwhelmed2 said:

Just curious - Why stay away from Royal Canin & Science diet? Both my last cats had this as the main component of their diets and lived healthy lives until they passed at 18 and 19 years respectively?

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Well for the most part, these foods are vastly overpriced for what they really are. If you know that cats are obligate carnivores and read the ingredient labels on these items, I think you'll get the picture. You can read all about feline nutrition under the "articles" tab to gain more insight, but the most informative and reliable resource to read is catinfo.org. because it is specifically written by a feline aficionado veterinarian who has several cats of her own. I think a competent vet for cats include those who have felines as their own personal pets and fully understand their biological needs well.

To put it shortly, Dr. Pierson explains: 

     ...most of the Hill's Science Diet (over-the-counter) and the Hill's 'prescription' diets are very high in carbohydrates and are not foods that I would ever choose to feed.
Cats have a physiological decrease in the ability to utilize carbohydrates due to the lack of specific enzymatic pathways that are present in other mammals, and they lack a salivary enzyme called amylase.

Cats have no dietary need for carbohydrates and, more worrisome is the fact that a diet that is high in carbohydrates can be detrimental to their health as is explained below.

With this in mind, it is as illogical to feed a carnivore a steady diet of meat-flavored cereals as it would be to feed meat to a vegetarian like a horse or a cow, right?  So why are we continuing to feed our carnivores like herbivores? Why are we feeding such a species-inappropriate diet?  The answers are simple.  Grains/potatoes are cheap.  Dry food is convenient.  Affordability and convenience sells. 

However, is a carbohydrate-laden, plant-based, water-depleted dry food the best diet for our cats?  Absolutely not. 

Obligate carnivores are designed to eat meat/organs – not  grains/vegetables - and they need to consume water with  their food...

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So why would your vet recommend or sell these products? Good question. Read further:

The labels on Hill's over-the-counter products contain a statement that says "Veterinarian Recommended".

Unfortunately, many of my colleagues do, indeed, recommend products made by Hill’s (as well as Purina, Iams, and Royal Canin) and this is a testament to the fact that most veterinarians are not well-versed in proper feline nutrition and simply defer to these large companies that have huge marketing budgets.  These large budgets include substantial sums of money dedicated to sponsoring - including very heavy advertising - our professional meetings and infiltrating veterinary schools to get students ‘married’ to their products.

Keep in mind that a large marketing budget does not equate with the manufacturing of high quality or healthy products. 

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Unless the cat has certain medical issues, I really think there are better foods for the money out there. Most vets simply do not have comprehensive knowledge on pet nutrition; it's usually one short course throughout their vet education. So it's really up to us to delve further and not fall under this marketing ploy. I hope this helps. You can read further from her website as mentioned above. Good luck!

catsallaround said:

 
Only thing is if you can mix pate in it will lower the carb count  I have a diabetic who is food controlled so I only buy pate and most of the cats just get a taste here and there.  I was feeding all wet for a while but we really took a hit in income and then took another and it is NOT possible with this many cats.  Even with sales and coupons your talking way more then we can afford. 

All I can say is look for coupons as Fancy Feast does put them out often enough.  

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I had a died in the wool kibble head diabetic that ate FF classics for a while, so I'm familiar with doing the best you can.  Compare the grocery store versions of the FF foods too.  Not only did I save money (and the labels were almost identical), my die hard kibble head PREFERRED the grocery store brand.  Read labels though, to be sure you are getting something similar or the same.

Have you checked out the food list at www.catinfo.org?  That may help you transition from higher carb to lower carb foods.  I'm not judging you, just that you sound a bit apologetic and concerned somewhat about carbs, and I'm trying to throw something out there to help.  Otherwise, good on you for getting them on wet!

