Archive for the 'cat food' Category

What is the best food for a cat with leukemia?

February 6th, 2010

I have a cat with leukemia, can someone tell me what the best foods are for it? (Cat food brands, and/or natural/organic foods, etc) Thanks!
And if you could tell me where to get it too that’d be great :)
I have researched this in depth since my poor dog died of kidney failure due to poor quality dog food!!
Taste of the wild is a great puppy and dog food as well as cats!!! you can get it online and if you go to the website you can find stores near you .. they wont be at walmarts and the like… they are in feed stores ..Agway…..tractor supply stores etc..

NO fillers..corn…gluten..grains…by products!!human grade meatsfruits and veggies

check it out you wont regret it !
http://www.tasteofthewildpetfood.com/
6 out of 6 star rating
around $42 for a 30 lb bag …. its the cheapest 6 star food .. and I love it for my puppy!
http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/index.php/cat/1

What is a good cat food to help him gain weight?

January 26th, 2010

My cat is pretty thin from hyperthyroidism and needs a cat food, both dry and moist to help put some weight on him. The vet gave him a liquid vitamin for twice per day, but I want to feed him a high quality food that hopefully does not contain added salt or fish (any seafood). I am hoping there is a food for very active cats available, so to give him extra calories.

KITTEN foods are generally higher in calories because kittens need those calories while they are growing. If you need to add weight, then try the kitten formulas of dry/wet cat foods.

Me… kittyslave23… I know my place.

What moist cat food will let my cat feel full longer?

January 25th, 2010

We used to feed him dry food (Iams) until my 11 year old cat started vomiting almost every day. Now we feed him moist food (Whiskas ?) but I need to find a cat food that does not make him hungry every 4 hours. This stuff seems to not fill his stomach for long.

pls STOP feeding ur cat that crap ( Whiskas )

i recommend Orijen or Evo

trust me

What is the biggest food can a cat swallow whole without choking?

January 22nd, 2010

I ran out of cat food so I gave my cat some cat treats mixed with some pieces of dog food. Each dog food piece was about one inch long, two centimeters thick, and the thickest part of the width was about 5 centimeters, it was shaped like a dog bone. Should I be worried about my cat choking?

A cat’s nutritional requirements are much different than those of a dog. For example, cats require higher levels of protein than dogs. Cats must have the amino acid called ‘taurine’ in their diet; dogs can actually make their own taurine. A cat eating food deficient in taurine can develop severe heart disease and other health problems. Almost all cat foods now contain added taurine.

Cats require a different form of Vitamin A than dogs do. Dogs can use beta-carotene as a source of Vitamin A; cats cannot. Cats can not manufacture the fatty acid called ‘arachidonic acid’ and must have it supplemented in their diet; it is not essential for dogs to have this fatty acid in their food.

So, you see, if a cat is allowed to eat a significant amount of dog food, the cat would be eating a diet deficient in many of the cat’s required nutrients. For your cat’s health, be sure she is eating quality cat food.

What brands of wet cat food are recommended?

January 10th, 2010

My cat is one of the most pickiest eaters ever and have tried many many brands but what he likes i know isn’t the best (Friskies canned food) I’ve tried a lot of brands but he doesn’t seem to take to them. I live in canada an some brands aren’t available like the states have.. Any suggestions on what wet cat food to buy. Want him to be healthy. He is an indoor cat and really active at night.

You are right, friskies isn’t great but i would still rather you feed that then dry food. Stay away from the gravy flavors. You have wellness canned where you are and that is the best if he will eat it

What premium canned cat food is best for my cat?

December 19th, 2009

It seems that my cat has been getting soft stools off and on for awhile now, but also gets normal ones too. So I guess i’m going to stick to one brand of premium wet food and stay away from store bought and human food treats. So since there are a ton of brands out there, what ones could you guys recommend that would be best for my kittie’s sensitive digestive system? By premium, I mean Innova, California Natural,etc.
I did take my cat to her vet, and she gave her medicine. But she told me to feed her soft food only.

There could be a reason for your cat’s soft stools besides food. Some of the problems that can result in soft stools are infection with Coccidia or Giardia, both protozoal parasites, inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome.

You should really bring the cat to the vet to rule out the many non-food reasons for your cat’s soft stools.

