I would NEVER feed cat food to my cat - personal opinion

[initforlove]

in the 70's all the vets were recommending cat food

it is a complete food with the right vitamins and minerals and superior to anything you can feed them yourself they all said in may commercials

so I believed them and fed my cat on cat food as recommended by vets

then my cats developed urinary problems FUS, crystals, and needed expensive treatments and then died a horrible painful death

then the pet food companies started bringing out new improved cat foods that said on the packet that they are good and help with crystals and FUS and a new breed of vets were telling us in commercials how good this cat food is and how it is superior to anything you can feed your cat and it is a complete meal with the right vitamins and minerals

I dont trust them

I lost too many cats the first time round so NOTHING they say will sway me EVER

My mother in law feeds her cats dry cat food and I took one of her cats from her

all her cats died early with FUS and her spending a fortune at the vets

the one I took from her is 19 and does not have FUS. She has deteriorating eyesight and hearing

Some here are trying to tell me that commercially produced cat food is balanced and has the correct vitamins and minerals and guess what - I dont believe it

I heard it all before

and I only lost much loved cats because of believing it

I have fed my cats since 1998 on home prepared food and none of my cats have any crystals in urine or FUS or any other urinary tract problem and I am so very very sorry but I will NEVER EVER trust pet food companies ever again

look at this link - what your vet REALLY knows about pet food

http://gomestic.com/pets/why-is-my-v...this-pet-food/

and giving a different example - take the vaccination debarcle

we were told cats need annual boosters and we were told vaccination site sarcoma is rare. I lost a cat to vaccination site sarcoma so I dont care how rare it is - it killed my cat

now the real truth comes out - vaccination can be done every 3 years - so it was a profit motive all along to make ppl believe it has to be done every year

so the bottom line is - I dont trust anyone who has a profit motive

I do not believe commercially bought cat food has the correct vitamins and minerals and it is definitely devoid of enzymes that real food has. without these enzymes in food your cats liver and kidneys have to work 4 times as hard and give out 4 times as early and then the cats start peeing round the house because of pain in kidneys and liver

I aim to feed my cats what they would most likely find for themselves in the wild but of course within the limitations of what is possible for me. I figure thousands of years of evolution knows better than a few years of research that the pet food companies put in and evolution does not have a profit motive whereas pet food companies do.

I understand some here have full time jobs and cannot feed their cats anything other than cat food and I dont want to convert anyone

this is a personal viewpoint only and you can take it as it is intended - to be just my personal viewpoint and not meant to sway your viewpoint

 

[Winchester]

We do feed commercial cat food to our cats. We haven't had a lot of problems and our cats are pretty much all geriatric cats. One has been diagnosed with CRF (just last week actually) and she's now on Hills KD food; she'll be 17 years old. She likes it, so we'll continue with it. I work a full time job and can't cook for my kids. You're entitled to your own opinion; you don't have to believe anybody else....that's fine.

As far as the vaccines, once the kitten shots are over with, we do no boosters, except for rabies, which is the law in PA....and I'd not even give that one, but we have to. I refuse to give a cat any of the vaccines once it has matured . They're all indoor cats and don't go outside at all anymore.....other than Mollipop, who is 11 months old and goes outside in my arms. And Molli did get her kitten shots; now that's they're over with, other than her rabies, she won't get anything.

Our vet used to argue with us.....until he lost a kitty to sarcoma several years ago. It tore his heart out. Our cats' charts all say "NO VACCINE BOOSTERS". Nobody even suggests them.

 

[otto]

The only problem with your method is that if you don't include all the vitamins and minerals and whatever else a cat may need (which is not totally known) your cats will not thrive.

And..it is not totally known what a cat needs. How crucial taurine is, for example, was only discovered 20 or so years ago.

Cats have extremely specific nutritional needs. As long as you have done the proper research and follow specific guidelines of supplementation to be sure you are getting them everything they need, I don't see anything wrong with home made cat food.

However I've seen a few cats suffer the affects of malnutrition from people not doing it right. Blindness is not uncommon (from lack of taurine). Cats can also develop a toxic level of certain vitamins, such as A and D, if given too much. So it's a very delicate balancing act, making your cat's food.

Cats fed cheap dry food all their lives will be more prone to UT problems and kidney disease. High quality wet food can be an appropriate diet to keep a cat at optimal health.

 

[initforlove]

Originally Posted by otto

The only problem with your method is that if you don't include all the vitamins and minerals and whatever else a cat may need (which is not totally known) your cats will not thrive.

