Fancy Feast Pates

My cat lives on fancy feast and special dry food that I get for his stomach and kidneys as he still needs proteins.  I wondered if Purina Pates are just as good?  

I wanted him to have a variety - I just don't want him to tire of anything since I must make sure he is getting enough protein to balance the dry food that is low in protein.  

Joyce

Purina uses wheat and corn in their food.

Sheba patés are grain free and around the same quality as the Fancy Feast.

Nutro is another cheap but grain free food.

I recently read that low protein diets aren't as good for kidney health as previously thought. And that a high protein diet mimicking a cat's natural diet keeps the kidneys clean and healthy.

The FF cans labeled 'classics' are pate and grain free.  It's the only FF I use for my 2 cats.   I stick with the Turkey & Giblet, Liver & Chicken & Chopped Grill since those are the only ones without fish.

I also feed the Sheba pates.  Grain free and similar to FF.   

I mix these 2 with a few other higher end foods in order to give my kitties variety and stay within my budget.

The problem for me is that my cat has been diagnosed with small kidneys that are not the right size for his body.  The vet feels at some point, he can go into kidney failure.  So far, he is 100% - she did major tests on him and was pleasantly surprised to see his kidneys are functioning at 100%.

Sometimes he does not eat too much of the FF.  He is finicky.  I also have him special dry foods that will not push his kidneys to work too hard, Renal and a special Gastro food to help his sensitive stomach.  He seems to like it.  But my challenge is to maybe mix the dry food with a higher protein if he is not always eating enough of the FF.  He hates the turkey and chicken and liver.  Won't eat it.  Eats the Grill Feast, Chicken Feast, and all the fish.  But sometimes he just walks away from the ones he seems to always like.  

I will ask the vet her opinion.  If necessary, I would like to get a kidney expert's opinion on what the best way to feed him is, so he is getting needed protein.  I should worry about myself the way I do him.

Joyce

Hi, what is a cat's normal diet?  I really don't know.

The problem is he does not kidney failure or disease.  His kidneys are smaller than they should be.  The vet is not a kidney expert but after all the tests she did on him, his kidneys are working 100% and she felt an expert at this time, is not necessary.

But I think I will ask her to consult a specialist on what his diet should be now that we are discussing this.  It is a toss.  I just want to make sure I am doing the best for him.  That I am not negating anything.

Joyce

jkuras said:

The problem for me is that my cat has been diagnosed with small kidneys that are not the right size for his body.  The vet feels at some point, he can go into kidney failure.  So far, he is 100% - she did major tests on him and was pleasantly surprised to see his kidneys are functioning at 100%.

Sometimes he does not eat too much of the FF.  He is finicky.  I also have him special dry foods that will not push his kidneys to work too hard, Renal and a special Gastro food to help his sensitive stomach.  He seems to like it.  But my challenge is to maybe mix the dry food with a higher protein if he is not always eating enough of the FF.  He hates the turkey and chicken and liver.  Won't eat it.  Eats the Grill Feast, Chicken Feast, and all the fish.  But sometimes he just walks away from the ones he seems to always like.  

I will ask the vet her opinion.  If necessary, I would like to get a kidney expert's opinion on what the best way to feed him is, so he is getting needed protein.  I should worry about myself the way I do him.

Joyce

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Try whole earth farms by Merrick, sold at Petco, he will probably like duck or beef pate, mine do

I live in Israel.  Wish for his sake I had a PETCO here.

I am waiting for the vet to let me know what the specialist tells her.  I am paying for a kidney specialist to look at his sonagram and urine analysis.

Thanks,

Joyce

jkuras said:

 
Hi, what is a cat's normal diet?  I really don't know.

The problem is he does not kidney failure or disease.  His kidneys are smaller than they should be.  The vet is not a kidney expert but after all the tests she did on him, his kidneys are working 100% and she felt an expert at this time, is not necessary.

But I think I will ask her to consult a specialist on what his diet should be now that we are discussing this.  It is a toss.  I just want to make sure I am doing the best for him.  That I am not negating anything.

Joyce

Click to expand...

Cats are obligate carnivores, meaning they eat only meat and are only biologically equipped to digest meat and absorb nutrients from meat. They are descendant from the African Wildcat, which lives in semi-arid deserts. As such, they have low thirst drive (meaning they don't have the urge to drink water often) as they are built to absorb water from raw meat. Stick to proteins from animals with fur and feathers. Chicken, turkey, duck, beef, lamb, quail, pheasant, etc. Fish is high in magnesium and phosphorus which can put a strain on kidneys, so this should be avoided.

Dry food is only 10% moisture. If that is all a cat eats, they end up being constantly dehydrated and this can cause kidney and urinary tract issues. As well as dry food has much more carbohydrates in it as it needs to be able to bind and stay in circular shape. 

Wet food and raw meat are both 70-80% moisture, which helps the cat stay hydrated and the bladder flush, and the kidneys healthy. It also contains much less carbs. The litter box will stink less as the urine will be less concentrated.

I am unfamiliar with what brands are available in Israel. You did mention Purina. Whiskas sells "Savory Pates" that are grain free. Fancy Feast Classics and Sheba pates are also grain free, cheap, and widely available. 

If the specialist puts your cat on any kind of prescription food, opt for wet food instead of the dry if there is any. If there is only dry food, then still feed the wet food alongside if your vet says it is ok. If your cats kidneys are unhealthy, the moisture will help in their recovery. And do not free feed dry aka leave a full bowl of kibble out all day, as this promotes obesity. Timed feedings of wet (or wet and dry) only.

Also, though I am no vet, I fail to see how smaller than average kidneys that are working 100% correctly and healthily need a special low protein diet. As stated before, cats are carnivores and would naturally eat huge quantities of protein daily. A low protein diet does not sound healthy....hopefully the specialist can clear this up.

Hi, thank you for responding.  I think you misunderstood my post  I said I have him on Fancy Feast and as as supplement he gets a special dry food for his kidneys and sensitive stomach.  I never mentioned Whiskas, I don't know where that came from.

It is OK,  I prefer a kidney specialist to see his xrays.  Only a specialist can tell me what to do.  The vet is consulting a specialist.  So I am sorry you  misunderstood my post.

Joyoce

jkuras said:

 
Hi, thank you for responding.  I think you misunderstood my post  I said I have him on Fancy Feast and as as supplement he gets a special dry food for his kidneys and sensitive stomach.  I never mentioned Whiskas, I don't know where that came from.

It is OK,  I prefer a kidney specialist to see his xrays.  Only a specialist can tell me what to do.  The vet is consulting a specialist.  So I am sorry you  misunderstood my post.

Joyoce

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Sorry, I just went back and edited the post. 

I was answering your question about what a cat's natural diet is. 

I feed my old cat Fancy feast, Sheba, and at least once a week I boil a combination of sardines and chicken awful and then process it with her medicine which I split up into portions to get her to take her medicine.  Purina's ingredient list really isn't best for my cat according to the feline dietician I took my old girl to.

Best of luck to you, and yes, my house stinks for a few hours after I make my old girl her food.

My cats all love Fancy Feast and Friskies. Also Instinct, Blue Buffalo, etc.