Impulse eating!!

[sheena13]

Laureen, do you have any recommendations for a brand of food?
I've been feeding them the Hills w/d for SO long. Before that it was Nutromax & way better foods are in the American pet stores these days. (I've been in Ireland for 4 years where food choices are slim, so Hill's was a good choice to keep them on.) Only one of them needs to lose the weight, but I'd like to keep them all on the same food for the sake of sanity. I also want a food that will prevent any struvite, or urinary track issues. There was never a repeat an incidence of urinary tract issues, so that was a positive.

 

[yelloweyes]

Regarding vacuum cleaners: I wonder how it would work to play some soothing music at a fairly high volume when running the cleaner is running. I haven't tried this, but I'm just wondering.

 

[laureen227]

Originally Posted by Sheena13

Laureen, do you have any recommendations for a brand of food?
I've been feeding them the Hills w/d for SO long. Before that it was Nutromax & way better foods are in the American pet stores these days. (I've been in Ireland for 4 years where food choices are slim, so Hill's was a good choice to keep them on.) Only one of them needs to lose the weight, but I'd like to keep them all on the same food for the sake of sanity. I also want a food that will prevent any struvite, or urinary track issues. There was never a repeat an incidence of urinary tract issues, so that was a positive.

i know some of our UK/European members order from zooplus... you might PM Rosiemac (UK), jcat (Germany) or Kattengek (Netherlands) & see what they feed/where they shop.
i think there's at least one other member in Ireland, but i can't remember her username

.

 

[forensic]

Originally Posted by yelloweyes

Regarding vacuum cleaners: I wonder how it would work to play some soothing music at a fairly high volume when running the cleaner is running. I haven't tried this, but I'm just wondering.

I think that would just make it worse (extra loud!)

My boys are very laid back, but they too vamoose at the sound/sight of the vacuum. The second it's put away they reappear, though.

 

[sheena13]

ah yes, but I'm moving back to NYC (yay) on Monday, so I'll be able to have great access to food! any suggestions welcome. I'd love to be able to dedicate myself to a raw diet, alas, I have way too much on my plate.

 

[laureen227]

well, in that case, depending on your price limitations, there are LOADS of good ones out there! are you looking for wet, dry, a combo? do you want a grain-free?

 

[sheena13]

well, Hill's w/d is already expensive (and prescription) so I can't imagine that the price will be too much more!

I'm thinking a grain free wet diet will be good for them, occasional dry food (for when I have a cat sitter, etc). I've been reading a bit about Wellness & it seems like the way to go? I don't want to feed too much protein as 3 of them are getting older & I worry about kidney failure, etc. but I might have it al wrong.... I do have good water drinkers, which helps! They have a cat fountain & they love drinking from a tall water pitcher, so it does seem as if their systems are being flushed properly.

But yeah, my one (obese) cat has been on this diet for years & its done nothing past a few pounds (which probably shed due to exercise), so clearly it's not working. The vet said that I'm doing everything "right." Then the other cat (not overweight) dropped weight last week. It happened fast & was alarming. I immediately fed him wet food & within mere days he picked up weight, so I know it's mandatory that he stops. He's back to the vet tomorrow & I will discuss it, but I'm guessing that it's almost like IBD, or some gastric issue. But he's not getting the nutrition absorbed into his body...

Back to NY on Monday & there's a pet store right down the block that sells Wellness, Innova & Nutro. They're not picky cats & will generally eat what they're given.

 

[moonietunes]

Cats have very sensitive hearing. To a cat, a vacuum cleaner probably sounds like a jackhammer would to us. A vacuum cleaner is also a lot bigger than the cat. Cats are small animals that evolved to survive in the wild by running away fast and hiding from anything bigger and more aggressive. They originally come from the Sahara desert. Imagine how quiet it must be there. Any really loud noise was probably a threat to them: e.g., a large predator like a lion that might eat them, or an elephant that could step on them. So running away from a vacuum cleaner is normal behavior for a cat and I don't think you can train them out of it. A quieter model of vacuum cleaner might be a little less scary, but maybe not.

I adopted my cat from a shelter and he eats like a dog! That is, he will clean out his bowl as fast as possible and want more more more. Initially I left food out for him, but he started gaining a lot of weight so now I have to limit what I give him. He's not happy about it! He gets fed twice a day and he is always begging for more food, which is not so fun for me at 5 a.m. He acts like he's starving, but he's actually still on the chubby side. Unfortunately the alternative is to have an unhealthy, overweight cat. I think all cats are different. Some will only eat what they need but others are chronic overeaters.