Cats wont eat new bag of Authority

Been buying the grain free chicken and potato for months. Some bags are darker then others. Last month was light. This one is dark. 7 cats and they don't like it. Petsmart is an hour away so I have to order online. My cats now have no food. One needs grain free or he gets diarrhea. They have always eaten in the past dark or light. They are at dinner, but for some reason not at bedtime. Though oddly oreo, who rarely eats it at it last night. I'm wondering if it's could be the mix of the old and new bag? But this am its mostly new and even my cat who eats everything. Wont eat it. Now I have to find new food. :/they have non now

It's a huge red flag when all cats wont eat a food, so do NOT feed that food. I would also encourage you to switch your cats onto either better quality kibble or ideally all wet food. Potatoes are not good for cats, although the food is labeled "grain free" potatoes are starchy and just as bad for cats as grains. Cats as obligate carnivores cannot digest high amounts of fillers like corn, wheat, potatoes, and fruits. If you're desperate for food try buying some cans of Fancy Feast classic, which you can find virtually anywhere. It's a lower quality canned food, but it's really decent for the price. I'd stick with the chicken for now.

Here's a list of better quality kibbles. 

http://www.naturalcatcareblog.com/2011/08/best-dry-cat-foods-so-far/

Well the odd thing. They ate it last night at dinner. (i have 7 cats)They do get fancy feast at lunch every day. I cannot afford to feed it every meal. Not to mention some cannot tolerate all wet. Ive looked into other Grain free and they are more expensive and have fish and or other unwanted ingredients.

momof3b1g said:

Well the odd thing. They ate it last night at dinner. (i have 7 cats)They do get fancy feast at lunch every day. I cannot afford to feed it every meal. Not to mention some cannot tolerate all wet. Ive looked into other Grain free and they are more expensive and have fish and or other unwanted ingredients.

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It's a myth that cats can't tolerate wet food. There is a transition period sometimes, and sometimes there are allergies to either a protein source or an additive in the wet food, but feeding dry food is linked to all sorts of health issues including diabetes, kidney failure, and obesity. Especially dry food that contain inappropriate things like potatoes, which are just as bad a too much fish. Feeding all wet food is also cheaper than feeding kibble. You can get larger size cans of Friskies turkey and gilbert or if you're near a tractor supply 4health has large size grain free options too. I would again really encourage you to take your cats off kibble as much as possible. Especially with that many cats you want to do what you can to prevent unwanted medical issues. I have 10, so i understand. 

Not to sound rude, but I've had cats for 20 years. I've done the math. Its not cheaper to feed wet. Even the large cans of friskies. Which not all the cats will eat. And isn't grain free. I have a few picky cats who I'm lucky will eat 5 flavors of FF.I had one cat on all wet. Nothing but problems.

Just keep an closer eye on their bowel movements and general demeanour for the next few days - it's just possible that this was a bad bag/bad batch. If you see any signs of any of them being 'off' or under the weather (or see loose stools or evidence of vomiting), STOP feeding this bag, contact the manufacturer and get a fresh bag of kibble ordered. If possible, go and buy it in person so you can make sure it has a different batch number. I know it's a major faff (not to mention more expensive) to go there yourself, but far better that than a houseful of sick cats

Hopefully they were just being a little fussy, though.

The list M missmimz linked to is very good, but it really is talking in terms of ideal scenarios. Not everyone can afford those kinds of prices, and there's nothing wrong with that. All any of us can do is the best we can within our means

momof3b1g said:

Not to sound rude, but I've had cats for 20 years. I've done the math. Its not cheaper to feed wet. Even the large cans of friskies. Which not all the cats will eat. And isn't grain free. I have a few picky cats who I'm lucky will eat 5 flavors of FF.I had one cat on all wet. Nothing but problems.

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You're buying into a marketing idea of what "grain free" means. "Grain free" doesn't mean the food is good, or that it isn't full of things cats can't digest. I'm just providing you with information so you can think about possibly changing what you're feeding. I get that we do the best we can, but if you can do something now to help prevent expensive vet bills, it's worth it. Here's more info. http://feline-nutrition.org/nutrition/a-gut-reaction-to-cat-food

"Grain-free products have replaced grains with other inappropriate carbohydrates. Check the ingredient list for: ground brown rice, oatmeal, dried beet pulp, red lentils, green lentils, quinoa, green peas, pumpkin, butternut squash, carrots, apples, pears. All inappropriate and potentially harmful to our felines."
 

Yup and most of not all the recommended brands have those.

momof3b1g said:

Yup and most of not all the recommended brands have those.

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Some do, but they are lower on the ingredients list than the one you are feeding, which is the key here. Higher on the list, more of that in the food. 

