Counting Calories

[yelloweyes]

I want to switch our cats' food (we have 2 cats) to another brand because I discovered the phosphorus in it was pretty high. Jasper is getting older - still healthy at age 14, but I'd really like to give him his best chance to avoid kidney disease as he continues to age.

If I want both of our cats to maintain the weight they're at, can the food we choose actually be higher in calories if we reduce portions a little? The food they're on is already pretty low calorie, and it's actually kind of hard to find a dry food that is lower, and that I want to feed them. Please don't tell me to switch to canned food, we just want to switch brands of dry. Thanks for your help!

 

[maggie101]

I'm sorry but that would be my suggestion for an adult cat. Can you mix dry and wet?

 

[Furballsmom]

Weruva fits the bill for you except it's canned.

This website lists foods for kidney kitties that are low phos. I don't recall but the author might have included dry;
Felinecrf.org

Anyway, whatever food you choose, just keep a weight log, maybe every two weeks. It's good to do this in any case

 

[maggie101]

Weruva fits the bill for you except it's canned.

This website lists foods for kidney kitties that are low phos. I don't recall but the author might have included dry;
Felinecrf.org

Anyway, whatever food you choose, just keep a weight log, maybe every two weeks. It's good to do this in any case

For adult cats weruva is suggested the most because it is low phosphorus,low carb,high protein.low fat. Most cats like the shredded meat,lots of moisture,and a strong smell compared to dry

 

[yelloweyes]

So, I have learned to look at phosphorus & protein levels as criteria. But are the carbohydrate and/or fat levels as important as the number of calories? I have a hunch I have been to calorie focused.

 

[Furballsmom]

This is sort of a sideways answer but a lot of people think that the (basically empty of nutritional value) carb levels in dry food can lead to an overweight cat especially if the cat isn't active enough.

 

[lisahe]

This is sort of a sideways answer but a lot of people think that the (basically empty of nutritional value) carb levels in dry food can lead to an overweight cat especially if the cat isn't active enough.

I'm one of those who sees the carb calories as empty so I look first at calories. Cats need meat calories, not carb calories that come from fillers like peas or potatoes. They're built to digest meat, not vegetables. Some carby ingredients can cause digestive issues: one of cats vomits if she eats food with potato and some cats apparently have loose stool if they eat foods with ingredients like peas or lentils.

We feed a diet high in protein and very, very low in carbs. One of our cats eats Dr. Elsey's Clean Protein dry chicken food, which is calorie-dense but also very low in carbs. It's also low in phosphorus, .89% dry matter, making it kidney-friendly. Ireland's not food-driven so can eat as much Dr. E's food as she wants. By some odd miracle, she eats exactly how much she should (along with her wet foods), according to our vet's calorie recommendations. She also drinks plenty of water. Our other cat, who needs to lose weight, gets very small amounts of Dr. E's, crushed on her wet foods. Dr. Elsey's will send out samples if you ask for them.

 

[yelloweyes]

Yes, I know a little something about grain-free, but I understand that kitties still need "some" grains to digest properly. Still, most food does, I am still shopping for grain-inclusive, but am more open to learning about grain-free, or lower carp options. I would personally not be interested in foods with "zero" carbs & grains. If there is no value for carbs listed on the product (some don't), do you just look at the ingredients and judge it based on contents? I guess you could also email the company to see if that works.

 

[maggie101]

I use http://www.catfooddb.com a lot
Or you can try Tanya's Comprehensive Guide to Feline Chronic Kidney Disease- Dry Food Data USA for a list of dry foods low phosphorous

Unless your cats are senior or have medical issues, having low phosphorus is not critical but a nice preventive if their adult