Dry cat food

[Shants7]

Hello fellow cat lovers. I’m wondering about opinions on dry cat food.. it’s been awhile since I’ve had a kitty that didn’t need rx food so I’m out of the loop on what’s in reg stores. I’m looking for a good dry for a healthy 4 year old male cat he’s jacked! Not fat just a solid big cat! I’ve done some research but it’s overwhelming... conflicting thoughts on high protein no grain food...what do you feed your babies?

 

[Graceful-Lily]

I can relate. There are so many articles. I spent what felt like days once trying to decide on what to feed my cat. I have two now so I really have to know what to feed (they eat a lot).

Right now, I am feeding a mixture of NOOD dry adult cat food and a rotation of random wet food brands that I find at Walmart. I normally don't feed dry food and I don't like feeding it because my cats are seniors and the dry food is hard on their kidneys. But it's hard to find them food they like and will eat constantly.

 

[shadowsrescue]

Since having a male cat that had a urinary blockage, I avoid dry food. Cats notoriously don't drink a lot of water. They need the moisture of canned food. I would look into adding some canned food to his diet as well.

 

[Shants7]

I can relate. There are so many articles. I spent what felt like days once trying to decide on what to feed my cat. I have two now so I really have to know what to feed (they eat a lot).

Right now, I am feeding a mixture of NOOD dry adult cat food and a rotation of random wet food brands that I find at Walmart. I normally don't feed dry food and I don't like feeding it because my cats are seniors and the dry food is hard on their kidneys. But it's hard to find them food they like and will eat constantly.

Thank you! I was going to ask about wet food too. Because right now the food we have is catered to my old man who is 18 and his diet is more towards getting calories in him than 100 percent nutritious ( basically perfect portions, temptations and kidney diet dry) I want to start now for my newest babes on a healthy diet and he seems to really like dry food more but I know it’s important he get enough fluids so also wet food. There are just sooo many foods and I cringe at the reports about Rachel Ray pet food because when we adopted Carl his foster parent gave us his left over food which included a huge bag of nutrish aka poison

 

[daftcat75]

Your worst wet food will be better than your best dry food. Wet food generally has a higher proportion of protein coming from animal sources exclusively. Whatever you perceive as convenience or economy today can and likely will come back to you later in his life with urinary infections or blockages, kidney disease, tooth problems (dry does nothing for their teeth but leave fermentation media aka crumbs of starch for tooth rotting bacteria), possible diabetes, obesity, food allergies/IBD from species inappropriate ingredients like starches and grains, and the list of possible health problems caused by inappropriate ingredients and a lack of moisture goes on and on. If it’s price stopping you from feeding more wet or all wet, Fancy Feast Classic pates are excellent species appropriate foods that are also highly appealing to most cats. If it’s convenience that’s holding you back, get some timed feeders for daytime and overnight. If it’s a finicky cat, ask your vet for FortiFlora. It’s a probiotic but not a very good one. But it has a flavoring, “animal digest”, that gives dry food its appeal. It’s what makes a carnivorous cat decide that grainy/starchy/veggie foods are tasty enough to keep eating day in and day out. You can sprinkle the FortiFlora over his wet food to encourage him to eat it as readily as his dry.

But if, for whatever reason, you must still feed a dry, I’d look at Dr Elsey, Rawz, Tiki Cat, Ziwi Peak and a few other pricey brands that actually attempt to make a species-appropriate dry food. Wetter is better but at least they’re trying.

Stella and Chewy’s freeze dried dinner morsels are also very popular as a dry food even though they really should be rehydrated. Instead of FortiFlora, you could pulverize some S&C and mix with wet food.

 

[Shants7]

Your worst wet food will be better than your best dry food. Wet food generally has a higher proportion of protein coming from animal sources exclusively. Whatever you perceive as convenience or economy today can and likely will come back to you later in his life with urinary infections or blockages, kidney disease, tooth problems (dry does nothing for their teeth but leave fermentation media aka crumbs of starch for tooth rotting bacteria), possible diabetes, obesity, food allergies/IBD from species inappropriate ingredients like starches and grains, and the list of possible health problems caused by inappropriate ingredients and a lack of moisture goes on and on. If it’s price stopping you from feeding more wet or all wet, Fancy Feast Classic pates are excellent species appropriate foods that are also highly appealing to most cats. If it’s convenience that’s holding you back, get some timed feeders for daytime and overnight. If it’s a finicky cat, ask your vet for FortiFlora. It’s a probiotic but not a very good one. But it has a flavoring, “animal digest”, that gives dry food its appeal. It’s what makes a carnivorous cat decide that grainy/starchy/veggie foods are tasty enough to keep eating day in and day out. You can sprinkle the FortiFlora over his wet food to encourage him to eat it as readily as his dry.