There are really a lot of premium options for you out there. You are probably going to need to experiment to see which foods agree with your cat though your experiment will prove inconclusive if the issue is not the food at all…

Some of the foods I feed my cats are Innova EVO both the regular one, the duck, and the venison; Wellness - all the varieties except the one with lobster but most frequently either the chicken, turkey, or chicken and herring; Natural Balance Ultra and the chicken and liver pate, a few of the Merrick’s varieities and others.

Since your cat may simply have an intolerance to grain any other these grain-free (some of the Natural Balance have a little rice) may be the answer. I suggest that you not only choose a grain-free food but you try only one protein source at a time for at least a week since it could be that too.

You could start with only Wellness chicken for a week or so and if all goes well you’ll know it isn’t chicken, and so on.

Or you could begin with one of the Natural Balance limited ingredient foods. These are foods that contain only one unusual protein source such as duck. The idea is that some cats may have developed a sensitivity to some proteins like chicken or beef from over-exposure to them.

Aside from that, you could try your cat on a raw diet. These can be very beneficial to cats with bowel problems. Google "raw diet cat IBD" to start.

But really you should start with a vet visit. You don’t want to spend months experimenting with different foods and find out the poor kitty has had Coccidia all along.

What is the best cat food for weight loss?

November 15th, 2009

My cat is about 15 pounds and he needs to loose weight. I’ve changed his food a couple of times (wellness, friskies, science diet-all dry food) but nothing seems to work. Furthermore, he wakes me up every night at 2am sharp because he is hungry. I made one last food change, which is the science diet canned light food. He loves it, bu he still wakes me up at 2 am. He is also very aggressive with me, and only me. He bites and attacks me if I don’t give him food.

Please help.

Those foods really range in quality. Wellness is an excellent-quality food, while Science Diet and Friskies are very poor quality- those brands contain fillers, plant-based proteins (as opposed to animal-based ones) and meat byproducts. Don’t feed those anymore.

We need more info- is this cat free fed? If so, only feed him on schedule and stick to the feeding guideline on the side of the bag. Feed him for the amount that you *want* him to weigh. Feeding a canned diet may help him lose weight, but again, ditch the Science Diet and stick to better quality food like Wellness, Blue Buffalo, Innova, Natural Balance, etc.

Punish him for biting/scratching- you own the cat, you call the shots. Lock him out of your room at night if you have to. By feeding him when he attacks you, you’re encouraging his crappy behavior. This needs to stop.

Why do UK cat food manufacturers make such unpalatable cat food?

November 5th, 2009

I have tried them all and my cats hate them all. Are they spoilt or is the cat food nasty?
Whoops; slip of the keyboard, ha ha. Meant the cats have tried all the cat foods, not me!

Cats are very smart. If they know you will hunt through the cupboard for something they like better they are very good at waiting you out.
A lot of cat owners think their cats don’t like a food because they don’t eat much in one go, but they are natural grazers and most cats, if given an option, prefer to eat small meals throughout the day.
A lot of cats we see are overweight so it might be worth going to the vets for a weight check to see if your cats are too chubby.
I have seen some cats on very weird and unhealthy diets because owners kept trying to find a favorite food. I had one that would only eat liver and one that only ate prawns( not the cheap ones-of course).
If I were in your situation I would use the complete cat food that they seem to hate least. Offer 2-3 meals daily, but only leave the food down for 20mins each time. Don’t leave biscuits down all day for snacks. And most important, when they give you that look that says, "What is that disgusting mess in my bowl?" you have to ignore them.

Cat Food..?

October 18th, 2009

Hi.. :)
I have a question or two about cat food,
What’s the best brand for cat food? I’m looking for one who can give my kitty all the nutrition she needs.
I already give her more than one brand, Whiskas, Purina, Kitekat.. but is there a better brand out there that would keep my cat healthy??
Also, how much should I feed her? she’s about one year old.

And, which is better, dry or canned food, & why?

thnx alot :)
Grocery store brands and Science Diet are all garbage. Read the labels. They are filled with corn and wheat which provide no nutrition for cats and some cats are allergic to them. Look for brands such as Innova, Felidae, Natural Balance, etc. You won’t find them in grocery stores. Most tend to be in specialty pet shops or feed stores. The about.com website as a great review of the top foods. They recommend wet, but a combination of wet and dry is great, because the cats get the wet food but the dry keeps their teeth clean and healthy.

