# Never Ending Cat Food Dilemma



## Happi Bun (Feb 7, 2010)

We've tried so many different brands with our indoor cat's, but a problem always comes upso wetry yet another. A few off the top of my head we've tried; California Natural, Chicken Soup for the Cat Lovers Soul, Nutro, Authority. After having tried all those, we switched to Taste of the Wild since holistic cat food seems to be the most recommended by people online. Our older female (going on 11 years) started rapidly losing weight. 

She is a very picky eater, doesn't like any brand of cat treats. So wedecided to giveScience Diet a try. She gained the weight right back up.Her energy also went way up too! She actually plays like a kitten now. Our male (almost two years old) is the opposite and loves all food. He's pushing towards the overweight side. The problem with him on all thesedifferent foods including Science Diet is his stool often smells so incredibly awful. That may just be something we will have to live with though. 

I saw a commercial for Blue Buffalo cat food andbeen debating about trying that. Also been pondering trying Eukanuba. Not sure... especially with Blue Buffalo I worry about Sassy losing weight again. I've read picky cats can have problems on it. You would think she'd like the holistic pet food better! It doesn't seem to be the case though.

Should I stick with the Science Diet or tryone of the other two I just mentioned?:twitch:


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## missyscove (Feb 7, 2010)

To be honest, if she's that picky of an eater, I'd stick with the science diet since you found it and she'll eat it and is doing well on it.

Have you talked to your vet about the male's stool? It could be another issue causing it.


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## Happi Bun (Feb 7, 2010)

Thanks for the input. We did mention it before. The vet seemed to think because he ingests so much other stuff like Hay and really anything he can come across. Also, when our other cat's were around his age they seemed to go through this stage of smelly stool. The vet didn't think it was anything to be concerned about, unless his stool looked unusual, but it doesn't.


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## undergunfire (Feb 7, 2010)

My cats lost weight and had diarrhea on Taste Of The Wild. Those issues started popping up 2 weeks into a 15lbs bag, after we had tried out a 6lbs bag beforehand to do a slow switch over off of Chicken Soup. I called the company and complain...they refunded my money.

I have tried a ton of different dry cat foods over the past 2 years....all of them seemed to just not be the right one. We have finally settled on Natural Balance green pea & duck. It's grain free, too. With having 4 cats it does get expensive, though....it's $23 for 10lbs here. I go through 2 bags a month!

You might want to stick with just feeding a grain-included diet. I have heard some cats lose too much weight when being fed grain free. Have you tried Solid Gold, Eagle Pack, or Innova (EVO was too rich for my cats)?

Are you feeding any wet food? Cats need wet food in their diet for the moisture because dry food obviously lacks it. Most cats do not drink enough water and are in fact dehydrated. I feed Authority brand, Trader's Joe's brand, Pet Promise, Natural Balance, and sometimes I'll feed certain types of Friskies & SophistaCat to "suppliment" my spending. Those last 2 are not the best, but it has been said that even the lowest quality of wet food is better then feeding only dry food. The best part about feeding wet is that you can pick up random brands when they are on sale and it will not upset the tummy. Like, I feed Trader Joe's in the morning and Pet Promise at night.

Are you on the catsite.com forums? If not, you should join...there are a lot of knowledgeable people on there who really know about cat nutrition.


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## bunnybunbunb (Feb 7, 2010)

BB has grain in it I believe? Grain is no friend to a cat. I bought one bag of BB for the dogs because I got a coupon, the dogs where sick for a week even after stopping it. I will never used BB again.

Pitten has bowl issues. He eats Taste of the Wild and has done amazing on it. He gets raw meat from time to time but he basicly eats his hard food, which I soften much of the time but not all the time so his teeth do not get in bad shape.

Have you considered using the TotW but adding some type of wet canned food to it? I personally hate Science Diet so that is what i would do.


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## Happi Bun (Feb 7, 2010)

I was a member on catsite.com forums previously. I left because I hardly ever got replies on my threads, even when my beloved first cat that was with us for 15 years passed due to congestive heart failure. I have yet to try those really top (and pricey) brands like Innova. Both Cat's are given wet food (almost daily) along with dry, I even add some extra water because I know it's common for them to not drink enough.

However, Sassy still lost a bunch of weight on TotW even with wet food brands she likes being given on the side. We are talking a visible, hips sunken in, weight loss. So that was very bad especially at her old age. I do like how active both Cat's are since being on Science Diet. It's just I so often hear these days how much better holistic foods are.


