Wow, canned makes a positive difference!

mrsbabyhead · Dec 31, 2015

I've had several cats, but always fed dry. We adopted a sweet abandoned cat a few weeks ago, and we feed canned based on what I've read since owning cats a decade ago. Nothing exciting either; we feed grain free varieties of Fancy Feast, Sheba, Pet Smart brand, and sale high end brands. Noel is not picky. She looks healthier, she doesn't shed much at all, her coat is beautiful and dandruff free, and her litter box is less gross and stinky. No ammonia smell at all. I would have never believed how much healthier a kitty could be on canned food. What a big difference! Thanks to the info I got from this site.

Kat0121 · Dec 31, 2015

mrsbabyhead said:
I've had several cats, but always fed dry. We adopted a sweet abandoned cat a few weeks ago, and we feed canned based on what I've read since owning cats a decade ago. Nothing exciting either; we feed grain free varieties of Fancy Feast, Sheba, Pet Smart brand, and sale high end brands. Noel is not picky. She looks healthier, she doesn't shed much at all, her coat is beautiful and dandruff free, and her litter box is less gross and stinky. No ammonia smell at all. I would have never believed how much healthier a kitty could be on canned food. What a big difference! Thanks to the info I got from this site.

First of all welcome to TCS!! We're really happy that you found us and decided to join!!

Please feel free to post lots and lots of pictures of Noel. There's no such thing as too many cat pictures here! Thank you so much for taking in an abandoned cat. You are her hero and her angel!

I agree with you 100% about about a canned diet. My cats were all on dry diets until they came to live with me and after researching, I decided to put them on an all canned diet and got the same results as you. Unlike you though, I have picky eaters. Count yourself lucky that Noel isn't. My cats' coats are softer, shinier and they shed a lot less than they did on an all dry diet plus the litter box deposits are virtually odorless. I'm so glad that you found a diet that works for them and for you financially!

**Disclaimer- I have described how MY cats have adjusted to an all canned diet but am in no way judging anyone who chooses to feed a dry diet or a diet that is both dry and canned. We all have to decide what is best for our pets ourselves. **

LotsOfFur · Dec 31, 2015

Welcome! I agree with what you've experienced with your kitty on an all wet food diet as I saw the same thing with my 5! I have one that is 12, two that are 8 and two that are 7 and all were fed a dry diet their whole lives, only got cans occasionally. Then this past June one of my kitties ended up at the vet for 4 days with severe constipation. That is when I abruptly switched all 5 to an entirely wet diet and haven't looked back. I had one kitty that was getting pretty round and she has slimmed down nicely with me doing nothing but changing the food. Their coats are so beautiful, soft and seem to shed much less & yes, the ammonia smell is not there! I think a lot of us have had good results when feeding ,at least, a 50% wet food diet. It is exciting to see positive changes

mrsbabyhead · Jan 1, 2016

Thanks everyone!

Here's my little girl. She's a peanut, 2 years but only 6.5 pounds.

20151230_102519.jpg

mrsbabyhead
Jan 1, 2016

myrth · Jan 1, 2016

My kitty was on a dry diet when I adopted her. I have been transitioning her to wet. I am feeding 50% wet an 50% dry right now. She already looks sleeker and has less of a pot belly.

crazy4strays · Jan 1, 2016

I adopted an overweight elderly kitty with constipation and litterbox aversion. He was free fed dry food in his previous home with an occasional treat of wet food.

One of the first things I did was run out and buy him a bunch of canned food. Today, almost 10 months after adopting him, he's down to a normal weight, his stools are much better and much less dry, and he uses the litterbox faithfully. (I attribute the litterbox use to medication though) His coat is also much shinier.

The canned food helped him so much that I switched my younger healthier kitty to it also. My younger kitty used to sometimes pee droplets of urine. On canned food, I now see large clumps in the litterbox. His urine output seems to have increased, which is good.

We've been very happy with the health benefits of canned food for our furry family.

bonepicker · Jan 1, 2016

mrsbabyhead said:
Thanks everyone! Here's my little girl. She's a peanut, 2 years but only 6.5 pounds.

20151230_102519.jpg

mrsbabyhead

Jan 1, 2016

No picture?

mrsbabyhead · Jan 1, 2016

There's a pic. Not certain why you can't see it but it's even "quoted" in your quote re my post.

crazy4strays · Jan 1, 2016

I can see it! Beautiful kitty!

dmk129 · Jan 1, 2016

bonepicker said:
No picture?