I've done the research. They are more expensive and not any better

missmimz said:

You're buying into a marketing idea of what "grain free" means. "Grain free" doesn't mean the food is good, or that it isn't full of things cats can't digest. I'm just providing you with information so you can think about possibly changing what you're feeding. I get that we do the best we can, but if you can do something now to help prevent expensive vet bills, it's worth it. Here's more info. http://feline-nutrition.org/nutrition/a-gut-reaction-to-cat-food

"Grain-free products have replaced grains with other inappropriate carbohydrates. Check the ingredient list for: ground brown rice, oatmeal, dried beet pulp, red lentils, green lentils, quinoa, green peas, pumpkin, butternut squash, carrots, apples, pears. All inappropriate and potentially harmful to our felines."

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For cats that have sensitivities to, say, wheat or gluten, any grain free food is always going to be a better choice than a non-grain-free food. Equally, if you're on a budget and have a cat sensitive to, say, potato, you may well be better off feeding a food that has rice, therefore isn't grain free.

Yes, all kibbles will be higher carb than wet food, but we don't live in an ideal world. Authority is a perfectly good kibble (in fact is pretty great for the price point), and is a more than valid choice in this case. Choosing a grain free food over a grain containing food does NOT necessarily mean that you're 'buying into a myth' - just that you've found a food that works for you, your cats and your wallet. That is exactly what M momof3b1g has done here - and more power to her for doing her research and applying that knowledge to her circumstances.
[article="0"][/article][article="31120"][/article]

Columbine said:

Yes, all kibbles will be higher carb than wet food, but we don't live in an ideal world. Authority is a perfectly good kibble (in fact is pretty great for the price point), and is a more than valid choice in this case. Choosing a grain free food over a grain containing food does NOT necessarily mean that you're 'buying into a myth' - just that you've found a food that works for you, your cats and your wallet. That is exactly what @momof3b1g has done here - and more power to her for doing her research and applying that knowledge to her circumstances.[article="0"]What Makes The Best Dry Cat Food  [/article][article="31120"]Grain Free Cat Food What Does It Mean  [/article]

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No i was not making the point that buying "grain free" is bad, or that owners shouldn't search for that in food, I'm saying that grain free doesn't mean the food is good, because all that's happening is that pet food companies are replacing "grains" with other starchy fillers. 

@momof3b1g     Are your kitties eating the new kibble now?  I know what a pain it is to have to rely on on-line orders, especially with food products of any sort.  If they're still not eating it, would your on-line source replace the bag free of charge or would you have to return the uneaten portion?  

This thread reminds me of the old saying:  The best cat food is the one your cat will eat!  

momof3b1g said:

Been buying the grain free chicken and potato for months. Some bags are darker then others. Last month was light. This one is dark. 7 cats and they don't like it. Petsmart is an hour away so I have to order online. My cats now have no food. One needs grain free or he gets diarrhea. They have always eaten in the past dark or light. They are at dinner, but for some reason not at bedtime. Though oddly oreo, who rarely eats it at it last night. I'm wondering if it's could be the mix of the old and new bag? But this am its mostly new and even my cat who eats everything. Wont eat it. Now I have to find new food. :/they have non now

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The fact that this is a NEW BAG is a red flag. It's not just that the cats are tired of the food they were eating.  It's a common mistake to ASSUME that a new bag (or can) of any food is the "same food" that they have been eating for months, but it ISN'T.  Every NEW BAG (or can) of food is actually DIFFERENT food unless it has exactly the same lot number on it!  The fact that the color varies between batches is a visible demonstration of that.  In addition to production variables, the food gets transported and stored, and it's hot now, blazing hot, and that may have changed the food also.  Humans don't have a clue until the animals let us know by either refusing to eat it or eating it and getting sick, and so people start complaining, and THEN recalls happen, but that takes awhile, and in the meantime, more and more animals get sick.  The saddest thing is when cat and dog owners keep putting the same food down and offering nothing else, and the animal either gives in and eats a little (and gets sick) or gets sick from not eating at all and ends up at the vet with the owner not knowing what is wrong, saying only  "He just stopped eating."  Not everyone has an entire jury of cats telling them something is wrong with the food.  You are lucky.  You have seven cats who won't eat the new food, LISTEN TO THEM.  Something is different, something is wrong.  Their sense of smell is much better than humans, although not as strong as  a dog's sense of smell. 

If that were me, I would put the bag up. use something else for awhile and start checking for Complaints at www.consumeraffairs.com to see if there are other people complaining about that brand and flavor of food. PetSmart will let you return food for no more reason than "my cat won't eat it," so in this case I would reserve a portion of it and mark that with the name and manufacturing codes of the food (because if there IS a problem with a certain batch, the manufacturer often wants a sample for testing).  Then it might be worth if for you to drive to the Petsmart an hour away and RETURN this food, explaining it was mail ordered from PetSmart online and you need a replacement bag because you opened the new bag and your 7 cats will not eat it so something is wrong and/or different.  Then you can get a replacement bag of the same formula of chicken and potato (compare all the batch numbers before taking it home) and buy a similar recipe of food from another manufacturer also) and take both bags home.  You can see if they will eat the different batch of Authority food -- after that, also give them the other Chicken & Potato and always use both.  Give them a choice.They also have perceptions humans do not.

