Am I A Bad Cat Daddy ?

okeyd57

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I've always fed my cats Meow Mix. They have, and continue to like it just fine. But recently, I saw an opinion article that spoke of Meow Mix as being crap. I just wonder if it's true. Thanks.
 

LTS3

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Many TCS members will tell you, yes Meow Mix dry is horrible junk. Take a look at the ingredients for the Original:

WHOLE GROUND CORN, SOYBEAN MEAL, CHICKEN BY-PRODUCT MEAL, CORN GLUTEN MEAL, BEEF TALLOW (PRESERVED WITH MIXED TOCOPHEROLS), ANIMAL DIGEST, TURKEY BY-PRODUCT MEAL, SALMON MEAL, OCEAN FISH MEAL....[long list of vitamins and minerals and artificial coloring and stuff]

Cats are obligate carnivores. Meat should be the first ingredient, not indigestible corn. Corn is a cheap filler.

The moist Meow Mix in cups are slightly better ingredient-wise.

Most cats will eat anything that tastes good to them, even if the food is junk. Kind of like a kid wanting to eat nothing but ice cream and sweets instead of a healthy meal.

Consider feeding a brand that is better in quality than Meow Mix. It doesn't have to be a premium high quality brand that is hard to find and costs over $2 a can or $30 for a small bag.

Here is some info on cat nutrition if you're interested in what makes a good food:

The Science Behind Cat Nutrition
Cat Food & Feline Nutrition With Pet Nutritionist Dr. Martha Cline
Cat Nutrition - A Recap
How To Choose The Best Dry Cat Food?
What Makes The Best Canned Cat Food?
How To Choose The Right Food For Your Cat
Choosing The Right Food For Your Cat - Part 2
Feeding Your Cat: Know the Basics of Feline Nutrition – Common Sense. Healthy Cats.
 

kittyluv387

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I've always fed my cats Meow Mix. They have, and continue to like it just fine. But recently, I saw an opinion article that spoke of Meow Mix as being crap. I just wonder if it's true. Thanks.
Meow mix is more like chicken food than cat food. Just a bunch of grains. However, almost every cat owner has fed crap to their cats due to ignorance. You are so not alone. Don't beat yourself up though. We all do the best we can! Now that you have increased knowledge you can improve your cat's life with it. That's what's important.

This website will contain like 95% of what there is to know about cat nutrition. I highly recommend it.

Www.catinfo.org
 

cheesycats

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Please find a cat only vet. This is outdated, dangerous info. A kibble only fed cat will be constantly dehydrated and most likely develop weight issues if fed a high carb dry diet. Vets receive very little nutrition education while in school so I would take whatever they say about diet with a grain of salt, just as you’d go to a human nutritionist for advice about your diet over your family doctor, you’d want to do the same with a cat nutritionists for your cat if you’re looking for accurate, scientific info. Chronic dehydration will cause urinary issues and the cause for most cats developing kidney disease later in life. Dry kibble is very hard on their unrinary system.
And if you end up with a fat cat from a carb loaded diet you’ll end up with a cat with diabetes and joint issues, among others.
Wet food is far less processed then most dry foods if not all dry foods. The worse wet food is better than the best dry in most instances because most (not all tho) wet foods are low carb and high meat, which is what a cat needs. Cats also have low thirst drives. Even more reason to add wet to the diet. They are meant to get most of their water from their diet, not drinking from a bowl.
 

kittyluv387

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I really appreciate all the replies. I will work on educating myself. But, about the wet food, the last 2 vets I've been to both said cats have less problems with dry food strictly. Is that wrong ?
Completely wrong!! Cats are meant to get water from their food. Because of this singular reason I don't encourage dry. Some vets know nothing about a cat's nutritional needs. It's the old school ones. My vet is a lady in her early 40s so she's not old school and as outdated (just a little) but she does feed her own cat wet with extra water mixed in.
 
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Furballsmom

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Hi!
I was typing at the same time so you'll get some of the same feedback and info as cheesycats and kittyluv :)

Cats can eat dry kibble and hopefully also drink water during the day, although that isn't necessarily a typical thing for a cat to do, because their systems are built for getting moisture from their food (such as mice).

Canned and pouch foods have more moisture already in them, plus this type of food has less carbohydrates than kibble, and so there's less risk of uncontrolled weight gain.

You're not a bad cat daddy - you're here, you're paying attention to things, and you're asking questions. That's pretty wonderful in my book!

If you are near a Walmart, a Petco/petsmart or even at your local grocery store, you'll see different choices of canned food. Try a variety :)

Here are a couple more things, from a slightly different perspective;

Transitioning Your Cat From Kibble To A New Type Of Food (canned, Raw, Or Homemade)

Transitioning Free-fed Kibble Kitties To Timed Meals
 
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maggie101

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I've always fed my cats Meow Mix. They have, and continue to like it just fine. But recently, I saw an opinion article that spoke of Meow Mix as being crap. I just wonder if it's true. Thanks.
Go to menu
Forums
Cat nutrition and spend hours looking through all the threads. Lots of good info
 

LTS3

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Some people here on TCS feed only dry food for whatever reason: finances, live in a country where only dry food is available, cat refuses to eat anything else, etc. Others feed both dry and canned and try to feed a good quality brand with few fillers and junk. If you can, start offering some canned food to your cats' diet. Not a 3 oz can split among all the cats for the day but more like a 3 oz can for each cat. Some canned food in the diet is better than no canned food at all IMO. Catinfo.org goes into details why a dry food only can cause all sorts of health issues for many cats.

