I feed all wet food. Does anyone feed a few kibble as treats to normalize bowels?

[mysterylover]

I have three cats (siblings). They have been eating wet food only for 8 or more years now. They were kittens when their mom dropped them off at my back porch after weaning. They are now 12 years old. Feeding has changed as they have become seniors. One day, the female decided that the shredded chicken she used to love was not good (walked away and hid in another room until I offered something that smelled better), and she is now preferring foods that are pate or softer.

Just so you know, we are planning on taking her to the vet, as I don't know if her change in tastes/textures is due to age and her sense of smell decreasing, the fact that one of the other foods I was feeding to her when she walked away from the shredded chicken was causing her loose stools (and she might have associated her discomfort with the shreds instead because the other was pate, and she LOVED it, so she blamed the other food), or even something like a dental issue. But for sure, if I offer her food that smells better and is the right texture, she will lap it up. She cries for food (even follows me to the bathroom at feeding time to keep crying) so she has an appetite, just not for foods with less aroma or shredded texture. Has anyone had an older cat suddenly get pickier without an underlying health issue?

The problem I am facing is that, all added gums except for agar agar, have given my cats diarrhea, and as the years have gone by, more and more foods have added gums. Also, too much oil (sunflower or even tuna oil) also causes diarrhea. They used to tolerate the Tiki Cat After Dark Shreds. I spent 30 minutes cutting up the shreds for her one night (she was begging for it). I gave her a bite next to her regular food. After increasing the amount, she got diarrhea. Anyway, this issue has resulted in her loving many Weruva flavors but having puddles of poo in the box the next day and feeling lethargic from the cramping or loving Merrick Back Country pouches, only to be crampy with liquid poo the next day - after me adding only 1/4 teaspoonful to the Just Juicy Venison I am cutting till it is nearly smooth in texture (has agar and apparently not enough sunflower seed oil for true diarrhea but her stools will sometimes be mixed solid and smelly goo).

She has recently decided that the Just Juicy Venison does not smell strong enough, and I have been trying toppers. The soft Blue Wilderness treats work. I crumble/mix with water and add as little as possible, but I do not like the idea of adding treats at every meal three times a day - and what if the Venison has a supply issue!!! I tried topping with crumbles (less than 1/4 teaspon) of Ziwi Peak Rabbit and Lamb. She loved it, but (assume due to the high bone content), she gets constipated if I do it every meal (and I added some Weruva to get her to go after adding the Ziwi for 2 days. I think Rawz food constipated them in the past - I have a few cans of Rabbit, Chicken, Duck flavors - of course, those are not the ones lowest in phosphorus.

In addition, as I said, one of my boys has constipation issues but adding gums leads to soft stools once any hard stool clears. Without the gums, I am thinking that maybe they just are not getting enough fiber. I have considered trying a few Greenies Hairball Treats (have some here), since it has cellulose and beet pulp fiber. I thought of trying some psyllium husk, but would that work for constipation AND diarrhea? After years of no kibble, I have actually considered giving them kibble as treats to add in a bit of fiber. Funny, though, crunchy Blue Wilderness treats (grain free with peas) gave them all soft stool after I gave them one at two different times in one day.

Sorry for the long post. I welcome ideas or things that have worked for others who have a kitty who loves certain foods and textures, but it seems they don't like her digestively. Has anyone used kibble as treats when feeding all wet food to help stool consistency? The other thing I considered was adding a probiotic to something the female loves. When I put Fortiflora on the Venison when she started losing interest, she ate the food but got constipated (with just a pinch sprinkled on), so I wondered if adding that in larger quantity to Paw Lickin Chicken that I chopped and mashed into a pudding would counteract the xanthan gum. I even thought about adding the Ziwi crumbles to the Weruva in hopes that the xanthan gum and whatever is causing the Ziwi to constipate when added to the Just Juicy Venison would create the perfect mix.

Everyone here has such great ideas and advice! I lurk a lot!!

 

[maggie101]

I only feed my cats wet. Mornings I have to mix in orijen freeze dried treats from a small pet store. If I can't get her to eat I open a can of Fancy Feast classics. Also weruva

 

[maggie101]

I have three cats (siblings). They have been eating wet food only for 8 or more years now. They were kittens when their mom dropped them off at my back porch after weaning. They are now 12 years old. Feeding has changed as they have become seniors. One day, the female decided that the shredded chicken she used to love was not good (walked away and hid in another room until I offered something that smelled better), and she is now preferring foods that are pate or softer.