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## undergunfire (Feb 8, 2010)

I personally think it will be better in the long run for them to be on something else other then Science Diet. It might be working for them now, but later on you might be paying the price because it isn't a good food. Maybe you can mix it with a better food, so they aren't just eating SD? Thats great that you are feeding wet! 

I don't think that Innova is pricey compared to Blue Buffalo. I can get higher end foods from the local grain store for way less then what PetSmart even charges for Authority.

I think its funny that on thecatsite everyone loves TOTW and thought I was crazy when I said my cats were getting sick from it. If it was 1 cat, then I wouldn't have thought it was the food....but both cats going through the same issues at the same time? Thats reason to believe it was the food. I like thecatsite just for reading...I stopped posting on there because you are right, people don't really comment on your threads.

How long do you give it before you switch to another dry?


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## juliew19673 (Feb 8, 2010)

I'm currently going through the same thing; I have a cat who is 21 and half (yup - had her since she was 5 weeks old).. Lately she's turned her nose up at her beloved Innova Evo; tried Natural Balance/Wellness - she was having none of it (even tried warming it up); then last night I remembered the one thing that always brings her around - Gerbers Basics chicken flavor (yes - baby food). Expensive, but usually after a few days on this she'll go back to her Innova. May try the Traders Joe food (you never know what will work)..


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## Raspberry82 (Feb 11, 2010)

Hmm. I guess I've been very lucky. My family used to have a bunch of cats growing up, but none of them were picky eaters. Maybe if you got some ground beef or chicken breast, cooked it and then added it minced up with her food she'd go back to eating it?

Sorry you're having a tough time with your kitties!


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## undergunfire (Feb 11, 2010)

*Raspberry82 wrote: *


> Maybe if you got some ground beef or chicken breast, cooked it and then added it minced up with her food she'd go back to eating it?


I don't suggest feeding cooked meat - you should always give raw over cooked.


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## bunnybunbunb (Feb 13, 2010)

"I don't suggest feeding cooked meat - you should always give raw over cooked."

Raw meat is proper but any commercial food is cooked so how is the hard crappy food better than real cooked meat?

If you are going to feed meat, it should be raw, but you can not feed it with hard/soft commercial food because they will get sick.

You can always make her food. I have been through bouts of doing that with everyone. Take various meats, organs and veggies and blend together so they will eat the vegs and the organs, and then feed other meat on the bone. Of course, with cats you would not give the veggies, unless you believe something diffrent.


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## Happi Bun (Feb 13, 2010)

The only uncooked and fresh kind of meat Sassy eats is Tuna. Did I already mention she refuses to eat any kind of cat treat, commercial and home made? She really is such a diva, but we love her. I'm sure with persistence she would come to like a raw diet but to be quite honest I don't have the time or confidence to go that route. She does like the wet Trader Joes brand cat food, which appears to be holistic and have very good ingredients. It worries me that it's such an unheard of type of food though. 

Here is a picture of Sassy.


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## Mrs. PBJ (Feb 14, 2010)

I have not tried TOTW I will be this month when my wellness runs out I have heard mixxed reviews on it. 

Its seems some cats can handle it some can't 

I would go with wellness they have a few different flavors personally i would get them off science diet.


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## fuzz16 (Feb 14, 2010)

i have a cat with your same problem. she was bottle raised by me from day 1 after she was abandoned. she has not ever...been perfectly right. lol. shes very uncatlike. but she is very picky as well...i was on royal canin for awhile, she liked it. but then i tried felidae and she LOVED it. but felidae is a lot like blue buffalo i think and not the best.
i doubt its recommended but i do a mixture of foods now...it keeps her weight up and her healthy because she does have an overactive thyroid. (shes about half naked now from it -.-) 
i do evo mixed with wellness core-fish and fowl mixed with felidae senior. i also do a can of either eagle pack holistic food or wellness, or felidae for her wet food. 

evo is very rich and a lot of cats cant handle it, but its an amazing food and i really like it


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## Nela (Feb 14, 2010)

My cats are both on Science Diet as recommended by my vet. Of course, I guess that recommendation also has to do with what is available locally. Both my cats love it. I admit, I had tried since to get them on a cheaper food but right away they started looking kind of scruffy and all that joy. I have since found it in bigger sizes and they are staying on it. I also noticed my male smells worse but heh, means i have to clean more often - unfortunately :grumpy:Lol. Do you have carbon filters on your litterbox? I have found that those help a lot (I have asthma so I try and use all the littlest things that can help)

Hope you find a solution to your liking :rose:


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## Happi Bun (Feb 14, 2010)

We are making the transition to Purina Pro Plan Indoor Care. I went to Petsmart and looked at various brands. Science Diet's first ingredient is Chicken By Product Meal with a protein at 30% min. Purina Pro Plan Indoor Care Salmon and Rice Formula has Salmon as the first ingredient and 40% min protein. This is what the gal that bottle fed and fostered our younger male for the SPCA fed her cat's and she was very pleased. So we will see how this gone goes.