Your Peanut is very pretty! I love little kitties. I have 3 monster boys and 1 little 10 pound girl calico! I am transitioning my kitties to a wet only diet. I havent seen any weight loss yet but I am having a hard time figuring out how much they really need for food. There is a LOT of begging and yowling by the 3 boys and they are not being underfed but their behavior is terrible. They are so noisy. They are really good all day but then at night beg and beg incessantly=this has something to do with my husband who used to love them up when he fed them and since they have had that for 4 years=They are really bad with the noisy behavior. I feed 3 5.5 oz cans per day. They are 18 pounds/18 pounds/16 pounds and my little 10 pound girl=who is so sweet and never begs!!

lisahe · Jan 1, 2016

Welcome to The Cat S

dmk129 said:
Your Peanut is very pretty! I love little kitties. I have 3 monster boys and 1 little 10 pound girl calico! I am transitioning my kitties to a wet only diet. I havent seen any weight loss yet but I am having a hard time figuring out how much they really need for food. There is a LOT of begging and yowling by the 3 boys and they are not being underfed but their behavior is terrible. They are so noisy. They are really good all day but then at night beg and beg incessantly=this has something to do with my husband who used to love them up when he fed them and since they have had that for 4 years=They are really bad with the noisy behavior. I feed 3 5.5 oz cans per day. They are 18 pounds/18 pounds/16 pounds and my little 10 pound girl=who is so sweet and never begs!!

It's no fun when cats beg for food! How often do you feed your cats? Sometimes feeding smaller, more frequent meals will help. Also, how caloric are the foods you are feeding? And do you mean that each cat gets one can of food per day or that each gets three? Do they also get some dry food? Sorry for all the questions but I know how hard it can be to figure out new feeding routines.

Mrsbabyhead, you cat is beautiful! I'm glad the canned diet is working so well for her!

dmk129 · Jan 1, 2016

LisaHE said:
Welcome to The Cat S
It's no fun when cats beg for food! How often do you feed your cats? Sometimes feeding smaller, more frequent meals will help. Also, how caloric are the foods you are feeding? And do you mean that each cat gets one can of food per day or that each gets three? Do they also get some dry food? Sorry for all the questions but I know how hard it can be to figure out new feeding routines.

Mrsbabyhead, you cat is beautiful! I'm glad the canned diet is working so well for her!

I feed 3 5.5 oz cans of wet Friskies or Fancy feast to = 6 oz per meal=they get fed 3 times a day at 6 am/noon/6PM=each time it is 5.5 to 6 oz=not per cat but for all 4 together=I also mix a can of water with the food to make sure they get enough water=which my vet said was a good thing. Most of the begging happens between 6 PM and bedtime so lately have added a cup of FreshPet food before bedtime and they still wake us up at 5 am with a lot of vocal commotion. All 4 kitties eat together out of 1 big platter which seems to work fine-there is no indication that anybody isnt getting enough. I weigh them once a week=so far not much change in anybodys weight but they have only been weighed 2 x on the new scale-I bought one that goes in .2 pound increments since a pound on a cat can be way too much to lose if they do it quickly-I want them to lose very slowly so they stay healthy. They have had all kibble cut out now for about 2 weeks. Does anyone have any suggestions to help me get through this difficult time with the feeding transition? I am home during the day and they are good then=It is bad behavior when my husband comes home from work. He tries to play with them=but he does say he likes to feed them=but they are very naughty for him and not for me so I think I should feed them for a while so it doesnt reinforce the vocal behaviors they do mostly with him. I want to feed them enough=but not too much!! My 3 FatBoys need to slim down!!!

I agree==Mrsbabyhead==your kitty is so pretty!!

crazy4strays · Jan 1, 2016

mrsbabyhead said:
No ammonia smell at all.

I'm guessing that canned food has that effect, because of the higher water volume. More water means more dilute urine. It's amazing what a difference a moisture rich diet can make!

lisahe · Jan 1, 2016

dmk129 said:
I feed 3 5.5 oz cans of wet Friskies or Fancy feast to = 6 oz per meal=they get fed 3 times a day at 6 am/noon/6PM=each time it is 5.5 to 6 oz=not per cat but for all 4 together=I also mix a can of water with the food to make sure they get enough water=which my vet said was a good thing. Most of the begging happens between 6 PM and bedtime so lately have added a cup of FreshPet food before bedtime and they still wake us up at 5 am with a lot of vocal commotion. All 4 kitties eat together out of 1 big platter which seems to work fine-there is no indication that anybody isnt getting enough. I weigh them once a week=so far not much change in anybodys weight but they have only been weighed 2 x on the new scale-I bought one that goes in .2 pound increments since a pound on a cat can be way too much to lose if they do it quickly-I want them to lose very slowly so they stay healthy. They have had all kibble cut out now for about 2 weeks. Does anyone have any suggestions to help me get through this difficult time with the feeding transition? I am home during the day and they are good then=It is bad behavior when my husband comes home from work. He tries to play with them=but he does say he likes to feed them=but they are very naughty for him and not for me so I think I should feed them for a while so it doesnt reinforce the vocal behaviors they do mostly with him. I want to feed them enough=but not too much!! My 3 FatBoys need to slim down!!!

I agree==Mrsbabyhead==your kitty is so pretty!!

That's a very good feeding schedule, particularly with the bedtime meal added in. We have a somewhat similar one for our cats and it works well. Your cats may still be adjusting.

As for amounts, though I don't know calorie counts of those specific foods you are feeding, I'm wondering if that's enough food for your cats, particularly considering their current weights and that it is, as you said, best they lose weight slowly. Are your cats active? For reference, our two young, active eight-pound cats each eat the equivalent of more than a large can of caloric food each day. Sometimes closer to 1.5 cans per cat, albeit with varying calories. I'm not good with calculating calories for weight maintenance or diet but @lts3 is great with that!

