Cat not a good eater?

[SatanicIntention]

Right.. And letting dogs die from parvo and distemper is a good thing? There's a dog dying or already dead from distemper at my vet's office because she wasn't vaccinated soon enough and didn't receive immunity. Do you even KNOW what parvo or distemper smells like? I'd bet not. I DO. Explosive bloody, tarry diarrhea and vomit that smells like death warmed over, constant dehydration... Yes, I really want to wish that upon every animal.

Get your dog vaccinated. I wish there were laws for people like you.

[Reediculous]

Right.. And letting dogs die from parvo and distemper is a good thing? There's a dog dying or already dead from distemper at my vet's office because she wasn't vaccinated soon enough and didn't receive immunity. Do you even KNOW what parvo or distemper smells like? I'd bet not. I DO. Explosive bloody, tarry diarrhea and vomit that smells like death warmed over, constant dehydration... Yes, I really want to wish that upon every animal.

Get your dog vaccinated. I wish there were laws for people like you.

Actually i do! i worked at the humane society in tinton falls NJ jersey for 4 years, and i was a vet tech.... i seen both sides of the fence....And i have seen that place kill perfectly healthy dogs because of over vaccinating!


anything else you'd like to tell i don't know!

[whitewolf]

If you would like to try hard food again along with the soft, try soaking it in water or tuna juice a bit. let us know how just the splitting up the meals and just soft food thing goes for now though. It's always nice getting updates.

[Bettacreek]

"I would NOT feed her only canned.. There is not enough protein in a can of cat food (it's only about 10% max) to sustain a cat. A high quality dry food such as Innova, Wellness, Felidae, etc is all she needs, plus plenty of fresh water. "


Actually, that's an inaccurate reading of the label. You cannot compare the protein content straight from the canned label to the dry kibble label. You need to compare it on a dry matter basis. The labels calculate the final protein content, INCLUDING water, so, of course everything in the analysis is going to look entirely too low in canned.
http://www.thepetcenter.com/imtop/dm.html

Also, scientists have found that cats do not have proper thirst drive. They will not drink enough water to keep themselves healthy if they are fed a dry food. In fact, cats with UTI problems can be "cured" completely simply by adding a regular canned food to the diet. Yes, dry kibble should be fed to help keep their teeth clean, but, canned food should be added to the diet to prevent health issues.



As far as vaccines go, some states still require annual rabies vaccinations, my state being one of them. Unfortunately, it's been proven that a rabies vaccine can actually be effective for three years, and over-vaccination can cause ill-effect. Other than this particular vaccine, I haven't done much research on vaccines and vaccinate according to vet recommendations.

[rabernet]

I've already talked at length with my vet, and after Lexi and Sammy get their second year rabies booster shots, the only shots that they will receive will be their rabies once every three years. I lost a cat to fibro sarcoma caused by vaccines and will not lose another one to it.

And my vet also advocates a mostly/all wet diet over dry.

That wasn't just some person who posted on the web, that was a well respected veterinarian who specializes in cat care and nutrition.

Actually, that's an inaccurate reading of the label. You cannot compare the protein content straight from the canned label to the dry kibble label. You need to compare it on a dry matter basis. The labels calculate the final protein content, INCLUDING water, so, of course everything in the analysis is going to look entirely too low in canned.
http://www.thepetcenter.com/imtop/dm.html

Also, scientists have found that cats do not have proper thirst drive. They will not drink enough water to keep themselves healthy if they are fed a dry food. In fact, cats with UTI problems can be "cured" completely simply by adding a regular canned food to the diet. Yes, dry kibble should be fed to help keep their teeth clean, but, canned food should be added to the diet to prevent health issues.

I was also aware of that. Thanks for posting that, so that I don't have to go look for that myself!

Additionally, I had a diabetic kitty who's diabetes was brought under control by switching her to an all wet diet and she was able to come off of insulin completely!

[rabernet]

Regarding Protein in canned vs. dry from http://www.catinfo.org

Another important issue with regard to the protein contained in a dry food is that it has been cooked at very high temperatures for a long period of time. This extensive cooking required to dry the product significantly decreases the biological value of the protein sources.

With regard to the overall protein amounts contained in a food, do not be confused by the listing of the protein percentages in dry food compared to canned food. At first glance, it might appear that the dry food has a higher amount of protein than the canned food—but this is not true on a dry matter basis which is the accurate way to compare the two foods. Most canned foods, when figured on a dry matter basis, have more protein than dry food. And remember, even if this were not the case, the percentage numbers do not tell the whole story. It is the protein’s biological value that is critical.