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## MeAndB44 (Feb 17, 2010)

*bunnybunbunb wrote: *


> If you are going to feed meat, it should be raw, but you can not feed it with hard/soft commercial food because they will get sick.


I've always been told to never feed raw meat to an animal for the same reasons you wouldn't eat raw meat yourself.

Also, keep in mind the raw meat is not a complete diet. You'd need to supplement it with fruits and veggies to provide complete nutrition. Carnivores often eat the stomach contents of their prey, giving them the fruit and veggie type things that they need.

Also, keep in mind that a cat's tasting experience is much different than a human's tasting experience.

Let's say that you give your cat chicken flavored shredded wet food and he decides to try it. Let's also say that he enjoys the chicken flavor and the gravy but he doesn't like the texture of the shredded food. He doesn't just say to himself, "I don't like shredded food." He says, "I don't like chicken flavoring or shredded food." All because of disliking a specific texture.

It's really complicated, but I wish you the best of luck!


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## Happi Bun (Feb 17, 2010)

Outside/Stray Domestic Cat's eat raw meat.  Let's not forget their ancestors which eat a completely carnivorous and raw diet. Human's can eat raw meat as well, just look at Sushi. Though regarding Animals vs Humans and a raw meat diet: Animals have different immune systems and bacteria in their stomachs that can handle what they consume. Just like we can eat Chocolate but it's very bad for species of animals to consume it.


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## undergunfire (Feb 17, 2010)

*MeAndB44 wrote: *


> Also, keep in mind the raw meat is not a complete diet. You'd need to supplement it with fruits and veggies to provide complete nutrition. Carnivores often eat the stomach contents of their prey, giving them the fruit and veggie type things that they need.*
> *


*Cats DO NOT need fruits and veggies to survive. In my opinion (and many others) a raw diet is the best diet out there because you can mimic their ancestors diets. The only reason why a lot of people don't feed raw is because it can be expensive depending on what meat it is/where you get it, they don't know about it/its benefits, are afraid they won't do it correctly, don't want to handle raw meat, etc.*



> Let's say that you give your cat chicken flavored shredded wet food and he decides to try it. Let's also say that he enjoys the chicken flavor and the gravy but he doesn't like the texture of the shredded food. He doesn't just say to himself, "I don't like shredded food." He says, "I don't like chicken flavoring or shredded food." All because of disliking a specific texture.


*This does not apply to all cats. I can feed my cats shredded on occasion and they always go right back to eating the regular loaf.* *A cat will "eat with its nose", then really won't know that its shredded until they take a bite. If its chicken flavor and they like chicken...they will take a bite and if they decide they don't like it, then they will walk away.*



*Amber....*if you are going to feed Purina with that min. protein %, then can you up the feeding on the wet food? They'd do much better eating mainly wet then they would the dry.


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## Mrs. PBJ (Feb 17, 2010)

MeAndB44 wrote:


> *bunnybunbunb wrote: *
> 
> 
> > If you are going to feed meat, it should be raw, but you can not feed it with hard/soft commercial food because they will get sick.
> ...



you do know that our body is made to eat raw meat just like our carnivore counter parts do in the wild? We have teeth like cats dog made for chewing meat and veggies. We can eat raw we just have to get our bodys used to it just like your dog or cat. Sorry learn that in my pre basic for Nursing school. Well college basic but my teacher will be my teacher in nursing school to. 

Most people don't even consider this as to why our bodys are made to live 200 years but most don't even make it to 80.


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## Happi Bun (Feb 17, 2010)

*undergunfire wrote: *


> "*Amber....*if you are going to feed Purina with that min. protein %, then can you up the feeding on the wet food? They'd do much better eating mainly wet then they would the dry."


Amy, that's my rabbit's name. I'm Erika, no worries though.I sure can up the wet food feeding. Though Sassy is even more picky with that! She only will eatbrands with a specific texture and even then will barely eat half a small can. Our younger male goes over after finishing his and inhales her leftovers. I willup it though, thanks for the suggestion.