Just so you know, we are planning on taking her to the vet, as I don't know if her change in tastes/textures is due to age and her sense of smell decreasing, the fact that one of the other foods I was feeding to her when she walked away from the shredded chicken was causing her loose stools (and she might have associated her discomfort with the shreds instead because the other was pate, and she LOVED it, so she blamed the other food), or even something like a dental issue. But for sure, if I offer her food that smells better and is the right texture, she will lap it up. She cries for food (even follows me to the bathroom at feeding time to keep crying) so she has an appetite, just not for foods with less aroma or shredded texture. Has anyone had an older cat suddenly get pickier without an underlying health issue?

The problem I am facing is that, all added gums except for agar agar, have given my cats diarrhea, and as the years have gone by, more and more foods have added gums. Also, too much oil (sunflower or even tuna oil) also causes diarrhea. They used to tolerate the Tiki Cat After Dark Shreds. I spent 30 minutes cutting up the shreds for her one night (she was begging for it). I gave her a bite next to her regular food. After increasing the amount, she got diarrhea. Anyway, this issue has resulted in her loving many Weruva flavors but having puddles of poo in the box the next day and feeling lethargic from the cramping or loving Merrick Back Country pouches, only to be crampy with liquid poo the next day - after me adding only 1/4 teaspoonful to the Just Juicy Venison I am cutting till it is nearly smooth in texture (has agar and apparently not enough sunflower seed oil for true diarrhea but her stools will sometimes be mixed solid and smelly goo).

She has recently decided that the Just Juicy Venison does not smell strong enough, and I have been trying toppers. The soft Blue Wilderness treats work. I crumble/mix with water and add as little as possible, but I do not like the idea of adding treats at every meal three times a day - and what if the Venison has a supply issue!!! I tried topping with crumbles (less than 1/4 teaspon) of Ziwi Peak Rabbit and Lamb. She loved it, but (assume due to the high bone content), she gets constipated if I do it every meal (and I added some Weruva to get her to go after adding the Ziwi for 2 days. I think Rawz food constipated them in the past - I have a few cans of Rabbit, Chicken, Duck flavors - of course, those are not the ones lowest in phosphorus.

In addition, as I said, one of my boys has constipation issues but adding gums leads to soft stools once any hard stool clears. Without the gums, I am thinking that maybe they just are not getting enough fiber. I have considered trying a few Greenies Hairball Treats (have some here), since it has cellulose and beet pulp fiber. I thought of trying some psyllium husk, but would that work for constipation AND diarrhea? After years of no kibble, I have actually considered giving them kibble as treats to add in a bit of fiber. Funny, though, crunchy Blue Wilderness treats (grain free with peas) gave them all soft stool after I gave them one at two different times in one day.

Sorry for the long post. I welcome ideas or things that have worked for others who have a kitty who loves certain foods and textures, but it seems they don't like her digestively. Has anyone used kibble as treats when feeding all wet food to help stool consistency? The other thing I considered was adding a probiotic to something the female loves. When I put Fortiflora on the Venison when she started losing interest, she ate the food but got constipated (with just a pinch sprinkled on), so I wondered if adding that in larger quantity to Paw Lickin Chicken that I chopped and mashed into a pudding would counteract the xanthan gum. I even thought about adding the Ziwi crumbles to the Weruva in hopes that the xanthan gum and whatever is causing the Ziwi to constipate when added to the Just Juicy Venison would create the perfect mix.

Everyone here has such great ideas and advice! I lurk a lot!!

My old cat got diaheria taking fortiflora. Now I give her advita probiotic, better ingredients and has flavor. My cat now I give her optagest prebiotic. She had full blood work and an ultrasound. She's now on med and her diarrhea has stopped,or better I think

 

[DreamerRose]

My two cats are about the same age, and the older one seems to get tired of certain flavors. He's got a right to, after eating the same food for 8 years, so I've switched brands around to pique his appetite. I feed both my cats the same - Sheba or Fancy Feast Petites in the morning, Kibble at noon, and FF grilled or gravy at night. Their stools are just fine.