In the wild, your cat would be eating a high protein, high-moisture content, meat-based diet, with a moderate level of fat and with only approximately 3-5 percent of her diet consisting of carbohydrates. The average dry food contains 35-50 percent carbohydrates. Some of the cheaper dry foods contain even higher levels.

..............

Cats have a physiological decrease in the ability to utilize carbohydrates due to the lack of specific enzymatic pathways that are present in other mammals, and the lack a salivary enzyme called amylase. Cats have no dietary need for carbohydrates and, more worrisome is the fact that too many carbohydrates can be highly detrimental to their health, as I explain below.

And here is a great table for those interested in the dry matter percentages in many canned foods, already calculated for you. I keep a copy of this in my purse when shopping for canned food.

http://www.geocities.com/jmpeerson/CanFoodNew.html

An Open Letter to Veterinary Professionals

An excerpt

Have you ever seen a barn cat barbecue and dehydrate its mouse dinner and top it off with a dessert of corn gluten meal soufflé? Or heard of a cat that went hunting for rice grains or oatmeal for breakfast? No? It would be illogical to feed an obligate carnivore a steady diet of meat-flavored cereal, right? Then why are we continuing to feed cats like they're herbivores? Hopefully, many of you read the "Timely Topics in Nutrition" article in the December 1st 2002 Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (JAVMA) titled "The Carnivore Connection to Nutrition in Cats". After reading this, I wonder why anyone advocates feeding grain-packed commercially prepared dry food to a cat.

[edie]

I had read there was supposed to be a mixture of wet food worked into the diet if you were to feed a mainly dry diet to help the cats with digestion, but that was just something I read in cat fancy or something. I know the dry food I feed my cats comes in a wet formula as well.

I start nutrition for large/small animals in my animal science class this week, so I'm sure I'll learn more about that soon.

[mooingtricycle]

Actually, canned (wet) food is better for them than dry. If she'll eat a full can in one day, I'd make that her primary food, and just leave dry out for her to nibble on.

When I got Sammy and Lexi, I got obsessive about cat nutrition and had my eyes really opened. When I do feed dry, I like to feed a very high quality dry (like Innova Evo brand). In males, too much dry can lead to urinary crystals. I also obsessively read the labels. I don't want any corn or corn products in my dry. I want real meat and chicken meal as the first five ingredients in the list.

This site has been very helpful: http://www.thecatsite.com (where I met Isis and lured her here from! LOL) and

http://www.catinfo.org/zorans_article.pdf

http://www.catinfo.org

This is a HUGE thing!

I fed primarily dry, while occasionally adding wet when i got it at the store. one of my cats ( ive got two), Hobbes got a UTI and had to be on Antibiotics for a few weeks before he looked like he was improving. I moved them both over to an entire wetfood diet ( the REAL good stuff), and havent looked back. They seem happier for it too.

Dry food sucks. IMHO. And i also think it makes cats overweight too. ( i only feed them both a half can a day of food, sometimes a whole can *spread out over two feedings during the day* if i wont be there the next morning to feed them straightway) Both maintain good weight, and both are in great health according to my vet. Not too fat, not too thin

Hobbes is doing great now, and hopefully we wont have another occurrence EVER. Man did i feel bad for him.

[rabernet]

Dry food sucks. IMHO. And i also think it makes cats overweight too.

I completely agree - Sammy is a dry food junkie - I've never had a cat go through so much dry food as him. I'm weaning him off of dry and trying to get them both on primarily wet with dry just to nibble on through the day.

I adopted him at 10 months old and 15 lbs - and the rescue organization told me "but we LOVE our cats to be fat!". And to think he came from being the runt of the litter to the size he is now.

[mooingtricycle]

I completely agree - Sammy is a dry food junkie - I've never had a cat go through so much dry food as him. I'm weaning him off of dry and trying to get them both on primarily wet with dry just to nibble on through the day.

I adopted him at 10 months old and 15 lbs - and the rescue organization told me "but we LOVE our cats to be fat!". And to think he came from being the runt of the litter to the size he is now.

How big is he now?

i dont mind.... Plump so much, but im one of those ridiculously strict " I DONT WANT MY CATS FAT" cat moms.... Muta is a small boy * to me * and he weighs in at... 10 lbs, at three years old.

I would free feed him when i had dry. Hes one of those lucky "self maintaining" cats, and really has not fluctuated much weight wise. Hobbes is a bit bigger, size and weight. But i think proportionally, hes the same as Muta. Little flab on his belly, but that has always been there and i think ive pretty much been defeated on getting rid of it. Hes at 12.5 lbs

Dont take my opinions too seriously though, its just how i look at my cats. I dont really care how other people care for their cats, so long as they are happy and thriving!