Is Anyone Else Struggling to Get Enough Catfood with the Current Supply Shortages we are Encountering?

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Whenallhellbreakslose

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Hello everyone. I am so glad I put up this thread since alot of us are feeling the squeeze from these supply shortages. Overall, I hope that the supply shortage situation improves soon, but until then we have to try different things so we can continue to feed our kitties as best we can.❤
Bitsy's Mom Bitsy's Mom I am not surprised by this. That's why I don't want to rely on online sites too much incase they are affected too.
moxiewild moxiewild Thank you for taking the time to write a very thorough reply. It seems to be mostly the cheaper cat food that is affected the most by this supply shortage situation. Things are moving very slowly at the Port of Los Angeles and these shortages are affecting many businesses and individuals. People like you and me who feed alot of outdoor kitties along with people who have a large multi-cat household who rely on the cheaper food are feeling the brunt of these shortages. This is also intensified when you are on a tight budget and it is hard for you to stock up for awhile.

You are very resourceful. Thank you for taking care of all those kitties. I admire you for what you do for all the kitties in your neck of the woods. 🙂 I never heard of Special Kitty, but I will look into it. I have tried other cheaper brands before but the cats never took to them. There was one brand called Companion that came in big cans and was decently priced and they didn't care for it. It would have made my life so much easier if they accepted it. They are fussy which is another problem. You would think being outdoor cats would make them less fussy, but no. 😬 Hopefully, when the weather gets colder they will just accept what I put out and be happy with it.🤞

Thanks again for your advice. I hope everything is okay on your end. Take care. 🙂

Antonio65 Antonio65 You know that would be great if all cat care takers could get discounted prices on the cat food. Over here some pet stores give discounts to Rescue Organizations. That's great for them--they need it, but I wish they recognized us Individual cat caretakers. Since your colony is registered and you are recognized as a cat caretaker in some way, i would think you would be get the perk of discounted food. If that is not the case, you may want to change your status, so you could get these perks. For me, I have to rely on store or manufacturer coupons or asking if there are any dented cans that they could sell to me at a discounted price. It helps. Well, I hope everything is okay with you and the kitties. Thanks for making a difference in there lives! ❤

chaucer chaucer Please hang in there. I fully understand where you are coming from. In my case, I had many cats dumped on me and it gets very overwhelming especially when you are on a tight budget (and now dealing with supply shortages)and you are worrying about how will you get them through winter. I have gotten depressed over it, but I know they need me and I can't throw my hands in the air and say "That's it--I am done!" They need me even more now than ever. Your kitties need you. You are also helping other critters. You are making a difference in their lives. Hang in there.:rock:

Thank you everyone for sharing on this thread. It is helping me and I hope it helps others who are struggling to feed their kitties during these difficult times. Hang tough. 💪🙂
 

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Among the cats and cat advocacy entities I am aware of, there is a family in Venezuela who rescue and feed cats. In their desperately poor society, they are forced to feed what they can afford, when they can find it; and they have bought many kinds of animal products we don't think of as being widely available here. Ditto a wonderful rescue in Syria, who work every day in a war zone to rescue and provide for as many as they are able. Turkey is a nation where many "community cats" are indeed community cats and they are loved and cared for by neighborhoods in which they live. I have seen chicken, alone or mixed with rice, fed to cats in these locations. A lot of people don't think feeding grains to cats is good, but I am in the camp that agrees with keeping cats alive using what is available. Although I have seen dry cat food available in Turkey in large open-air receptacles where it is dispensed by measure to those who can afford it, cats are obligate carnivores and fresh meat, with inner ingredients, so to speak, is their diet in the "wild."
 
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Thank you tarasgirl06 tarasgirl06 for mentioning this. I have read about the man in Aleppo, Syria who ran an animal sanctuary and took care of homeless kitties and kitties left behind by their owners who put them in his care while they fled the country. I cried when I heard that the sanctuary was bombed and kitties and dogs died. 😭😭😭 However, he has rebuilt the sanctuary and is still taking care of the animals. There should be an award giving out to this man for running an animal sanctuary in a war torn country. What bravery and dedication. I am always very humbled when I think of this man in the face all adversity STILL running an animal sanctuary in a war torn country. He is truly amazing!!! ❤❤❤
 

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Thank you tarasgirl06 tarasgirl06 for mentioning this. I have read about the man in Aleppo, Syria who ran an animal sanctuary and took care of homeless kitties and kitties left behind by their owners who put them in his care while they fled the country. I cried when I heard that the sanctuary was bombed and kitties and dogs died. 😭😭😭 However, he has rebuilt the sanctuary and is still taking care of the animals. There should be an award giving out to this man for running an animal sanctuary in a war torn country. What bravery and dedication. I am always very humbled when I think of this man in the face all adversity STILL running an animal sanctuary in a war torn country. He is truly amazing!!! ❤❤❤
@theAleppoCatman on twitter has more problems than we do getting food for their many, many cats, as do my friends in Venezuela, but they are creative and determined, as we need to be in these times. And no matter what, we must keep finding that food for our beloved cats! I just moved a shipment up as I received an email from petco offering good advice in terms of possible slowdowns in holiday-time deliveries from the shipping companies. This is another thing for us all to bear in mind, yes?
 