I've given Mingo fortiflora in the past, I believe for diarrhea. So I would suggest using different flavors and makers, and rack up their loss of appetite to aging.

 

[Falena]

I feed all wet too (but the brand is specifically a UK subscription, so I dont know if it'll work the same) I find adding a little water smooshing the food up with the water and putting in the microwave for just a few seconds until it is luke warm makes it smell stinckier and changes the texture. If my cats have any issues accepting food or not getting enough water (which causes constipation) that's what I do, personally!
I do have kibble on hand too just incase. But as stated above , they do get bored of certain flavours, so a variety of food and brands is great if what you use doesn't have many different flavours

 

[mysterylover]

My two cats are about the same age, and the older one seems to get tired of certain flavors. He's got a right to, after eating the same food for 8 years, so I've switched brands around to pique his appetite. I feed both my cats the same - Sheba or Fancy Feast Petites in the morning, Kibble at noon, and FF grilled or gravy at night. Their stools are just fine.

I've given Mingo fortiflora in the past, I believe for diarrhea. So I would suggest using different flavors and makers, and rack up their loss of appetite to aging.

I have nearly broken down and tried Fancy Feast, specifically the Gravy Lovers that have wheat gluten and no guar gum. They are high in carbs, but I thought I might be able to get her to eat the Lotus Venison with that on it. I just worried about the by products or even the grain being an issue, since they have not had grain since they were like 2 years old, when Fancy Feast and then the kibble I was feeding as treats even started causing diarrhea in one of them. I HATE cat food trials! My kitchen looks like a pet food store with cans of this and that. I never say "never." I said I would NEVER try Ziwi Peak again due to the constipation issues with previous trials, but when a kitty walks away from food because she is not into it, you will try any food you can get her to eat!

Yes, though, I totally agree with them getting older and deserving more variety. They have been eating Lotus foods pretty much exclusively (pate and shreds), with Tiki After Dark shreds here and there for 6 or 7 years. I would want something different as well! I like your idea of at least rotating flavors by meal. Maybe we can get there somehow. I work nights, so their last meal before bed will be in a few hours, and then, I feed me. After that, they get a bedtime snack. I think I might try mixing the Ziwi with the Paw Lickin' Chicken for their snack. I never thought my days would start with "potty patrol" to see which cat does what before the first meal, but here we are! Thank you!

 

[mysterylover]

Thanks for your fast replies!

I feed all wet too (but the brand is specifically a UK subscription, so I dont know if it'll work the same) I find adding a little water smooshing the food up with the water and putting in the microwave for just a few seconds until it is luke warm makes it smell stinckier and changes the texture. If my cats have any issues accepting food or not getting enough water (which causes constipation) that's what I do, personally!
I do have kibble on hand too just incase. But as stated above , they do get bored of certain flavours, so a variety of food and brands is great if what you use doesn't have many different flavours

Yes, I found that the oil in the shredded venison melts when I warm it in the microwave and makes the chopped shreds smoother. That worked for a while, but then, as you mentioned, I think she got bored with that for three meals a day, actually four with the bedtime snack, so one night, I got desperate to make sure she ate before bed and remembered postings on here about topping with treats or ground kibble. The Blue Wilderness treats (and the advice from this site!) saved me from having nothing she would eat, but I definitely need more foods she will eat and can tolerate at this point!

 

[mysterylover]

My old cat got diaheria taking fortiflora. Now I give her advita probiotic, better ingredients and has flavor. My cat now I give her optagest prebiotic. She had full blood work and an ultrasound. She's now on med and her diarrhea has stopped,or better I think

I know there is a new Fortiflora with psyllium husk in it now (Fortiflora SA) - but have to get it from the vet. I will look into the advita. Thank you for your suggestion.

 

[Tobermory]

I feed my 18- and eight-year-olds RAWZ canned pâtés, the non-fish ones. There are no gums in them. RAWZ also has shredded varieties which I haven’t tried. I believe those have tapioca starch. They’re very pricey, but they’re high quality with very low carbs.

I also use Dr. Elsey’s Clean Protein Chicken kibble as a treat for them. It works well crushed and sprinkled on their food if they’re reluctant to eat. In fact, I did that last night when Mocha ate a few bites and backed away! I sprinkled a few crushed kibbles on top and she ate everything.

