Reading Mixed Reviews For Fancy Feast Being Good/bad For Cats With Urinary Issues

[FiFitheCreamKitty]

Hi all,

My cat Fifi is prone to Uti/crystals/cystitis and I’m trying to find a good diet for him. Right now he is on Feline natural freeze dreied (rehydrated) in the morning and RC urinary SO dry+wet+water in the evening.

I did some research on the forum and many said to the Urinary SO for dessolving crystals but to go back to high protein/low carb wet food for maintenance once he’s back to normal.

I can only afford cheaper brand wet food since I’m already spending a lot on the Feline Natural (which I feel is good as it’s high in protein and has no bones!! and no carbs as well). From what I read, it seems like many agree Fancy Feast would be a good option for the wet food. However I read on a thread that someone mentioned Fancy Feast is known for causing urinary issues. so which one is it? Is there other cheaper brand that’s good for cat prone to urinary issues?

 

[tuffsmom]

I have never heard that FF causes urinary problems. My Tuff has eaten the FF Classic for almost 3 years and is very healthy.

 

[CaliCatCharlie]

Charlie recently had crystals. He is fine now. I feed him Fancy Feast. He would not eat the RX diet.

I use this list
http://catinfo.org/docs/CatFoodProteinFatCarbPhosphorusChart.pdf
Fancy Feast is there. You can pick and chose which types (mostly pates) are high protein and low phosphorus.

I am keeping Charlie away from fish for now because everything I read says it contributes to crystal formation.

Just remember to mix it with a lot of water. Getting as much water into Fifi is most important!

 

[FiFitheCreamKitty]

Thank you for your responses! I will look into that link!

 

[duckpond]

There are stories on the web about fancy feast causing crystals. But you can read a story online about almost everything. I don't think they have really come out with a definitive answer on what causes urinary problems in cats. probably a mix of many things, food, water, litter box aversion, stress, and maybe genetics most of all.

I think ff may not be the best for cats in advanced kidney failure, it is high in magnesium and phosphorus. But i dont think it will be a problem otherwise. You may check with your vet about that. Some of the Friskies wet foods are not to bad either. My cats like the friskies shreds.

 

[cheeser]

I've never heard of Fancy Feast causing crystals, but we were advised to stick with the Classic flavors because they're lower in carbs, and to avoid feeding any flavors that contain fish. Just read the labels carefully. Some non-fish flavors such as Chicken Feast actually contain tuna (or at least they did the last time I looked).

I also use the chart that CaliCatCharlie uses, and there are lots of budget friendly options for cats with urinary tract problems. There's also a helpful article about Cat Urinary Tract Diseases on that same site.