Food And Feeding Question

[JGombs99]

Hello. I'm brand new on here, and this is my first thread. I recently lost my cat, and although I hadn't planned to get another, I really miss having a cat in the house, and so many need a home. I just know I'll be getting another, but before I do, I wanted to ask a couple of questions. One on nutrition, and one on feeding.

Nutrition: I know there are many food options, with extremely different prices, and very different quality. I'm not well off, and absolutely not in a place to buy some of the top quality, super expensive foods. But, I'm aware that quality food is important, so I don't want to feed junk, either. I'm looking for suggestions on budget friendly quality food. I'd also like thoughts regarding the importance of quality cat nutrition, and just where the line actually is. Although I'm not a new cat owner, I used several different brands with different quality with my previous cat, and going forward, I'd like to be a bit more deliberate about what I'm feeding.

Feeding: I know there won't be one size fits all answer to this question. But, I know most people feed wet and dry food. This is what I'd like to do. I don't have experience feeding this way, though. I adopted my previous cat from a shelter, and I was told he wouldn't eat wet food, so for awhile, he ate only dry food. As he got older, his teeth went bad, and at that time, he was switched primarily to wet food. So, I'd like some thoughts about how much of each should be fed daily when both are being fed.

 

[lalagimp]

Some people do combo feeding like 1/2 a 3 oz can during the morning, dry during the day, and 1/2 of the 3 oz can for bed. I feed 2 girls a combination, but it's really high quality dry out for whenever they want it, and then a 5.5 oz can set out in different portions throughout the day as their feeder has a split bowl. Basically they get to free feed whatever they want.

 

[LTS3]

Here are threads on affordable canned foods:

Healthy but affordable canned food
Affordable canned food?
Cheapest/Most affordable Grain free or healthiest canned food
http://www.thecatsite.com/t/330459/...conomical-way-to-buy-friskies-canned-cat-food
New Affordable PetSmart Brand! =D
4health now has affordable grain-free wet food

Catinfo.org is a great web site to learn more about cat nutrition.

People who feed both canned and dry feed mainly canned food meals and leave a measured amount of dry food out for snacking on, likely no more than 1 cup. Canned food can be left out all day (a programmable timed feeder is great) but some people prefer to have some dry out for whatever reason.

 

[duckpond]

I do very much the same as Lalagimp said previously. I split 2 or sometimes 3 of the 3oz cans between four cats in the morning and then again in the evening. I also free feed Dr. Elseys dry food. It is expensive but very high protein and very low carb so they don't eat as much. feeding the way i do a bag will last my 4 5 or 6 weeks.

I feed a wide variety of wet foods, and i would rather feed less expensive wet, and spend a bit more for a quality dry.
On a budget Fancy feast, classics is a good choice, try not to feed much fish. I also feed some of the fancy feast grilled varieties. and Friskies is not horrible either in the wet. Purina, taste of the wild, Merrick, they all have some decent dry out there for the price. I use the cat food data base to check out some foods. CatFoodDB - Cat Food Reviews to help you find the best cat food for your cat I try to feed as high protein, moderate fat, and low carb as possible.

Most cats need approximately 200 calories per day. Fancy feast classics for example has about 91 calories per can. so if you divide a can between the two twice a day they would each get 91 cal of wet. then leave out enough dry, to make up the remainder of what they need for a 24 hour period. I put mine in several different plates around the house so each cat can find some they get to hunt a bit. with more than one cat you want to make sure that each cat gets their fair share and not all the food.

 

[sabrinah]

I currently feed my cat half wet half dry. She gets 1/4 of a 5.5 oz can and 1/8 cup of dry twice a day. Since she's older and relatively sedentary she doesn't need much to maintain her weight. It costs me around $30 a month to feed her. I try to stock up on sales to get the best quality food I can for $1.30 per 5.5 oz can and no more than $3 per pound of dry food. In the next couple months, once I work through the stock of canned food I have, I'll be switching her to raw which will cost about the same.

 

[JGombs99]

Thanks for all of the info! It's definitely appreciated! I haven't had the chance to check out the resources linked in above messages, but I will. For now, what I'm taking away from the responses so far is one small can of wet food per day is what I want to feed. And, I can just leave a bowl full of dry out all the time, and the cat will eat the amount he/she needs, am I right? Or do I need to measure out the dry better than that? Also, it's sounding like the cheaper foods are better in wet than they are in dry?

 

[tangers40]

I would suggest measuring out your dry food, rather than leaving a bowlful out to free-feed. Some cats have no problems with self-regulation, but some do. I free-feed dry to my cat, but she only gets a set amount per day. If she chooses to eat that entire portion in 10 minutes, then she gets none again until the next feeding time. But some cats, if left with an entire bowlful of food (way more than they should eat in a day) will continue to eat until the bowl is empty, rather than stopping when they are full or have consumed what they should eat only.

 

[LTS3]

Larger cans are more economical. You can spoon out what you need for each meal and put the can into the fridge. Pet stores sell lids for cans.

Measure the dry food out. That way you know how much food your cat is eating every day. Some cats who have a never ending bow of dry food will eat way too much. Dry food is coated with a substance that some cats can't resist. It's usually animal digest or some flavoring. Dump any dry food left in the bowl at the end of the day and wash the bowl out. If you find that your cat isn't eating much dry food, put less in the bowl or even eliminate dry food altogether.