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## undergunfire (Feb 17, 2010)

Sorry...for some reason I always want to call you "Amber", even before you had Amber the bunny .

I had to start sectioning off my cats because I have 2 fatties who will steal the 2 slow-eaters wet food. My Juju isn't a huge wet food kitty, but I feel like hes healthy even though he barely eats half a can a day because he also eats Natural Balance grain free.

Did you try the Trader Joe's food (sorry if I missed that)? Juju goes crazy for it! Sadly we don't have a TJ's and I'd have to travel 2.5 hours to get to one, lol!


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## Happi Bun (Mar 22, 2010)

*undergunfire wrote: *


> Sorry...for some reason I always want to call you "Amber", even before you had Amber the bunny ."


Really? Sometimes people just like a certain name! I've had that problem. Noworries!

I didn't try the Trader Joes brand, besides can food, only because It doesn't seem that well known so I'm kind of iffy. Sassy seems to have problems on that grain free stuff, it's weird.We just switched _back _to Science Diet from Purina Pro Plan because I noticed she was looking thinner (so bizarre!) and bothour cats coats looked just awful to me. Since switching back Sassyis already more active and happier.Honestly, why try and fix a good thing? She is getting up there in age. After she passes we will try out a holistic grain free brand forCody, since he doesn't have her weight loss problems on certain foods.


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## undergunfire (Mar 22, 2010)

Well I am glad Sassy is feeling/looking better - and you are right, why fix a good thing now?

I'm back into the "never ending cat food dilemma". NB grain free wasn't working anymore - runny poo for some kitties (I have 4, so who knows?!) and it was just getting too expensive (about $46 per month for 20lbs of food!). I am now back to feeding Chicken Soup, but I am not sure I am thrilled with it (yet again). We only switched to it as an "inbetween" while I decided what to feed next. I can get 18lbs for $30, so it is cheaper then NB. The issue is that I am still seeing runny poo in the cat boxes and the kibble gets wasted because of the star shape...I see LOTS of crumbs left all around the feeding dish - I think some breaks off and goes flying when they crunch down. 

I have tried NB, EVO, Innova, Wellness, Kirkland (same as CS), Chicken Soup, Nutro, Eagle Pack, and who knows what else. I'm seriously considering trying Purina ONE because I have read on the cat forums that its not all that bad of a food. My cats get wet food daily (approx. 6oz each), which is said to be better then feeding dry anyway.

Guess I am just fed up feeding all of the premium/high end foods and getting runny poo!!! I want to experiment and see what a mid-grade food (Purina ONE, ProPlan, or Iam's Healthy Naturals are supposed to be decent) does for my kitties and if it works....then I'm sticking with it.

I can't wait for the day when Quil doesn't have poop on his long butt fur and they cats don't smell like poop everytime they want to cuddle with you.

I mean, I have always been a big supporter of high end foods for pets...but its apparently not working for my cats (but works for my other species). I can't see how feeding an expensive premium food that gives my cats poopy butt is good for them.

:rollseyes


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## Bo B Bunny (Mar 22, 2010)

We used the BB puppy food - OMG he hated it! Now we have Iams. Cats are hard. Tank has allergies. We've been using THE GOOD LIFE and he likes that a lot but Diesel needs to gain weight.


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## undergunfire (Mar 22, 2010)

Yeah I think I am going with Iams Healthy Naturals for the cats. I can get a free 4lbs bag with a coupon from Petco, so I might as well try it!


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## Bo B Bunny (Mar 22, 2010)

Amy, do they have one for cats that doesn't have beef or seafood?


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## undergunfire (Mar 22, 2010)

They do have a chicken formula and the only thing I see is "fish oil", but its lower on the ingredient list.....

Healthy Naturals with Chicken: _Chicken, Chicken By-Product Meal, Corn Meal, Brewer Rice, Ground Whole Grain Barley, Chicken Meal, Dried Beet Pulp, Dried Egg Product, Natural Chicken Flavor, Sodium Bisulfate, Potassium Chloride, Fish Oil (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E), Animal Fat (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E), DL-Methionine, Dried Apple Pomace, Dried Carrots, Brewers Dried Yeast, Dried Peas, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin A Acetate, Niacin, Ascorbic Acid, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Thiamine Mononitrate (source of vitamin B1), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (source of vitamin B6), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement (source of vitamin B2), Inositol, Folic Acid), Calcium Carbonate, Choline Chloride, Dried Spinach, Dried Tomato, Minerals (Zinc Oxide, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Potassium Iodide, Cobalt Carbonate), Rosemary Extract._


I have read that a meat followed by a meat meal is good, so that's why I am choosing this food to try over Purina ONE.


