What's a reasonably priced, nutritious dry food for adult cats?
>>2051537
Dry food is quite unhealthy for cats, if you can't afford a meat-based canned food then don't get a cat
>>2051537
No such thing, dry foods are horrible for cats and dogs.
Go with wet food. Or, if all else fails, just pick a dry kibble that has as little fillers and plant ingredients as possible. Then every morning fill the bowl up with a healthy amount, add just enough water to get it moist, then crack a raw egg over it and stir it up. Let it sit long enough for the dry kibble to soak up the moisture and raw egg.
This isn't as good as a high quality wet food, but it will still help to prevent everything from gum disease, to kidney failure, to cat shit that reeks to high heaven.
>>2051556
Ummm wet food is terrible for cats and dogs. Purina is a good, reasonably priced ,easy to find food brand.
>>2051570
Just wet food that is, the dry food is good for their teeth and also makes their atool firmer. Wet food might cause stool issues/won't break up the tarter on their teeth.
>>2051570
Are you trolling? Both my cats died from renal failure as a result of a kibble based diet.
I was a child so my parents took charge of buying food. Never again.
According to some veterinarians, feeding cats dry food can increase their risk of developing diabetes.
http://www.catinfo.org/?link=felinediabetes
Not trolling. I googled. You should try it. ;)
Like humans, cats or dogs health may or may not be a result of health issues. If dry food wasn't good for animals companies like science diet or other high end companies would stop making it and research only wet food. Not trying to be arugmentative, but the truth. Also they make dry food for diabetic cats and cats with kidney issues. Just throwing it out there.
>>2051595
>Like cats or dogs, humans health may or may not be a result of health issues. If fast food wasn't good for humans companies like mcdonalds or other high end companies would stop making it and research only fresh food. Not trying to be arugmentative, but the truth. Also they make low-carb fast food for diabetic women and women with kidney issues. Just throwing it out there.
I work at a vet office, seen both sides. I see wet food benefits however I also see benefits to dry food. To bad its one sided. OP why not just ask your vet?
>>2051608
Because it's midnight.
>>2051595
>If dry food wasn't good for animals companies like science diet or other high end companies would stop making it
You give corporations far too much credit.
Their primary motivation is making as much money as possible. That's how businesses work.
>>2051613
If dry food was killing off animals then....? Its a pointless argument. How old were the animals when they got sick? How are we certain that the food killed them and other elements weren't involved? We don't. So ultimately OP is going to do what they want. OP I would still go purina brand or something higher end like that. Hope that's somewhat helpful.
OP again. I plan to give the cat wet food a few times a week, but dry food will make up the bulk of its diet.
>>2051619
Sounds great. Best of both worlds. Be careful switching to different brands of food to quickly/often as that can upset your cats stomach. Do it gradually if you have to change.
Ok OP, let me break this down for you with some facts so you can make a decision based on what you think would be best.
Cats are obligate carnivores, which means they cannot digest plant matter as well as other animals. They also lack much of a thirst drive because they evolved to get most of their moisture from their food, which sets them up for health problems if left eating only dry. Their bodies are in a constant state of dehydration.
However, a full wet diet is not only expensive, but also difficult to get them enough taurine-an essential nutrient that they absolutely need and comes in meat. So, your best bet would probably be a high quality dry food with as much meat, and as little plant matter as possible, COUPLED with a can of wet a day. Most people like to feed wet twice a day and have the dry available all day unless tbeir cat is getting chubby.
Some things to be aware of-
-Dry food cannot clean teeth, you would be better off just brushing their teeth
-They make water fountains for cats to encourage them to drink more, but in general cats just prefer clean, fresh water
So, any ideas on specific brands?
>>2051715
Taste off the Wild, Perfect Bistro, Tykki Cat (though I don't know if they make dry, I get their cans as treats).
Its a little more than say a big brand like purina, but as long as the cat isn't a glutton, you should have no problem making a regular sized bag last most of the month.
>>2051715
Also, it would probably be much easier either ordering online, or going into a feedstore and asking them for a dry cat food with high meat and taurine content. All they have to do is look at the ingredient list on the back.
>>2051723
I take it Purina has some issues?
>>2051731
>>2051731
Well even if you can find a grain free version, its mostly filler that a cats body has a hard time turning into nutrients.
So, I get Perfect Bistro. A 4 pound bag (which lasts my cat all month with a can of wet food every day) is about $13. The same sized bag of purina is around 8-10, so yes cheaper, but not that much cheaper. I also get a case of Perfect Bistro wet food which is about $30. So I am spending a bit more monthly (around 40), but it's worth it to me because most likely I'm saving in the long run by avoiding the vet.
>>2051585
Two of mine also died from the same thing, at 2 and 4. We didn't know what was wrong the first time and the vet wanted to run $2000 in tests so I opted to put him down. Same thing with the second one. And then my mother's cat, their sister, had the same thing happen but we had switched vets and they knew what was happening. She managed to pass her stones. So now her two cats only get wet food and they get their teeth brushed.