And..it is not totally known what a cat needs. How crucial taurine is, for example, was only discovered 20 or so years ago.

Cats have extremely specific nutritional needs. As long as you have done the proper research and follow specific guidelines of supplementation to be sure you are getting them everything they need, I don't see anything wrong with home made cat food.

However I've seen a few cats suffer the affects of malnutrition from people not doing it right. Blindness is not uncommon (from lack of taurine). Cats can also develop a toxic level of certain vitamins, such as A and D, if given too much. So it's a very delicate balancing act, making your cat's food.

Cats fed cheap dry food all their lives will be more prone to UT problems and kidney disease. High quality wet food can be an appropriate diet to keep a cat at optimal health.

with all due respect the food I feed my cats has been proven

I had 30 cats on it since 1998 [when i lost cats who were on commercially bought food]

so what i feed my cats has stood the test of time already

I guess I will never know exactly what vitamins and minerals are in what I feed them but they are all healthy and none have been ill.

anyhow - whatever works for you is best

another thing i wish to add is that companies lie - remember ribena? advertised for human babies because it contains vitamin c? so many parents spent so many dollars on that

then a new zealand 10 year old schoolgirl did a science project and found there is absolutely no vitamin c in the juice despite that claim on the label that blackcurrants contain 4 times as much vitamin c as oranges

well all those parents who bought ribena blackcurrant juice for their babies and got expensive syrup for their money - i bet they feel cheated

the thing is - commercially produced pet food may not contain the vitamins and minerals they claim are in the pet food

all I can go by is the fact that my cats have thrived for 13 years on the food i make for them - when other ppl can tell me that they had 30 cats for 13 years on the food they recommend then I will listen.

I feel that 30 cats for 13 years is proof that the diet does provide sufficient of everything - especially as the cats are in fabulous condition and have no health problems - apart form the 19 years old getting some hearing loss and eyesight loss - but she iw allowed to at age 19

cheers

 

[initforlove]

Originally Posted by Winchester

We do feed commercial cat food to our cats. We haven't had a lot of problems and our cats are pretty much all geriatric cats. One has been diagnosed with CRF (just last week actually) and she's now on Hills KD food; she'll be 17 years old. She likes it, so we'll continue with it. I work a full time job and can't cook for my kids. You're entitled to your own opinion; you don't have to believe anybody else....that's fine.

As far as the vaccines, once the kitten shots are over with, we do no boosters, except for rabies, which is the law in PA....and I'd not even give that one, but we have to. I refuse to give a cat any of the vaccines once it has matured . They're all indoor cats and don't go outside at all anymore.....other than Mollipop, who is 11 months old and goes outside in my arms. And Molli did get her kitten shots; now that's they're over with, other than her rabies, she won't get anything.

Our vet used to argue with us.....until he lost a kitty to sarcoma several years ago. It tore his heart out. Our cats' charts all say "NO VACCINE BOOSTERS". Nobody even suggests them.

i feel for you losing a cat to vaccination site sarcoma - it broke my heart to lose my cat that way too

any wonder why I dont listen to experts who want to give opinions? lol

I go with what i observe works for my cats - if a food makes them puke it is off the menu. if it makes things difficult for them in the litter box then it is also off the menu.

in the end i feel pets and humans benefit most when fed whole foods. you can give too much if you give vitamin supplements - something that is impossible if you stick to whole foods instead

good luck to you - and stand up to your vet as they are only human and some things they may not know - like pet foods [go with what you know works well for your household and your pets

}

 

[breamarie]

Correlation doesn't equal causation. Having, say, 10 cats who did well on a home prepared diet doesn't necessarily mean that it's much better than commercially prepared food. I know of at least 15 different cats (owned by family members and friends) who eat crap like Friskies and Whiskas dry food, don't go to the vet like they're supposed to, and are old and healthy. There are a lot of variables that go into cat health.

That said, I think home made food is probably a good thing, but I think it's something that's prohibitively expensive for most people, and too time consuming to be practical. I'm glad that there are commercially prepared options available.

 

[yosemite]

Whether a cat is indoor or outdoor is also important. Cats that are outdoor and can catch mice will get natural taurine. Growing up on a farm we naturally did not feed our cats store bought cat food. Mind you they never lived long lives either. I've had a number of cats over the years and have never had any health issues with them even though I did not always feed the best quality food.

