Freeze Dried And Wet Food Diet

[Neo_23]

Also remember that if he's eating all wet he will naturally just drink less water. Most wet food is 70-80% moisture so he should be getting enough water anyway. As long as he's peeing regularly and normally it should be fine.

Actually ever since I started feeding all wet my cat rarely drinks from his water bowl but pees much more... he actually had a super long pee today...I swear he peed for 30 full seconds .

 

[himawari]

Yeah I wouldn't want you to upset Smokey's stomach. And I always assumed that microwaving pet food actually takes out some of the important nutrients...or is that just an old wives tale? IDK But that's what I was told lol

And like what Neo_23 said, wet food is about 78% moisture (most are anyway) so their water intake from water bowls would lessen. And that's on top of what you directly put in his food. I bought a water fountain for my cat, and he did use it but oh-so-very rarely. I finally had to stop since it was just taking up space and paying for the filters were costing me too much.

 

[anapaula0324]

Also remember that if he's eating all wet he will naturally just drink less water. Most wet food is 70-80% moisture so he should be getting enough water anyway. As long as he's peeing regularly and normally it should be fine.

Actually ever since I started feeding all wet my cat rarely drinks from his water bowl but pees much more... he actually had a super long pee today...I swear he peed for 30 full seconds .

Smokey pees regularly too. That's why I try not to worry too much. And I was thinking that as well. If he didn't like it , he wouldn't eat it no matter how hungry he was. That's how he is with dry food. I was getting a little worried because honestly he's a little fatty but he wasn't eating as much the last couple of feedings. He's fine now though. Just playing and right now watching a football game with me lol so his stomach seems to be fine.

 

[anapaula0324]

Yeah I wouldn't want you to upset Smokey's stomach. And I always assumed that microwaving pet food actually takes out some of the important nutrients...or is that just an old wives tale? IDK But that's what I was told lol

And like what Neo_23 said, wet food is about 78% moisture (most are anyway) so their water intake from water bowls would lessen. And that's on top of what you directly put in his food. I bought a water fountain for my cat, and he did use it but oh-so-very rarely. I finally had to stop since it was just taking up space and paying for the filters were costing me too much.

Actually I don't even know. I'm going to look into it now. I didn't think anything of it but I'm learning as I go. I'm just going to keep leaving fresh bowls of water out for him and maybe he'll actually try it. I'm currently doing an all wet diet and feed him 4-5 times a day.

 

[himawari]

That's great! It's basically the same diet as my cat though mine has a 90% commercial raw (no freezer space for homemade and no time lol). But I feed roughly that many times too. I know his diet is working thanks to the softness of his fur compared to when I first got him.

 

[lisahe]

Quickly about food temperature: no, cold food doesn't seem to bother cats' stomachs. Whether they want to eat cold food, though, is another matter! From what I understand, it's the smell more than anything that attracts cats to food. I sometimes mix a little hot water (if I've recently boiled a kettle) into canned food -- it does help create a pungent smell -- but wouldn't do that with raw food because, basically, it could partially cook it. Some people recommend feeding food that's at "mouse temperature," but our cats will even eat Rad Cat if it's still slightly icy...

 

[anapaula0324]

I think I would do commercial raw. I'm not sure of any place here who sells it here but in all honesty I haven't looked. I've just been looking into freeze dried. But I don't want to transition him into anything prohibitively expensive either. I know at least an well food diet is better than kibble. And he also eats a ton right now. Maybe once he's past a year I will look into more options. I do want to try with freeze dried though in his first year.

I also suffer from a lack of freezer space lol and where I live I can't technically get one of those big freezers although people do it anyways.

 

[anapaula0324]

Quickly about food temperature: no, cold food doesn't seem to bother cats' stomachs. Whether they want to eat cold food, though, is another matter! From what I understand, it's the smell more than anything that attracts cats to food. I sometimes mix a little hot water (if I've recently boiled a kettle) into canned food -- it does help create a pungent smell -- but wouldn't do that with raw food because, basically, it could partially cook it. Some people recommend feeding food that's at "mouse temperature," but our cats will even eat Rad Cat if it's still slightly icy...

Smokey prefers the cold wet food but I won't lie I kind of feel bad about giving it to him like that. Obviously that's a more me thing but I don't want him to eat less because he doesn't prefer it heated. I actually just add warm water and today I gave it to him with a little warmer water. He'll usually eat it that way. But now he's doing this thing where I have to coax him to eat. He's still eating but I honestly think its the bowl I'm using. It's flat but it has raised edges. As soon as I push the food closer to the middle where it's completely flat he has no issue eating it. But if its up against the raised sides he doesn't seem to want to work for it. He's lazy lol I also changed the wet food to Nulo but I know it's not that because he really likes it. He def prefers it to the whole earth farms kitten food I was giving him.