They just don't appreciate all we do for them!

[otto]

Since Mazy's regurgitation problem seems to be getting worse, I thought I would try the elevated food dish method recommended here.

It's not a scarf and barf because she is schedule fed and each serving is carefully measured out. The food is just not getting down into her tummy as quickly as it should.

So I found a box that seemed like a good height, it is just at chest level so she doesn't have to change position at all to eat.

Instead she scoops the kibble out onto the floor and eats it crouching down anyway.

(actually she eats that way quite often, I was simply hoping she would scoop them out and eat them from the top of the box instead)

I'm persevering though, hoping she'll get used to it. This morning she tried standing on the box, instead. I pushed it to the edge, and she did eat part of the meal in the manner I am hoping will help her.

 

[catsallaround]

Any wet food feeding and does that stay down better?
Years ago I had a cat need a cone collar and I devised a way for him to eat(as the bowl hed go to face down and half pick up half knock over the bowl) He learned to use his paws that week!

 

[otto]

Thanks for your reply!

Mazy is on Hills Prescription Multicare c/d kibble. I yearn to have her on a canned diet but she won't eat it.

 

[piikki]

Is the raised cup you use very deep dish or shallow? Most of the ones I've seen are so very deep that I've deemed them hopeless for my boys. Mine will fish stuff down to floor even from plates if anything slows them down - the scarfers, not the nicey-nice eater, of course. I think they really dislike deep dishes.

Originally Posted by otto

Mazy is on Hills Prescription Multicare c/d kibble. I yearn to have her on a canned diet but she won't eat it.

How does your puker like the c/d kibble? Was it hard to get Mazy to accept it and from what did you change from? I think this is the urinary-healthy food that was suggested to Teppo this week (although the multicare part confuses me because I have not seen the packages yet and do not know how many options exist that are viable).

Our Ossi is a barfer, esp with kibbles and when home alone. He will scarf down and then regurgitate whole meal. I worry about a change over but one of our cats is a dedicated kibble eater, and I don't think I can cover it all by getting c/d in wet either.

 

[otto]

Originally Posted by piikki

Is the raised cup you use very deep dish or shallow? Most of the ones I've seen are so very deep that I've deemed them hopeless for my boys. Mine will fish stuff down to floor even from plates if anything slows them down - the scarfers, not the nicey-nice eater, of course. I think they really dislike deep dishes.

Thanks for your reply! I use shallow saucers for cat dishes. I get them at Walmart usually, just plain corelle dishware, made in USA.

I put her dish on a cardboard box which has elevated it 3 1/2 inches.

How does your puker like the c/d kibble? Was it hard to get Mazy to accept it and from what did you change from? I think this is the urinary-healthy food that was suggested to Teppo this week (although the multicare part confuses me because I have not seen the packages yet and do not know how many options exist that are viable).

Mazy cat has been on the c/d kibble for over four years. She is not normally finicky and I had no trouble getting her to accept it. She did gain weight initially so I had to play her with her daily quota a bit.

She won't eat the canned c/d food after it has been opened. meaning she will eat the first serving, but that's it, so I would throw away 3/4 of a 5.5 oz can a day.

Multicare means the food is designed to work for both types crystals. What was happening is the cats who were put on the c/d diet for struvite crystals, were sometimes developing problems in the other direction, oxalate crystals, which can be more serious.

So Hills (and Royal Canin's SO 33 also) redesinged the food to create the optimum pH balance for these cats who have FLUTD.

I have several times (against my vets cautions) tried Mazy on other diets, in an effort to have her on canned food. The crystals always come back, so no more experimenting, she is on the Hills c/d multicare kibble for life.

Previous to Mazy's problems with struvite crystals she was eating Fancy Feast canned foods. She loves canned food and I wish with all my heart she could have some canned food she likes.

Our Ossi is a barfer, esp with kibbles and when home alone. He will scarf down and then regurgitate whole meal. I worry about a change over but one of our cats is a dedicated kibble eater, and I don't think I can cover it all by getting c/d in wet either.

I don't free feed so they really don't have the oppourtunity to scarf and barf. Cats' mealtimes are very ritualistic and time consuming in my house.

I have four cats and three different diets. The kitten is eating the same thing as Jennie, Wellness grain free canned chicken, so at least two get the same diet! I am giving Queen Eva (the kitten) other flavors of the wellness grain free too, but Jennie cannot have anything but the Wellness canned grain free chicken.

I want to add something else to Queen Eva's diet, I think she should be getting some grains, so I will be adding some of Tolly's diet to hers, once I am sure her body is completely adjusted to the Wellness.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

Otto, did you cut a hole in the top of the box to set the dish into? Not that it would help keep the food in the dish, but at least it will help keep the dish on top of the box

. I used your method until my permanent raised dishes arrived (since I orded them via the internet), but didn't trust Darko not to just pull the entire dish off the box so he could continue eating lying down

. So...I just used an exacto knive to cut a hole the exact size as the bottom of their bowl. Worked perfectly.

 

[piikki]

Originally Posted by otto

She did gain weight initially so I had to play her with her daily quota a bit.

Multicare means the food is designed to work for both types crystals. What was happening is the cats who were put on the c/d diet for struvite crystals, were sometimes developing problems in the other direction, oxalate crystals, which can be more serious.