I do believe it is a personal decision and probably based more on one's own beliefs versus proven theories just as there are some persons that firmly believe the only good diet for a cat is a raw diet. I certainly think if one wants to take the time and effort to do that, it's wonderful but I don't think it is the ONLY way to go.

So long as one is caring for their animals and the animals are healthy, I think that is the most important consideration.

 

[mrblanche]

Originally Posted by initforlove

I had 30 cats on it since 1998 [when i lost cats who were on commercially bought food]

Thirty cats for 13 years really isn't much of a test. Thirty thousand cats for 20 years might give some valid results

You may be right, but there's no way you can prove it. And the worst store-brand food is likely healthier than what an outdoor cat will eat. Not the best, by a long ways, but someone supporting a feral colony or a rescue on that food is certainly improving their health over what they would be exposed to normally.

 

[initforlove]

totally true that you should do whatever suits you and your household

this is just a personal opinion and I respect that others have their own ways and means and needs and beliefs

my cats are indoor cats

and it costs 23 cents a day per cat

The meat I buy is $2-00 a kilo



so for 7 cats i use 388 grams of meat plus 1 egg plus 1 tin of sardines

the meat costs 78 cents



http://i116.photobuc...sy/R0012065.jpg

the egg costs 16 cents



http://i116.photobuc...sy/R0012070.jpg



I was using 2 eggs for 11 cats but now I have 7 cats I use 1 egg

the sardines cost 65 cents

http://i116.photobuc...sy/R0012066.jpg



http://i116.photobuc...sy/R0012067.jpg



I used to use 2 tins when I had 11 cats but now I am down to just 7 cats

http://i116.photobuc...sy/R0012069.jpg




so divide that by 7 cats and that costs 23 cents per cat

so I can feed 1 cat for $1-61 a week

so that leaves me a little for a chicken neck and some milk

so it need not cost a lot to feed your cats real food that is not commercially processed

 

[cococat]

Thanks for sharing your opinion, I am sorry for your losses. Were the cats all related?
I think an important part of feeding your cat is making sure your cat has proper hydration. The plain dry stuff doesn't have much water.
There are premade raw diets you can buy, which are pretty nutritionally complete and good. And a food that is like homemade, which is also super in ingredients.

 

[bastetservant]

I've had over 15 cats since 1960*. Only one ever had crystals - and that was in the 1960's when cat food was really disgusting.

The ones that had CRF where geriatric when that began.

Three black male cats died of cancer, different kinds. They were all over 10 years. One I only had 10 months.

Two died from accidents. The rest lived 16-20 years.

So, I will continue to feed my cats good quality cat food. It is so much better than it was.

Of course, I fully support everyone doing what they think is best for their cats, as long as they are well informed and really providing good nutrition.

At this point, my cats probably get better nutrition than I do. I wish someone could control my diet as well as I control theirs.

Robin

*You may have thought I've had more. But with them living so long, and trying to stick to 2 or 3 at one time, most of my life, it isn't that many. I'd like to have more.

 

[initforlove]

Originally Posted by bastetservant

I've had over 15 cats since 1960*. Only one ever had crystals - and that was in the 1960's when cat food was really disgusting.

The ones that had CRF where geriatric when that began.

Three black male cats died of cancer, different kinds. They were all over 10 years. One I only had 10 months.

Two died from accidents. The rest lived 16-20 years.

So, I will continue to feed my cats good quality cat food. It is so much better than it was.

Of course, I fully support everyone doing what they think is best for their cats, as long as they are well informed and really providing good nutrition.

At this point, my cats probably get better nutrition than I do. I wish someone could control my diet as well as I control theirs.

Robin

*You may have thought I've had more. But with them living so long, and trying to stick to 2 or 3 at one time, most of my life, it isn't that many. I'd like to have more.

lol

great post

made me smile

 

[initforlove]

Originally Posted by cococat

Thanks for sharing your opinion, I am sorry for your losses. Were the cats all related?
I think an important part of feeding your cat is making sure your cat has proper hydration. The plain dry stuff doesn't have much water.
There are premade raw diets you can buy, which are pretty nutritionally complete and good. And a food that is like homemade, which is also super in ingredients.

well it is my humble opinion that what I feed my cats is good for them lol

I aim for wholefoods because I believe there are substances in foods that we have not even begun to study so how can we add them to processed foods?

and as i said - this is just a personal opinion and i respect that you have your beliefs and there are things that suit you that would never suit me etc

cheers

 

[ruthyb]

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion like all humans eat different foods, some are allergic to foods that others aren't and so on... I have always fed shop bought cat food and *touch wood* none of my cats have ever had any illnesses or problems. x

 

[saitenyo]

Originally Posted by Yosemite

I do believe it is a personal decision and probably based more on one's own beliefs versus proven theories just as there are some persons that firmly believe the only good diet for a cat is a raw diet. I certainly think if one wants to take the time and effort to do that, it's wonderful but I don't think it is the ONLY way to go.