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## Mrs. PBJ (Mar 22, 2010)

Amy I would try Wellness i went back and reread and did not see that you have used it. I am not a big fan of there dog food but there cat food is great. 

To work with them eating each other food I would do 15 mintue at a time it took us like three weeks to get boss to eat in one sitting. 

Leave it down for 15 minutes. then pull it up tell next feeding time they will get the idea rather quickly.

And yes for dog or cat you want the first three preferably four ingredients to be real meat product not by product.


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## undergunfire (Mar 22, 2010)

I have already tried Wellness. At this point...I have tried every premium/high quality food at my grain store except Solid Gold & Royal Canin (I don't think its all that high quality). I also haven't tried some of the "really high end/organic foods" that only come in 3lb bags for over $10 each (can't afford that!). We have a local mom & pop pet store who sells GO!, Orijen, etc....but they are so over priced that I just can't afford it (I'm talking $20+ for 6lbs).

I free feed dry to my kitties now because thats the only way to know that Juju (my slow eater) is actually able to get food. With 4 cats now, it is too hard to measure out food and know that everyone is getting their equal part.


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## pocketsizedrhino (Mar 22, 2010)

Royal Canin is a joke just like Science Diet. Overpriced and full of grains and corn that cats do not need!
Cats are carnivores. I believe in a grain free diet 100%. Especially after seeing how beautiful and fit my boyfriend's 1 year old cat is after being on a high quality dry food (switched a few times but is now on Acana) and wet food 3x a day (about 3oz/daily). 

This is the ingredient listing for Acana Prairie:
Chicken meal, russet potato, fresh free-run chicken, peas, fresh deboned Lake Whitefish, chicken fat (naturally preserved with Vitamin E), fresh whole eggs, sun-cured alfalfa, fresh deboned walleye, salmon oil, pumpkin, apples, carrots, turnip greens, organic sea vegetables (kelp, bladderwrack, dulse), juniper berries, cranberries, Saskatoon berries, black currants, angelica root, chicory root, red clover, red raspberry leaf, dandelion root, peppermint leaf, marigold flowers

The difference in their chicken meal and most other 'meals' in foods is that this is HUMAN grade meat. Feed grade food that is in most other brands (purina, science diet, ect..) contain things like crushed up beaks, feet, meat from deceased animals... They can get away with really disgusting things in animal food. The grains used in animal foods can be moldy... really any quality goes.

Let's compare the Acana ingredients above with the Wellness chicken formula:
Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Rice, Ground Barley, Ground Rice, Chicken Fat(preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a natural source of Vitamin E), Natural Chicken Flavor, Salmon Meal, Chicken Liver, Cranberries, Tomato Pomace, Olive Oil, Chicory Root Extract, Cranberry Extract Powder, Cranberry Fiber, Flaxseed, Potassium Chloride, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Thiamine Mononitrate, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Beta-Carotene, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D-3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin B-12 Supplement), Choline Chloride, Minerals (Zinc Proteinate, Zinc Sulfate, Iron Proteinate, Ferrous Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Manganese Sulfate, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), Yucca Schidigera Extract, Dried Kelp, Chondroitin Sulfate, Glucosamine, Hydrochloride, Lactobacillus Plantarum, Enterococcus Faecium, Lactobacillus Casei, Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Taurine, Rosemary Extract.

There are so many things I can't pronounce in the Wellness listing. The first 5 ingredients contain 3 grains too... The grains may actually outweigh the real meat in the food if we add them up. The problem with a lot of dry foods is that they are scorched when they are cooked...so much that they burn away the natural nutrients and have to go in and add them back. The Acana/Orijen foods are uniquely cooked for a short 3 minutes while being tumbled around. This prevents that nutrient burning that happens in most commercially produced foods.

Purina cat food has higher levels of magnesium than most--which can cause kidney irritation. Watch out!! Older males are prone to these problems and feeding your cat these lower quality foods without really researching what they are is just asking for health issues.

I wouldn't feed any Wellness other than their Core line which is grain free. There are just better foods out there.


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## pocketsizedrhino (Mar 22, 2010)

ooops! double post.