 

[JGombs99]

Thanks again, everyone! As I was typing about leaving a bowl full of dry food out, I knew it didn't seem right, but wasn't sure how else to phrase it! I know that conventional wisdom would say to consult the feeding directions on the package, but part of me thinks those directions are probably directing you how much to feed if you're feeding only that one type, and if I'm feeding that amount of both types, I'll be overfeeding. Am I wrong?

 

[Tagrendy]

Well, I think usually wet food is the one unaffordable, dry food even from high quality brands probably is not an issue. The only argument against dry food I've heard is the lack of moisture - so the trick I do with my kitten is mixup & prepare food that has moisture but primarily is made of dry food - I'll mix up 2 teaspoons of dry with 1 teaspoon of wet food, add a touch of water & warm it up a bit - in the end it's all moist even more than the wet food itself. That is fed to him 2 times a day + 1/4 of canned food without anything.

Overall in a month I buy him about 12 packs of wet food ( Royal Canine Kitten Instinctive ) & 4-5 cans of wet food ( Royal Canine Mother & Baby Canned Cat Food ) - and that's more or less affordable than feeding primarily wet which I would do in a perfect world. I'd fed him wet more before since he couldn't chew, but now it has eased up a bit.

Not sure if this matters but I don't free feed him. He always eats up all of the food, it allows me to control the nutrition & so far I am happy with his weight, coat & overall health.

 

[JGombs99]

I brought home the little Tortie girl that caught my attention over the weekend just this evening. I ended up going with Dave's wet food, and Whole Earth Farms dry. I bought these based on a lengthy discussion with a staff member at my favorite local pet supply shop. I hope these are good choices. Definitely up for hearing thoughts.

 

[MissMolly08]

I brought home the little Tortie girl that caught my attention over the weekend just this evening. I ended up going with Dave's wet food, and Whole Earth Farms dry. I bought these based on a lengthy discussion with a staff member at my favorite local pet supply shop. I hope these are good choices. Definitely up for hearing thoughts.

Yes, those are good choices for the price! I have a tight budget and looked at those brands as well. My cat liked Dave's wet food but I can't find it anywhere locally and I hate having to buy big cases of only 1 flavor online so I ended up going with Friskies instead since it is easier to come by. Decided to do 100% wet so never tried the Whole Earth dry.

 

[JGombs99]

Thanks, all! I just want to do right by this little girl!

 

[JGombs99]

Just wondering if anyone else has an opinion on Whole Earth Farms dry cat food, and Dave's wet food.

 

[laura mae]

I've not ever seen Dave's brand wet food, but I think it's smart to have at least some wet food for your kitty. I have one cat who offers me her opinion every day on my offerings of wet food (she pulls stuff over the plate like she's burying a turd). And she really loves kibble. I adopted her a little over a year ago.

I have another cat (her arch enemy) who will not eat any dry food at all. I feed them all 3 times a day and switch up wet food brands. The late night meal is their "snack" and so they do get Friskies for that. They've had the less exciting but quality protein canned foods for breakfast and dinner. Two of my cats are older and thinner and so I also give them some rehydrated raw food (NW Naturals) to help them put some weight back on. It's working and they enjoy it.

Unfortunately I spend more on cat food than I do on the household groceries for the humans.

 

[JGombs99]

Out of curiosity, does anyone know whether land animals or fish (for canned food) is healthier? Ideally, should I be feeding x times a week for one and y times a week for the other? I know if there's one my kitty doesn't like, it could throw this off, but I'm curious to learn the ideal situation. Again, I'm not familiar with feeding both wet and dry at the same time, which is what I'm doing with my new kitty.

 

[maggiedemi]

I'd probably limit the flavors with fish in the name to once or twice a week because of mercury.

 

[JGombs99]

Thanks!

 

[JGombs99]

Hello again! I'm back, wondering if I could get a few opinions on a nutrition question. Specifically, a brand question. As I've mentioned before, I'm feeding Dave's wet food, and Whole Earth Farms dry food. I have no intention of changing the wet as my kitty and I are both happy with it. My question is about the dry. While I'm not necessarily wanting to change it, I wanted some thoughts on the best product for my needs. Essentially, I want the best food for the most affordable price. Can anyone please help me to decide a ranking in quality between the following brands? Whole Earth Farms, Dave's, Taste of the Wild. Once I have a better understanding of which of these is best from a quality perspective, and why (and how close it is!), I'll delve into the pricing of each. Thanks so much!

 

[MissMolly08]

Hello again! I'm back, wondering if I could get a few opinions on a nutrition question. Specifically, a brand question. As I've mentioned before, I'm feeding Dave's wet food, and Whole Earth Farms dry food. I have no intention of changing the wet as my kitty and I are both happy with it. My question is about the dry. While I'm not necessarily wanting to change it, I wanted some thoughts on the best product for my needs. Essentially, I want the best food for the most affordable price. Can anyone please help me to decide a ranking in quality between the following brands? Whole Earth Farms, Dave's, Taste of the Wild. Once I have a better understanding of which of these is best from a quality perspective, and why (and how close it is!), I'll delve into the pricing of each. Thanks so much!

Of those 3 brands, I prefer the Whole Earth Farms.

Dave's wet food is good but their dry food has a LOT of fillers. The ingredient list shows like 3 different types of rice, flaxseed, tomato etc. All things cats do not need.

Taste of the Wild is an ok brand BUT they only have 2 flavors and they are both heavy on the seafood. Too much seafood is not recommended for cats because of heavy metal exposure (just like why it's recommended humans only eat seafood like twice a week tops).