Canned Fish Or Dry - Which Is Worse?

[TriciaS]

I have a cat that the only canned food he will consider eating is tuna based. I agree with what I've read about fish and dry food not being ideal. But those are the only two food he will eat. So is canned fish flavors better than a high quality non-fish dry food?

He has never really been into food in the 10 years I've had him and has always been on the skinny side. He has been eating 2 meals of raw and 1 dry for years but he's not so into the raw anymore and is getting even thinner. I don't think it's medical - he gets full bloodwork every year. It's more a combo of him not being into food and the stress of new cats we rescued (he's not a fan).

 

[mizzely]

Honestly, Thiaminase is broken down at temps of about 175 F degrees, and I'm sure most commercial canned foods are cooked at that temperature or higher as part of the canning process.

If your kitty would eat a salmon diet instead, then it would be a moot point as most salmon from my understanding is Thiaminase free. I know that's not always easy though as mine hates tuna but enjoys salmon!

Long story short, I would personally go with the fishy canned over the dry

 

[TriciaS]

My guy is the opposite. The only canned he will eat is tuna - but he won't eat tuna flakes. He will eat freeze dried salmon treats, but not salmon canned. He did love the Primal Rabbit but won't eat it anymore and never liked any other of their flavors. And the Rad Cat lamb but they are gone. He is so fussy. And if the wind blows the wrong way he'll just stop eating regardless of what it is. I guess I'll try some canned tuna foods and see how it goes.

When I adopted him he was over a year old and the rescue only feed the cats dry. I think that has something to do with not liking wet food. My other cat has food allergies and can only eat rabbit and lamb. AND I have two kittens and most the LID foods are adult maintenance, not all life stages so everyone get fed in different rooms. I dream of a day where I can give them all the same food and they all actually eat it.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi!
Since he's losing weight, and it sounds as though you have tried different brands... I'd give him both canned and dry - he needs to eat .

Can you try some of these ideas?
just in case something might help;

18 Awesome Cat Feeding Tips By Thecatsite Staff Members

Also here is a compilation of things;

Try feeding in different locations - and utilize different heights. For example put a couple of books underneath the dish, next time use two thick phone books, or a small-ish box so the heights are varied....

Try some raw egg yolk. Egg white must always be cooked, and some people cook the white and make a slurry of sorts by adding in the raw yolk.

Also you could try some Nutri-cal or similar product.

Try making these recipes - they're just as viable for an adult cat as for kittens;
Kitten-Rescue.com

These below can be used on their own or combined with food. Also, if you heat the food a little - stir it so there aren't any hot spots from the microwave.

Or you could heat some water, about a tablespoon, and add that to canned food. A small glass works to stir it all up.

• Chicken, beef or ham flavored (pureed) baby food such as Gerber Stage 2 - make sure there is no garlic or onions in the ingredients

• Tuna and/or the juice, a low mercury/low/no sodium brand is called SafeCatch

• Salmon, mackerel

• Sardines (make sure there are no bones)

• boiled cut up chicken or turkey with no seasonings

• canned kitten food any brand

• Try mixing in Kitten Milk Replacer - there are recipes on the internet or store bought

• Fish, tuna or BBQ flavored canned wet food (I personally have never seen BBQ flavors, but...)

• Lickable cat treats or pouch treat 'gravy' poured over the food

• kitten glop (recipes in website link above)
• Bonito flakes
• fortiflora
• fish oil
• green beans, asparagus mushed up, lettuce, applesauce, mashed chickpeas, black olives
• whipped topping such as reddiwhip
• dry pasta

• goat milk, or no lactose cow milk
• whole cooked eggs (the white must always be cooked) or raw egg yolk now and then
• broth with no salt and no garlic or onion or seasonings of any kind
• There are also commercial toppers, Applaws is a brand that can work well as a topper
  
• Some good treats would be freeze dried Purebites, Orijen, Meowtinis, Meowables, Only Natural Pet, Primal

• There are also Lickimats that you could spread types of soft food onto, even plain unflavored yogurt, and even freeze it. Licking something can help a cat to feel better emotionally The LickiMat - Food Puzzles for Cats
• shredded cheddar cheese, string cheese

 

[marmoset]

At ten, with weight loss I think a twice yearly vet check is important. I know that's a pain and expense but my vet would be concerned if a cat that that was on a regular established and routine diet started losing weight. He could be starting early kidney disease or he could just be losing muscle mass as an effect of aging but a vet check would be helpful to rule out chronic ailments.

Then I'd think more about diet. If for example he is in early kidney failure his recommended diet will be specialized for that.

 

[TriciaS]

Thanks! For all the advise!!! I've seen those lick mats at my local pet store. I may try that because I think it's just stress. I rescued a semi-feral mom and her 5 kittens over the summer and ended up keeping mom and 2 of the kittens. He is just not happy that they are here.

I've had him for over 10 years. Always very picky and distracted when eating and therefore always on the skinny side. Even though I put him and my other older cat in a separate room to eat, he can hear the kittens playing and gets stressed and distracted from eating because of it. He will eat dry food but he never was a big wet food eater, even with the raw that he liked. And with the stress of the other cats won't eat at all. So it's either he ends up eating all dry or I give him a meal he can't resist, which is BFF tuna based foods. ( I think it's the texture as well as the tuna he likes, so I am going to try their stews and gravies that are chicken based to see.) I've gotten him to a whole 3 oz can in one sitting, but I have to hold it up for him and prompt him to eat. ( I have an elevated bowl but that is not good enough, it needs to be held.) My concern is really what is the lesser of two evils - a diet of tuna based wet food or all dry food?

