Food Recommendation

[colbey]

I've had Blue on Royal Canin Gastrointestinal Fiber Response dry food for over a year. The vet recommended she go on that because last summer I thought she wasn't eating much and losing weight, and she was only pooping every 2-4 days. They didn't find anything wrong except that she was completely bound up. She had stool backed up...a lot. We spent over a week trying to get it out with medicine, but ultimately, she went in for an enema.

She seems to be okay now (and since then). Although...she still only poops every 2-3 days. She free-feeds on the RC dry food and she gets ~1/2-1 small can (3 oz) of Fancy Feast a day. Of that, she mainly licks up the gravy and doesn't eat too much of the chunks.

Sometimes her poop seems "dry," but most of the time it seems...normal. Lol, it's hard to describe--it's not runny, but it's not dry with bumps all the way down it (like almost individual pieces). Sorry to be gross. When I say "dry," that's what it's like.

So I was wondering...does she need to be on the RC Fiber Response food at all? It's pretty expensive, but if I switch her, what would be a good choice? Before the RC, she got Evolve dry food for awhile; before that, it was a slightly better quality dry food made by (or for) our local pet store. Just before we moved last summer, I was feeding 4 cats, who all shared 2 litter boxes. So I really didn't know who was eating what, or who was depositing what and how often.
Now I'm wondering if pooping every 2-3 days is just normal for Blue.
That hasn't changed at all. But...I don't want her to get constipated and bound up again.

Thanks!
(I'm in U.S.)

 

[MissMolly08]

Have you considered moving to an all wet diet? Wet food is best for constipation issues because of the moisture content. Cats naturally have a low thirst drive because they are designed to get all of their moisture from their food. Low water intake = chronic constipation.

 

[Neo_23]

I second all wet diet.

It's kind of ridiculous how so many vets like to send us on our way with dry cat foods for issues that are partly due to the fact that our cats are not getting enough moisture in their diet! When it comes to dietary advice I have found better results by doing my own research and getting advice on this forum than from a vet.

(I'm not suggesting that you stop listening to your vet, but just sharing my personal experience).

 

[artiemom]

If your cat is prone to constipation and perhaps megacolon, the RC Fiber Response food is a miracle food. If not, you can try all wet, with added water... but, check with your Vet first. You do not want to create a problem.

She was not eating much food, because she was backed up, feeling full because of the poop.

If you decide to stay with a dry food, or if she is refusing wet; then I would stay with the RC fiber response food.

 

[colbey]

Hmm. It was a new vet. For both of us. Blue was a stray who just showed up at my old house several years ago. She always seemed healthy. She still does (although she's depressed because she can't go outside and doesn't get exercise any more).
I agree that she stopped eating much because...she was full. There was nowhere for the food to go. The vet felt something, and did an x-ray, and...it seemed like it was all the way to her stomach, but I know that can't be right. But even the vet seemed surprised. The medicine didn't work at least partly because I couldn't get it in her. After she was 'cleaned out,' the vet said I needed to feed her the Fiber food, and that I'd have to stop any other food COMPLETELY, or she might get bound up again.
Well...she still gets her can or so of wet food every day. And she still gets treats. So I don't know if I caused the constipation to come back, and that's why she poops so little? She's been due for a yearly check-up for a couple months, but getting her in is extremely difficult for me (I have a disability). I know I'm not a good caretaker and would find her a home where she'd be happier and better cared for--if such a thing were easy to find, and cats were in high demand or something. She deserves better.

So, I guess I'm torn--move her to mostly a better-quality canned food, ignore the Fiber dry food but let her supplement with a bit of better-quality dry food,...or stick to the Fiber food and take her off the 1 can of wet food a day and see if she poops more often,...or just stick to where we are now.
Oh, when she wasn't eating much, I did try a LOT of canned foods--high- or higher-quality canned foods. She really didn't like any of them. Sometimes she'd eat/like some of the ones from Australia--she seemed to prefer kangaroo and...whatever it is they have that's basically a racoon.
And she doesn't EAT the canned food I give her now. She licks the gravy. She eats a few chunks, but it seems more out of...they got stuck on her tongue while licking the gravy, lol. And she won't touch a pate-style.
EDIT: She WON'T eat human food. At all. I think one time she ate a small bite of cheese, and that's it. Not milk, not ice cream, not eggs, and, I think, not meat. (I'm a vegetarian but she was probably offered a bit of meat where we lived before.) So I've thought about making her food from scratch, but I don't know that she'd eat it anyway.

 

[Summercats]

My cat likes anything with gravy. I try to get the healthiest, grain free, high protein canned or wet pack food I can find. I am not in the US, so can't share brands but look on Amazon for natural cat foods.