>>2051732
However OP, remember their are alternatives. You could always wet the dry food down, get cheap cans of wet food like friskies (even though its pretty shit food, but whatever), stay on top of their water and make sure its fresh so they are interested in drinking it, and even set small portions of cooked meat aside for them from your dinner. If your having chicken, cut off a small tidbit and cook it with seasoning annd cut it up for them. Fresh food is always better for any animal anyway, just make sure to ask the vet about what ISN'T safe for a cat to eat.
>>2045637
Got another update on GG, AKA punished snake.
He is still doing really well. I know he hasn't eaten in at least two months but he managed to lay a fat turd in his enclosure today. I felt OK using the wax paper as a liner because he hadn't eaten in so long, I didn't expect him to take a shit all over the place.
This is how it looked.
>>2051741
*WITHOUT seasoning I meant
>>2051744
Seeing as how this was really nasty smelling, and that he might do it again, I decided to give him a bath.
Got some water at the right temperature, turned it on a low flow, and used some very gentle hippie style hand soap my wife buys and cleaned him. He didn't seem too excited about this, and tried wrapping himself around the faucet neck while I was doing it.
Here he is in the feeding tub after his shower. He's trying to escape. As you can see, the primary wound on his body is much smaller. Some of the secondary slicing that was around the main knife wound is completely healed, although scale-less.
>>2051748
I fully sterilized his box, and kept him in this tub while I worked on it.
Here is a closer shot of his main wound, I'm really happy with how it's turning out. I expect that after his next shed it will be in a completely healed/closed state, but maybe won't have any scales underneath until the shed after that.
>>2051753
You're totally right, this was for reptile!
>>2051537
Just read the backside and compare it to the natural food: As much meat as possible, as less wheat, grain or undeclared plant based protein.
There are a few nice one like Orijen or Acana, but they are all expensive compared to good wet food. The cheap stuff is more suited for feeding chickens.
If you really want to feed dry food only, I'd recommend you let it soak in water first because most cats don't drink enough as they are used to get their waterintake through their food.
>>2051582
>dry food is good for their teeth
Whole raw chicken wings once in a while will help with that, dry food doesn't make the cat use her teeth like they are designed to be used. Just try it and watch how and how long your cat actually chews.
Dryfood comes in really handy for playtime and as a treat, though.
Generations upon generations of American housecats have lived long, healthy lives eating terrible dry food. It's not ideal, but it won't immediately give your cat diabetes either.
People coddle their pets too much these days.
>>2051595
Science Diet pays vets and veterinary schools to promote their food even though it's barely better than any other dry food. They only care about making money
You /an/ guys are seriously ridiculous about this food thing. I wish you could see how you all sound with this wet food nonsense. And all because there's some 3% chance a senior animal long past their expiration date might develop a disease (disregarding all the negative aspects of wet food, of course).
Really, guys, food is a LOT better these days. Much more research and science has gone into it. Just because you had a dog die in 1985 after eating Kibbles&Bits its whole life, doesn't mean it is the same today for all dry food.
Even if there was a measurable difference (there's not, only speculation) in the texture of food fed over the course of an animal's life, there is no way the convenience of dry food is worth giving up. At best, your dog gains 1 more year of arthritis-ridden life before dying of cancer.
>>2051731
>I take it Purina has some issues?
>>2051732
>its mostly filler that a cats body has a hard time turning into nutrients.
You realize the meat content on all dry food is before being cooked, right? ALL dry food has its true meat content come in about 5th on the ingredient list.
Purina is great, by the way. Not only is it time-tested and perfected over many decades, it's also founded and run by scientists instead of advertising specialists (like Blue). Bonus - You can depend on it still being on the shelf 10 years from now since they have a really strong foundation, then you will never have to change foods. I really doubt Blue will be around in 10 or 20 years. I've never seen a vet that supported it (quite the opposite, the richness causes a lot of health problems)
>>2052215
>People coddle their pets too much these days.
This should have been the subject line of this thread.
>>2051556
>one raw egg
>every day
>for a 10lb cat
>>2052409
Found the purina shill
>>2052402
Before dry food, dogs were mostly fed leftover corn and rice or spoiled food. Even the first dog biscuits were corn and beet byproducts, and mystery meat gelatin.
Cats are a little different, since they haven't been domesticated for as long or in quite the same way, but as far as I'm concerned you can just roughly skim the ingredients on the food in the store and pick whichever "best" one you can trust yourself to be able to afford regularly, and that's it. Sleep easy.
>>2052402
There are actual trained veterinarians who disagree with you.
>>2051595
This is why communism didn't work.
>>2052409
>You realize the meat content on all dry food is before being cooked, right? ALL dry food has its true meat content come in about 5th on the ingredient list.
You're forgetting about meat meals, which can up the protein amount in a food. This is from dogfoodadvisor, but it explains the process well enough.
http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/choosing-dog-food/about-meat-meal/
And though I do not disagree that Purina is a good company, that doesn't mean the food itself is all that great for your animal. We learn more as we go, and I hope that Purina will change it's contents as we find out more about our animals and their needs, because when they do, they make it more affordable and convenient for us.
