Hello- I am a new member and joined specifically in search of a healthy wet food. Please read my story:
Backstory: I rescued my first kitten in high school, and was an uneducated cat owner- my family never owned a cat and I rescued my cat (now my father's cat) right after we had to put my fourteen year old dog to rest. Our vet never spoke to us about nutrition, and as an adult I realize it is probably what had ultimately led my dog to pass from cancerous tumors. My new kitten came with a bag of Science Diet from the SPCA and they recommended that is what I continue feeding her. I moved to the city for school a year later, and sadly my cat could not come with me. My dad took on the role as her care taker and switched her to a cheaper food, feeding her Friskies wet food because she would gobble it up. Since I left her she has gained SO much weight and is a HUGE cat.
Today, six years later, I now have a "new" cat in the city (my dad could not part with his new best friend, my original fur baby, despite me wanting her to movie to the city with me). I adopted her almost one year ago, this March, from a boutique puppy store that claims she had been abandoned there with a possible sibling. I was not originally looking to adopt anything, but I could not leave her in the tiny cage in the puppy store where she looked miserable, sleeping in her litter tray. She came home with me, for $75 and a complimentary vet visit from a 5 star vet in lower Manhattan. They passed her with a clean bill of health, estimating she was 2 years old. Spayed, shots, negative for FelV. I made sure to ask the vet what to feed her, because I wanted to do this right and I knew friskies was not going to cut it. He recommended several wet food brands, and added I could supplement with dry food. After looking into all of them, I found the easiest I could find was Wellness. I have been feeding her a variety of Wellness wet (mostly chicken- seafood variety as a "treat" on occasion) for almost the full year I have had her. Cans are expensive at $2.09 a piece at most retailers. Recently, I noticed her stool has been loose. Often diarrhea like, and this weekend after I switched her litter to Swheat Scoop and didn't realize after replacing her old litter box and it was backwards so the door was sealed shut (terrible cat mom!) She pooped in her bed and there was bright red blood in a water stool. Naturally, I panicked and would call the vet but I am not in the financial position to make an emergency visit, not to mention NYC was hit with a massive blizzard this weekend and the subway was shut down so it was not an option. I spent all day googling and finally came across a possible culprit : CARRAGEENAN. I know I still need to take her to the vet, but it seems that I may have been feeding her a very harmful food for almost an entire year. She otherwise appears to be healthy, has an appetite and is playful and affectionate. Today I went and bought Soulistic after much research during my snow day yesterday. I am hoping to see a positive change before I take her to the vet next month. Basically, I am trying to find out if anyone else has had a similar experience with Wellness cat food. I am shocked and appalled that a brand that advertises itself as one of the leading healthy foods has such a harmful ingredient, a carcinogenic!!!!! I am looking for feedback for other healthy wet food options, price is not an isssue but I do not want to be feeding my cat anything that could be causing gastrointestinal pain or even cancer!
Backstory: I rescued my first kitten in high school, and was an uneducated cat owner- my family never owned a cat and I rescued my cat (now my father's cat) right after we had to put my fourteen year old dog to rest. Our vet never spoke to us about nutrition, and as an adult I realize it is probably what had ultimately led my dog to pass from cancerous tumors. My new kitten came with a bag of Science Diet from the SPCA and they recommended that is what I continue feeding her. I moved to the city for school a year later, and sadly my cat could not come with me. My dad took on the role as her care taker and switched her to a cheaper food, feeding her Friskies wet food because she would gobble it up. Since I left her she has gained SO much weight and is a HUGE cat.
Today, six years later, I now have a "new" cat in the city (my dad could not part with his new best friend, my original fur baby, despite me wanting her to movie to the city with me). I adopted her almost one year ago, this March, from a boutique puppy store that claims she had been abandoned there with a possible sibling. I was not originally looking to adopt anything, but I could not leave her in the tiny cage in the puppy store where she looked miserable, sleeping in her litter tray. She came home with me, for $75 and a complimentary vet visit from a 5 star vet in lower Manhattan. They passed her with a clean bill of health, estimating she was 2 years old. Spayed, shots, negative for FelV. I made sure to ask the vet what to feed her, because I wanted to do this right and I knew friskies was not going to cut it. He recommended several wet food brands, and added I could supplement with dry food. After looking into all of them, I found the easiest I could find was Wellness. I have been feeding her a variety of Wellness wet (mostly chicken- seafood variety as a "treat" on occasion) for almost the full year I have had her. Cans are expensive at $2.09 a piece at most retailers. Recently, I noticed her stool has been loose. Often diarrhea like, and this weekend after I switched her litter to Swheat Scoop and didn't realize after replacing her old litter box and it was backwards so the door was sealed shut (terrible cat mom!) She pooped in her bed and there was bright red blood in a water stool. Naturally, I panicked and would call the vet but I am not in the financial position to make an emergency visit, not to mention NYC was hit with a massive blizzard this weekend and the subway was shut down so it was not an option. I spent all day googling and finally came across a possible culprit : CARRAGEENAN. I know I still need to take her to the vet, but it seems that I may have been feeding her a very harmful food for almost an entire year. She otherwise appears to be healthy, has an appetite and is playful and affectionate. Today I went and bought Soulistic after much research during my snow day yesterday. I am hoping to see a positive change before I take her to the vet next month. Basically, I am trying to find out if anyone else has had a similar experience with Wellness cat food. I am shocked and appalled that a brand that advertises itself as one of the leading healthy foods has such a harmful ingredient, a carcinogenic!!!!! I am looking for feedback for other healthy wet food options, price is not an isssue but I do not want to be feeding my cat anything that could be causing gastrointestinal pain or even cancer!