Once your cats taste the good foods, they won’t want the other stuff. I used to feed my cat Science Diet until I knew better. Once I started mixing in the Felidae with the Science Diet, he started eating around the Science Diet.

Cat food

October 16th, 2009

People have told me that wet cat food is best for cats, but when ever we tried it on him he got sick what could cause this??? by sick I mean lots of through up also if it matters he’s half purebred himilain and half purebred nowigeian forset cat. Weve been feeding him natures logic and stuff like that vet recemended He has no food alergies as far as we know
Did you switch him onto the new food slowly? You have to switch your Pets food slowly over a period of 10 to 14 days, if you can. Mixing 25% new to 75% old. Then 50/50… then 75% new to 25% old. And finally switch over to 100% new. Take it slow as not to upset their digestive system. Let me share with you what I have learned about feline nutrition to help you make an informed decision on what diet you should feed your cat. Many brands of manufactured cat foods claiming to be “healthy” really are not. In fact they are made of the lowest ingredients possible. I’m not saying that a cat can’t live off them… just the same as you could live off hot dogs and Mac and cheese forever, but better choices can and should be made for your feline friends. I would not venture to say that any manufactured food is “best” for a cat but a grain free organic wet food would be a good start. Feeding canned is certainly better than feeding dry in all cases. Cats were never meant to eat dry food, also known as cereals or kibble. We, humans, make them eat it for convenience to us. It has nothing to do with them or their nutritional needs. It’s completely species inappropriate. All small domestic cats descended from desert cats. In the wild, desert cats derive their entire liquid intake from their prey. They do not have a thirst mechanism because they don’t need it when eating a species appropriate diet. They get all they need from what they eat. Additionally water was usually not available to them in their desert climate. So they do not often drink water. Regular ol’ house cats have descended from those same wild desert cats. So in a home environment, your kitty does not get the moisture it needs from dry food and it’s almost always in a constant state of dehydration. Water fountains are encouraged to TRY to get your cat to drink more and your kitty may even enjoy it, but it will never meet its water intake needs drinking from a bowl. Deadly feline illnesses such as diabetes, kidney failure, obesity, allergies, Irritable Bowel Disease (IBD), bladder stones, kidney stones, urinary tract blockages and Urinary Tract Infections (FLUTD), with and without deadly crystals run rampant these days. Cats are not taking in enough water to stave them off. Proper water intake through a species appropriate diet alone can prevent most of these conditions. Overall, wet is all around better for any cats diet, be it canned or Raw and they should never be fed dry cereal kibble if we wish to most closely match their wild nutritional and dietary needs. Kibble meets our needs… not our cats. It is also bogus that kibble cleans teeth. DRY FOOD DOES NOT CLEAN TEETH. It’s an old myth that has been scientifically disproved for years, but old-school vets drilled it into people’s heads for so long (and sadly still do) that people still believe it. Cats can not “chew”. They do not have flat “chewing” teeth. Their molars are not for grinding food. They have meat ripping pointy carnivorous teeth. You may see them “crunch” a piece of food once to crack and break it… but they are absolutely unable to chew a hard piece of food. Want your cat to have clean teeth? Give them an appropriately sized raw bone to chew on. :o) I personally feed a Raw Meat and Bones based diet to my cats and they are very healthy on it. I HIGHLY recommend it. Once I got the hang of it and felt comfortable with it it’s a snap to prepare. It’s something you might want to consider someday. Cats are obligate carnivores after all and must derive ALL their nutrients from meat based sources. They are unable to absorb them from any other source. Despite thousands of years of domestication they remain strictly carnivorous. True and honest meat eaters and that is what they need most. Protein from meat! If you are interested in feeding a raw diet some great places to start learning are http://www.catinfo.org/ , http://www.catnutrition.org/ , and http://www.felinefuture.com/nutrition/ . If you would like to try raw with your cats and don’t want to get all technical about it but want to try a trusted, time tested and balanced raw diet you can order from http://www.felinespride.com/products/catfood.aspx . I purchased this myself when I first started and my cats loved it! Another premade Raw you can try is Natures Varity. I personally have never used this but know many people that do and it’s pretty easy to find http://www.naturesvariety.com/content.lasso?page=1507&-session=naturesvariety:D04EC9250597c11908GJS417647E. If