 

[momof3b1g]

I have wondered this. I worry that fish is not good for them. but then either is dry food. If they dont drink enough. i swear though i didnt see issues with UT until we added more canned food which was FF and a lot have fish added. ironic IDK :/

 

[1 bruce 1]

Thanks! For all the advise!!! I've seen those lick mats at my local pet store. I may try that because I think it's just stress. I rescued a semi-feral mom and her 5 kittens over the summer and ended up keeping mom and 2 of the kittens. He is just not happy that they are here.

I've had him for over 10 years. Always very picky and distracted when eating and therefore always on the skinny side. Even though I put him and my other older cat in a separate room to eat, he can hear the kittens playing and gets stressed and distracted from eating because of it. He will eat dry food but he never was a big wet food eater, even with the raw that he liked. And with the stress of the other cats won't eat at all. So it's either he ends up eating all dry or I give him a meal he can't resist, which is BFF tuna based foods. ( I think it's the texture as well as the tuna he likes, so I am going to try their stews and gravies that are chicken based to see.) I've gotten him to a whole 3 oz can in one sitting, but I have to hold it up for him and prompt him to eat. ( I have an elevated bowl but that is not good enough, it needs to be held.) My concern is really what is the lesser of two evils - a diet of tuna based wet food or all dry food?

At this point, I'd concentrate on getting him to eat anything he wants and worry about a long term diet later.
Someone here mentioned to us that sitting with a cat that's not eating, petting them until they're head bumping and purring can help get them going. Don't ask me why, but it's worked, once our boy starts eating I use my thumb to just give him little strokes on the bridge of his nose and around his head, some cats prefer just the back and some really like a scratching over the butt where the tail meets the spine.

 

[Furballsmom]

I've seen those lick mats at my local pet store. I may try that because I think it's just stress.

( I think it's the texture as well as the tuna he likes, so I am going to try their stews and gravies that are chicken based to see.)

I'm hoping he'll go for some of these

 

[lisahe]

Will he eat any of Weruva's Cats in the Kitchen canned foods that have tuna? Some of those have chicken as the first ingredient so at least the tuna is a bit diluted. (Our cats really like those!) Those are shred foods so if he's more into smooth foods he may not like those. Our cats really love the new BFF pates; I only feed them the chicken-based ones but there's also a "land & sea" line that's fish and chicken.

It does sound like the big thing is to get you cat (what's his name, by the way?) eating well again so it might be best to just feed him whatever he likes for now and then try to steer him toward healthier options. Personally, I think I'd feed both tuna-based food and dry food, with the hope that the downsides of both food modes might be reduced a bit.

Good luck!

 

[TriciaS]

I’m going to try some BFF Pate’s and the stews - maybe he’ll eat those. Like I mentioned earlier he has always been thin and not into food. Now I I think it’s stress is adding to the problem so I need to find food that is soo good to him that he will eat it. He hates and attacks the new mom and kittens even though they don’t bother him. Plus we’ve been fixing and painting the walls in the house so stuff is moved around. I have stuff I’ve been doing to deal with the stress - some days he’s ok, sometimes he walks around growling at the others. He’s also very attached to us, especially my husband. If we are working in the yard he will sit in the window and cry till we come in. And if we give another cat any attention...forget it.

I wished he liked the Weruva chicken but he won’t eat the shreds. He will lick to death any canned food but not really eat it. Except the BFF or Tiki cat tuna. And thinking about it the raw has a similar texture but he’s grown tired of it. He always gotten a little dry at night because although he would eat the raw he won’t eat enough of it. Plus he’s on medication that needs to be taken with food so I would give the meds then some dry. I just wish the two foods he will eat weren’t the worst.

 

[Furballsmom]

Have you had a chance to try some music for him?

 

[TriciaS]

Yes. I have a cd, Music for My Pet, that I put on repeat when we are both at work. I also stream Whiskas Radio on the computer in the room he likes to eat and sleep in. And we have multiple Feliway plugins, I spray Spirit Essence Peacemaker around the house 2x a day and put it in their water. Also give him Composer when he is stressed.
He is stressed by their presence and energy. I find them all sleeping together sometimes. But when the kittens and mom are playing (which is pretty much any time they are not sleeping) he gets upset and attacks them. When they are calm he tolerated them much more. So even when in a separate room when eating is preoccupied with where they are and what they are doing.
And the furniture is out of sorts because we are repairing and painting the old plaster walls in the bedrooms so that doesn’t help.

 

[TriciaS]

Update
I have found Whole Life Tuna freeze dried treats at Petco. He loves them (he hates the tuna flakes). I take as little as possible and crush it over his raw food and he will eat at least half of it.

We also think some of his stress is not having access to food when he wants. He has always been a grazer, but if I leave food out for him the others eat it. So I picked up a SureFeed and am training him to use that. Hoping it helps.

 

[Furballsmom]