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- Dec 23, 2017
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We have been feeding our four cats, ages 9mo - 3 years, Costco (Kirkland) cat food. They all love it buuuut they started getting chunky. I consulted my vet and she said there is nothing wrong with the Kirkland food but its cheap and you get what you pay for, high carb and filler low on the protein. She said some cats do really well on it, others not so much. Two of our cats are predisposed to breathing issues due to face shape so being overweight is a big deal and we want to get in front of it. We can experiment with decreasing serving sizes and up the exercise, but it's no guarantee. Additionally, Nandor, my boy cat, is starting to show signs of a food intolerance and she recommended we move away from a chicken centric diet before it develops into anything worse. Kirkland only comes in chicken flavor.
We've opted to go with a Merrick salmon formula and I have questions about the transition process.....below are some things that are making me a little nervous about it.
1) My roommate demanded a grain free formula, which is fine but the Merrick grain free formulas contain sweet potato and my girl cat, Nadja, is not a fan of sweet potato.
2) Nadja cat is a very picky and inconsistent eater. When it comes to her wet food there times she cleans her plate, other times she barely touches it. We've been on the same formula for several months but this inconsistent eating has me considering trying for another wet food flavor / brand / type.
3) We only fill dry food at night and from there they can free feed. Since we started the transition the food dishes are considerably more full in the morning. I've observed all 4 cats eat the current mix, but Nadja cat seems the least interested.
We're only on day 3 of the change and and we're doing 4:1 ratio (4 scoops Kirkland 1 scoop Merrick). We'll increase the ratio every 3 days for a 15 day transition time.
Is the right way to do it?
Will it take Nadja time to warm up to the food?
When should I start to worry that the cats just do not like it and we go back to Kirkland or try Merrick Salmon & Rice?
Thanks everyone!
We've opted to go with a Merrick salmon formula and I have questions about the transition process.....below are some things that are making me a little nervous about it.
1) My roommate demanded a grain free formula, which is fine but the Merrick grain free formulas contain sweet potato and my girl cat, Nadja, is not a fan of sweet potato.
2) Nadja cat is a very picky and inconsistent eater. When it comes to her wet food there times she cleans her plate, other times she barely touches it. We've been on the same formula for several months but this inconsistent eating has me considering trying for another wet food flavor / brand / type.
3) We only fill dry food at night and from there they can free feed. Since we started the transition the food dishes are considerably more full in the morning. I've observed all 4 cats eat the current mix, but Nadja cat seems the least interested.
We're only on day 3 of the change and and we're doing 4:1 ratio (4 scoops Kirkland 1 scoop Merrick). We'll increase the ratio every 3 days for a 15 day transition time.
Is the right way to do it?
Will it take Nadja time to warm up to the food?
When should I start to worry that the cats just do not like it and we go back to Kirkland or try Merrick Salmon & Rice?
Thanks everyone!