Please Don't Judge Me

[MoonstoneWolf]

But due to the Stay at Home orders and this Coronavirus I'm having to buy dry cat food for my feral cat colony. There's a limit of 4 cans per customer here as people are hoarding, so I had to wind up getting the 9 Lives Indoor as they came in 20 lb bags. I don't like buying a lot of dry food but when you have 8 cats in a colony it's costly as well as impossible to find food for them during this time. So with this said has anyone had an issue with their cats getting sick the past few week eating this food by 9 Lives? Or is it possible that the cats are eating too fast at one time? I noticed the cats are fine after vomiting and the vets here who work with ferals are closed. Sadly here there are no other brands and you guessed it Mom inspects my deliveries so I can't even order. What should I do?

 

[Kieka]

Can you talk to the manager at the store and explain that you are buying for a colony?

 

[MoonstoneWolf]

I did but they said anyone can say that. Right now there is no cat food available. Of any brand.

 

[Willowy]

Some cats get barfy on dry food, especially the cheaper kind. It shouldn't be an issue unless they can't keep anything down, or seem sick/lethargic. They just eat too much and it expands in their stomachs and comes back up.

Gotta do what you gotta do when times are tough, don't worry about it.

 

[MoonstoneWolf]

Some cats get barfy on dry food, especially the cheaper kind. It shouldn't be an issue unless they can't keep anything down, or seem sick/lethargic. They just eat too much and it expands in their stomachs and comes back up.

Gotta do what you gotta do when times are tough, don't worry about it.

Ok thanks. I may add a bit of pumpkin puree tonight in their food to maybe settle their stomachs. I'm watching Treasure and he doesn't seem sick or anything, just laying around like a cat usually does and he was hungry again almost right after he vomited the food. The others take off all day so I have no idea how they are doing.

 

[Jem]

Like W Willowy mentioned, perhaps they are just eating it too fast? Is there a way you could feed them so that it takes them longer to eat? Like maybe spread it out sparse on a cookie sheet (or something similar), or put a golf ball in the food dish so they have to work for it.
I know one of my cats vomits eating dry food because he just eats it too fast and too much at once. Then he'll throw it up and go for more.

And don't feel bad about giving them dry food. The fact that you're caring for them at all is great.

 

[MoonstoneWolf]

I can try a cookie sheet or even one of my huge serving trays. Treasure suffers whisker fatigue so he has to eat out of a plate. Sopdet usually eats her share and then leaves. Shadow does as well coming back every hour for a few nibbles and then leaving. But I have noticed the others vomiting, haven't seen if they ate fast or not as the others usually come only at night.

 

[Jem]

I had another thought, going on the fact that they don't believe you are caring for a colony...
Is there anyway, you could take a few selfies with you and the cats with your "set up" of food dishes and what not? Maybe it would be enough proof that they would let you get more cans?
You could try and stay up and get a few pics of the cats feeding at night as well.
I don't know, you might end up showing them to someone with a soft heart that bends the rules for you.

 

[MoonstoneWolf]

Sure I can do that. Hopefully the stores will have food by then. I do have 50 lbs of dry food at the moment, but it's the same brand as what I'm noticing these cats getting sick on but since it may be just eating too fast and nothing tainted with the food itself maybe I'm fine?

I'm closely watching Treasure but it's hard to tell if he's lethargic or just staying out of the damp rain. He did eat a bit of freshpet and seemed ok although he purred a lot.

 

[fionasmom]

Some of these less expensive foods are probably quite tasty in a junk food way and the cats eat quickly and then up it comes. I have fed 9 Lives in a pinch and no one died. You have to do what you have to do and starvation is worse.

At one market which was severely limiting supplies....only 2 of anything at all in the store....they refused to sell more food to a woman with several children. So it is not just you.

 

[MoonstoneWolf]

Ok. I'll continue to monitor him. I did notice that Treasure has a tendency to eat food quickly, whether raw, wet or dry. The others do take their time eating and then come back at a later time. But they all come at different times and then with Mom it's hard to do timed feedings with them. I did notice there was vomit in the driveway but that appeared the entire time that Treasure was in the tent so I have no idea which cat ate and vomited there. My cams have a 5 minute cool off period and it was hard to catch which cat ran down the driveway unless I rewatch an entire 5 hours on my SD card.

Well Shaman is fine. She's back to eat. I'd go out to see and pet her but Treasure may follow me and run her off. At the moment it's more important that Shaman eats

 

[MoonstoneWolf]

I added some pumpkin puree to their food last night and they seem to be doing a lot better today.

 

[MoonstoneWolf]

I am going to have to do away with the other 20 lb bag I have. Treasure seems to be having an allergic reaction or he eats this brand entirely too fast. He can't hold anything down. He isn't lethargic. He's hungry right afterward. My heart is breaking in two. It seems he is the only one that is having issues. I really am at wits end and experts won't help. I can't even get to a vet because of this virus thing and a screaming mother. But what to feed him as the stores around me have no pet food because of people hoarding so I have no idea. I'm afraid he's going to die. And delivery will take up to a couple of weeks here.

 

[Furballsmom]

experts won't help. I can't even get to a vet

It's too bad the vets in your area are so prickly about ferals...

I agree with comments above, spreading out the kibble to slow his eating down hopefully helps his digestive system cope better.

 

[MoonstoneWolf]

He's walking ok, doesn't seem lethargic. And he ate again. I guess I may also have to give him some pumpkin puree daily to help. I noticed he's grooming a lot because of losing his winter coat so wondering if this is also a hairball thing?

 

[Furballsmom]

this is also a hairball thing?

Good point, probably the extra hair in his system isn't helping things.

 

[Willowy]

Maybe add water to his food and let it soak for a few minutes so it swells up before it gets to his stomach? That might help.

 

[kittenmittens84]

If it seems like they’re eating too fast you could try spreading the food out in muffin tins. Sometimes I do that with bits of treats for my cat, and I’ll put tennis balls over some of the tins to make it harder for him haha

 

[MoonstoneWolf]

It's the food. On my Next Door app other caretakers and pet owners have remarked their cats have been getting sick from the 9 lives as well. I checked after following all the above suggestions and still vomiting. Just noticed the other cats from my colony with same reaction as well as one of the raccoons and the possum eating the droppings. Ugh so now I have to find something to feed them. The other 20 lb bag went into the trash.

 

[Krienze]

Are you able to buy food online? We don't have a shortage of anything. It's literally people hoarding that's causing the issues/limitations, so maybe you can find the cans you need on amazon or directly from the manufacturer? I know we're considering buying some food on amazon, because going out constantly is just flat out stressful x.x