You might check out this thread to see if any of the ideas are helpful: Any Good Tips To Get Your Cats To Eat? Share Them Here!

 

[BoaztheAdventureCat]

I have three cats (siblings). They have been eating wet food only for 8 or more years now. They were kittens when their mom dropped them off at my back porch after weaning. They are now 12 years old. Feeding has changed as they have become seniors. One day, the female decided that the shredded chicken she used to love was not good (walked away and hid in another room until I offered something that smelled better), and she is now preferring foods that are pate or softer.

Just so you know, we are planning on taking her to the vet, as I don't know if her change in tastes/textures is due to age and her sense of smell decreasing, the fact that one of the other foods I was feeding to her when she walked away from the shredded chicken was causing her loose stools (and she might have associated her discomfort with the shreds instead because the other was pate, and she LOVED it, so she blamed the other food), or even something like a dental issue. But for sure, if I offer her food that smells better and is the right texture, she will lap it up. She cries for food (even follows me to the bathroom at feeding time to keep crying) so she has an appetite, just not for foods with less aroma or shredded texture. Has anyone had an older cat suddenly get pickier without an underlying health issue?

The problem I am facing is that, all added gums except for agar agar, have given my cats diarrhea, and as the years have gone by, more and more foods have added gums. Also, too much oil (sunflower or even tuna oil) also causes diarrhea. They used to tolerate the Tiki Cat After Dark Shreds. I spent 30 minutes cutting up the shreds for her one night (she was begging for it). I gave her a bite next to her regular food. After increasing the amount, she got diarrhea. Anyway, this issue has resulted in her loving many Weruva flavors but having puddles of poo in the box the next day and feeling lethargic from the cramping or loving Merrick Back Country pouches, only to be crampy with liquid poo the next day - after me adding only 1/4 teaspoonful to the Just Juicy Venison I am cutting till it is nearly smooth in texture (has agar and apparently not enough sunflower seed oil for true diarrhea but her stools will sometimes be mixed solid and smelly goo).

She has recently decided that the Just Juicy Venison does not smell strong enough, and I have been trying toppers. The soft Blue Wilderness treats work. I crumble/mix with water and add as little as possible, but I do not like the idea of adding treats at every meal three times a day - and what if the Venison has a supply issue!!! I tried topping with crumbles (less than 1/4 teaspon) of Ziwi Peak Rabbit and Lamb. She loved it, but (assume due to the high bone content), she gets constipated if I do it every meal (and I added some Weruva to get her to go after adding the Ziwi for 2 days. I think Rawz food constipated them in the past - I have a few cans of Rabbit, Chicken, Duck flavors - of course, those are not the ones lowest in phosphorus.

In addition, as I said, one of my boys has constipation issues but adding gums leads to soft stools once any hard stool clears. Without the gums, I am thinking that maybe they just are not getting enough fiber. I have considered trying a few Greenies Hairball Treats (have some here), since it has cellulose and beet pulp fiber. I thought of trying some psyllium husk, but would that work for constipation AND diarrhea? After years of no kibble, I have actually considered giving them kibble as treats to add in a bit of fiber. Funny, though, crunchy Blue Wilderness treats (grain free with peas) gave them all soft stool after I gave them one at two different times in one day.

Sorry for the long post. I welcome ideas or things that have worked for others who have a kitty who loves certain foods and textures, but it seems they don't like her digestively. Has anyone used kibble as treats when feeding all wet food to help stool consistency? The other thing I considered was adding a probiotic to something the female loves. When I put Fortiflora on the Venison when she started losing interest, she ate the food but got constipated (with just a pinch sprinkled on), so I wondered if adding that in larger quantity to Paw Lickin Chicken that I chopped and mashed into a pudding would counteract the xanthan gum. I even thought about adding the Ziwi crumbles to the Weruva in hopes that the xanthan gum and whatever is causing the Ziwi to constipate when added to the Just Juicy Venison would create the perfect mix.

Everyone here has such great ideas and advice! I lurk a lot!!

