# What do you feed your cats?



## xFl (Apr 24, 2010)

For those of you who have cats, what do you feed them? Mine's on science diet and wellness canned food. I'm looking for maybe a better quality dry food for her... and maybe a diet- she's getting massive. Suggestions? Recommendations?








Like a fuzzy mountain.


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## ~Lynae (Apr 21, 2010)

You have an adorable kitty!!!
I remember, we had a chubby rescued cat, and we got him down to normal size just by portioning out smaller lunches for him. Kinda like how people just do portion-control as a diet. Just a suggestion as your food choices sound pretty good already!


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## BostonBob (Apr 24, 2010)

I got my cat back in 2003 and no matter what brand of food I gave him he would just stop eating it after a couple of months. About 2 years ago I saw a story on TV about quality pet food vs crappy pet food and they mentioned this brand:










I bought a bag and my cat absolutely loved it and has been eating it ever since. I think the only local store that carries it is Pet Smart and a 3.5 lb bag costs about $ 13 but it frequently goes go on sale for $ 10. Although good quality pet foods cost more they also last longer because there are less fillers as ingredients and you don't have to feed as much to your pet.


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## onefishtwofish (Apr 21, 2010)

vet recommened royal canin for my cats.


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## cpool (Apr 30, 2010)

I feed my cat, and this maybe hard to believe, cat food!


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

My cats get raw diet on week days and canned on weekends (Evo chicken and turkey).


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## Rastapus (Apr 21, 2010)

I recommend the Go! line of cat food. My two Ocicats were on vet food and would regularly vomit. I switched them to Go! and it stopped immediately! My female lost a bit of weight as a bonus, her "pants" were getting a little loose and droopy!


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## kaisa (Apr 21, 2010)

You could look into a medical diet for your kitty

i had my 2.5 year old, 17lb cat on royal canin indoor but since I allowed him to free feed all day he got the dreaded pouch on his belly that hangs down  a few weeks ago on the advice of his vet I switched him over to Medi-Cal calorie control and by strictly following the feeding guide he's lost a few pounds already 

Lots of playtime and excersize helps too. I just bought Diesel a laser pointer and make him race around the house a few times a day to help with the weight loss


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## Rastapus (Apr 21, 2010)

kaisa said:


> You could look into a medical diet for your kitty
> 
> i had my 2.5 year old, 17lb cat on royal canin indoor but since I allowed him to free feed all day he got the dreaded pouch on his belly that hangs down  a few weeks ago on the advice of his vet I switched him over to Medi-Cal calorie control and by strictly following the feeding guide he's lost a few pounds already
> 
> Lots of playtime and excersize helps too. I just bought Diesel a laser pointer and make him race around the house a few times a day to help with the weight loss


Medi-Cal was the problem food for me. I have found the more natural the food, cats eat less. It tends to be the "fillers" in cat food that pack on the pounds!


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

The fillers also make them poop and throw up hairballs more too, in my experience.


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## Rastapus (Apr 21, 2010)

2wheelsx2 said:


> The fillers also make them poop and throw up hairballs more too, in my experience.


Agreed! Stick to high grade foods. After my headaches with Medi cal with both my dog and cats, I have found out the hard way.


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## JUICE (Jan 4, 2020)

Rastapus said:


> I recommend the Go! line of cat food. My two Ocicats were on vet food and would regularly vomit. I switched them to Go! and it stopped immediately! My female lost a bit of weight as a bonus, her "pants" were getting a little loose and droopy!


i have my 20 pound beast on iams digestive care ? but he still vomits , i think most cats do ..


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## beN (Apr 21, 2010)

we need to switch also.. poor Frank pukes all the time. Noel eats like a pig though.


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## kaisa (Apr 21, 2010)

Rastapus said:


> Medi-Cal was the problem food for me. I have found the more natural the food, cats eat less. It tends to be the "fillers" in cat food that pack on the pounds!


I don't think I'll keep him on this forever. Eventually I want to switch him to the better natural foods with real meat and less bad stuff...I just bought a bag to test it out and see if I can get him to loose that ugly pouch. He looks skinny and healthy other than the poucn but it looks horrible on a shaved cat


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## Rastapus (Apr 21, 2010)

kaisa said:


> I don't think I'll keep him on this forever. Eventually I want to switch him to the better natural foods with real meat and less bad stuff...I just bought a bag to test it out and see if I can get him to loose that ugly pouch. He looks skinny and healthy other than the poucn but it looks horrible on a shaved cat


I am very happy with the Go! line we carry. I am very picky about cat and dog foods as many of you know. I am using a Salmon blend right now and have been for some time. They seem to be eating more but have trimmed up a bit. Give it a try, I noticed a huge difference. And you can pick it up with your next fish!


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## JUICE (Jan 4, 2020)

Rastapus said:


> I am very happy with the Go! line we carry. I am very picky about cat and dog foods as many of you know. I am using a Salmon blend right now and have been for some time. They seem to be eating more but have trimmed up a bit. Give it a try, I noticed a huge difference. And you can pick it up with your next fish!


any samples ?? if my guy likes it and the price is right , i could switch ?


