Is Senior Food Important?

[KittyFriday]

I apologize if this has been asked before. Friday is ~13 years old now. He's in good health, aside from needing to shed some pounds. He's an ex-barn cat that was brought up mainly on dry food, so that is what he prefers now. I've been trying to slowly get him to eat wet food and he will, but only the smallest dollop at a time. So when I am home I will give him a little bit at a time and I'm trying to give him a little more each time (and a little less dry) to try and get him to eat predominately wet. However, his preference for dry is clear.

Anyway, the dry food he is currently eating is Purina One Indoor Advantage, the Senior formula. He loves it. I can get a decent deal right now on the same brand, but instead of the senior formula, it is just the turkey formula for adult cats. I want to make sure he is getting everything he can, so is senior food the way to go? I know I've been told before that for dogs the senior formulations aren't really much better/different than the adult ones unless there is a health concern, but I wasn't sure if it was the same for cats. Reading the ingredients between the two formulas, it looks like the senior food is higher in fat and slightly lower in fiber, but otherwise very similar.

Thoughts?

 

[maggie101]

Cats nutritional needs are different than a dogs. As a senior moisture is very important. I only feed canned and the amount of protein,fat carbs is the same as kitten. They are 8,9,and 10 yrs old

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

I have two 14 year olds and do not feed them a senior diet. I have never fed any of my cats senior food for that matter. If anything, I would think they would need a little more fiber since as they age they tend to have more constipation issues than when younger. Your attempt to get him to eat more wet food is a good one, for the same reason as I think more fiber is good...the constipation issue. Plus it's much better for their kidneys, IMHO. I would just keep working on converting him over to as much wet food as you can and not worry about feeding him a diet specifically for seniors.

 

[FeebysOwner]

It doesn't carry across the board, but a lot of senior food has reduced protein which has been determined to be a bad idea. Muscle mass loss occurs naturally in aging cats, so less protein is the opposite of what these cats really need. Hopefully, your cat will like the new food you want try out on him. Normally, with dry food, a gradual transition is best to help avoid digestive issues that can happen with food changes.

 

[KittyFriday]

I have two 14 year olds and do not feed them a senior diet. I have never fed any of my cats senior food for that matter. If anything, I would think they would need a little more fiber since as they age they tend to have more constipation issues than when younger. Your attempt to get him to eat more wet food is a good one, for the same reason as I think more fiber is good...the constipation issue. Plus it's much better for their kidneys, IMHO. I would just keep working on converting him over to as much wet food as you can and not worry about feeding him a diet specifically for seniors.

Thanks! I think he eats about the same amount of dry vs. wet in a single sitting, but he prefers dry because he can just graze while for wet I have to pick it up/bring it back as opposed to leaving out or it dries out. I do provide wet when I can and have tried to cut back the dry so he's hungrier for the wet...but it's a fine line between making sure he's eating at all vs. getting really hungry between meals.

It doesn't carry across the board, but a lot of senior food has reduced protein which has been determined to be a bad idea. Muscle mass loss occurs naturally in aging cats, so less protein is the opposite of what these cats really need. Hopefully, your cat will like the new food you want try out on him. Normally, with dry food, a gradual transition is best to help avoid digestive issues that can happen with food changes.

Yeah, it's interesting that the protein levels were pretty much the same. Thanks!

 

[maggie101]

Have you tried mixing the 2?

 

[daftcat75]

Senior food for cats should have more moisture, more protein, and fewer or no carbs. Sadly, few senior formulas for cats actually follow this. I would feed him four to six small wet meals a day and maybe just mix a few dry morsels on top to get him started. Or you may try powdering up his dry food and shaking it over his wet food like a seasoning. I recommend trying Fancy Feast Classic pates with him. They are popular with most cats, they're affordable, and they're a pretty sensible recipe--even for seniors!

