Feeding Cats Only The Gravy, Okay If It's Exclusively From Fish-based Cat Foods?

[a2b2]

My two cats don't drink very much water despite having access to a water fountain. They love the gravy of wet food, but not so much the pieces of meat itself unless it's the unhealthy kind that's filled with byproducts, sugars and carbohydrates. To make sure that they stay hydrated, I've been feeding them only the gravy mixed with plenty of water, and their normal dry food. This arrangement works for both me and the cats, they get to drink flavorful water that they love and I get them to stay hydrated. Yes, I realize the meat gets wasted, but there's not much I can do about that. The gravy they get is from Bozita's wet food (370g.)

I've read that feeding cats too much fish-based food isn't good for them due to the level of mercury and other minerals, does this apply to the gravy as well? Or can I go ahead and give them the gravy of salmon, shrimp etc. as much as they like?

 

[Kieka]

Are they getting some other food in addition to the gravy?

 

[Azazel]

Why not just switch to feeding healthy wet food and cut out the dry?

 

[a2b2]

Are they getting some other food in addition to the gravy?

Yes, they have free access to dry food. They're able to keep themselves at a healthy weight and stop eating when they've had enough.

Why not just switch to feeding healthy wet food and cut out the dry?

They refuse to eat the meat of the healthier wet foods, unfortunately. They'll lick up the gravy and leave the meat. I've tried countless healthy wet food brands, no dice. They'll eat the meat if it's Friskies and similar brands.

 

[Azazel]

They refuse to eat the meat of the healthier wet foods, unfortunately. They'll lick up the gravy and leave the meat. I've tried countless healthy wet food brands, no dice. They'll eat the meat if it's Friskies and similar brands.

Friskies is not so bad. There are varieties with fewer additives and that are actually high in protein. You could do a half wet and half dry diet and feed a can of friskies a day (per cat) with a bit of dry left out for snacking. This will keep them hydrated.

 

[Furballsmom]

Would you be ok with your current menu, and add in some friskies and some of the other canned brands they like now and then to help offset any possible ill effects of fish from polluted waters?
This is somewhat the way we're handling that fish issue in my household, because my boy has pretty much decided he REALLY likes fishy foods.

 

[duckpond]

I have the same problem with my little white cat. She HATES most wet foods, would rather starve to death. I keep trying different ones. She has decided she kind of likes Almo nature, the salmon with apple only. I know all of the bad things about fish and cats, but its wet, and she will eat it. So she gets a can every morning for breakfast. After she refuses something else not fishy..lol.. other cats end up with that.

i would keep trying to find them a wet they like, something non fishy at least part of the time. Then feed them the gravy if they love it. And if they like Friskies i would feed them that sometimes too.

i have come to the conclusion that we do our best to feed them right. we want them to live a long healthy life. But life is too short for them, and us, to never eat something they love, at least part of the time.

 

[Furballsmom]

Yes, exactly what duckpond said.

 

[KarenKat]

Have you tried different textures? There are tons of options (depending on your budget) - Lotus Just Juicy Stew for Cats has shreds of real-looking chicken or pork. It looks like chicken soup to me that I would eat. Dave's Shredded Chicken dinner says "sliced" but it's more of that reprocessed meat ovals. But Olive seems to like it.

Then of course there are pates. For pate-style foods we tend to mix some warm water and make a slurry. Then all the gravy and meat is mixed into one texture and there is nothing to pick out. Seems to work pretty good.

 

[Saf]

All I can do is pass on my previous experience and let you make your own choice.

My first two cats were like this - preferred dry food, never drunk and only licked up the gravy of the wet food I gave them.

They died of kidney disease aged 9 and 10.

Personally I think if you have bad drinkers it's best to make the switch to an all wet diet to avoid future health problems.

 

[Furballsmom]

 

[lisahe]

Have you tried different textures? There are tons of options (depending on your budget) - Lotus Just Juicy Stew for Cats has shreds of real-looking chicken or pork. It looks like chicken soup to me that I would eat. Dave's Shredded Chicken dinner says "sliced" but it's more of that reprocessed meat ovals. But Olive seems to like it.

Then of course there are pates. For pate-style foods we tend to mix some warm water and make a slurry. Then all the gravy and meat is mixed into one texture and there is nothing to pick out. Seems to work pretty good.

These approaches are so worth trying! There are lots of textures available, with real meat shreds, those reprocessed slices and chunks KarenKat mentions, plus pates that are just waiting to be dumped in a little food processor with some water. (Our mini-processor cost about $25 and was a great investment for chopping people food and processing cat food.)

I wouldn't want to feed cats a combination of dry food plus gravy from canned food for very long, even if the gravy's watered down. Beyond Saf 's cautionary tale about their cats, a food like Fancy Feast is very low in carbs when compared to almost all dry foods and there's absolutely nothing wrong with feeding byproducts: they're far more natural to a cat's diet than the carby fillers like grains, potato, and legumes that have to be put into most dry foods so they can be extruded into cat-friendly shapes and sizes. I'd much sooner feed Friskies, too, it's far from the worst food you could feed and most cats seem to love it!