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

I'm going to check out this Go! line. I've not tried it before. I didn't even know you guys sold cat food.


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## Rastapus (Apr 21, 2010)

2wheelsx2 said:


> I'm going to check out this Go! line. I've not tried it before. I didn't even know you guys sold cat food.


We were specializing in dog but hey, I love cats! Try it! I did!


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## Rastapus (Apr 21, 2010)

JUICE said:


> any samples ?? if my guy likes it and the price is right , i could switch ?


Heaps of samples for dogs, cats there might be, if not there are some smaller sizes you can try. Not for the FRT though.......


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## Chappy (Apr 21, 2010)

In my personal opinion, the BEST dog/cat food commercially available:

http://www.naturapet.com/brands/evo.asp


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## Rastapus (Apr 21, 2010)

Embersmom said:


> In my personal opinion, the BEST dog/cat food commercially available:
> 
> http://www.naturapet.com/brands/evo.asp


I have heard positive comments regarding this line as well. My guys tried a bag of it once, did not mind it, I did not feed it long enough to really create an opinion. There is very little margin in dog and cat foods, you get what you pay for that is for sure.


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

The EVO is very very good. I only use the cans though. My cats like it, it's very digestible. But it does produce stinkier poop than when I feed raw diet.


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## O.C.D Fishies (Apr 21, 2010)

Sorry guys I am going to pipe in about the Evo here.*After a $1,200 visit to the vet with my ferret and problems with my cats I have switched off the stuff. 
I heard about this stuff and thought that it was going to be good stuff as it has alot of protine what the animals need, before and again I feed my cats and ferrets the go brand grant is taking about but I use "Now". I did the switch after a trip the the vet and lernt that my cat is high risk for diabeties. When you see the ingrediants there is soooo much friut in this brand. I figure fruit = sugar, so that is when I switched to the evo. 
So after having my cat on this for awhie she started to get very bloated and she was not having a bowel movment. Once she finally did it was boody. I immediatly took her off it and put the cats back on the now and soon she was doing beter, stomic went down and she was having her usual movements. I did keep my ferrets on the Evo though. After about a month i was at about half the Evo and half the Now with the ferrrets, I noticed my ferret was having problems with urinating. So after spending al night at the emergency I had to take him to eage ridge vet in port moody. He had bladder stones. When I was in the emergency they said that most of the bladder stones they get with animals are caused by the evo. They have alot of meat but aparrenty it is lacking in the fat area. This was enough of a scare for me they were al switched back to the Now. I then tryed a few times to give my cat the canned stuff as I have a few canns and it is expensive but my cat just throw it up both times. 
I am not trying to act like I know what I am talking abou tjust wanted to share my experience with you guys.


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## kelly528 (Apr 21, 2010)

Something to be aware of: P&G has bought out Naturapet, makers of Innova and Evo. If anyone still wants to feed these, I would keep a VERY close eye on the back of the label for any recipe changes... I really doubt P&G will keep up with quality ingredients, etc. I'm betting $20 they crapify Innova and Evo just like they did with Iams years ago.


xFL: How old is your cat and have you tried him/her on senior cat diets? I have heard of people switching their younger but overweight cats onto senior diets, which are formatted for less active cats.


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## xFl (Apr 24, 2010)

We think our cat is around 3 yrs old, we got her from the shelter as a stray, and they weren't sure how old she was. I used to have a bengal that we fed Evo to, and it gave her digestion problems-very similar to what O.C.D.Fishies experienced.. so I'm wary of it now. GO sounds promising..
I didn't know about the senior diets.. though I know some brands have Indoor formulas..has anyone tried Wellness indoor/reduced calorie foods?


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

It's good to hear other experience then. My cats are 13 and 12 and I've been feeding Evo canned and another raw diet for about 6 years without a problem. Just another data point. I feed dry food very very rarely, only if I'm stuck because I'm out of town or I'm out of food.


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## BostonBob (Apr 24, 2010)

2wheelsx2 said:


> I feed dry food very very rarely, only if I'm stuck because I'm out of town or I'm out of food.


That's actually bad for your cat's teeth. Dry food helps to clean their teeth and to keep them strong. Wet food should only be fed a few times a week and even then I put dry food on top of the wet food.

Found this on another site:

The main argument for a mainly dry food diet seems to center around the animal's dental health. The action of eating dry food helps to strengthen a pet's jaw muscles, along with satisfying a cat or dog's natural chewing instinct. The dry food is believed to remove some plaque and tartar from a pet's teeth through mechanical scraping, which is further aided by the animal drinking water after eating dry food. Wet food alone does not provide this abrasive action. But, there are of course, additional measures you can take to address dental hygiene, and dry food alone may not prevent all potential dental problems your pet may face.