So long as one is caring for their animals and the animals are healthy, I think that is the most important consideration.

This is how I feel about it too.

There are a lot of commercial pet foods I absolutely will not feed because I feel they contain too many species-inappropriate ingredients (like corn). Some cats admittedly do just fine on these foods, but I have one cat who does not. She's the one that got me into researching cat nutrition, and her digestive system seems to really be in-line with natural diet recommendations for cats. She can't handle any grain, and she really does best on a raw-meat diet. My other cat has been fine on every food I've put him on, but I switched him to the same diet as my sensitive cat, just because I feel more confident about that food after the wonders it's done for her.

You certainly can have more careful control over your cat's diet if you make your own food, but remember, unless you're farming and slaughtering the animals yourself, you're still to some degree placing your trust in commercial distributors and manufacturers.

I hate to say it, initforlove, but you're still placing your trust in commercial manufacturers. From what I understand, you buy pre-tinned sardines, bread baked by someone else, and meat mince produced by someone else. It's true that standards in the human food industry tend to be much stricter than those in the animal industry, but they're not 100% perfect. The FDA still allows a lot of processed materials in food that are known to cause disease, allergies, and other medical issues. And even with human food, sometimes contamination occurs, prompting recalls, and sometimes even leading to severe illness and death.

Ultimately, the only way to have 100% control what you're eating or feeding your pets is farming and producing all of it yourself. That's obviously not practical for most people (it's certainly not for me). The best people can do is just try to do their research in choosing where to buy their food: be it a pet food manufacturer or human food manufacturer.

I've chosen to feed my cats a partial commercial raw diet and a partial home made raw diet. I've thoroughly researched the commercial company I choose and I feel as confident as I can be of their safety and hygiene practices regarding their food. And I'm very selective about the human-grade food I buy for both myself and my pets when making home made meals. I can't ever be 100% sure, I just try to do the best I can and hope it works.

 

[ducman69]

As long as people have someone to consult that is experienced or are well informed, I see no issue w/ making your own diet.

What I do believe is under-reported though are people that actually sign up on a forum and say "I messed up, fed an incomplete diet, and now my cat is harmed in some fashion", whereas "I believe XYZ brand is to blame for *insert health issue*" is perhaps a little over-represented and often used as a scapegoat to find an answer and assign blame for a negative outcome.

Personally, I don't have the knowledge or experience yet to experiment with my kitties diet, and throwing feeder mice at them as a supposedly complete "natural" diet I wouldn't trust either as who knows what cats supplement out in the wild and from everything I hear they have such very short life-spans regardless (don't see many feral 10+ year old cats).

So I go with a convenient and what I believe to be health mix of a quality-brand wet and dry food combination feeding, with water fountains in the house that I keep clean and are constantly available for good hydration.

 

[sweetpea24]

In my opinion, fresh, whole and pure foods are the best foods for anyonw human or otherwise. However, providing such for your cat is expensive & time-consuming. Kudos if you are able to do it.

The pet food industry is sadly not the greatest in terms of ensuring food's safety. But neithrr is the human food industry. Our food supply is contaminated with chemicals, who lnows what they'll do to us. Even if you buy organic there's no regulation of organic foods so anyone can put the word organic on a product.

UltimatelY one does his or her best to feed their cat. genes also play a huge role in nkne's health so you feed your cat the best food and still end up sick.

 

[my4llma]

What cat food brand were you originally feeding them, when they all died?

 

[nekochan]

Do you feed regular meat/eggs? Unless they specifically state otherwise they can contain synthetic hormones and traces of chemicals/drugs, etc... Canned sardines are processed.
If you cook the food, cooking destroys enzymes the same way as it does in commercial cat food.

 

[sharky]

Originally Posted by Nekochan

Do you feed regular meat/eggs? Unless they specifically state otherwise they can contain synthetic hormones and traces of chemicals/drugs, etc... Canned sardines are processed.
If you cook the food, cooking destroys enzymes the same way as it does in commercial cat food.

This is true in the USA ... the OP is Australian which is known for far purer meats and Higher standards..

Enzymes also can be killed via other handling issues