 

[Kwik]

I agree with everyone 100percent that as a cat ages a diet with moisture is far more important than anything else,it's so beneficial for kidney function.Just like us their metabolism slows as they reach the " golden years" and their little organs work harder.....they lose muscle mass just like we do,of course carnivores need protein but they also need fiber too....that Purina senior is pretty good though,it does make a difference ,I like the Pro Plan ...
So you're definitely making the right choices NOW by adding that wet food,I concur with @daftcat75,Fancy Feast is reasonably priced and most kitties love it,you might want to give those " Petites" a try,the ones in gravy mine go crazy for twice a day & they free feed dry! They do turn their little noses up at pate's though- so the petites are tiny portions ,one for a dollar which is 2 portions..... comes in both " in gravy" or " pate".....
You're a good pet parent,I love reading the love and concern for these precious fur babies

 

[zoes]

Just adding that I too do not feed my senior cats a special senior cat food, but I do pump them as full of water as possible. And omega 3 fish oil.

A tip on the wet cat food: I prep mine in batches. I'll put a few cans (whatever my cats can eat in about 3 days about) in a tupperware, I add extra water, and Omega 3 oils (double the recommended dose) and mix it all up. Store it in the fridge. It's easier to scoop from and I can serve the exact amount I want each time - very little waste.

I serve from that and generally leave it out until my cats finish it, sometimes that can be 8-9 hours (overnight.) In hot weather I will feed less at a time because it can start to spoil. Anyway - it's rarely dry and crusty by the end, maybe due to the oil and/or extra water I mix in. So that's something you could try.

Also, I feel you could probably withdraw the kibble entirely if you wanted. He accepts wet food as food even if it's not his preference, so he'll eat it when he gets hungry. He won't starve himself, you know? As the others said, moisture is probably the most important and most often neglected nutritional factor in longterm cat health.

I give my cats kibble as treats now... they also preferred it back when they ate it regularly (and probably still do.) So they still get some every day, but they don't expect it at mealtime and thus don't neglect the wet food in favour of dry.

 

[maggie101]

Thanks! I think he eats about the same amount of dry vs. wet in a single sitting, but he prefers dry because he can just graze while for wet I have to pick it up/bring it back as opposed to leaving out or it dries out. I do provide wet when I can and have tried to cut back the dry so he's hungrier for the wet...but it's a fine line between making sure he's eating at all vs. getting really hungry between meals.

My cat likes wet food left out. I usually add broth from canned food

Yeah, it's interesting that the protein levels were pretty much the same. Thanks!

 

[Kwik]

zoes
Great idea in the Tupperware -good tip!

 

[IndyJones]

Genneraly it isn't one size fits all. Depending on the cats condition you may be able to get away with a store brand but if health conditions pop up as they often do for seinors you want your cat able to eat canned as well as dry.

Conditions involving the kidneys are best controlled with a canned food diet.

A hyperthyroid cat may do better with the extra calories from dry food. This condition makes them eat like a horse and loose weight at the same time. Canned kitten food can also be good to get weight back on these cats too.

I do agree canned is better but every case is different. If you get canned, try swapping the brand/flavour on a regular basis, cats can become fixed on a food and giving them a veriety helps if they do have to transition to a perscription diet later on. (Kidney failure, diabetes, etc)

 

[zoes]

A hyperthyroid cat may do better with the extra calories from dry food. This condition makes them eat like a horse and loose weight at the same time.

Doesn't the medical treatment resolve the weight loss issue?

I ask because I have a senior hyperthyroid cat - she is definitely on her last legs (due to age, not thyroid) and has lost muscle mass and weight. She's not skeletal but definitely a little boney. I asked my vet about it and they said it was old age decline and inactivity (she does sleep like 22 hours a day so... not much exercise despite my best efforts!) and there wasn't really much to do about it. It is tempting to give her a ton of kibble and treats though.

 

[KittyFriday]

Thanks all. I stopped by the pet store to get some things and ended up buying him a bit of a variety of brands/flavors, just single cans, to see if anything caught his interest. He does seem to go more for pate style food than the shreds, and there were a couple that he did eat more than just a spoonful. I picked up some lamb Weruva and he ate about 1/3 of a can, which is impressive for him.