Some argue that wet food is healthier because it is closer to a diet found in an animal's natural environment than dry food. A cat's natural diet, for example, would be high in protein and low in carbohydrates. Wet food for cats is usually high in proteins, fats and moisture, while dry cat food is often higher in corn-based carbohydrates, something a cat would not normally find in nature. Because dry food lacks much of the moisture of wet food, it is recommended that dry food diets be supplemented with sufficient amounts of water. With respect to protein content, dry food actually contains a fair amount of protein, but wet food proponents say it is not as natural as the proteins found in wet food. The additional fats found in wet food are also believed to encourage healthy coat growth.

You'll find veterinarians recommending a variety of diets. Some recommend a primarily dry food diet, with wet food used as an occasional treat or supplement. Dry food is considered more economical than wet food, since it does not spoil as quickly and is often sold in bulk. Many pets tend to prefer the aroma and texture of wet food to dry food, which is why it may be difficult for owners to switch to an all-dry feeding program. Mixing some dry kibbles with wet food may be enough to prevent dental problems and give the animal an opportunity to wean itself off the wet food gradually. Wet food can also spoil quickly after opening, so it should never be left in the animal's bowl for excessively long periods of time. Any remaining wet food should be refrigerated or thrown away.


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

BostonBob said:


> That's actually bad for your cat's teeth. Dry food helps to clean their teeth and to keep them strong. Wet food should only be fed a few times a week and even then I put dry food on top of the wet food.


I was going to go into details about how ground bone and meat is better than any dry food, but here:

http://www.facekitty.com/2008/11/does-dry-food-clean-cats-teeth.html

And if you google "does feeding dry food to cats clean teeth" will net you thousands of site advocating and refuting this fact. So make the decisions based on vets and on your personal experience, not the internet.


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## BostonBob (Apr 24, 2010)

2wheelsx2 said:


> I was going to go into details about how ground bone and meat is better than any dry food, but here:
> 
> http://www.facekitty.com/2008/11/does-dry-food-clean-cats-teeth.html
> 
> And if you google "does feeding dry food to cats clean teeth" will net you thousands of site advocating and refuting this fact. So make the decisions based on vets and on your personal experience, not the internet.


My original decision was based on what my vet said. Of course - if you look hard enough you might find a vet ( plus a few sites on the net ) that will tell you feeding your cat hot dogs is the best way to go.


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

BostonBob said:


> My original decision was based on what my vet said. Of course - if you look hard enough you might find a vet ( plus a few sites on the net ) that will tell you feeding your cat hot dogs is the best way to go.


Mine was also based on a vet. Just like us, vets have differing opinions...unlike sheep.


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## xFl (Apr 24, 2010)

My vet said dry food doesn't do much for their teeth either.. but I wonder if its the same for those dental treats like Greenies.


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## BullDog (Apr 21, 2010)

I feed Smudge Now! Grain free senior/weight management formula.
http://www.petcurean.com/index.php?page_id=167

He used to be on the Go! (from the same company), but the vet said he needed more fibre. He switched to Now! without any fuss at all, and since he's been on it (and also getting a proper measuring scoop) he's lost about 3 lbs.

Smudge also gets "cat tuna" from london drugs every few nights. It's just tuna, with vitamin E supplement.
http://www.londondrugs.com/Cultures...Cat Essentials&ProductID=4744884&ProductTab=3

Smudge used to not like any kind of treats, but I tried the tuna flavoured cat greenies, and he seems to like those. Not sure if they're doing any good for his teeth though, since I don't feed them regularly.


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## Chappy (Apr 21, 2010)

This has been an interesting thread. With all of Ember's health problems over the years, I've devoted a great deal of time on the subject of pet food. I will say one other thing about EVO - I would certainly NOT recommend it to any animal that has any form of impaired kidney function due to the very high protein/low carbohydrate content. It's like humans - people who have problems with their kidneys and decide to do Atkins, South Beach or Neanderthin diets have to make sure that they maintain a super level of hydration in order for proper kidney function. That amount of protein is just too hard on dysfunctional kidneys. Bet the same goes for cats and dogs as well.

VERY good point about P&G. That really is too bad. I wouldn't wait for IF they change their recipe, but WHEN.

Again, just my own 2 cents for what they're worth.
Shelley


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## traco (Apr 22, 2010)

I feed canned (different ones, switching them up ...was feeding Evo and Innova but have stopped using those due to P & G). Dry food occassionally but I add water to it, kind of like soup. lol My cats are 6 and 7, strictly indoors and have no tartar and have no weight issues. I feed twice daily.


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## Champagne (Jun 5, 2010)

My cats are now on a complete raw diet. For now I'm using Red dog Blue cat brand, however I plan on making my own soon enough. The best way to help keep cat teeth clean and their gums healthy is a RAW chicken wing or neck once a day... or every second day if there are no problems with your cat's teeth/gums.

My cats were on dry evo food and canned foods such as evo, natural balance, eagle pack, etc...

For the Raw food the best way to feed (from what I found/talking to my vet about it) is 100grams a day for every 10 pounds (unless your cat is overweight). Also supplementing with a high quality fish oil is also great for them. Makes their coat shinier, softer and they shed less. I've read in a few places now that you shouldn't feed your cat fish more then twice a week; just because of the risk of mercury and other toxins... That being said I give my cats whole fish herring.


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