Changing cats food

Hi everyone! I'm new here on this site and still a new cat owner. So I adopted a 5 year old cat last May 2015. Hes a bit big but i was told he's built in. The humane society told me he has gum disease but ive been checking his teeth everyday and they look fine. I do get my cat friends to check it out as well. The humane scociety also told me he was abandoned by a previous owner but i wasnt given anymore data. So i really want to give him the best and avoid getting him sick.

So right now he's eating Royal Canin dry and thats what the humane societys been feeding him. Its very expensive and the nutrition on that sucks. I want to switch it out with something less expensive and good for my cat. Ive done a lot of research on diffrent cat dry foods the past days and i cant seem to come to an answer. I need something that will also help his teeth and maintain a good weight and of course if it taste good. I like to buy in bulk as well. I would appreciate it a lot if you can help me out! Thank you

I've been doing similiar research, and basically what I've found is that dry just isn't good for cats. Especially male cats and overweight cats. I've been feeding 50/50 wet and dry food, and am switching to 90% wet.

Greenies makes a dental chew for cats that's proven to help, which I may be getting for my cats, dependibf. Most dry food cats just swallow, and it doesn't really keep their teeth clean.

There is no way I could afford a more expensive wet food, so I'm going to be feeding mostly 9 lives/special kitty and friskies/grreat choice pates, with some more expensive ones that are higher (supposedly) in muscle meat as my budget allows. They'll get a small amount of dry in their puzzle balls.

evolily said:

I've been doing similiar research, and basically what I've found is that dry just isn't good for cats. Especially male cats and overweight cats. I've been feeding 50/50 wet and dry food, and am switching to 90% wet.

Greenies makes a dental chew for cats that's proven to help, which I may be getting for my cats, dependibf. Most dry food cats just swallow, and it doesn't really keep their teeth clean.

There is no way I could afford a more expensive wet food, so I'm going to be feeding mostly 9 lives/special kitty and friskies/grreat choice pates, with some more expensive ones that are higher (supposedly) in muscle meat as my budget allows. They'll get a small amount of dry in their puzzle balls.

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Thanks so much for replying! I do feed my cat wet food once or twice a month. But i heard wet food can cause more tartar build up. And i feed my cat dry only 2 times a day. Morning and late evening.

Pastel Cat said:

Thanks so much for replying! I do feed my cat wet food once or twice a month. But i heard wet food can cause more tartar build up. And i feed my cat dry only 2 times a day. Morning and late evening.

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Dry food doesn't actually help with tarter control at all. There are more threads about this, if you're interested you can look it up. Ideally you should just brush his teeth or do regular cleanings with the vet. I think at the least you want to feed a 50/50 diet of wet and dry. But ideally an all wet diet is best. Dry food is typically very high in carbs, which can cause cats to pack on more weight. You'd be better off switching to all or mostly wet to get more protein in him and less carbs. There are lots of threads about the best wet foods, but the reality is the best wet food is whatever you can get your cat to eat. I feed mine weruva, natural instinct pride, nutro natural choice wet, ziwipeak canned, etc. Best thing to do is go to a pet store and buy a few cans of different types of foods and see what he likes. Good luck! 

Gum disease needs careful management to keep it under control. Sometimes the prescription dental foods are necessary. Remember that you're not just looking at how clean the teeth are, but how inflamed the gums are too.

Regular toothbrushing is a great idea, and may be essential in your guy's case. The various cat toothpastes often make this job easier as most cats find them pretty tasty. Just giving the toothpaste as a treat can help, as it's designed to prevent plaque build up. Yes, brushing with it is more effective, but it will still do some good without that.

If you do decide to try feeding some wet food, dietary additives such as Plaque Off work on the same principle as the toothpastes. I use it for my girl, and so far it seems to be working (though she doesn't have any gum disease I need to watch for).

mservant has dealt with this issue. She may have some more tips for you.[article="0"][/article][article="30206"][/article][article="30205"][/article]

Your tabby looks like he 'knows' he deserves royal food in that photo     He has a lovely, distinguished look about him.  Very regal.

It looks like you have had some great advice already, and there is a wealth of experience with oral / dental problems here on TCS as it is why so many of us arrived at the site (sadly), me included.   Columbine is right, plaque and tartar are important to control but  you can't always see signs of gum and tooth problems.   One of the most common problems is that cats can reabsorb their teeth at the root so all looks fine above the gum until the disease is very advanced and very painful.  Looking for any signs of redness or swelling around the edges of teeth is very important - if you can get your young tiger to accept you doing this without trying to chew your finger off...   Even getting as far as holding his head gently and pulling the lips back so you can see the outer gum line around his teeth at the front of his jaw and down each side is better than not checking at all.

I would not reccommend feeding any of the prescription dental foods that are around unless you see your own vet, they examine your cat and advise it is necessary.  It does tend to be dry food - which is larger than other varieties and is hard and crunchy with a texture designed to scrape the teeth as it is eaten.  And yes, it has a higher carb % than a lot of cat food. Once you are feeding it is important it remains at least a certain % of the diet so it isn't something you can feed for one meal a day then regular food to suppliment the protein - you can only do that with small amounts of snacks which is what I do with Mouse.

Wet food seems to be generally preferred because of the highter protein, and I have not found anything other than rumour that wet causes more plaque or tartar build up.  The healthier your cat the more they will be able to stand up against any infections they pick up, and the closer to ideal weight the better here too - and both seem to be easier to maintain with wet rather than dry food. That said, if your cat is a dry junkie and doesn't like any of the wet food you put down it is always going to be best to feed what he will eat.  I see no sense in battling with a cat over food unless it is critical for their survival. There are plenty other things to challenge your relationship so stick to those - teeth cleaning being one of them though it need not be a battle.

The enzyme pastes seem to taste good to cats (though I haven't tasted any), and if you offer as a treat to lick off your finger or similar they will get almost as much benefit as if you decide to use a brush and clean properly.  I'd suggest starting with offering as a treat so your cat will come to you happily, let them get used to it and enjoy it, and then once or twice a week start to introduce a little rub with your finger or similar - that way it can become a long term routine which doesn't stress you both.

Most importantly, keep regular check up appointments with your vet as they will be the ones who can examine his mouth thoroughly to see if there is anything going on under cover.

Hopefully however, with your love and care this young cat can now stay healthy and well.  The best gum disease is the type that is under control and not causing any discomfort or health problems.