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## Happi Bun (Mar 22, 2010)

*pocketsizedrhino wrote: *


> Royal Canin is a joke just like Science Diet. Overpriced and full of grains and corn that cats do not need!


Tell that to Sassy! She does great on Science Diet. :dunno


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## pocketsizedrhino (Mar 22, 2010)

Well, what does "doing great" mean to you?

Under the surface, her body is storing the extra carbs that are totally unnecessary.. she may not show it but it does the same damage that too many carbs does to a human. Carbs quickly convert to blood glucose and this is a leading cause of diabetes. When cats get diabetes they require 2x/day injections of insulin and regular blood testing. That is something that I think is worth preventing--and the simplest thing to do is be mindful of what you're feeding.

The biggest reason for pet food recalls are because of low quality grains causing health problems in cats and dogs. These things just aren't regulated enough for me to feel comfortable about feeding them to my animals. Another reason to opt for grain-free.

This is the Science Diet Indoor formula..
Chicken By-Product Meal, Brewers Rice, Corn Gluten Meal, Ground Whole Grain Corn, Powdered Cellulose (10.5% source of fiber), Chicken Liver Flavor, Soybean Oil, Animal Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), Calcium Sulfate, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, vitamins (L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement), Glyceryl Monostearate, Vitamin E Supplement, DL-Methionine, Iodized Salt, Taurine, minerals (Zinc Oxide, Ferrous Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), L-Carnitine, preserved with Mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid, Beta-Carotene, Rosemary Extract.

The price you're paying for that is ridiculous. You could buy a number of better foods for the same cost. The grains and utter trash that is in this food severely outweighs the actual meat that is in it. I wouldn't feed a carnivore a bunch of grains, just like I wouldn't feed my rabbit a bunch of meat. It just isn't natural. It's an easy choice for me... *shrug*


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## Happi Bun (Mar 22, 2010)

Energy, nice looking coat, and healthy weight.  I always look at ingredients on all my pet's food so I know what Science Diet lacks. However, like I said I've tried many different grain free, no by-product, holistic cat foods and she losses weight or lays around all day. If I could find a food in the same price range that is holistic that she actually does just as good on then you can bet I would change in a heart beat. I hate having to change these brands all the time. She is an old girl now at 12 years and very picky. I have had nothing but bad luck with the grain free no by-product diets, it's so frustrating! 

'Holistic' brands we've tried:

California Natural
Chicken Soup for the Cat Lovers Soul
Taste of the Wild


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## Mrs. PBJ (Mar 22, 2010)

Boss has been on taste of the wild for a month now he has not lost any weight and is doing good. 

Although I have seen mixed review on it. 

Here is a food I have not seen anyone try its pricy thats for sure but phoenix eat the dog form of it.

http://www.naturesvariety.com/instinct_cat

Note There is a rabbit formula. So if thats a problem void it out.


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## undergunfire (Mar 22, 2010)

Some cats just can't handle no grains, though...that is the issue. I am pretty sure my cats couldn't handle TOTW because it was grain free/too rich for them. Even on NB grain free we still had runny poop.

As much as I am all for high quality diets in pets...sometimes you have to "settle" on the lower quality if it is working for your pets. Like what I am going through...my cats have all done bad on higher quality foods, so now I am going to try a lower quality and see what happens. If their runny poo goes away, then I'm going to keep them on a lower quality dry diet with quality wet foods.

Besides, dry food is supposed to be the worst diet for cats anyway - cats shouldn't even be eating dry food because of how processed it is. I have read numerous times that the cheapest wet food is better then even the highest quality of dry food. The only proper diet for cats, IMO, is the raw diet....but some of us can't handle feeding it and/or its really expensive if you don't have the "hook ups". Cats didn't eat canned wet food in the wild, nor did they eat high quality dry food.


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## Happi Bun (Mar 22, 2010)

Sassy doesn't eat canned food much either. She is quite strange... I still love her though! I give her _half _of a _small_ can of wet food and she doesn't finish it all. So Cody goes over and finishes her. :rollseyes
This never ending cat food dilemma makes me-ullhair:


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## pocketsizedrhino (Mar 22, 2010)

I wonder if it makes a difference if the cat starts out on a grain-free diet, like my boyfriend's cat, rather than switching later on in life? My 12 year old cat was on Purina Indoor most of his life (I got him when I was 7)... He now eats a mix of Felidae and Acana and he does good on it and eats it right up.. His problem is that he will ONLY eat Friskies wet food, so I do understand your dilemma, Erika. 