Also, are you feeding those brands' pates? They're meatiest so likeliest to make the cats feel fuller than the foods with wheat gluten and corn ingredients.

Good luck, I know it's very hard to introduce new food regimens and diets. You've already done a good thing by switching to wet foods, which they seem to love (a bonus!) Now you just have to tinker with it a little!

LotsOfFur · Jan 1, 2016

When I changed my cats to wet only I found that the first few months I was feeding them anywhere from 4 to 6 times a day... They were free fed prior to the transition... Just in the last few months have they seemed to be content with 3 scheduled feedings... 4 of mine eat together and 1 eats by herself... The 4 usually split a 5.5 oz can (or 2 3 oz) 2 out of their 3 feedings and once per day they split a 5.5 and a 3 oz can. If any seem hungry I just feed them a snack (wet food, not treats)
I have one that was getting quite chubby on kibble and has slimmed down nicely in the last 6 months without effort. 2 of mine needed to gain a little and they have muscled up and look healthier.

You seem to be well prepared with having the scale and knowing they shouldn't loose to fast. Keep us posted on your progress

dmk129

bonepicker · Jan 1, 2016

I feed my two inside cats 6 oz each plus treats of Purebite freeze dried chicken and a tablespoon of kibble in evening before bed. Outside cat gets 12 oz in winter and 9 oz in summer.

dmk129 · Jan 1, 2016

LisaHE said:
That's a very good feeding schedule, particularly with the bedtime meal added in. We have a somewhat similar one for our cats and it works well. Your cats may still be adjusting.

As for amounts, though I don't know calorie counts of those specific foods you are feeding, I'm wondering if that's enough food for your cats, particularly considering their current weights and that it is, as you said, best they lose weight slowly. Are your cats active? For reference, our two young, active eight-pound cats each eat the equivalent of more than a large can of caloric food each day. Sometimes closer to 1.5 cans per cat, albeit with varying calories. I'm not good with calculating calories for weight maintenance or diet but @lts3 is great with that!

Also, are you feeding those brands' pates? They're meatiest so likeliest to make the cats feel fuller than the foods with wheat gluten and corn ingredients.

Good luck, I know it's very hard to introduce new food regimens and diets. You've already done a good thing by switching to wet foods, which they seem to love (a bonus!) Now you just have to tinker with it a little!

I am glad you think the feeding schedule is good. I hope the kitties adjust soon before I have to register myself into a psychiatric facility for cat mommas driven crazy by their cats!! He He!

Yes I do feed the Pate form of the catfoods because they dont like the shredded type. I know that is better for them anyway. I cant afford the really good petstore foods with 4 cats!! The 2 young kitties are pretty active-but they are the fattest. The one cat is 15 and he is pretty arthritic but will still like to play a little. The little girl sleeps a lot but has her wild moments. She is 10. She is my little angel. Never begs and is such a sweet little kitty. The 3 males are a little more vocal than I like. As soon as somebody walks in the kitchen the 3 males run into the kitchen by the dish as fast as they can and start making a ruckus. I either totally ignore them-or yell NO really loud=they dont always stop though.

I hope this is all just a transition issue and I hope they settle down. I am getting pretty sleep deprived.

dmk129 · Jan 1, 2016

LotsofFur said:
When I changed my cats to wet only I found that the first few months I was feeding them anywhere from 4 to 6 times a day... They were free fed prior to the transition... Just in the last few months have they seemed to be content with 3 scheduled feedings... 4 of mine eat together and 1 eats by herself... The 4 usually split a 5.5 oz can (or 2 3 oz) 2 out of their 3 feedings and once per day they split a 5.5 and a 3 oz can. If any seem hungry I just feed them a snack (wet food, not treats)
I have one that was getting quite chubby on kibble and has slimmed down nicely in the last 6 months without effort. 2 of mine needed to gain a little and they have muscled up and look healthier.

You seem to be well prepared with having the scale and knowing they shouldn't loose to fast. Keep us posted on your progress

@dmk129

we used to feed much more kibble and I think that is what made them fat. We fed the IAMS weight control--it sure DIDNT control their weights. I now know from what I have read on this site that that was one of the WORST foods to feed my poor kitties. I hope transitioning them over to all canned will make them lose weight slowly and eventually make them get used to 3 meals a day. Maybe I need to just add a snack once in a while if they are really acting up? I just cant believe they would be hungry. I wish I knew how to tell if it was truly that they were hungry or if it was just acting out due to wanting kibble and not having any. I think it is reassuring to hear that your chubby kitty did slim down with the change. I am hoping my big boys will slim down by spring. In summer they go out on the deck too and it keep sthem occupied which in winter is hard for them too. I DO think they are bored even if we play with them a lot.

I weigh them on Mondays.

bonepicker · Jan 1, 2016

A snack at bedtime helps

dmk129 · Jan 1, 2016

bonepicker said:
A snack at bedtime helps

I will try it tonight and see if i get to sleep longer than until 5 am!! I will let everyone know tomorrow!! OK?

Wow, canned makes a positive difference!

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What greater gift than the love of a cat.

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