 

[MissMolly08]

Hmm. It was a new vet. For both of us. Blue was a stray who just showed up at my old house several years ago. She always seemed healthy. She still does (although she's depressed because she can't go outside and doesn't get exercise any more).
I agree that she stopped eating much because...she was full. There was nowhere for the food to go. The vet felt something, and did an x-ray, and...it seemed like it was all the way to her stomach, but I know that can't be right. But even the vet seemed surprised. The medicine didn't work at least partly because I couldn't get it in her. After she was 'cleaned out,' the vet said I needed to feed her the Fiber food, and that I'd have to stop any other food COMPLETELY, or she might get bound up again.
Well...she still gets her can or so of wet food every day. And she still gets treats. So I don't know if I caused the constipation to come back, and that's why she poops so little? She's been due for a yearly check-up for a couple months, but getting her in is extremely difficult for me (I have a disability). I know I'm not a good caretaker and would find her a home where she'd be happier and better cared for--if such a thing were easy to find, and cats were in high demand or something. She deserves better.

So, I guess I'm torn--move her to mostly a better-quality canned food, ignore the Fiber dry food but let her supplement with a bit of better-quality dry food,...or stick to the Fiber food and take her off the 1 can of wet food a day and see if she poops more often,...or just stick to where we are now.
Oh, when she wasn't eating much, I did try a LOT of canned foods--high- or higher-quality canned foods. She really didn't like any of them. Sometimes she'd eat/like some of the ones from Australia--she seemed to prefer kangaroo and...whatever it is they have that's basically a racoon.
And she doesn't EAT the canned food I give her now. She licks the gravy. She eats a few chunks, but it seems more out of...they got stuck on her tongue while licking the gravy, lol. And she won't touch a pate-style.
EDIT: She WON'T eat human food. At all. I think one time she ate a small bite of cheese, and that's it. Not milk, not ice cream, not eggs, and, I think, not meat. (I'm a vegetarian but she was probably offered a bit of meat where we lived before.) So I've thought about making her food from scratch, but I don't know that she'd eat it anyway.

If I offer my cat foods with gravy, she also just licks the gravy off and leaves the food. If a plop a solid piece of pate style food on her dish, she won't eat it either. She likes it mashed with a fork and about a tablespoon of water added to soften it up. Cat's can be weird about these things! They may not eat turkey flavor from 1 brand but eat it from another. Some may prefer warm food while others eat it straight from the fridge. Sometimes it takes some trial and error to find your cat's preferences.

 

[Neo_23]

I also find that any foods that are high in grains (which includes most royal canin and hills foods) give my cat a bit of constipation. My kitty would eat these foods but he wasn't particularly excited about them.

Since I've switched to grain-free and 95% meat foods my kitten gobbles his food up and is actually excited about eating.

 

[Lalka]

Is she the grey kitty in your profile picture? how old is she now? I avoid gravy food or pouches (more water instead of meat/$) and stick with pate. If your cat dont drink enought water put a bowl in each room.
My cats never drink from the water bowl next to their food. location location location ;p

 

[colbey]

thank you all for the thoughts and suggestions. i'm sorry i'm not always able to get online.
yes, that's Blue in the profile pic. that's her looking into my basement bedroom window. the "outdoor" cats knew to come to the window either for food (extra food, as they always had food on the deck), or to come in. that was early--shortly after she'd arrived at our house. she was looking peeved because i hadn't immediately let her in, lol.
i guess she's 6-7 now. she was about 2 when i finally corralled her and took her in to be spayed and de-wormed. that was their estimate then.

she's very picky about food. i tried so many things when she wasn't eating before. like i said, she won't touch a pate. i tried wetting her hard food; tried heating up the soft food; tried mixing different amounts of water; tried adding salmon oil drops. she goes thru 'phases'--where she doesn't seem to like, say, fish flavors for awhile. but then she'll suddenly decide those flavors are great again.

i just tried a 'cup' of the Fresh Pet. she licked up the gravy the 1st day, but then didn't really touch it. i want to try the actual kibble they sell (no 'juice/gravy') and see if she likes that instead of the RC digest dry food.
i had read the ingredients of the Royal Canin and was really surprised to see that there was so much 'junk' in it. but...the vet recommended it, so i keep feeding it to her.

she's doing fine. other than being pretty depressed because of living in this little studio. she's eating okay. pooping regularly (for her). i just started wondering about switching dry foods because i'll have to buy another large, $40 bag of the Royal Canin soon.

thank you all so much!