So I'll keep testing and see if I can figure out what he enjoys.

 

[Kwik]

Doesn't the medical treatment resolve the weight loss issue?

I ask because I have a senior hyperthyroid cat - she is definitely on her last legs (due to age, not thyroid) and has lost muscle mass and weight. She's not skeletal but definitely a little boney. I asked my vet about it and they said it was old age decline and inactivity (she does sleep like 22 hours a day so... not much exercise despite my best efforts!) and there wasn't really much to do about it. It is tempting to give her a ton of kibble and treats though.

Bless your heart,it's so difficult watching the decline of age and not being able to do a thing about it,isn't it? But you are doing a thing about it,you are under veterinarian supervision and sticking to what's best for kitty-I'd say give those treats at this stage though,why not?
The worst part of being a pet parent is their life expectancy is far too short.......to answer your question"yes,proper medication should help to keep weight on"

 

[LokiWolf]

OK so I have a question. I have a 16 year old who is doing excellent on Nulo senior dry food. She is on the skinny side but I want to keep her that way due to arthritis in her back ankles and she has a fatty tumor near her spine on her lower back. I'm afraid wet food would bulk her up too much. My two year old is already getting chunky cause she eats the kitten's food lol. She has her own but yeah. So how would I portion wet food for my old girl without making her fat? I'm gone from about 7:40 am to about 5:30 pm.

 

[Kwik]

OK so I have a question. I have a 16 year old who is doing excellent on Nulo senior dry food. She is on the skinny side but I want to keep her that way due to arthritis in her back ankles and she has a fatty tumor near her spine on her lower back. I'm afraid wet food would bulk her up too much. My two year old is already getting chunky cause she eats the kitten's food lol. She has her own but yeah. So how would I portion wet food for my old girl without making her fat? I'm gone from about 7:40 am to about 5:30 pm.

Lol,I know the feeling of the kittens eating the adults food,the adult eating the kittens food and the senior eating the Rx food... Uggh.certainlu impossible to free feed,isn't it?
Looks like ya get up pretty early in the morning to give everyone their portions separately-what is your present feeding schedule if I may ask.....you have 3, right? A kitten,a 2 yr old & the 16yr old,correct? Are they all on dry food?

 

[maggie101]

OK so I have a question. I have a 16 year old who is doing excellent on Nulo senior dry food. She is on the skinny side but I want to keep her that way due to arthritis in her back ankles and she has a fatty tumor near her spine on her lower back. I'm afraid wet food would bulk her up too much. My two year old is already getting chunky cause she eats the kitten's food lol. She has her own but yeah. So how would I portion wet food for my old girl without making her fat? I'm gone from about 7:40 am to about 5:30 pm.

I suggest starting your own thread to get more help

 

[LokiWolf]

Lol,I know the feeling of the kittens eating the adults food,the adult eating the kittens food and the senior eating the Rx food... Uggh.certainlu impossible to free feed,isn't it?
Looks like ya get up pretty early in the morning to give everyone their portions separately-what is your present feeding schedule if I may ask.....you have 3, right? A kitten,a 2 yr old & the 16yr old,correct? Are they all on dry food?

I've got three kittens, a two year old, and a 16 year old. I feed them around 7 am and 7 pm. The 16 year old eats in my room but doesn't always eat everything due to being spooked by - a shoe or a dust bunny. Two year old eats in the living room. Kittens eat in the bathroom. They won't eat all the food and both Lizzy and Bella will go in there and chow down lol. Kittens are on wet food and dry. The others are dry and occasional wet.

 

[Kwik]

Hi LokiWolf
Thank you so much for all the info,I would love to see you get many responses & suggestions from all the wonderful people here at TCS ,of course I want to offer feedback as well- respectfully I think it best you start a thread of your own as maggie101 suggested so that your question gets the most attention and not lost by the wayside as everyone is responding to KittyFriday
Your question deserves attention so I do hope you'll start the Topic.....I'll be looking