Here is a thread from TCS from five years ago.  It's only 6 posts long, but be sure to read the last post by @LDG which is full of great information and shows you how you can avoid this type of problem in the future.

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/239764/alternatives-to-authority-brand-cat-food

Here is a link to a really good article from Huffington Post from last summer, about pet foods in general, and while it's quite long, it' definitely something every pet owner should read.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/pet-food-safety_us_55b67875e4b0a13f9d1976e7

Additionally, here is a review of the Authority food in general from April, 2016.  There have been no recalls since the 2007 recall that affected many brands because of contaminated wheat gluten that contained melamine. (I was blessed on that one because I only used wet food, and only pate food, and there is no wheat gluten in any of the pate foods.)

http://petfood.chat/catfood/authority/

momof3b1g said:

Been buying the grain free chicken and potato for months. Some bags are darker then others. Last month was light. This one is dark. 7 cats and they don't like it. Petsmart is an hour away so I have to order online. My cats now have no food. One needs grain free or he gets diarrhea. They have always eaten in the past dark or light. They are at dinner, but for some reason not at bedtime. Though oddly oreo, who rarely eats it at it last night. I'm wondering if it's could be the mix of the old and new bag? But this am its mostly new and even my cat who eats everything. Wont eat it. Now I have to find new food. :/they have non now

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Call the manufacturer and complain. I had a similar happening years ago with Purina feeds for horses. Turns out one of the cooker drums got too hot and while it didn't burn changed the flavor. They issued a full refund. Which is no help to you. I just had to run that 100 mile round trip to get the only food Mercy will consume. I keep trying to find that back up.

Many pet food stores offer a money back guarantee if your cats won't eat the food. They obviously have never met mine. Picky snobs. One of the bigger grocery stores near here carries some of the ' better ' brands. Several of the lower end cat foods at wally are grain free. I feel for you.

I called and they didn't seem to care. Credited me $5 for my trouble. I drove an hour to Petsmart yesterday and exchanged it for another bag. Got home an hour late and past their feeding time. A few would still not eat it. But some did. This morning I had to coax some to eat any. But all around they are not liking it for some reason.
Looks like I will have to go back to my old brand Purvita. I have to special order it and it cost more for less. And have had trouble getting it when needed.I have searched before and cant seem to find a brand without fish, a bunch of fruit/veggies, or unwanted ingredients like DLM.

momof3b1g said:

I called and they didn't seem to care. Credited me $5 for my trouble. I drove an hour to Petsmart yesterday and exchanged it for another bag. Got home an hour late and past their feeding time. A few would still not eat it. But some did. This morning I had to coax some to eat any. But all around they are not liking it for some reason.
Looks like I will have to go back to my old brand Purvita. I have to special order it and it cost more for less. And have had trouble getting it when needed.I have searched before and cant seem to find a brand without fish, a bunch of fruit/veggies, or unwanted ingredients like DLM.

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Wow. That's sad. I'm sorry that they put you through that. I have 3 picky eaters so I feel your pain. My cats don't eat much dry. It's used more as a topper/occasional snack and they don't eat it every day. Right now, they are eating the Orijen Cat & Kitten but the bag I have now is the last one due to the new formula change. I will be attempting to switch them to the Petcurean GO! LID duck. It's not perfect as it has some veggies in it but it's quite good and made in Canada where pet food manufacturing is more strictly regulated. 

http://www.petcurean.com/product/go-sensitivity-shine-limited-ingredient-duck-recipe-for-cats/

Ingredients list 

De-boned duck, duck meal, whole dried egg, peas, pea flour, tapioca, lentils, chickpeas, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), flaxseed, natural flavour, sodium chloride, choline chloride, calcium carbonate, dried chicory root, phosphoric acid, potassium chloride, vitamins (vitamin A supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin E supplement, niacin, inositol, L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (a source of vitamin C), thiamine mononitrate, d-calcium pantothenate, riboflavin, pyridoxine hydrochloride, beta-carotene, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement), minerals (zinc proteinate, iron proteinate, copper proteinate, zinc oxide, manganese proteinate, copper sulphate, calcium iodate, ferrous sulphate, manganous oxide, sodium selenite), dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product, taurine, dried rosemary

They offer a free trial in the form of a printable coupon if you're interested in checking it out. Good luck to you. I hope you find something that works for you. 

http://www.petcurean.com/nourish-for-life/#get-a-coupon

I have a similar problem with my cats @momof3b1g  I buy all my cat food online and I've found it's cheaper to bulk buy, but a lot of them won't eat the same flavour or brand twice in a row. I have to buy a variety of wet and dry so they get something different on rotation every day. I have a lot of cats so there is always at least one cat who will eat what ever is offered. Nothing gets wasted, but I have a shed full of half used cases of food waiting for their chance to be popular again.

That's really bad customer service from Authority, I'd be annoyed with that.