hard cat food

[immortalflower]

I have two cats, one of which is an 11 year old male. My male cat can't seem to eat hard food. I've tried all kinds of brands but they all have the same results, he throws up after eating them. I am told it is important in a cats diet but I have cut it out of his diet since it makes him sick. I recently discovered another brand called Arcana and have tried that, my other cat loves it and eats it but he won't even taste it.

Any advice on a hard cat food for a cat like this or is it fine to just continue leaving it out of his diet?

 

[melissa]

Has he been checked out by a Vet lately to rule out any medical problems that could be causing this? I know that there are a few kinds of Dry Cat foods out there formulated for sensitive stomachs, maybe you could try one of those? I think Science Diet makes a sensitive stomach formula. Good luck with your furbaby

 

[sandie]

It sounds like a food sensitivity to me. What foods have you tried? Have you tried allergy trials on him yet? Also, the smaller kibble seems to digest a little better. I think Iams is the smallest kibble for cats.

 

[immortalflower]

He hasn't had any allergy tests. I've tried all the brands that are sold in the super market and in the local pet stores. His problems with food is strictly related to hard cat food. He eats any soft cat foods and meats without getting sick. He just turns his nose up at things he doesn't like such as fish. I have tried science diet, that is what everyone recommends but that makes him throw up too. I have not heard of lams though.

 

[alicat613]

Have you tried a natural brand? A lot of cat foods have a bunch of junk in them. I use Nutro Naturals and my cat stopped throwing up. I read that cats can't digest corn, so I use a rice food. The main protein is still meat, but the starch is rice and they supposedly digest it better.

Do you free feed or just give them a limited amount at certain times?
I also think my cat was throwing up because she was eating too fast, and so I make sure she had a lot out and she stopped scarfing it down.

Maybe he doesn't want to eat it because it always makes him throw up? That's how I'd feel! Or maybe the hard food hurts his mouth - he could have sore gums or something. You could try moistening his food with a little water, but I think you should talk to your vet and take him in for a check up.

 

[sandie]

Alicat, did you miss the the thread on rice vs corn?

 

[alicat613]

No, I posted the original question. I meant a food that, as it's starch, was rice not corn, might be an idea. As you said, rice is slightly more digestible. Either way, I think I'd take kitty to the vet.

 

[audra20]

we had the same problem w/ our little one, {not that she'd throw it up just shes picky}
we have her on eukanuba, its expensive, but she likes the hard food, she throws up the wet canned eukanuba cat food.

good luck

 

[hissy]

Because of the way cats tend to eat dry food. They gourge themselves. I would try two things I would stay with one dry food at all times when you find one she will accept- I use Kirkland Dry you can buy at Costco. I would feed only small amounts and I would put the small amount in a sturdy baggy and bust up the chunks with a rolling pin or hammer then feed it. Good luck, and make sure she has clean water right nearby.

 

[alicat613]

My older cat did the same thing, like you say hissy - she would just goprge herself on the dry food and throw up. The food wasn't even digested at all - still in the pieces (yuck). I tried to feed her in limited amounts like you suggest, and it totally backfired - she gobbled it up even more in a panic that she would starve or something, having been abused and neglected until 2 years old. I tried the opposite and put out so much food there was no way she could eat it all, like 10 bowls, and eventually, after gorging and throwing up, she got the idea that it would be there and now she free feeds just fine, without gorging or vomiting.

 

[immortalflower]

I think mine must have an allergy to it. He doesn't gorge himself, and I did also try small portions and he became sick from small portions just the same.

 

[alicat613]

What kinds of food have you tried? He might be allergic to a common ingredient.

 

[immortalflower]

I don't know if I could even list them all! Here are some at least, Meow Mix, Science Diet, Friskies, Performatrin, um.... gee I could tell you what the boxes looked like but I can't think of what they are all called. Basically everything you can get from the grocery store here in Canada and the few others you can get at pet stores.

Right now I have Arcana. My other cat likes it but this one turns his nose up at it so I have no idea if that one makes him sick too.

 

[sandie]

If you are serious about doing an allergy trial, you need to pick a food and make sure they eat it for at least 3-6 weeks. The foods you listed have a few common ingredients. I would start with either Iams lamb and rice or Wellness.

 

[juicelyn0527]

My cats eat only soft food and are very healthy. We had to switch to soft when my Kitty (who is 14) had to have multiple teeth removed (because we had a really bad vet who lied about his teeth being great and then when we switched vets we found out they were in bad shape and they were falling out and causing infections). The cats all do fine with it. We give them PetSmarts Special Kitty or whatever its called for UTI kitties.

 

[lynn]

I recently (like 2 days ago!) bought Hill' Science Diet--Senior Formula Dry food for my two 7.5 year old cats. They LOVE it! I believe it is very palatable. My cats highly recommend it.

 

[immortalflower]

I did try that one before Arcana. He did indeed love it but he still got sick from it.

 

[owl]

Hi all,

If it seems the main concern is solely the hardness of the food perhaps you could soak the kibble in some warm water for about 10 minutes. I do this with my dogs food (to prevent bloat) and on ocassion I will do likewise with the kitty kibble and mix in a spoon of wet food for a bit of a change. My cat loves this and scarfs down the mush with no problem. This might make it easier for your cat to digest his meals. Hope this helps (my first post here!).

Good luck.

 

[cooie]

I'm wondering - does he throw up every meal? If so, he probably needs to be taken to the vet.

But if he only throws up occasionally, then you need to be aware that cats do this, and there's usually no medical problem and no apparent reason for it. Also, alot of cats who don't normally have sensitive stomachs will still throw up if their food is changed.

Therefore, if he only throws up occasionally, I would stick with the last high-quality food he was willing to eat, and see if the vomiting eventually stops or at least decreases.

Also, cats don't have grinding teeth, only tearing teeth, so they will always swallow their food nearly whole. This is not the reason they throw up, though. If they are eating too fast or too much in one sitting they may vomit.

Hope this helps, good luck with him!

 

[immortalflower]

He begins throwing up within about 2 days of being introduced to hard cat food. I have tried the different kinds each for long periods of time and the vomitting doesn't get better with time. The food doesn't look partially digested when he vomits, its usually mush and the only reason I know it is because of the hard food is that it is the same color.

When off hard cat food, he vomits once in a blue moon and doesn't have hairballs either.