Safe to give adult cat kitten milk replacer?

[CCrimson]

Hello. My name is Christina and i'm new here but i've been to this site many times before as i researched different things cat related. I have a cat with hyperthyroidism. He was diagnosed about a year and a half ago. He is still losing weight when he doesn't have any to spare. I wanted to try giving him some Pet Ag Milk Replacer Plus for Kittens but is it safe for a senior cat with hyperthyroidism? I was told that his kidney values were creeping up past the safe mark so i have to be careful of that too. He is a pretty good eater usually, i've been giving him boiled chicken and watered down unseasoned broth and some cooked hamburger meat 75/25 blend, in addition to his regular canned cat food. Trying to get some fat and calories in him.

So my questions are: Is the Pet Ag Milk Replacer Plus for Kittens safe for my senior cat and is the kitten glop recipes that were mentioned earlier in this thread safe for my cat? Thank you so much for any guidance given to me, really appreciate it.

 

[CCrimson]

I realize that this is an old thread. Should i ask my questions on a new one instead?

 

[Ebaldonado]

Yes it's definitely possible to feed that to an adult cat. KMR (from Pet-Ag) is maybe the top kitten formula brand in the U.S. so it shouldn't be hard to find . I am sure I have seen it at a Walmart. & it's on their website http://www.walmart.com/ip/KMR-Kitten-Milk-Replacer-Liquid-13-oz-Cats/3635142

You can also just make your own " kitten glop". This link has several recipes Kitten Glop Recipes - Supplementing Cats and Kittens with nutritious formula you make at home: presented by Bengal Cat breeder Foothill Felines.[/QUOT

He was eating solid kibbles for a bit - Purina and Dad's, but then he went off them. Had him eating Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers for about a week and he was eating 1-3 cans a day. Now he will not touch catfood at all, but eats turkey. He pesters me all day long for food, but then won't eat a darn thing I feed him. None of the local stores had KMR, so I settled for Hartz. He wouldn't even go near it. I tried putting a drop on his nose and sticking his paw in the bowl. Nothing. He ran from it like it was toxic waste.

I love my cat, but some days I just want to throw him across the room. Why the eff does he whine for food and not eat anything?! He can't be that hungry if he can be so picky. I used to be able to roll the kibbles around in my hands and he'd eat then, but not anymore. He's pretty much only been eating turkey and milk the last few days because that's all he'll eat. The dogs eat more catfood than he does because I don't want to throw it away when he refuses to eat it. I can't force feed him because then he'll go off his water and act depressed. I had to quit giving him milk thistle, even, because he'd get depressed just from me sticking a syringe in his mouth a couple times a day. Heck, when I was syringe feeding him A/D, he actually lost weight. I think because he quit drinking. That's how bad he stresses out.

I don't know, maybe he's trying to tell me he's done living. He won't eat 95% of what I feed him, he acts like it's the worst thing in the world to be syringe fed, he stops drinking when he's too depressed. He's happy and not in any pain, but it's like he does not want to get better and as selfish as it sounds, it is a major source of stress for me. I have a lot of patience with animals, but it's frustrating trying to figure out what he will and will not eat on a given day. I try my best to not be mad at him because I know he can't help feeling unwell, but he makes me want to scream.

 

[Ebaldonado]

Hello. My name is Christina and i'm new here but i've been to this site many times before as i researched different things cat related. I have a cat with hyperthyroidism. He was diagnosed about a year and a half ago. He is still losing weight when he doesn't have any to spare. I wanted to try giving him some Pet Ag Milk Replacer Plus for Kittens but is it safe for a senior cat with hyperthyroidism? I was told that his kidney values were creeping up past the safe mark so i have to be careful of that too. He is a pretty good eater usually, i've been giving him boiled chicken and watered down unseasoned broth and some cooked hamburger meat 75/25 blend, in addition to his regular canned cat food. Trying to get some fat and calories in him.

So my questions are: Is the Pet Ag Milk Replacer Plus for Kittens safe for my senior cat and is the kitten glop recipes that were mentioned earlier in this thread safe for my cat? Thank you so much for any guidance given to me, really appreciate it.