I feed Friskies pate to the diabetic and he thrives on it.  Forget the carb level but I think it is like 9 or so.  Has not had any issues on it except when he steals dry food and spikes for the day.  I feel guilty for the others who were eating wet and I had to stop giving it to them due to money.  But at moment it has to be.

catsallaround said:

 
I feed Friskies pate to the diabetic and he thrives on it.  Forget the carb level but I think it is like 9 or so.  Has not had any issues on it except when he steals dry food and spikes for the day.  I feel guilty for the others who were eating wet and I had to stop giving it to them due to money.  But at moment it has to be.

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I think there some grocery store versions of those too, but since Grey (RIP) wouldn't eat them, I don't remember how much it would save you.  5 cents isn't enough to matter for many.  And in my case, if Grey wouldn't eat it, it didn't matter what it cost.  When she went off FF classics, I took her to the vet because she wouldn't eat any wet I gave her.  This went on for days.  The vet threw her a piece of Hill's kibble.  She gobbled it up and looked for more.  Nothing wrong with her mouth, she just declared that she'd rather starve before eating wet anymore.  Literally.  So yeah, do I know about cats that can hold out on you!

I'm lucky these 3 don't have the sense God gave a billy goat.  They loved raw with premix but weren't impressed with homemade raw.  I told them that I'd had tougher cats hold out on me.  Thank Heavens they didn't call my bluff!

catsallaround said:

 
Only thing is if you can mix pate in it will lower the carb count  I have a diabetic who is food controlled so I only buy pate and most of the cats just get a taste here and there.  I was feeding all wet for a while but we really took a hit in income and then took another and it is NOT possible with this many cats.  Even with sales and coupons your talking way more then we can afford. 

All I can say is look for coupons as Fancy Feast does put them out often enough.  

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Trust me , I understand  . We are feeding 2 cats an   all wet diet  ,  @   2 1/2 cans per day each cat   that is 150  cans of cat food per month ..  I  have to  feed what I can afford

and of course what the cats like  and do well on ..

They will eat Friskies but they like Fancy Feast better ..

I shop the sales with coupons and get the Friskies cheaper then the house brands  My fear is he is doing great so do not want to change as he had urinary issues from a young kitten till he was a few years old.  One day they just worked themselves out and never had another issue.  He was on C/d for over a year. 

Wow Grey really wanted that dry!  My one cat who is a dry junkie has been like that since he was little(not the diabetic)  My husband is convinced if I just put him with wet he will eat it when hungry enough.  I KNOW he would die first before touching it.  I am a bit worried husband may try to feed him an all wet diet if something should happen to me or I spend a night in hospital.  More to tell me oh I got him to eat it  I stressed the fact he WILL get fatty liver and being black it would be a bit harder to notice as soon.

catsallaround said:

 
I shop the sales with coupons and get the Friskies cheaper then the house brands  My fear is he is doing great so do not want to change as he had urinary issues from a young kitten till he was a few years old.  One day they just worked themselves out and never had another issue.  He was on C/d for over a year. 

Wow Grey really wanted that dry!  My one cat who is a dry junkie has been like that since he was little(not the diabetic)  My husband is convinced if I just put him with wet he will eat it when hungry enough.  I KNOW he would die first before touching it.  I am a bit worried husband may try to feed him an all wet diet if something should happen to me or I spend a night in hospital.  More to tell me oh I got him to eat it  I stressed the fact he WILL get fatty liver and being black it would be a bit harder to notice as soon.

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yeah ,you definitely cannot make cats eat something they do not like ..  

2Cats4Me said:

 
Trust me , I understand  . We are feeding 2 cats an   all wet diet  ,  @   2 1/2 cans per day each cat   that is 150  cans of cat food per month ..  I  have to  feed what I can afford

and of course what the cats like  and do well on ..

They will eat Friskies but they like Fancy Feast better ..

