what is the right food?

[ldg]

Sorry, treats, I have no clue. Hopefully someone else will! I feed my cats freeze-dried meat treats, but I don't think those are available at supermarkets.

 

[ldg]

OH! :doh3: A healthy treat - slice off a little of whatever meat you have in the fridge! There's no healthier treat that a little raw meat. Quick, easy, and VERY healthy!

 

[ldg]

that does make more sense.. and i suppose i need to go to a vet or something to get his weight? i know everything i say sounds dumb but im really trying to get better at taking care and asking ?'s really help....

anything other than the friskies canned food should i try to use??

Do you have a scale for weighing yourself at home? Because you can stand on the scale, and take your weight. Then pick up your kitty, and see how much the two of you together weigh. Subtract YOUR weight from that - and what's left is how much your cat weighs.

Well, we don't know what other brands are available at your supermarket. I'm pretty sure Fancy Feast would be there. It IS kind of expensive, but they often have sales. If you buy it on sale, just like with Friskies, it's best to buy the PATE style, the equivalent in Fancy Feast is called CLASSIC. (I know, they have to make it confusing, right? :lol3: ).

Fancy Feast is sold in smaller cans (3 ounce cans). But it will tell you on the can how much to feed your cat. (Very small writing, of course LOL!)

 

[just mike]

Sorry, treats, I have no clue. Hopefully someone else will! I feed my cats freeze-dried meat treats, but I don't think those are available at supermarkets.

Mine love the feline Greenies treats and info can be found here http://www.greenies.com/cats.aspx   A lot of people use them here on TCS and the cats seem to really love them.  I know mine do. 

I think LDG did a good analysis on her cat food.  Invariably, I have found the consumer to buy the best food they can with the budget they have to work with.  There are a lot of decent foods out there, both wet and dry that will not break the bank.  The cost break down LDG did is just that, a cost break down.  The consumer will have to make their own decisions.  

I do agree not everyone can afford to feed cats the same way some of us do.  I also know a huge number of people feed only kibble diets to their cats.  An all kibble diet is certainly not my favorite diet for cats but if that is all the consumer is able to afford then we work with it.  Hopefully the cat will drink enough water in order to avoid the hydration issues and not over eat. 

My cats get about an 80% wet to 20% dry kibble ratio in their daily diet.  They all have thrived on it. 

 

[minka]

Well, how much to feed him depends on how much he weighs. Any idea?

Actually, I have a can here. I'll go get the feeding guidelines. It says to feed one ounce per pound of body weight.

So if he weighs 8 pounds, he should have 8 ounces. They're 5.5 ounce cans, so that means he should have about 1 can AND a third of a can a day.

If he weighs 10 pounds, he should have 10 ounces. That means he should have about one can AND two-thirds of a can a day.

If he weighs 12 pounds, he should have about 2 cans a day.

Hope that helps.

From everything I've seen and heard, most cats only need between 4-6oz of a food a day, no matter what brand it is. Now if your cat is over 12lbs or under 6lbs, then you would need to adjust the amount in a bigger way. But most estimates on the back of the cans are way off and usually should not be followed. If I went by the recommendations on the cans, my cat would be eating 12.8oz of Before Grain or a whopping 14 ounces of Soulistic. My cat is 14lbs and needs only 5.5oz per day.

 

[bsurb10]

im going to pick up some of the friskies PATA canned food in a few... see how he likes it.

 

[ldg]

Hope he likes it! Some cats are pretty addicted to that gravy. You may have to combine the two for a little while.

And Minka? REALLY good point! Yes, my cats always needed to eat less than the recommended amount. :nod:

 

[ldg]

Mine love the feline Greenies treats and info can be found here http://www.greenies.com/cats.aspx  A lot of people use them here on TCS and the cats seem to really love them.  I know mine do. 

I think LDG did a good analysis on her cat food.  Invariably, I have found the consumer to buy the best food they can with the budget they have to work with.  There are a lot of decent foods out there, both wet and dry that will not break the bank.  The cost break down LDG did is just that, a cost break down.  The consumer will have to make their own decisions.  

I do agree not everyone can afford to feed cats the same way some of us do.  I also know a huge number of people feed only kibble diets to their cats.  An all kibble diet is certainly not my favorite diet for cats but if that is all the consumer is able to afford then we work with it.  Hopefully the cat will drink enough water in order to avoid the hydration issues and not over eat. 

My cats get about an 80% wet to 20% dry kibble ratio in their daily diet.  They all have thrived on it. 

Thanks Mike.

And yes, the cost breakdown is just a cost breakdown. No indication as to quality (and funny, but price doesn't always relate to quality AT ALL!). But the carbohydrate content is included in the tables that supplement the article, and the tables also have links to the food (manufacturer sites), so it is easy to look up ingredients. :nod:

I really don't mean to throw a wrench into the works, and I am sorry about Hooter, (and I really hope she's doing well!) but when you say all your cats have thrived on the diet, let's maybe say, you hope Hooter's problems aren't diet related. ( http://www.thecatsite.com/t/244569/constant-vomiting#post_3207391 )