 

[Summercats]

Right now I use Arcana a Canadian brand for dry and plan to try a small bag of Orijen next. Not sure if those are available where you live? I know my sister in the US uses Blue Buffalo which is supposed to be good.
Feed primarily wet as it is better for your cats health.
If you can't get online try going to a local natural food shop like Whole Foods or Trader Joe's vs a regular grocery store.

 

[colbey]

thank you Summercats! we have a local pet supply store here that carries a LOT of foods. i'm sure i've seen the Orijen there, but not sure about the Arcana. a year ago, i tried a whole bunch of different foods, mostly canned foods, but she just didn't seem to like any of them. (although she sometimes liked some of the Australian ones.) i didn't try many dry foods then, mostly because...the vet said the other.
i'll have to check some online stores (and the local one) to see if they have small, "sample" sizes of any of these foods. i'm pretty sure the local store will let you return pretty much any food, if your cat (or dog) won't eat it. that's a nice option, but a sample bag seems easier for everyone. (i'm sure they just donate anything returned to the Humane Society. or maybe use it for the cats up for adoption at the store.)

Blue Buffalo has really been advertising (on TV) a LOT lately. and that always makes me a bit suspicious. like, what big food corporation just bought them out?
why are you going to try switching to the Orijen?

 

[Summercats]

I don't think the Arcana is bad but just as an alternate will try Orijen. The cats we used to have had pretty much the same brand food all the time. I think as long as the alternating/rotation is relaxed it can be beneficial. From all the reading I have done, there is no perfect commercial food but some are better than others. If you mix the up the brands, provided your cats stomach agrees, you likely get a more balanced food.

Hmm I don't know, last I heard Blue Buffalo was family owned but they may have been bought out. Iams, I used to think was good, probably because of all the lovey dovey adverts.... but I now know more about pet nutrition.

I am trying to feed primarily wet food. My guy who I have had a month today, seems to go more for saucy food rather than pate but so far he is happy and no bowel issues despite my trying new foods on him.
I think he may have been feed a lot of people food before he was in the shelter.

Oh also about Orijen, I have tried their cat treats and they get a big thumbs up from my guy as well as the kitties in the shelter.

 

[Neo_23]

S Summercats , I’m not sure if you know already but Acana and Orijen are the same company. Orijen is higher in protein and quality and more expensive than Acana. Acana is the more “affordable” line, but they’re pretty similar in many ways.

 

[Summercats]

Neo_23
Nope, did not know that! I am new again to having a cat after a long time and have been trying to learn more about healthier brands, thanks

 

[Neo_23]

Neo_23
Nope, did not know that! I am new again to having a cat after a long time and have been trying to learn more about healthier brands, thanks

Acana and Orijen are certainly at the top of the list when it comes to good dry food brands, especially if you are buying the product made in Canada.

Some other high quality dry food brands are Ziwi Peak, Dr. Elsey's and Rawz.

Usually switching dry foods around is harder on kitties tummies than switching wet. I would personally find a good dry food brand and stick with it and then give the kitties variety in terms of wet food. Acana is a very good dry food if your cat is doing well on it.

 

[Summercats]

Neo_23
Hi, I am in Europe and found the Acana in a pet food shop. Have not seen the Orijen dry there but did find where I could order it online. They do have Orijen originals treats in the shop and my kitty loves them, they have a very strong smell which must be attractive to cats.

I was giving my cat Sanabelle dry gluten free but the Acana looked better. I have only had him a month and just started a few days ago on the Acana. I only put a little dry out for him as I want his primary food to be wet. I have the grasslands, and a tundra for next. But imagine it will be December before I am ready for a new bag. If it is by the same company but somewhat better quality it should not be too big a change.

 

[Neo_23]

Neo_23
Hi, I am in Europe and found the Acana in a pet food shop. Have not seen the Orijen dry there but did find where I could order it online. They do have Orijen originals treats in the shop and my kitty loves them, they have a very strong smell which must be attractive to cats.

I was giving my cat Sanabelle dry gluten free but the Acana looked better. I have only had him a month and just started a few days ago on the Acana. I only put a little dry out for him as I want his primary food to be wet. I have the grasslands, and a tundra for next. But imagine it will be December before I am ready for a new bag. If it is by the same company but somewhat better quality it should not be too big a change.

Yes you're right, it shouldn't be too big of a difference for your cat, unless he has trouble with higher protein levels and more fish (I think Orijen Cat and Kitten has more fish in it).

I also feed my cat the Orijen treats and he loves them, I think they are very good quality.

I haven't heard of Sanabelle, I don't think we have that here in Canada. If you're in Europe you are probably getting Acana and Orijen from the Canadian supplier (I think). That is much better than the American one.