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@theAleppoCatman on twitter has more problems than we do getting food for their many, many cats, as do my friends in Venezuela, but they are creative and determined, as we need to be in these times. And no matter what, we must keep finding that food for our beloved cats! I just moved a shipment up as I received an email from petco offering good advice in terms of possible slowdowns in holiday-time deliveries from the shipping companies. This is another thing for us all to bear in mind, yes?
Yes. I hope I can get the money together and do one major shopping trip before the holidays. I never can seem to get ahead because of bills and other expenses and having all these cats dumped on me. The numbers keep going up -thanks to the other feeder dumping. It is very stressful because I don't know how many more will end up coming to me.

Love the Aleppo Cat Man. Your friends in Venezuela sounds like very resourceful people. I hope there kitties do very well during these difficult times. Well, good night. Take care.🙂
 
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Well, I went shopping today again at my local supermarket for other food items and was pleasantly surprised to see the cat food aisle decently stocked, so I bought more cat food. I hope that this is the start of us getting back to normal. My sister may be doing a little shopping tomorrow at BJ's tomorrow and will check the pet food aisle out and let me know if it is better stocked than the last time she was there- I am keeping my 🤞.

Take care.🙂
 

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Well, I went shopping today again at my local supermarket for other food items and was pleasantly surprised to see the cat food aisle decently stocked, so I bought more cat food. I hope that this is the start of us getting back to normal. My sister may be doing a little shopping tomorrow at BJ's tomorrow and will check the pet food aisle out and let me know if it is better stocked than the last time she was there- I am keeping my 🤞.

Take care.🙂
SO glad to hear this and hoping and praying you're right!
 

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Last week, I visited the Pet Store I normally buy cat food from. In normal times, it was a very well stocked National chain Pet Store. However, last week it looked like this.
View attachment 401704
I also went to BJ's Wholesale (which is very much like a Costco's). The pet food aisle was completely empty of nearly all the canned wet food, I had to buy Meow Mix that comes in cups which goes way too quick.

I feed a lot of outdoor cats, so I rely on the cheaper cat food like Friskies and Nine Lives. All the supermarkets by me are barely stocked with this food anymore. I am getting worried. I am on a tight budget and I have had another cat feeder dump her cats on me.😕 I have confronted her in the past and we had a major falling out. Now I have to worry that at any time she will dump the rest of her cats on me.😱 This is a stressful situation to begin with. The food shortages is the latest challenge to deal with.

I like to ask the members her on TCS, especially those who have a lot of cats to feed whether they are your cats or you take care of community cats. How has the shortages been in your area? Is it mostly the cheaper cat food that is in short supply or have you noticed other brands? I haven't notice a problem with the dry food yet, but is their a shortage of dry cat food in your area?

What have you been doing to deal with these shortage problems? Have you been buying more online? Have you been buying tuna or sardines, or are using something else as a subitute for cat food? How has the kitties you feed been handling the changes?


I also like to discuss winter feeding of outdoor cats. I am very worried over this and need to figure out how to stretch things out. I am feeding a lot more cats than last year and to say it is a challenge is putting it mildly.

I would like to hear from you. Thank you in advance for taking the time to reply to this thread. 🙂
My son was able to get me 3 boxes of cat food(180 cans). My kitty was lucky to get this supply. In Jordan is the same problem of cat food shortage. I hope it will get back to normal supplies everywhere.
 
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Whenallhellbreakslose

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My son was able to get me 3 boxes of cat food(180 cans). My kitty was lucky to get this supply. In Jordan is the same problem of cat food shortage. I hope it will get back to normal supplies everywhere.
I have been talking to people from all around the world on another forum and some countries are not affected at all while other countries are. Interesting. Well, let's hope this supply shortage situation clears up very soon here in the US and every affected country, including your country Jordan.

Thank you for sharing your experience. Have a great day. 🙂
 

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Just a personal update from Glendale (L.A. Metro area) that after petco.com emailed me to ask if I wanted to move my Repeat Delivery up to avoid shipper delays, they have moved the delivery date up to tomorrow. Sometimes the stated delivery date differs from the actual delivery by a day or two, but I am just sharing this to let people in this area know the state of cat food availability and deliveries near them.
 