I will not do kibble no matter what the health issue is. Kibble causes only health problems and no benefits for cats. Since your cats are older, I want to add in a little extra motivation to stay away from kibble: There's a statistic that I read several years ago that predicts that 1 in 3 cats will die from kidney disease, a disease that is very painful and difficult to treat.

Slippery elm works great for both firming up loose stools and softening hard stools.

How often do you de-worm your cats? Did this diarrhea episode occur out of the blue or were there other symptoms as well? It might be worth talking to your vet about what he thinks caused the diarrhea in the first place.

 

[Alldara]

M mysterylover Assuming all comes back normal from the vet results:

It would be fine to have some crunchy treats, especially through some sort of enrichment. We have a snuffle mat, a treat ball and some treat mice. Three of them split 1/3 cup per day.


Here's my thoughts on cat food:
At first I really subscribed to the "higher" end food. Switched my cats from whiskas to Fromm (similar to Orijen). Switched to fully wet after Nobel's FLUTD a few years later and then ended up having to add back in some dry for starvation concerns and potential fatty liver from dropping weight too fast. With Lily and Nobel I always switched up their wet food between similar brands and some cheep brands as treats to keep them from developing allergies.

I've known people whose cats have lived to 23, 25 and 22 respectively, 100% whole lives off of Our Compliments Cat Chow. I know people who fed 100% wet quality who lost their cat at 2 years. I also know the opposite.

Historically, cats are the only domestic animal we have extended the life of. Partially due to commercial foods. These boutique brands are new, relatively speaking and we are only just starting to know their effects on longevity. We don't have studies. Everything is circumstantial. We only just now have studies that some of the same brands we recommend regularly for cats are negatively effecting dogs's heart health.

We are starting to know what fillers are bad long term. We are starting to know potential health effects from certain ingredients and we are watching brands react to those findings at different rates, including value brands. (For example, one hand people are concerned about dehydration in dry food causing kidney issues, which it can. Other hand is chronic constipation can lead to Megacolon and many wet brands don't have enough fibre because the trend is "less").

What it comes down to at this point is as your cat ages, responding to what's happening with your cat and hopefully finding what works for your cat.

Pure bites toppers is helpful to me.

Stella and Chewys freeze dried food could work for a cat who needs no fillers. I haven't checked their wet food. You could try Instinct limited ingredient diets too or ask your vet for something limited. Either way it sounds like you might need separate diets for the bulk of their diets at this point.

 

[maggie101]

I know there is a new Fortiflora with psyllium husk in it now (Fortiflora SA) - but have to get it from the vet. I will look into the advita. Thank you for your suggestion.

I will check it out! Not all ff is that bad. It's only mixed in. I don't worry so much about byproducts. It's just all the inards a cat eats and its not the first ingredient. High protein,low carb

Fancy Feast Classic Paté Turkey & Giblets Gourmet Cat Food Review

 

[maggie101]

One of my cats has a very sensitive tummy and this is the only food she hasn't thrown up. I used to feed my cats variety but now that they're senior stick with one a novel protein different brands if she/he's picky. Check out www.catfooddb.com for price,protein,fat,carbs, and calories

 

[tabbytom]

as I said, one of my boys has constipation issues

You can a little more water to his wet food. Mix up the water (not too much) and the food at each meal to get a more consistent texture and flavor. Guess you boy is not hydrated well and also get your boy to exercise. Some short running like chasing a ball or a cat wand few times a day will also get the bowels moving together with enough hydration.

 

[mysterylover]

One of my cats has a very sensitive tummy and this is the only food she hasn't thrown up. I used to feed my cats variety but now that they're senior stick with one a novel protein different brands if she/he's picky. Check out www.catfooddb.com for price,protein,fat,carbs, and calories

Your link did not seem to work. Which food do you feed the one with sensitive tummy? I am open to suggestions.

 

[mysterylover]

You can a little more water to his wet food. Mix up the water (not too much) and the food at each meal to get a more consistent texture and flavor. Guess you boy is not hydrated well and also get your boy to exercise. Some short running like chasing a ball or a cat wand few times a day will also get the bowels moving together with enough hydration.

I add water to their wet food. Unfortunately, I think the boy who has tended toward constipation could have an anatomical issue. I was told by a vet when he had an x-ray as a kitten that he has "deformed" hips. His hips are very narrow, so I am wondering if he either had injury in the womb, during birth, or during the months before I trapped them and brought them inside. Funny though, if he has too much food with gums, he still gets diarrhea, so it is a delicate balance for him. We have been trying to play with them all more. Maybe that will help.

