Novel Protein Advice

[verna davies]

I have a two year old cat that might have IBS, currently going through elimination tests. My vet wants to put him on a hydrolysed diet but I would prefer to try a novel protein.
He is a picky eater and will only eat a wet food in gravy. I also want him to have some dry food in the same protein source but I am having difficulty finding these available in the UK. Whilst Zooplus sell a variety, none of them appear to be in gravy.
Has anyone any ideas please. Columbine , your knowledge of cat food is extensive, any ideas please.

 

[Columbine]

I think the stumbling block will be finding an appropriate single protein dry food. Wet food is so much easier. Doing some digging now, and will (hopefully) post some options soon

 

[Kieka]

I have gravy lovers too. I’ve found foods sold in pouches are a little better for the gravy content. I have poultry sensitivity in our house (both the cats and humans strangely enough) so I know the struggle. I have found I can sometimes trick them by doing a pate for half and a topper mixed in to make it a little moister. Most toppers I use are just the single meat (usually fish) and liquid. Since toppers aren’t balance diets the trick is making sure they still get adequate nutrition without filling up on what’s is essentially empty calories. My guys are mostly on dry food though and finding a poultry free dry is slightly easier then a gravy heavy poultry free wet.

Cats in Kitchen has some fish only flavors but you wouldn’t want to go too heavy on that. Merrick Backcountry Grain-Free Morsels in Gravy Real Rabbit Recipe Cuts Cat Food Pouches, 3-oz, case of 24 is poultry and fish free (or was last time I checked).

 

[verna davies]

Thanks Kieka . The Merricks looks good but unfortunately it cant be bought in UK. I might have to move!!!

 

[verna davies]

Columbine . Trust me to have a problem cat. Thanks for spending your time looking for me.

 

[Columbine]

Dry:-

GranataPet DeliCatessen Adult Duck Dry Cat Food (contains a little salmon oil)

James Wellbeloved Adult Cat Grain Free – Turkey | Top deals at zooplus (contains poultry gravy though )

Integra Protect Sensitive Dry Cat Food | Free P&P £29+ at zooplus! (contains poultry fat and salmon oil)

Nutro Natural Choice Adult Cat - Turkey | Free P&P £29+ at zooplus! (contains salmon oil)

www.aatu.co.uk/aatu-for-cats-85-15-duck (not available from Zooplus, but Pets at Home sell it, or you can order direct)

www.petsathome.com/shop/en/pets/great-deals/wainwrights-bundle-deals/wainwrights-adult-duck-and-brown-rice-15kg

These are all the single/novel protein dry foods I can find.

Duck wet foods:-
Drawing a total blank here on single protein duck foods

Turkey wet foods:-
Alpha Spirit Wet Cat Food | Free P&P £29+ at zooplus!

Alpha Spirit Wet Cat Food | Free P&P £29+ at zooplus!

Integra Protect Sensitive 6 x 100g | Great Deals at zooplus!

/shop/cats/canned_cat_food_pouches/terra_felis/189

James Wellbeloved Adult Pouches - Turkey | Free P&P on orders £29+ at zooplus!

If you went for wet food alone, you'd have a ton more choices (Catz Finefood Purrr, some Feringa, some Animonda Carny, and a whole host of others). I'm so sorry I can't be of more help

 

[Columbine]

Just seen the gravy only bit I can't find a wet and a dry food in the same protein in that case, but Thrive do a plain beef food that is both in Gray and single protein. The Terra Faelis could work too. Shadow was a confirmed gravy addict for much of his life. I got him onto pates by adding hot water to the food to make it more 'saucy'. Might be worth a go?

 

[duckpond]

Merrick Rabbit does not have poultry, just rabbit, and lamb, my cats are fans
Can you get Ziwi? they have some novel proteins without poultry. my cats are not big fans, but many are, so maybe an option. Also if you can get weruva they have some lamb flavors, they do have fish in them i think, but no chicken. They also have a steak frites that is only Beef, my cats like this one.

It would not be the same brand, But Farmina dry may be available for you? My cats are not normally fans of Venison, but they have a Venison with pumpkin that my cats love. They like all of the pumpkin line of Farmina, and it has never caused any kind of tummy upset. Their regular grain free line does give mine soft poo.

Farmina Pet Foods - Cat food - N&D Pumpkin feline

 

[verna davies]

Thanks for all the suggestions Columbine and duckpond . I will have a good read of them all. There should be a couple at least that will fit.

 

[duckpond]

Thanks for all the suggestions Columbine and duckpond . I will have a good read of them all. There should be a couple at least that will fit.

If you can find Nulo they have some wet foods without chicken. mine is setting here right now eating the beef and mackerel. its bits in gravy and they like it

 

[Kieka]

Fish

Applaws Cat Food 12 x 70g Pouches: Free P&P on orders £29+ at zooplus!

HiLife It's Only Natural Luxury Multipack, Tuna Trio in Sauce Cat Tins - 3 x 70g- Buy HiLife online at PetShop.co.uk

 

[Columbine]

Fish

Applaws Cat Food 12 x 70g Pouches: Free P&P on orders £29+ at zooplus!

HiLife It's Only Natural Luxury Multipack, Tuna Trio in Sauce Cat Tins - 3 x 70g- Buy HiLife online at PetShop.co.uk

I discounted these because they're supplementary foods

It does occur to me that the choices would be much easier if you're focusing purely on novel protein. I was assuming before that you wanted a single protein across both wet and dry foods, rather than just novel protein. Also, have any proteins been ruled out as allergies?

Sorry, I wasn't very with it last night. Let me know more specifics, and I'll put my thinking cap on

 

[verna davies]

According to my vet, testing for allergies is not possible, so any allergies as yet is not known. I feed him the same food everyday and his poops are normal for a week or so then he will have diarrhea for days, absolutely no change in diet. This is so confusing.
I would like to feed him a dry food and a wet in gravy, both the same protein. A novel protein might be the answer. Most of the foods seem to have fish derivatives added.

 

[Columbine]

What do you currently feed?

 

[verna davies]

Dry is James Wellbeloved turkey. Wet is Purina one lamb in gravy. He has been on this for 16 days...8 days of diarrhea, 8 days not. I have James Wellbeloved grain free turkey in gravy ready for the next bout of diarrhea.

 

[Columbine]

Ok. James Wellbeloved is the only single novel protein food in gravy that I can find (and I've checked every brand I can think of!). Beef Thrive is the nearest I can think of, but I can't find any pure beef dry foods

My instinct would be to try Integra Protect Sensitve in both the dry and the wet. The proteins don't match up (dry is rabbit and wet is turkey or lamb), but they are truly 'clean' (ie single protein) foods. The wet is a paté, but not a really coarse one (I've used their obesity wet, so I'm going by that), and should be easy to water down to create a bit of a gravy-like feel. Integra Protect are veterinary/prescription diets, but with much better (and fewer) ingredients than, say, RC or Hills.

Another option would be the Integra dry with Feringa rabbit wet and/or Terra Faelis rabbit wet. Again, that's a paté, but is a truly single protein food, and it waters down to make a bit of a gravy pretty well. Feringa also do a rabbit and turkey wet food that might be another option, especially if you stick with the turkey dry food.

Another dual protein option would be one of the duck foods I listed last night with the Feringa duck and veal.

If you want to stick with the James Wellbeloved dry food, Terra Faelis also do a 'clean' turkey wet. Like the Feringa, it will water down to make a bit of gravy.

I hope some of this helps. I'll keep thinking for you

 

[verna davies]

Thank you so much. I will give one of them a try and hope it works. Who would have thought that feeding a cat could be so stressful.