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Friday, April 20, 2012

Let's feed kitty

4 hours were spent at an auction yesterday and, of course, I came home with some tea-cups. I think I was able to bid on them and 'get em' only because very few people want them anymore. I had to take a box full of them with my bid and I will be keeping only a couple. I think there will be a give-away coming soon for all you tea paraphernalia lovers. I lost out on some beautiful hand-painted plates from Spain as the bidding went out of my reach. It was fun and the retired-guy is hooked. He is already looking for more auctions to pick up small items to re-sell. That's the kind of stuff you do when you are retired. He loves it.

It is raining here today so I'll be catching up on filing and tidying up the office. Audrey is like a puppy; chews on everything. I have to keep all important papers out of her reach and my plastic table-cloth cover has a large hole in the corner now so I will be getting another one for special occasion dinners. Yes, she eats plastic. She's a hellian on wheels, I tell ya.


                                                                     "Oh... oh"
I didn't touch nuttin'
"You are shameless, Audrey"
But enough of this...let's get on to something more important.

After living with cats for over 50 years, I have come to the conclusion that they need moist food and lots of it. Since putting my cats on mostly canned food with only a little dry for their crunch addiction, they have lost some weight, look better  and act much less sluggish.
I started reading up on the down-side of feeding cats dry kibble only a few years back. Then, a good friend who lives with 5 cats and is on top of all the latest news in the feline world, told me that she took her cats off dry food and is really happy with the results. All her cats lost a bit of weight, their coats looked better and their stools were normal, finally. She fed them, twice a day, canned food only with a snack in the evening of a handful of dry. Lots of fresh water throughout the day and that's that. So, about a year ago I did the same and I also am happy with the look of my 4 oldsters and now the 2 young ones. The dry I give them for a snack (1/4 cup at most) is a grain free dry food. They all love it. They each get 1 1/2 cans a day of moist food ( 5.5 oz. cans) broken up into two meals. I give them Eagle Pack Holistic Moist food. If they are around at our dinner time I will give them a little treat of whatever meat is being served, mostly chicken and fish cut up on a plate to be shared. They look forward to this and it helps them bond.
My vet agrees that the dry food is what puts weight on our cats. All dry food is high in calories, loaded with fillers of mostly corn and sprayed with fat to entice the cats to eat it. She recommended that I go ahead and put the cats on moist food. I'm glad I did and will always feed my cats this way now.

If you decide to try this, I suggest you talk to your vet first. The vet can help you figure out how much food your particular cat will need daily and will also monitor the results. It's worth a try especially if your cat is on the 'chunky' side.

I'm off to cat-sit six cats I haven't seen in awhile. Time to fill the cat-bag.
hugs, Deb 

14 comments:

  1. I melt every time is see a picture from Audrey,she is so beautiful.I give our Mikki 2 little cans of moist food and a little bit dry food and she is doing really well on it

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  2. When I checked the Eagle Pack website they only had dry food. Where do you buy the wet food, online or at your local pet food store?

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  3. PS - are Eagle Pack and Holistic Select the same thing/compay?

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  4. Welcome to the club! :)
    So glad to hear they are doing so well!

    Unfortunately not all cats transition so easily on to a different food then what they grew up on because they have a very short window of learning new foods are actually food, but with time and persistence it can be done (For anyone reading who thinks it can't be done)

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  5. Cat..I buy it at our local Pet Store called Pet Valu. Eagle Pack is the company and Holistic Select is 4 of their flavors. Holistic Select also comes in dry. Perhaps your pet store has something similar or can advise you on a good moist food. Whatever you do buy, if your cat refuses it just keep trying a little at a time. Sometimes adding a bit of moist to their normal ration of dry will get them going on it.

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  6. Thanks for this helpful info, Deb. I even add a bit of water to my male cat's wet food because in the past he had some urinary issues. No problems since putting him on mostly wet food. But I think I'm going to check out a more quality wet food than Friskies! Oh that Audrey! She is just the most gorgeous cat with velvet fur. She gleams with health. Guess it's easier to appreciate her beauty when she's not compromising my sleep or getting into mischief at my house! But how nice for you to have a young cat along with your seniors.

    Becky

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  7. That Audrey! :) I think I'll start giving Charlie more wet food. He seems happier with more of it in his diet and if it's better for him then I'll do it. I'll check with my Vet. Thanks for the info! hugs, Linda

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  8. Audrey is like my Winston. He still likes to chew on my shoes. The little brat has good taste, too, because it's usually my shoes that he prefers =)
    I'm trying to feed my crew moist food. Oscar doesn't seem as keen on it, though.

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  9. Thank goodness I am in good company here..people give me the stink eye when I tell them my cats have wet and dry food. Most people see wet food as evil slop.The girl who refuses to eat wet food...she's the fattest of them all.
    Jane x

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  10. I am convinced Jane that it is so important for them to have moist food to stay healthy and keep themselves at a reasonable weight.I can have 1/4 cup of dry food sitting on the floor in a bowl and they just wait now for their soft food to eat first. It doesn't take much to satisfy them, either.

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  11. Deb: A long time back, the cat we had at the time, was having a lot of intestinal problems. The vet said it was the dry food. Who knew..That Audrey is something else. I love the facial expressions..Happy Weekend..Judy

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  12. I do think there is something to this. My Alex just would not lose weight while he was eating kibble. Switched him to a raw diet (i.e. wet) and wham, he's looking great. His whole demeanour has changed. I am so pleased. (I think canned wet food would have had the same effect as the raw.) Plus none of the cats harrass us to feed them now the way the did on kibble. It was like they all needed their kibble fix! It is one of the biggest changes I have noticed since switching from kibble; they all seem more satiated. Food for thought, eh? And I think quality canned is better than kibble alone. Glad your six are doing so well! If ALex hadn't taken to the raw diet (he was a hard sell), I was going to put him on mostly canned. He still gets a little canned on days he's being fussy.

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  13. Hello,
    Am new & enjoying your blog.
    I give my Letty bottled water, high quality canned food & add sweet potatoes (baby food) every other day for digestion.
    She is still round but not as much as when I adopted her.

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  14. When I was a teenager, I came home one day to see my kitten with red lipstick on her lips. Got to my bedroom and I had on my dresser a half eaten tube of Bonnie Bell Cherry Lipsmackers. LOL! Glad little Audrey didn't get into too much...this time... ;)
    xo Catherine

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