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Whenallhellbreakslose

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Just a personal update from Glendale (L.A. Metro area) that after petco.com emailed me to ask if I wanted to move my Repeat Delivery up to avoid shipper delays, they have moved the delivery date up to tomorrow. Sometimes the stated delivery date differs from the actual delivery by a day or two, but I am just sharing this to let people in this area know the state of cat food availability and deliveries near them.
Thanks tarasgirl06 tarasgirl06 for posting this. Everyone who orders online needs to get their orders in early. I have had late orders in the month of December and that was in normal times, so please everyone-- don't take any chances.🙂
 

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Two days ago I visited the pet food aisle at the local supermarket, and then I walked in the large store where I usually buy pet food for my outdoor cats and, sometimes, for my colony too.
I thought to take some photos of the cat food shelves to show you that over here it doesn't seem we have any problem with supplies.

The following two photos were taken at the local supermarket

Food stock 1.jpg
Food stock 2.jpg


The following four photos were taken at the pet supplies store

Food stock 3.jpg
Food stock 4.jpg
Food stock 5.jpg
Food stock 6.jpg


All shelves are very weel stocked up.
 

tarasgirl06

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Two days ago I visited the pet food aisle at the local supermarket, and then I walked in the large store where I usually buy pet food for my outdoor cats and, sometimes, for my colony too.
I thought to take some photos of the cat food shelves to show you that over here it doesn't seem we have any problem with supplies.

The following two photos were taken at the local supermarket

View attachment 402132View attachment 402133

The following four photos were taken at the pet supplies store

View attachment 402134View attachment 402135View attachment 402136View attachment 402137

All shelves are very weel stocked up.
Thanking you for this, Antonio65 Antonio65 and hoping that it stays that way; also hoping the rest of the stores in the world get stocked up very soon and stay that way. Cat food is the MOST important staple for so many of us!:agree:
 
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Thanking you for this, Antonio65 Antonio65 and hoping that it stays that way; also hoping the rest of the stores in the world get stocked up very soon and stay that way. Cat food is the MOST important staple for so many of us!:agree:
Thanks tarasgirl06 tarasgirl06 I share that sentiment. I have done with out things so the kitties could get fed. It truly is a labor of love. ❤
Thank you Antonio65 Antonio65 for sharing those pics. I am so glad to see that Italy has not been affected with cat food shortages. In regards the feline vaccine shortages you mentioned on your thread, I really hope that whatever is causing this problem is quickly remedied. I am keeping my 🤞.

Well everyone my sister went to BJ's Wholesale today and here is what she reported: The pet food Aisle was better stocked than when she went over 2 weeks ago. They are still out of Friskies wet food. However they had cases of 9 lives, Fancy Feast, and Meow Mix. So that is much better than the last time when they just had Meow Mix. That doesn't work for me since it goes way too fast when I feed the outdoor kitties. My sister said that the Cat Chow and other dry food brands are well stocked. So overall things are improving there as well. Not bad considering this is a busy shopping week due to the Thanksgiving holiday coming up on Thursday. I am feeling more hopeful now. I hope everyone is having less of a hard time find cat food. Hang in there. 🙂
 
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Whenallhellbreakslose

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UPDATE: I spoke too soon. Apparently there are already shipping delays -- my repeat auto-delivery has been "rescheduled" with no date yet.
Bummer! Take your chances with the stores, they appear to be improving with cat food supplies. My sister got me (2) 48 cases of 9 Lives. My outdoor cats perfer Friskies, but this is what they get, so they better not give me a hard time. 😬They can be as fussy as indoor kitties. There are 6-7 fussy kitties in the group. Hopefully with the weather getting colder they just accept whatever I give them. 🤞🤞🤞 Fingers crossed. 🙂
 

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Bummer! Take your chances with the stores, they appear to be improving with cat food supplies. My sister got me (2) 48 cases of 9 Lives. My outdoor cats perfer Friskies, but this is what they get, so they better not give me a hard time. 😬They can be as fussy as indoor kitties. There are 6-7 fussy kitties in the group. Hopefully with the weather getting colder they just accept whatever I give them. 🤞🤞🤞 Fingers crossed. 🙂
I have back stock, thanks. I was just updating for this thread. Glad you were able to snag some food!
 

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Why do I only seem to find shreds and pate available? My cats don't like shreds, probably because they are older cats and it's hard to chew. I have one who doesn't like pate. What has happened to the meatier bit versions of cat food? Also, it seems that variety cartons are mostly available now. I find that being able to select what my cats will actually eat is more economical because the varieties always have something mine won't touch. (Usually, that's beef or turkey).
 
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