 

[mysterylover]

I will check it out! Not all ff is that bad. It's only mixed in. I don't worry so much about byproducts. It's just all the inards a cat eats and its not the first ingredient. High protein,low carb

Fancy Feast Classic Paté Turkey & Giblets Gourmet Cat Food Review

Yeah, I am not saying that Fancy Feast is all bad. I fed it to my cats when they were young, and they loved it. The only reason I stopped was because one of them had chronic diarrhea, and changing foods solved the issue. There could have been a formula change like adding more guar gum back them - who knows. Heck! It might be what works at the end of the day! I will keep it in mind for sure! Again, I hate trials, especially with 3 cats! LOL!

 

[mysterylover]

I will not do kibble no matter what the health issue is. Kibble causes only health problems and no benefits for cats. Since your cats are older, I want to add in a little extra motivation to stay away from kibble: There's a statistic that I read several years ago that predicts that 1 in 3 cats will die from kidney disease, a disease that is very painful and difficult to treat.

Slippery elm works great for both firming up loose stools and softening hard stools.

How often do you de-worm your cats? Did this diarrhea episode occur out of the blue or were there other symptoms as well? It might be worth talking to your vet about what he thinks caused the diarrhea in the first place.

I am not keen on adding in kibble - we lost a cat to kidney disease. It was awful. She ended up having hyperthyroid and kidney failure. It was our first cat, and we inherited her when a family member died. We just fed her what she had always eaten, which was cheap kibble and a bit of Friskies. I am trying some different things and making notes. Everyone here has been very helpful! I will keep the slippery elm in mind. Somehow, I keep thinking there is a food out there that will taste good to the girl but not give her constipation or diarrhea. I hope that food or a combination of foods exists!

 

[mysterylover]

I feed my 18- and eight-year-olds RAWZ canned pâtés, the non-fish ones. There are no gums in them. RAWZ also has shredded varieties which I haven’t tried. I believe those have tapioca starch. They’re very pricey, but they’re high quality with very low carbs.

I also use Dr. Elsey’s Clean Protein Chicken kibble as a treat for them. It works well crushed and sprinkled on their food if they’re reluctant to eat. In fact, I did that last night when Mocha ate a few bites and backed away! I sprinkled a few crushed kibbles on top and she ate everything.

You might check out this thread to see if any of the ideas are helpful: Any Good Tips To Get Your Cats To Eat? Share Them Here!

Thank you so much for the link! I am doing a trial with RAWZ pate now, - just started it today, just adding "drops" of the RAWZ chicken pate to the top of the Lotus Venison. She loved it, cleaned her bowl, but I am a bit worried about the bone content/phosphorus potentially causing constipation (she loved the Ziwi Rabbit and Lamb---again, just dots of the pate on top of the Venison and the bowl was clean, but she went two days without going until I stopped adding the Ziwi and did two meals of the venison topped with her Blue Wilderness treats instead). I assume the constipation is from the high bone in Ziwi, and I was adding a teaspoon of water as well. I actually have some of the RAWZ shreds. I bought it maybe a year ago, and at that time, I think the female barely ate the shreds, but she might react differently now. It still has good dates. I also think one of the boys got soft stools on the shreds (guessing from the sunflower oil), but suddenly, NOW, that sounds like an option to add to try to help if the pate causes constipation. I do like that they have several flavors and no gums. I also do not have any of the lower phosphorus RAWZ flavors (I think Turkey and Beef are lower?), so I might look into ordering those to see if they are less constipating if that becomes an issue with the RAWZ. Thank you so, so much for your reply!!

 

[maggie101]

My cat used to like rawz,now she won't touch it. It could be the weruva has more flavor or likes the texture. I have started to believe,once cats are senior no more variety. Their tummies are not as strong. Weruva has gums but oh well my cat eats it. I am considering buying a small bag of freeze dry for a topper if it's cheaper than buying the freeze dried treats. She also has churu and tiki sticks. Her food has lamb then tuna. She loves it but my cat peaches does not which makes it much easier.
I also have 3