Comprehensive cat food poll - what do you feed your cats?

Sash eats Natural Balance and Nutro dry, although lately he's refusing the Nutro, I think the pieces are too large. He loves Natural Balance though, but it's a little too high in fat and I would like him on a lighter food. He also loves Natural Balance wet food and Nutro wet food, and about every 2 weeks he gets a can of ProPlan seafood thrown in, and he loves that!


Lisa & Sash

Feeding is a total nightmare in my house Tulip is 18 and should be on the senior stuff, Katy is totaly overweight and has her own Obesity diet. Mischa willl scoff everybodies food if given half a chance and little Dirt should be on the Male Neuter under 4. With the exception of Katy I just end up mixing it up together and hoping for best. They do like the odd tin of Whiskas though which they get for a bit of a change. I mix a bit with Katys kibbles because once she has smelt the meaty stuff the kibbles hold absolutely no chance.
Tulip will take your face off for cod cheek though which I buy her on the odd occassion.
I sometimes wish they could all eat the same, stay the same weight and only eat out of their own bowls!

Purina One and occasionally supermarket wetfood. My elderly cat eats Nutro wet.

Mine get everything. I have one fatty (Bell) who eats Purina DM (diabetes management) as a deterrent - she hasn't been diagnosed but the vet said put her on anyhow. Thank god she loves it because otherwise I'd have trouble keeping her from the other food:

Toby loves (?) Katzenfloken natural, as does one of my fosters, Heidi. It's that stuff that comes in a purple bag.

Lulu and my other foster, Joey, eat Wellness lite.

Heide also gets one 3-oz can of fancy feast a day. The other three of my kitties split a can each morning. Joey gets an occasional treat of it.

Originally Posted by BarbB

Mine get everything. I have one fatty (Bell) who eats Purina DM (diabetes management) as a deterrent - she hasn't been diagnosed but the vet said put her on anyhow. Thank god she loves it because otherwise I'd have trouble keeping her from the other food:

Toby loves (?) Katzenfloken natural, as does one of my fosters, Heidi. It's that stuff that comes in a purple bag.

Lulu and my other foster, Joey, eat Wellness lite.

Heide also gets one 3-oz can of fancy feast a day. The other three of my kitties split a can each morning. Joey gets an occasional treat of it.

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"Katzenflocken" is available in Chicago? I've seen it advertised here, but never dreamed that it was exported!

Yeah, I found it when I was on a quest for natural cat food. I looked at the ingredients and it seemed really healthy for the cats and I just had to try it. As a matter of fact, it was the only dry food the new foster, Heidi, would eat. I was flipping out that she was going to starve, and then she went right for that food.

It is easier to find in some stores here than the Wellness brand. I have not seen it in any of the pet store chains, but it is at Thee Fish Bowl in Evanston IL, Animal Feeds and Needs in Arlington Heights, IL and Scott's Pet Shop in Westchester IL.

Oh yeah, I forgot to add, it is shaped like little stars, so I think the kitties like the texture.

My three old men get Iams, Fancy Feast and Sheba for the wet stuff. They are all in love with the Purina Indoor cat formula for the dry stuff. I know that the canned stuff they get isn't supposed to be any good, but they eat it. They stick their noses up at the more expensive brands.

I was feeding Vinny Purina, then I found out from my vet and a vet from the Humane society that Purina in one of the worst food you can give you cat. They reccomended IAMS and Science Diet. I then put Vinny on IAMS. You can soo tell the difference. IAMS has a very high odour. He is currently on medicated canned food at the moment. He loves that. We sometimes boil, boneless, skinless, chicken breast and give it to him. Just as a treat or something different. We dont do that very often, maybe once every 3 months.

Oh no, Mooie really likes dry Purina One and I got two bags for free!

Other than this free cat food, I feed the cats Hills Science Diet Adult Dry, Nutro Natural Choice Adult Dry, Max Cat canned, and Hills canned.

While responding to another thread I found a link to a book which I plan on finding out if the local library has. While I understand the concept, I am definately interested in learning more. I figured that I would offer it here for anyone who would like to broaden their horizons too.

Book:
Pottenger's Cats - A Study In Nutrition

Another Book, Also of interest:
Effect Of Heat Processed Foods On Animals

What makes this ever more interesting IMO, is that virtually every single commercially available diet is cooked/heated at some point. So in theory while the studies were based on raw diets, the principle would also apply to many commercial diets.

Spotz

We BARF.

Originally Posted by Flea

We BARF.

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Actually, you could've voted "Fresh meat - homemade raw with or without pre-mix", but understandably it may be unclear because we didn't put in other known designations such as "i.e., BARF, natural diet, raw feeding."

Oh well, next time we do this poll, we'll be more descriptive.