But if, for whatever reason, you must still feed a dry, I’d look at Dr Elsey, Rawz, Tiki Cat, Ziwi Peak and a few other pricey brands that actually attempt to make a species-appropriate dry food. Wetter is better but at least they’re trying.

Stella and Chewy’s freeze dried dinner morsels are also very popular as a dry food even though they really should be rehydrated. Instead of FortiFlora, you could pulverize some S&C and mix with wet food.

It’s neither price nor convince really it’s more that no matter if I portion the wet or not they always leave some behind and won’t go back to it so I’m tossing tons of wet food so much so that we now have to use disposable bowls because I can’t wash reg bowls fast enough. So I’d like some dry out esp because I have to keep my 2 cats separate so that there’s always food and water in whichever room each of them ends up in.. it’s a rotating cycle of gates and doors so that each cat gets time in the rooms with people in them. I’m happy to get whatever the best is of each type of food both wet and dry so it’s not about price just an overwhelming amount of choices. I’m used to getting rx food from the vet for my old guy who also eats perfect portions just because he needs to eat but for my newest kitty I’d rather find a better healthier wet food for him. Unless I’m wrong in thinking perfect portions are kinda “junk food” for cats.

 

[Shants7]

Since having a male cat that had a urinary blockage, I avoid dry food. Cats notoriously don't drink a lot of water. They need the moisture of canned food. I would look into adding some canned food to his diet as well.

He eats lots of wet too.. but I’d like to have the option of some dry food that’s all. What kind of wet do you recommend?

 

[daftcat75]

It’s neither price nor convince really it’s more that no matter if I portion the wet or not they always leave some behind and won’t go back to it so I’m tossing tons of wet food so much so that we now have to use disposable bowls because I can’t wash reg bowls fast enough. So I’d like some dry out esp because I have to keep my 2 cats separate so that there’s always food and water in whichever room each of them ends up in.. it’s a rotating cycle of gates and doors so that each cat gets time in the rooms with people in them. I’m happy to get whatever the best is of each type of food both wet and dry so it’s not about price just an overwhelming amount of choices. I’m used to getting rx food from the vet for my old guy who also eats perfect portions just because he needs to eat but for my newest kitty I’d rather find a better healthier wet food for him. Unless I’m wrong in thinking perfect portions are kinda “junk food” for cats.

They have microchip feeders (SurePet or SureFeed?) that would let your fur kids free-feed in automatically resealable bowls that are keyed to each individual cat. If they aren’t microchipped, you can get an RFID collar tag for them. You will be able to load a wet portion in the morning and the automatic sealing mechanism should keep it fresh all day.

Yes. Your startup cost will be high. But still far less than the battery of exams and tests to track down IBD. It will also let cats eat like cats—small frequent meals instead of a couple of gut bombs of too much food.

 

[Shants7]

Hi all so my last post I guess wasn’t super clear. My babes eat wet and dry food. Mostly wet but I like to have some dry out for days I won’t be home most of the day. In reading all the posts about wet food I noticed so many kitties with food sensitivity so my first question is what are the most common ones to look out for and other than pooping issues what should I look for and second some brands of both wet and dry that people like or I should say what the kitties like. Price isn’t an issue the cats rule the house lol. Thank you! So glad I have people to advise on this with a billion options out there. The main kitty food in question would be for a 4 year old male without weight issues he’s just a big ball of fur and muscle

 

[Shants7]

They have microchip feeders (SurePet or SureFeed?) that would let your fur kids free-feed in automatically resealable bowls that are keyed to each individual cat. If they aren’t microchipped, you can get an RFID collar tag for them. You will be able to load a wet portion in the morning and the automatic sealing mechanism should keep it fresh all day.

Yes. Your startup cost will be high. But still far less than the battery of exams and tests to track down IBD. It will also let cats eat like cats—small frequent meals instead of a couple of gut bombs of too much food.