I've spent a lot of money trying out different high quality wet foods and he snubs most of them... ONE that he will eat is the Weruva mideast feast flavor. It is so annoying.... 

Cats are generally better at transition foods than dogs are but some of the issues you guys are saying you've had (runny poop mainly) could be due to transitioning too fast.
I hear a lot of hit or miss about TOTW from customers in the store I work at... Some animals just get sick on it, it seems like. 

Kat, Nature's Variety is pricey but it is a great food!


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## undergunfire (Mar 22, 2010)

I know I haven't switched my cats over too fast and they have runny poo on all of the higher quality foods. I'd love to try Eagle Pack Holistic (Chicken & Rice) since Juju & Zaide (RIP) did awesome on that food...but feeding 4 cats and having to pay $22 for a 6.6lbs bag just isn't possible. I guess when you have run out of trying out the higher end options, then the only option left is to try out the lower quality options.

I also don't think starting out on grain free gives them a better chance at doing good on it. My little Quil started out on it and he still got runny poo. It all just depends on the individual cat. Sometimes you have to throw in the towel and admit that if a lower quality food produces better results then a higher quality food, then that is just what you are going to have to feed and deal with others telling you you are making a bad choice. I am certainly at that point (well, if the lower quality stuff works for us).


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## Mrs. PBJ (Mar 23, 2010)

I also do a quick switch with all my pets on food. 

Boss has been on a high quality food from the womb. 

I think it makes a difference. Amy I was saying about Taste of the wild is a hit or miss. 

Boss can handle evo and TOTW and Wellness core and Instinct.

But he has never been fed Purina or anything like that. 

So i guess it could make a difference. I have never had a issue switching boss between foods. I can change his canned food. His kibble no issue. So i am pretty lucky. 

Amy I really hope you find something for your four babys.


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## undergunfire (Mar 23, 2010)

I ended up getting some Purina ONE (chicken) and am going to try that out with my cats. Iam's Healthy Naturals was $7 for 3.5lbs and didn't come in larger bags, so I thought that was a bit too much. Hopefully this works for us, but if it doesn't then I am at a loss for what to do! I can't keep switching back and forth because it can't be good for their tummies...and I also can't afford to feed 100% wet (plus, the cats like some crunch and like to snack on the dry - Juju at least).

Yeah, Kat...I am glad we can switch between wet food with no issues....but its the dry food that is such a pain in the butt (literally..for the cats, anyway). I still wish I could handle feeding raw, but it seems pretty pricey and I can't stomach it (even just to supplement their diet).


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## Mrs. PBJ (Mar 23, 2010)

undergunfire wrote:


> I ended up getting some Purina ONE (chicken) and am going to try that out with my cats. Iam's Healthy Naturals was $7 for 3.5lbs and didn't come in larger bags, so I thought that was a bit too much. Hopefully this works for us, but if it doesn't then I am at a loss for what to do! I can't keep switching back and forth because it can't be good for their tummies...and I also can't afford to feed 100% wet (plus, the cats like some crunch and like to snack on the dry - Juju at least).
> 
> Yeah, Kat...I am glad we can switch between wet food with no issues....but its the dry food that is such a pain in the butt (literally..for the cats, anyway). I still wish I could handle feeding raw, but it seems pretty pricey and I can't stomach it (even just to supplement their diet).



Amy have you look into Evo canned you can get a 13 ounce can for 2 bucks. Its the only reason I can still feed boss wet while we are trying to save for a car. 

Or even Evo dry sorry if you posted already about evo but its a good grain free food and for the price of a can of wet its a great price point. Considering I was paying 89 cent for a 2.8 ounce can of wet. 

Boss get 
TOTW dry 1/2 cup a day
2.3 ounce of Evo canned a day


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## undergunfire (Mar 23, 2010)

My cats can't handle EVO dry....there was poop smeared all over my house when I tried that, LOL. A LOT of cats can't handle EVO because it is so rich.

EVO canned here is almost $3 for a 13oz can - that's $3 per day just in canned which is $90 a month JUST for canned food. Litter is about $20 per month, so that is $110. Then add in dry which is around $30....thats about $140 just for the cats, which isn't do-able. With 4 cats, 1 dog, 4 rabbits, and 4 rats I pay about $160 per month ($100 on cats alone)....so increasing the total by another $40 is going to be a bit much since I am still in school for the next 6 weeks.