I don't free feed so they really don't have the oppourtunity to scarf and barf. Cats' mealtimes are very ritualistic and time consuming in my house.

I have four cats and three different diets. The kitten is eating the same thing as Jennie, Wellness grain free canned chicken, so at least two get the same diet! I am giving Queen Eva (the kitten) other flavors of the wellness grain free too, but Jennie cannot have anything but the Wellness canned grain free chicken.
.

Thanks very much on the info on c/d. That's what I fear about changing to special diets - trying to avoid one problem and creating another, possibly bigger problem. I am looking at the info at the moment and getting overwhelmed on the choices. You telling about the weight gain is another blow. I have two good eaters, and Teppo who really needs to lose weight, so that is no good!

We do not free feed either, other than the days we are not home. That's usually two weekends a month during summer/fall. Bad enough, I think the more rare it is, the worse it is for Ossi because he anyway gets separation anxiety. Even if we plan to have pet sitter coming twice a day, I just am too nervous to leave boys without food when they are alone.

So Mazy cannot have any of the Wellness wet either? Or won't? That is what we have for wet now (grainless Chicken and Turkey are the ones boys eat). I was planning on keeping those as I assume they are somewhat good for them. I do not know how good for urinary health. Most of the time I get our little anorexic to eat a little of it too, so I'd rather not give it up.

 

[otto]

Mazy cannot have Wellness wet. That was what I tried to switch her to last time, because -at the time- their website made big claims about how their food prevents crystals (that has been removed from the website now) My vet warned me against it, and she was right. Six weeks on the Wellness canned grain free and her urine pH shot up to 7.5 and her urine was full of struvite and phosphorous, and a few oxalate.

The only reason Jennie is on the Wellness grain free chicken is because it is the only food that I have found that keeps her from having constipation and blocked anal glands. She has not had any urinary problems aside from a bloody UTI shortly after she came to live with us, at which time she was on Eagle Pack.

By the way, Tolly was on the Wellness pouches for a while. I hated them and took him off pretty quick, after a routine UA (urinalysis) on him showed his pH to be 7.5. He's never had any urinary tract problems.

I'm going to have Jennie get a UA in October at her 6 month check up, just to see what's going on with her, make sure the Wellness is not making her urine too high, also. I don't know what to do if it is, as it's the only food that doesn't constipate her!

 

[otto]

Originally Posted by mrsgreenjeens

Otto, did you cut a hole in the top of the box to set the dish into? Not that it would help keep the food in the dish, but at least it will help keep the dish on top of the box

. I used your method until my permanent raised dishes arrived (since I orded them via the internet), but didn't trust Darko not to just pull the entire dish off the box so he could continue eating lying down

. So...I just used an exacto knive to cut a hole the exact size as the bottom of their bowl. Worked perfectly.

Thanks for the tip! She hasn't had any trouble keeping the dish on the box, so far, but it would keep Jennie-Jennie from dragging Mazy's dish out from under her (to steal Mazy's food

) so I like that!

 

[catsallaround]

Funny Benji is the same way about food. Hes on the c/d and loves the first serving but no matter how I try to warm up the rest he turns it down.

He eats the dry happily tho..Only other thing hes been ok on(vet told me it was a ok for him) Is the T/d(dental care one with big chunky kibble) But even when hes on that I give him free choice to the C/d.

 

[otto]

It's been seven days since I began elevating Mazy's c/d kibble.

Aaaannnddd! Not one regurgitation since. She was doing it at least twice a week. Not once since elevating her meals.

Hurray!

 

[katkuddler]

I've got a similar problem with Sam. Like clockwork, within a short period after eating, she decides to give some back. Well, I figured out that she became a scarfer because of Mandy and Casper. They all switcheroo with the bowls thinking each bowl has different food. With the heated competition for the bowls, Sam felt she had to gulp to get a full meal. Feeding them separately seems to help.

 

[otto]

Originally Posted by Katkuddler

I've got a similar problem with Sam. Like clockwork, within a short period after eating, she decides to give some back. Well, I figured out that she became a scarfer because of Mandy and Casper. They all switcheroo with the bowls thinking each bowl has different food. With the heated competition for the bowls, Sam felt she had to gulp to get a full meal. Feeding them separately seems to help.

Thanks for your reply! My cats can't scarf and barf or play musical dishes because they each have their own meal spot, and I schedule/measure feed.

But even with that. Mazy was still regurgitating at least twice a week, and it's gotten more frequent as she gets older (she's past 6 now) I read on here that elevating the dish can help these kitties, and I can testify that it works.

 

[katkuddler]

Originally Posted by otto

Thanks for your reply! My cats can't scarf and barf or play musical dishes because they each have their own meal spot, and I schedule/measure feed.

But even with that. Mazy was still regurgitating at least twice a week, and it's gotten more frequent as she gets older (she's past 6 now) I read on here that elevating the dish can help these kitties, and I can testify that it works.

My Sam is about 9 yrs old. Age may be part of it. But, it seems that cats puke for a lot of different reasons. I never tried the elevating trick. I will, and see if it makes a difference. I'll probably have to do 3 bowls.