Cool thanks I’ll look into it.. but I would need more than 1 because my kitties are on a rotation of rooms because they must be separated and so we make sure each cat gets enough living room time where the people are mostly. It’s a full time job making sure each of them are happy and getting play time etc ..and navigating gates at every door lol but the cats rule the house the humans are just squatters

 

[Shants7]

Your worst wet food will be better than your best dry food. Wet food generally has a higher proportion of protein coming from animal sources exclusively. Whatever you perceive as convenience or economy today can and likely will come back to you later in his life with urinary infections or blockages, kidney disease, tooth problems (dry does nothing for their teeth but leave fermentation media aka crumbs of starch for tooth rotting bacteria), possible diabetes, obesity, food allergies/IBD from species inappropriate ingredients like starches and grains, and the list of possible health problems caused by inappropriate ingredients and a lack of moisture goes on and on. If it’s price stopping you from feeding more wet or all wet, Fancy Feast Classic pates are excellent species appropriate foods that are also highly appealing to most cats. If it’s convenience that’s holding you back, get some timed feeders for daytime and overnight. If it’s a finicky cat, ask your vet for FortiFlora. It’s a probiotic but not a very good one. But it has a flavoring, “animal digest”, that gives dry food its appeal. It’s what makes a carnivorous cat decide that grainy/starchy/veggie foods are tasty enough to keep eating day in and day out. You can sprinkle the FortiFlora over his wet food to encourage him to eat it as readily as his dry.

But if, for whatever reason, you must still feed a dry, I’d look at Dr Elsey, Rawz, Tiki Cat, Ziwi Peak and a few other pricey brands that actually attempt to make a species-appropriate dry food. Wetter is better but at least they’re trying.

Stella and Chewy’s freeze dried dinner morsels are also very popular as a dry food even though they really should be rehydrated. Instead of FortiFlora, you could pulverize some S&C and mix with wet food.

Awesome thanks for the advice!

 

[Kieka]

Most people will notice poop problems or vomiting shortly after a meal as signs something isn't agreeing with their kitties system. It's usually without any other symptoms and the cats won't seem sick other than the vomiting or poop problems. Not 100% every case but generally speaking of course. The number one problem tends to be chicken and/or poultry, then fish and soy/potatoes/peas ... At least from my informal observations on here and personal research.

Food brand and preference really does vary between cats. I like going to two or three local pet stores and grabbing two to three different cans of potential foods and seeing what my crew likes. Currently they love Sheba cuts (which I am not fond of) and Nulo canned.

 

[Neko-chan's mama]

I recently switched my kitty from Blue Buffalo wilderness dry to merrick back county raw infused and she loves it. When I tried the slow transition she actually picked out the new stuff and left the Blue behind!

 

[Mare333]

Hi, lots of advice here, let me give you my 2 cents. We used 2 different vets in the last couple of years and both of them advised against dry food. They said it's bad for the kidneys, (our cat ended up having kidney stones we were feeding her meow mix). Also if the cat is on the border of being overweight which ours was the vet said to eliminate dry food all together, just give her wet food 3 times a day and treats once a day. So that's what we've been doing. We feed her purina fancy feast wet food and she seems to be doing fine. Hope this helps.

 

[jen]

I haven't read through all the replies but I will say avoid dry food for a male cat at all costs. It is good to use as a treat here and there so that if you go away for the day or on vacation you can leave it out and they are familiar with it and will eat it. I like to use kibble as a treat and canned for the meals. Way too many blocked males. Once they block they will again without proper hydration and diet. That is so damn expensive I wouldn't even risk it.

Also, I can't imagine why there would be conflicting info on amount of protein for a cat. They are STRICT carnivores. They need all the meat and protein in a complete and balanced diet as possible. What they do NOT need is grains, carbs, sugars, veggies, etc.

Which brings me to the point of "GRAIN FREE" being a ridiculous marketing ploy as it gives food makers a reason to charge more for the food, when those grains are just replaced with other starchy, high carb fillers instead of grains. THEY ALL TURN TO SUGAR leading to obesity, diabetes, organ failure. So grain free is great in theory but it is very deceiving as people just assume they are doing the best for their cat and they are not.

For dry kibble to have on had for a treat or vacation meal I like Tiki Born Carnivore, or Dr Elsey's or even Crave from Walmart as last resort.

For canned food you don't need to go crazy with all the fancy stuff on the market. Fancy Feast and Friskies Classic Pates for example are low to no carb (meaning low sugar, starch, grain, etc) and relatively inexpensive compared to other brands.

Lastly, I would highly recommend reading through the information here on diet. This nails it on the head. Feeding Your Cat: Know the Basics of Feline Nutrition – Common Sense. Healthy Cats.

 

[ArchyCat]

Purina 1 is a dry cat food and the first (primary) ingredient is animal protein. I have seen chicken and beef versions. I have fed both to my cats and they seem to like it. One thing I have noticed is that they eat less of the Purina 1 than dry food such as Meow mix.

If you do feed your casts dry food, read the list of ingredients. Animal protein should be the first ingredient.