raw is not an option for you please be aware that there are three Categories of manufactured Pet Foods: -”Grocery store” foods – (Generic Brands and cheap name brands) Those foods found in grocery stores and mass-market retailers are made with lower-quality, less-digestible, inexpensive ingredients and are therefore a cheaper alternative. While easy on the pocketbook, “grocery store” foods normally do not provide your cat with the healthiest, most nutrient-dense ingredients. -Premium foods – (Iams/Eukanuba, Purina One, Hills Science Diet, Nutro and such) Foods often found in grocery stores, pet stores, and veterinarian offices that contain higher-grade ingredients, but still include many elements of “grocery store” food, such as artificial colors, artificial flavors, chemical preservatives, and “filler” ingredients such as corn and wheat products, by-products and even animal digest. Yuck! Premium foods are usually more expensive than “grocery store” foods because their ingredients are sometimes of a higher quality, and are therefore somewhat more beneficial and digestible. But don’t be fooled, some of those same so called Premium brands are sometimes worse than grocery store foods, but they charge prices like they are better. They aren’t! -Healthy foods – (Wellness, Merrick, Eagle Pack, Drs Foster & Smith) The newest addition to the pet food market - provide pets with the highest quality, healthiest, and most nutritious ingredients. They are typically available for purchase online or direct from the manufacturer. Some better retailers are starting to carry them now. Complete Petmart carries a few healthy brand foods. Foods in the Healthy class contain nutrient-rich ingredients. Formulated to provide optimum health benefits for pets, these foods often use real meat as the primary protein source, carbohydrate-rich whole grains like brown rice and barley and whole, fresh fruits and vegetables. They should not contain artificial preservatives, flavors, or colors. They will almost always be fortified with additional vitamins and minerals, and will use the best natural sources for fatty acids to help build healthy skin and a beautiful coat. Because healthy foods use high quality ingredients, you should expect to pay a little more than you would for other types of pet food. Remember, though, with healthy foods you can feed less since healthy foods are more nutrient-dense than other types of food so it often evens out or cost’s les than feeding foods filled with cheap non-nutritional by-products fillers. With all that information in mind, when you are choosing a new cat food, study the ingredients. All ingredients on pet food labels are listed by weight. Meaning whatever ingredients are listed first on the list, there is more in there. The first ingredients listed should be whole meat ingredients, protein sources, such as Chicken or Turkey. NOT just the word “meat”! Who the heck knows what that is? The word Chicken Meal is ok, but it should be a secondary ingredient, not first. Meal is the meat dehydrated and ground into a powder. The ingredients also should NOT include any by-products or animal digest whatsoever. Those are disgusting left over animal parts that are scraped off the filthy floors of meat and poultry plants. They should just go into the trash but they put them into pet food instead. EW!!!! Also make sure there are no artificial colors or flavors. And make sure there is no BHA and BHT used preservatives. These preservatives have been shown to cause cancer in both cats and dogs. Bad Bad stuff and it’s in almost every cat treat on the market. :( So, in summery of the ingredients… if you see the words by-products, Animal Digest, the word “meat” alone, Corn, Corn Gluten, Wheat Gluten, or BHA or BHT… stop reading, put down that product and move on to the next. Be aware that when switching to a Healthy, Holistic or Organic food, you will pay for what you get. Good foods are not cheap. They are pricey and will cost you more than cheaper products, just like steak costs more than hotdogs. But again, you will be feeding a better food and improving the over all health of your pet. This in turn leads to less vet visits for illness now and more importantly later in life in their geriatric years. You will also feed less of this food on a per animal basis because a smaller amount of food contains what your cat needs. Overall healthy wet foods are well worth it, if only for the piece of mind that the ingredients are better for your cat than cheap crap. You can start your research for a healthy cat food here if you are not ready to try feeding a Raw diet: http://www.onlynaturalpet.com If you want to buy in a store, Complete Petmart is a good store and carries quite a few natural, organic, and holistic blends. Also check with your local feed/grain stores. I highly recommend you take the time to research for yourself, but the information I have given should get you off to a good start. Good luck choosing a healthy food!

Is Your Dog Dying to Eat?