Originally Posted by Spotz

While responding to another thread I found a link to a book which I plan on finding out if the local library has. While I understand the concept, I am definately interested in learning more. I figured that I would offer it here for anyone who would like to broaden their horizons too.
Book: Pottenger's Cats - A Study In Nutrition
Another Book, Also of interest: Effect Of Heat Processed Foods On Animals
What makes this ever more interesting IMO, is that virtually every single commercially available diet is cooked/heated at some point. So in theory while the studies were based on raw diets, the principle would also apply to many commercial diets.

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Just my two cents on a Pottenger-related thing...

Although I've never read Pottenger's 1930s/40s study, I've seen it mentioned in numerous places, particularly in Ann Martin's book, "Protect your Pet." She exhaustively goes through his study and actually disputes some, if not most, of Pottenger's results. Some of her reasoning is convincing, e.g., Pottenger's study lacked the modern controls and methodologies inherent in current studies, recent studies show cooked food loses negligible nutrients, etc. (Note: Martin and others advocate homemade cooked food, table scraps, and some commercial human-grade food, and advises against raw food.)

I find Martin's books informative and her research refreshingly thorough, but regardless of whether Pottenger was right or wrong about cooked food for cats, I have to disagree with Martin's negative assessment of properly prepared raw food.

- george

Originally Posted by donnageorge

Just my two cents on a Pottenger-related thing...

Although I've never read Pottenger's 1930s/40s study, I've seen it mentioned in numerous places, particularly in Ann Martin's book, "Protect your Pet." She exhaustively goes through his study and actually disputes some, if not most, of Pottenger's results. Some of her reasoning is convincing, e.g., Pottenger's study lacked the modern controls and methodologies inherent in current studies, recent studies show cooked food loses negligible nutrients, etc. (Note: Martin and others advocate homemade cooked food, table scraps, and some commercial human-grade food, and advises against raw food.)

I find Martin's books informative and her research refreshingly thorough, but regardless of whether Pottenger was right or wrong about cooked food for cats, I have to disagree with Martin's negative assessment of properly prepared raw food.

- george

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Thanks for another good book to add to my list

Here's an odd perspective...having not read anything more than a brief summary of each book...

I would have to suspect that perhaps Pottenger was onto something, especially for his study to be the only one I have managed to find, but there have been plenty of studies to disprove him. If one study can cause so much controversy, and if there are so many studies contrary to this one study, then why does every contradicting study reffer back to this single study. To go a little further, why haven't there been more studies published in agreement with Pottenger?

I definately want to read these books now, perhaps I will find some answers.

Anyone else have book suggestions relating to Feline Diets?

Spotz

i voted other because i didn't see a selection for chicken soup for the cat lovers soul and thats what my brood gets to eat. it said to post what brand if it was other.........

Originally Posted by taurus5567

i voted other because i didn't see a selection for chicken soup for the cat lovers soul and thats what my brood gets to eat. it said to post what brand if it was other.........

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From what we've read, Chicken Soup for Cat Lovers is likely human-grade. Unfortunately, we were only able to list a few of the well-known brands for each food type.

Originally Posted by Spotz

Anyone else have book suggestions relating to Feline Diets?

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The Rawpaws list (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rawpaws/) has an excellent "Rawpaws Recommended Reading.pdf" file accessible by registered members.

With permission and thanks to Marnie (the Rawpaws moderator), here are some feline nutrition-related books from that file, with Marnie's notes/comments:



In addition, I recommend the following books (although keep in mind their content encompasses more than feline nutrition):

The Nature of Animal Healing: the Definitive Holistic Medicine Guide to
Caring for Your Dog and Cat
by Martin Goldstein, DVM (Author)
Paperback - 368 pages (June 2000)
Ballantine Books
CDN$ 20.00
ISBN: 0345439198

Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs & Cats
By Richard H. Pitcairn (Author), Susan Hubble Pitcairn
Paperback - 383 pages (February 2001)
Vhps Rodale
CDN$ 21.56
ISBN: 0875962432

The Veterinarians' Guide to Natural Remedies for Cats
by Carvel Tiekert, DVM (Foreword), Martin Zucker (Author)
Paperback - approx. 296 pages (1999)
Three Rivers Press
ISBN: 0609803735

Natural Health Bible for Dogs & Cats
by Shawn Messonier, DVM (Author)
Paperback - approx. 475 pages (2001)
Prima Publishing
ISBN: 0761526730

If Cats Could Talk: A holistic approach to our feline companions
by Lorena Elke (Author)
Paperback - approx. 128 pages (1999)
eastendbooks.com
ISBN: 1896973167


Happy reading.
- george

All you people with cats addicted to feces-and-feather feeds, you might want to look into why they're addicted. I'm guessing it's too much salt or chicken digest.

Originally Posted by donnageorge

With permission and thanks to Marnie (the Rawpaws moderator), here are some feline nutrition-related books from that file, with Marnie's notes/comments (I've tried to leave as much of her information unaltered as possible):
...........

Happy reading.
- george

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Thanks so much for posting this list. I've been slowly gathering a list like the one above and adding it to my 'wish list' for future book purchases.

You have now made it much easier for me. Thank you George!