So everyone says cats need wet food. Can I just mix their kibble with water or unsalted chicken broth?
I've tried weaning them onto canned food and it makes their shit stink. I've tried Weruva, Tiki Cat, and some others. I'm weaning them like I'm supposed to.
I've been feeding acana dry and they've always had rabbit-soft fur, zero dandruff, no health issues. But everyone seems really serious about feeding canned food instead.
Raw is also not doable for reasons.
Honestly, a good quality dry food definitely will give them the nutrients they need. The major fear with not feeding wet is the moisture content because cats are at risk for UTIs and other organ problems from being dehydrated. They didn't evolve with a normal thirst drive like some animals, so making sure they get enough moisture is a MUST.
My suggestion is that you keep the water fresh and clean to encourage drinking, and maybe get one of the fountain water type things.
You can also buy bulk meat and just freeze it and on occasion cook her a little handful of un-seasoned meat. I wouldn't try to feed only that because you could leave out a critical nutrient, but it definitely wouldn't hurt.
A yearly check up at the vets is also really helpful.
>>2086458
No, you are a cheap ann fucked up bastard. Worst owner ever
>>2086458
As far as I'm aware, that would be fine, but other people may know better. There's no reason your cats are special snowflakes though, and you should be able to wean them onto the wet food.
>>2086476
"encouraging drinking" isn't enough. Cats evolved to get almost all their moisture from prey; In fact, their thirst drive is so low they won't seek out water until they're dehydrated to the point where a vet would administer fluids. You can't encourage a cat to develop a higher thirst drive.
Putting water on dry food also isn't a great idea, since it can cause a lot of bacteria to grow. Unless you're feeding a set amount at set times where you know they're gonna eat it immediately, don't do this.
You should feed 50/50 dry and wet or raw, which is a pretty doable goal. Cat shit stinks; I don't know what you expect or why you expect any different. Why isn't raw doable? You can easily purchase commercial raw for so much less than overpriced canned foods. You can also just buy raw meat for even less.
>>2086615
>In fact, their thirst drive is so low they won't seek out water until they're dehydrated to the point where a vet would administer fluids.
Oh now that's a bunch of bologne. Ya, some cats do that-its why keeping fresh water around and a water fountain are recommended, but cats won't NOT DRINK until they are that dehydrated. Cats will drink water when they are hot to cool down, and after they finish eating because their mouth is dry from the food. Ya, feeding wet is better, but don't push your idea of what's best with scare tactics.
You can give someone the info theyre seeking and it's up to them to decide if they want to do it or not. Scare tactics do nothing but blow things out of proportion. piss people off, and spread information. Just stop it.
If OP was serious enough to honestly seek out what's THE best for his cat, he would ask the vet, not take a quick glance off google for a quick solution.
enjoy your crystals
Op here.
My current cats, and the cats I've had before, all have gone to the vet yearly. Or more of needed. They've never been dehydrated. This wet food thing is fairly new to me, yet I've never had a cat get a uti. Still, I wanted to get wet food mixed into their diet to avoid the chances.
>>2086613
I don't know what to tell you. Their shit has almost no smell on just dry food. No matter how long I take to wean them, or use the best canned foods I can find, it just makes their crap stink up the whole house. It doesn't make any sense to me. But if they're healthy I can deal with it, their boxes are cleaned a lot.
>>2086615
Well, I've tried giving them scraps of raw meats. They haven't taken a liking to it. It's something I try every now and then, but no luck. And I'm not really worried about the cost as long as it's worth it.
>>2086632
Don't just assume I took a "quick glance" at anything. I've always browsed cat forums, cat threads, talked to other cat owners, and a handful of vets. The majority believe transitioning to wet food is a must. I'd literally be dead without my cats, so I don't take anything I do for them lightly.
My next attempt is going to be natures variety wet food. The ingredients look really good.
I appreciate the advice, guys.
>>2086793
Add some probiotics and digestive enzymes, it can take several weeks for a cat's body to start producing the right enzymes after a food switch.
This is the one I usually recommend:
http://www.thewholisticpet.com/feline-product-line/digestive-support/feline-digest-all-plustm.html
>>2086803
Danke.