 

[moxiewild]

CCrimson , not sure if you're still having issues, but I stumbled upon this thread and as someone who just lost her HyperT cat who also had kidney disease, I thought I'd offer some advice if you're still having trouble or for anyone else who may stumble on this thread.

As already stated, KMR, goat milk, and kitten glop are all great to give a senior kitty to help him put on weight. I've had some cats who don't like any of it, but will always eat it (or, not notice it) when mixed with their food.

I've also given goat cheese, though I will be honest in that I'm not sure of the nutritional value as it pertains to cats, but it is one of the things I've tried. "Cow cheese" was recommended to me, but I was just too unsure of what kind to try, so I opted to go with goat cheese instead (I also had a lot more confidence in the sourcing of it). Full fat yogurt was also recommended to me before, but it's another one I was too nervous about choosing "the wrong one" for and so never got around to trying, but may be worth looking into for you.

I think someone else also mentioned this in the thread earlier too, but Nutri-Cal ( Tomlyn Nutri-Cal High-Calorie Dietary Cat Supplement, 4.25-oz tube ) is also a good supplement to increase caloric intake. Not at all a fan of the corn syrup, but supposedly that's what helps make it palatable and if a kitty is really in desperate need to put on weight, it's something I am personally willing to overlook.

I've also tried mixing the meat baby foods with regular cat food or given as a treat alone.

But I've had the most success with goat milk, unsalted butter (cow, and goat butter when I can access it), and raw eggs though. My boyfriend's cats can't stand raw eggs, but will eat them scrambled, and one will eat them boiled. Kitties get more out of it served raw, but cooked is also fine if that's the only way they'll eat it.

Full disclosure, there is some concern about giving the egg whites raw, and sometimes people will give the yolk raw, but cook the egg whites. Others believe that as long as the whites and yolk are given together, both can be given raw. I have done both before. When I cook the whites, I usually scramble them and then throw them in a food processor with a little goat's milk, or I just scramble them with the butter and then freeze daily portions in ice cube trays. Whatever I give raw I whip with some goat milk (and occasionally KMR) before serving, which they actually seem to prefer. It's been a great way to sneak calories and nutrients into my sick or geriatric kitties.

There is one caveat to this, though. At the time you posted, you said that your cat's kidney values were "creeping up". That could mean a lot of things, so I want to make this clear if kidney disease is a factor for consideration now or in the future. If a cat has kidney disease, then you need to be aware of the phosphorus content in what he eats. Unfortunately, egg yolks are higher in phosphorus than is ideal for a kidney cat. The whites are still fine, but if given alone (without the yolk), absolutely MUST be thoroughly cooked (or you can purchase it powdered and mix with his regular food). They are low in calories and fat so won't help much to prevent fat loss or put more weight on, however it is still a fully digestible protein and more than worth adding to the diet of a kidney kitty (weight loss and muscle wasting are also symptoms of kidney disease like hyperT).

So if you're still struggling to get weight on your boy, definitely try all of this if you haven't already. With my kidney/HyperT cat, I rotated ALL of the above throughout the week, utilizing the goat's milk, egg whites, and butter the most. I now use this strategy with any of my seniors/geriatrics as a preventative measure for muscle wasting and fat loss.

Hang in there, I know it can be so hard and stressful to see your baby becoming so delicate and frail, but he's clearly got a loving guardian looking out for him.

 

[CCrimson]

Hi Moxiewild, thank you from the bottom of my heart for all of your helpful tips, suggestions and advice. I shall re-read your post very carefully and take notes. I want to try everything. Thank you also for your encouragement to hang in there and keep going. I don't think anyone i live with quite understands just how stressful and heartbreaking it is to go through this with your beloved senior cat. My cat Lucky has always been a lean, slender kitty and so he doesn't have the excess weight to spare and it's getting really scary seeing him so frail and his once shiny, healthy coat all matted and dull. It's terrible. We just bought the PetAG kitten replacer milk plus today, so interesting timing. I was reading the ingredients and it has soy in it. I've heard that soy can be very bad for the thyroid so i'm not sure what to do now. Feed or not feed.

I'm so very sorry to hear that you lost your own beloved cat. You have my deepest and most heartfelt condolences on your loss.

Christina