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## pocketsizedrhino (Mar 23, 2010)

I know you may not be interested in trying something else, but I wanted to mention Evanger's brand cat food. They have a "low grain" formula that is a great price for what it is. They have a 12lb. bag for $25 on their website but it may be cheaper elsewhere. I didn't know about this brand until recently.. their packaging turns me off a little bit though I'll be honest, lol.


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## undergunfire (Mar 23, 2010)

I can't get Evanger's locally and can't afford the added shipping costs. Living in a small area sucks...higher prices and less options as far as stores go. I have a feed store that has TONS of dog food brands, but yet a tiny cat food section...then there is PetSmart & Petco, as well as a mom & pop pet store who waaaay over charges.

Someone just needs to come over to my house 2x a day to feed raw, LOL. I can't even force myself to purchase meat at the store when I get into one of my "well, I should try feeding raw again"....I feel gross and nasty just walking past the meat isle :laughsmiley:.


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## Happi Bun (May 19, 2010)

Update on our never ending Cat food dilemma-

We switched off Science Diet. I can't even remember _why _we switched to that junk in the first place. Really bad ingredients. :yuck We are feeding Authority Sensitive Solutions now. No animal by-products, artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. It's not high quality but not low quality either, it's about middle ground. Was recommended on the Cat Forum for people who can't afford the really high end stuff. We are going to feed a high quality canned food along with the Authority dried. It's just a matter of finding one they like! I tried Blue Buffalo Spa Select cans, yeah that didn't go over well.


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## undergunfire (May 19, 2010)

Thats good news, Erika! I forgot I had tried the Authority kind with my kitties and it didn't work well for them, so I am glad it has been working for your kitty.

I finally have no more runny cat poo in my house, either :biggrin2:...we are feeding Nature's Select & it gets delivered right to our door (or to the grooming salon)! $51 for 40lbs, so its not that bad.


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## Mrs. PBJ (May 19, 2010)

Wow Amy I never saw the post about Evo I pay 1.72 a 13 ounce can for Evo.


But I think we may be changing to Evangers I can get it for 1.26 for a 13 ounce can. 

I hope everyone that has a cat on Evo plans on getting them off before they change ingredients.


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## Happi Bun (May 19, 2010)

That's too bad your kitties didn't do well on Authority. That's actually what we fed our previous kitty, Sunny, for his adult life. He passed away at 15 and always did great on it. Some cats just don't respond well to certain foods. Like how ours did awful on Taste of the Wild but others can do great on it.


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## BooLette (May 24, 2010)

I feed Blue Buffalo Wilderness. It is the only dry food that doesn't make my cats vomit. That said, every cat is different just like every dog is and what works for mine may not work for yours.


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## LV426 (May 30, 2010)

I have four cats:
Trouble: 16 years
Monster: 4 years
Squidgey: 6 years
LittleBit: 11 months

Trouble has Chronic Renal Failure so he's on a special canned diet. I feed him Hi-Tor Neo. It's a low phosphorous and low protein diet. He needs the extra moisture from the canned and he's lost a bunch of teeth in his old age so he doesn't eat as much dry anymore. 

The other 3 are currently on a mixture of 2 different foods. 
One is Blue Wilderness, the duck formula. $18.95/12lb bag
http://www.bluebuff.com/products/cats/wilderness-cat-duck.shtml

The other is Feline Holistic Select Duck formula. $11.99/12lb bag

http://www.onlinepetdepot.com/holistic-select-feline-radiant-adult-health-duck-meal-recipe-12lb-p-3589.html


The Blue Wilderness is grain free and my cats love it. 
The Feline Holistic Select has some brown rice and oatmeal and assorted fruits and veggies in it and the cats like it too. I mix them both together for feeding in a feeder. They have free access to food and water at all times. 

I do feed them 2 cans of Blue Wilderness duck formula per day but the three of them split one can in the morning and one can at night.

I used to feed them Iams but my male cats kept getting urinary tract infections and along with vet bills I was cleaning up pee all the time in various places. I should have bought stock in Nature's Miracle just so I could get some money back with all of the gallons I was buying. 

Since they've been on the new diet, for 3 months now, no one has peed on anything and there's been no visit to the vet for UTI. Granted that's not all that long but for the past year I've been to the vet almost every month for UTIs in one of the cats. Also I notice that their litter box isn't as stinky. Their poop is firm and not runny or excessively smelly. The urine doesn't smell as strong. 

My 16 yr old likes to even nibble at the dry Blue Wilderness every so often. 

The only downside is expense but if I can keep from spending so much on vet bills it's worth it.


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