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Hey, what about the 13 oz cans of Friskies?  Maybe feed it once a day, with FF at night?  May help reduce costs?  Seriously check out the store brand FF too.  It may help.  May not.  While in general I'd rather a cat eat lower carbs, the cat MUST eat to live period.  So don't sweat the high carb FF varieties.  And having a variety of foods you can feed is really important.  FF changed their classics line, and lots of us on a feline diabetes board were up in arms because our finicky diet-controlled diabetics started to not like their food.  That's when I tried the store brand and got some of us an alternative to feed our cats.

catsallaround said:

 
Wow Grey really wanted that dry!  My one cat who is a dry junkie has been like that since he was little(not the diabetic)  My husband is convinced if I just put him with wet he will eat it when hungry enough.  I KNOW he would die first before touching it.  I am a bit worried husband may try to feed him an all wet diet if something should happen to me or I spend a night in hospital.  More to tell me oh I got him to eat it  I stressed the fact he WILL get fatty liver and being black it would be a bit harder to notice as soon.

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Yes, she literally would not eat the canned that she had been eating just fine (grocery store brand of FF).  I checked lot numbers with other diabetic cat feeders and the food was fine.  She simply said "no more canned" and that was that.  She had not seen dry in years, but she was ready to die instead of eat canned.  Yes, I tried toppers per Dr. Pierson.  That little stinker wasn't going to eat canned, I even tried high carb junk!  Imagine my relief when I found EVO Turkey kibble that was low carb...

@peaches08    , what is the name of the " store brand "  Fancy Feast ?  

Yeah , I have tried the Fancy Feast Classics and my cats refuse to eat it ..  Actually Fancy Feast is very doable for us  so I am glad the cats love it ..

2Cats4Me said:

 
@peaches08    , what is the name of the " store brand "  Fancy Feast ?  

Yeah , I have tried the Fancy Feast Classics and my cats refuse to eat it ..  Actually Fancy Feast is very doable for us  so I am glad the cats love it ..

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I'm of the ilk that feels that wet is still better than dry as a general rule, but to each his own.  I also feel that one can of wet a day is better than all dry.  But everyone is doing what they can, and sometimes getting the cat to eat is a challenge!

And yeah, the grocery brands are next to the FF and have a label like "Kroger" or "Clear Value" or something that indicates the store's brand on it. 

LOL @catsallaround the only time Grey ever growled at me was when I was trying to retrieve a strawberry she'd stolen.  I was not having her yack THAT up all over my very pale brand new sand-colored carpet.

LoL, Mouse doesn't growl or anything but sometimes when he gets a Thrive white fish snack or even one of his usual TD biscuits that he really takes a fancy to (  ) he'll hold it between his front teeth, run off somewhere he thinks he is hiding and eats it there - like he thinks I'm going to steel it back! 

I never thought an animal growling at me would be cute but...

I buy a box of frozen mice every now and then at my local pet store. I'll defrost one and pitch it into the empty garage. My lil' monster pounces, bats and throws it around for half an hour. If anyone comes close, he grabs it between his teeth, growls, and stares you down, like "You feeling lucky punk?"

Minutes later, it's completely gone in about 4 bites. No blood, guts or gore and great entertainment! Just wish the little buggers weren't so expensive because I enjoy watching him as much as he enjoys pretending that he really hunted and killed it!

As for Fancy Feast, the recommended variety is the Classics. However, I was looking at Dr. Pierson's chart (from 2010, I think) and the three listed in Chunky series (chicken, turkey and chopped grill) all have carbs at less than 10 (her recommended max). If so, can these co-exist with the Classics?

I have a neighborhood cat who has been slowly adopting us over the last 8 months. He was an overweight kibble addict, and had not a clue that wet was actually food. I've finally got him eating FF with added warm water (as long as I sprinkle finely ground Temptations on top) and he's lost down to a respectable 11 pounds. Yeah! But so far, he won't touch the raw, freeze dried or top shelf canned my indoor furbaby eats.

I don't feed fish and he's starting to turn his nose up at liver and turkey. So, my choices are getting slim. Any insights or opinions on FF Chunky?

@Southern Belle   , I am certainly no expert when it comes to cat food but I  think the Fancy Feast Chunky is very similar to the FF Classics .. 

Of course my 2 refused to eat it .. The chunks are quite big  but if your cat likes huge chunks of meat  , which mine don't  , he would probably like it ..