If I always feed a variety of food....

do I need to do the switch gradually thing? It wouldnt really work anyway, because I give them something different most days. I used to do this with my first two, before I knew about gradual switching...

My 2 adult cats and 3 kittens are kind of used to getting different foods every day now...and dont seem to suffer ill effects, apart from the odd smelly poo (which I think is the Felix wet food coming out anyway )...

So is this ok, or am i sensitising their bellies or something in the long run..?

My Kandie had an iron stomach ... she didnt need a switch but flavor wise a chnage required it .. Zoey is very sesitive thus I have to be very careful evan in wet when she wants some...

I always suggest graudual switching as it is better for kitty

It really depends on the cats. Jamie also has an iron-clad stomach, and insists on constant change. He gets three different kinds of dry food for breakfast every week, and a brand is "temporarily retired" every 2 or 3 months, and replaced by another, and about five different kinds of canned food, each in four to six different flavors, every evening. I actually make up "meal plans" for him, i.e., when I'm in the U.S, every August, my husband has a detailed plan to follow. When we're both away in May/June for a week, most of our counter space is taken up by carefully stacked cans/dry food canisters, so my mother-in-law doesn't have to worry about forgetting her reading glasses, or following the plans.

I recommend switching between different foods on a regular basis. That way their digestive systems stay malleable and they don't get picky.

If you think about it, you eat a variety of foods and don't get digestive upsets from it. Cats aren't that much more delicate. Seriously, I think much of the stuff about not changing foods suddenly comes from manufacturers who want to instill brand loyalty.

Originally Posted by semiferal

If you think about it, you eat a variety of foods and don't get digestive upsets from it.

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Thats what always baffled me - why would cats be so sensitive to different types of food when their 'natural' diet would have consisted of all kinds of animal parts..i guess if foods have very different additives or preservatives cats may prove to be sensitive to a new type of additive in new food..

Still, I guess as long as there is no 'scientific' reason to do the gradual change, and my cats are fine with it, I will continue to mix it up!

I feed about 3-4 different brands of dry food, and usually mix up the flavors that each brand comes in. My food is sorted by expiration date. The food closet to the date is fed first, and gradually mixed in with the next food. I usually have one mixed canister and when it is almost done, I throw in the next canister, mix it up, and the next bag goes in the smaller canister. If one bag is almost out, I mix up that bag with the next bag. They are usually eating a combination of two or three different kinds of food. No one seems to object to this, and they eat there food happilly, and seem to appreciate it when a food they havent had in awhile is reintroduced. I only seem to have one kitty that has stomach issues, and I think it is probably related to his asthma, but could also be related to overeating.
They get a variety of brands of wet in chicken,beef, turkey and fish. Their favorite paws down though is friskies turkey and cheese- they love that stuff.

Originally Posted by zak&rocky

Their favorite paws down though is friskies turkey and cheese- they love that stuff.

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Paws down...thats so cute <girly giggle>!

Yeah, unfortunately they have a deep seated love of cheapo foods, so I often use that to mix the Felix in with the better quality food...it works..(though only for a while... )