My cats will eat nothing but Friskies Indoor dry food. I've tried mixing their food, and when I get to 1/4 mix new/old food, they refuse to touch it. Is it a matter of just waiting them out? I've waited 4 days before, refreshing the food 1xd and they didn't seem to touch it.
And they won't touch wet food at all either. They don't eat any kind of food scraps. I do have a water fountain for them to drink out of but is there anything else I can do? Has anyone had any luck with a specific dry food, or know of a way to wean them on wet food?
>>2086807
What wet foods have you tried? The gravy textures seem to be The easiest one to start with for weaning.
Question.
I've been feeding my cat Fancy Feast without the gravy. I tried to give her small amounts of the "good" shit, but she refuses it, even if I mix it in.
Is Fancy Fest alright? She's about 5 years old and 8 1/2 pounds.
Anyone here use and like Rad Cat raw cat food? Going to try it in two weeks, but I got a picky cat.
Thought of getting ZiwiPeak canned food. But Rad Cat is truly raw and is much cheaper somehow...
>>2087102
Canned food is usually more expensive than raw because it requires more processing. We carry Rad Cat at my store, it has almost a cult-like following from crazy cat ladies, which is usually a good sign. I particularly like their sourcing and processing procedures.
I bought some pinky mice for my cats. I chopped them up and mixed them into a wet food they like. My male wouldn't even lick it. The girl ate it all but spit out almost all the pieces of mice.
I also tried putting catnip on them and crush up their favorite treats on them, but neither would even try it.
I bought ZiwiLeaks rabbit-with-bones and lamb flavor canned food. I'm hoping they'll get onto that. Maybe from there I can put in bits and pieces of raw meat or pinkies and go from there.
I hope this raw diet thing is really all it's hyped up to be.
>>2088682
Honestly, cooking is probably the next best thing. The cats probably just don't like the taste of the raw meat.
I used to bake or boil chicken breast for my cat then let it cool and cut it up and he loved it. Home cooked meals are probably way better than processed wet food, otherwise the only wet food I've seen that kept the food mostly intact was Tykki Cat. But they are supplemental feeding I believe..
>>2088682
Enjoy your salmonella.
Raw diet is a bunch of bullshit and I'd guarantee that 100% of people who aren't cat nutrition experts will do more harm than good on them.
The biggest problem will be renal failure when they don't get the taurine they need to keep them alive. I've seen this before.
Feed them a high quality canned food instead.
Hyped up horse shit. There is this local pet shop that sells 'home made raw diet' and home made 'flea treatments'. One of our clients came in with the cat having seizures just covered in that foul smelling shit. Owners want to do the right thing and these idiots take advantage of their ignorance.
>>2088708
My cats do like cooked chicken. Just, everywhere I've read and heard, they all say "raw only".
>>2088713
I worry about that. I was hoping to get them eating frozen/thawed mice and chicks. They've been doing great on 50/50 dry and wet (both high quality food). I'm just always open to improving their health and happiness.
The ZiwiLeaks canned food seems fantastic. Expensive as dicks though. If they don't eat it I'll take the rest of the food to a shelter.
>>2088716
Dude, everyone one says 'this only' 'that only'. It's a control thing because they want their way and only their way.
Do what's best for you and your cats, not what everyone else thinks is best.
>>2088717
This, honestly. They are your cats and you are doing the best you can for them. Individual cats require different things, so just find what works (and what is practical) for you and keeps the cats happy.
I'm sure they are happy!
>>2088725
So if cats have been healthy eating dry food all their life, should their diet be left at that?
>>2090363
I think what the man was trying to say is that you should figure out what's best for each individual cat, not necessarily the overall population. You're cat may have some special reason it needs a certain diet versus the rest of them, and if not, then ya, go with what's been researched to be the best.
May not be the same thing, but in the show lamb world in is not uncommon to spray a mist on the feed to soften it to make eating easier (which leads to better gains) you could try that, assuming you are feeding a complete dry food.
I've only ever fed dry food to my cats, and they seem to live long enough that I have to kill a couple off every few years.