And you're not a bad cat dad :grouphug: For a very long time people didn't have interest in pet nutrition so just fed whatever heavily marketed brand they could afford. Vets were often influenced by pet food companies to recommend or sell certain brands. Some vets are still "old school" and recommend / suggest things that are no longer true today. It's ok to disagree with the vet on food and question the vet in general on treatment for an illness, etc :agree:
 

war&wisdom

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I really appreciate all the replies. I will work on educating myself. But, about the wet food, the last 2 vets I've been to both said cats have less problems with dry food strictly. Is that wrong ?
Wow, those vets really don't know what they're talking about.

Dry food tends to be cheaper. It's also often owned by big brands that pay veterinary offices to market their products.
 

Kflowers

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Whichever food you decide to try make the shift slowly - some of the new and some of the old. Don't be discouraged if you get the "someone dropped trash in my bowl' look. Leave it out for awhile, an hour. Let them check it out. You'll probably waste a couple of cans. I'd actually mix the Meow Mix in with the wet food.

Do not be discouraged if the cats pick out all the Meow Mix and leave the wet. Keep at it. Be patient.
 

tabbysia

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Don't be discouraged if you get the "someone dropped trash in my bowl' look.
Or, they will be like my cats and scratch around the bowl, like they are trying to cover up a fresh turd that I just dropped in it. That's what my cats have done with 95% of the wet food offerings I have given them.
 

danteshuman

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My first thought when I read the title of your post, was no you are not! Bad pet guardians do not ask themselves that. I think maybe under educated about cats but I was once uneducated myself to.
:vibes::grouphug:

I’m on SSI so I get If budget is an issue. I think I can explain cat nutrition best this way: look at their teeth and closest relatives. By that I mean humans have the teeth of omnivores. Cats have carnivore teeth. Also a cat’s closest relative, the jungle cat, is a carnivore to. Has is every cat in the feline family!

I’m currently weaning my kitten off of dry food and fishy wet foods. I figured fancy feast was better for him the most expensive dry food. That said every one has different schedules and budgets (and the little twerp currently gets fed 4 times a day plus dry food at night.) I’m working on gradually getting him to first be on non fishy wet food then 2 meals a day. If you can I would choose a better dry food (Taste of the Wild is a better more affordable dry food) and I would get your kitty onto 2, 3 oz cans of wet food a day (maybe a handful of dry but most cats need 6oz of wet food per day..... you can tell how much by their weight.) Kittens (for the first year or two they are growing) need unlimited food because they are growing. Even though my punk jr prefers fancy feast gravy lovers that small amount of wheat in it is better than dry food. Think your kitten will not eat wet food? Try my b.f.f. Wet food that mixes tuna in with everything! Later you can mix the bff with a can of non fishy stuff if you want to wean him off the fish...., which to be fair is me over worrying about him having a high fat wet food that might hurt his pancreas when he gets older.

All of that said your cat is better off eating dry food (even meow mix) is better then that kitty starving on the streets. So if that is your budget, please do not feel guilty! I say this has someone who declawed two cats 20 years ago before I knew better!!!
 

PaulinPilsen

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omg. Food is a tough topic. I really learned my lesson with my last cat. She died of CKD, but I helped extend her life by giving her better food with lower phosphorus content. She hated the prescribed food - Hills Science Diet. So I had to find commercial brands that worked. I had often thought that my CKD cat could have had a longer life if I fed her better food from the beginning.

Personally, I am overwhelmed when I go to Petsmart or Petco over all the foods that are out there. They all seem to say “grain free” which I think is very good. Cats are not omnivores. They are carnivores, so I don’t think corn meal and soy products are the best ingredients for my cat, so I am avoiding the “super cheap” brands of yesteryear. Hill’s Science Diet sold me with my CKD cat because almost all of its products are lower in phosphorus. But I read the ingredients today for my new cats, and I’m not sure about this product for them. I think grain-free is best, but after that, I’m Lost! I read that the “wellness” brand is good, but honestly, they all sound good. So, I don’t know.
 

PaulinPilsen

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Okay, every cat we've had before loved wet food. Current cat looks at it and walks away.
My new cat Lisi came from a hoarders situtation, and I believe she never was fed wet food. I have been trying to wean her off the dry food now for about a month. The only way she will touch the wet food is if I put dry food on top of the wet food. Then, maybe, she will take some wet food along for the ride. But she is good at picking out those kibbles!
 

di and bob

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Like said above, feeding what the cat will eat is better then them starving on the street. If they will only eat hard, try to get them to go to a better quality hard to make YOU feel better. Cats are to be loved and enjoyed, not stressed over and forced into a life they don't want. before I knew better, and many years ago, I always fed my cats cheap hard food. They lived just as long as my spoiled ones do, and had a happy life. Vegatarian is supposed to be healthier for humans too, I have only known one of them in my life, and they are grossly overweight!
 

Nursemike3

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I weaned them off dry food. They like dry food and treats. They act like its Kitty Crack. I have been buying food with organ meat like liver, gizzards, heart, and things like beef, fish, some chicken, mackrel, sardines- not too much tuna, but I try for next to no carbs and no grains. Its been work, but I see the difference in their energy levels and coats of fur. The treats they get are made for cleaning teeth but I also use a hand tooth cleaner in their mouth occasionally. My vet charges 900 $ for each cat's cleaning so I try to prevent too much plaque from building up.
 
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