U-stew, ezcomplete, tcfeline, balenceIT

[SpecterOhPossum]

..Of all of those, which is best in you guy's opinion? For reference, I am looking for something I can add to cooked meat to make it complete; and am also in quite a hurry because I REALLY don't want her eating sheba or have to restock our sheba because I really do not like the ingredients. (guar gum, by product)

I am on a bit of a budget right now unfortunately because I had to help someone out.
But I'm scared as usual to do anything without many's approval..

But which is best? I don't want to do Alnutrition depsite it being cheaper because i can't source liver (no car of my own, have to rely on others for that; their car is janky..etc)

Here's the links..

• Balance IT® Feline - Balance IT®
• TCfeline - with dry liver 40g SAMPLE - makes 9 days of food
• U-Stew for Cats
• EZComplete Fur Cats - 130 Servings

Sorry this is sporadic, I'm kind of panicked right now because we have two days to decide or I'll have to get sheba again.
But which should I go with?! I'm a mess right now! SOrry!

oh and i've got this creature breathing down my neck while I decide, which isn't helping.

 

[daftcat75]

Beef liver, Krista tells me, has a different flavor from chicken liver. Krista isn't a red meat cat and she's not crazy about beef liver. If yours doesn't eat red meat, you may want to stick to EZ Complete. Even though EZ Complete is more expensive than the others, if your cat will eat it, it will be the easiest. They have a scoop that lets you balance it down to a single 1.5 oz serving. Given that Krista doesn't like the same homemade twice, this would have been a huge boon. But...Krista isn't an EZ cat. She has IBD and chicken is a no-go protein with her. Also, when she eats food with digestive enzymes, it always look like she's being eaten instead of the other way around.

I would buy some more Sheba because you may not get this right the first time. Then contact each one of them and see if you can get samples or a trial size. I wouldn't put yourself or your cat on a deadline or go all in, at first. Instead, make a batch and see if she will eat it and if it agrees with her. I would introduce it as a guest star meal. If she gets fed twice a day, introduce it as a third, smaller meal separate from the other two. This way, she's not left without food to eat if it doesn't work or she doesn't like it.

 

[daftcat75]

By the way, by-products are simply unnamed organs e.g. it's not liver or it may be liver but also mixed with kidney, heart, or other organs. Cats will eat the whole animal so there really aren't by-products as far as a cat is concerned. It's not teeth and fur or other undesirable parts because those aren't allowed in cat food anyway.

And guar gum, I'm not convinced it's bad. I think it gets swept under the bus with the other gums and thickeners. But it's a simple fiber that can also act like a prebiotic feeding healthy gut bacteria. My IBD kitty who is sensitive to a lot of the gums, especially xanthan gum which runs through her like a river and agar agar which doubles her over like digestive enzymes, she doesn't have an issue with guar gum. I was feeding her Fancy Feast for awhile until I realized the poultry giblets in the turkey recipe were almost certainly chicken-based. While she was keeping it down, her blood work showed indicators of inflammation. To be honest, if I felt I needed a gum or thickener in homemade (and gelatin wasn't doing it), I'd reach for guar gum.

Hopefully that will make you feel a little better about feeding Sheba until you can get her a homemade she likes, agrees with her, and you can afford.

 

[darg]

Here's another one ... Young Again Carnivore Raw

My cat really liked the taste of the Carnivore Raw mix. But, something in it didn't agree with him 100% sometimes. It has a good deal more additives than the Alnutrin that I use. Could have been any number of things in it. But he does have a sensitive tummy.

 

[daftcat75]

Here's another one ... Young Again Carnivore Raw

My cat really liked the taste of the Carnivore Raw mix. But, something in it didn't agree with him 100% sometimes. It has a good deal more additives than the Alnutrin that I use. Could have been any number of things in it. But he does have a sensitive tummy.

Between the cellulose and the fructooliogosaccharides, I'd rather just feed something with guar gum. Cellulose doesn't do anything for the gut bacteria, it's just poop bulk. And FOS, I've read, may actually feed the wrong bacteria for a cat's digestive tract. Too many additives in that one to have any idea what didn't agree with yours. In Krista, the chicken liver and heart in the first ingredient is an automatic "no" with us.

 

[darg]

Between the cellulose and the fructooliogosaccharides, I'd rather just feed something with guar gum. Cellulose doesn't do anything for the gut bacteria, it's just poop bulk. And FOS, I've read, may actually feed the wrong bacteria for a cat's digestive tract. Too many additives in that one to have any idea what didn't agree with yours. In Krista, the chicken liver and heart in the first ingredient is an automatic "no" with us.

Mine has a sensitivity to chicken for sure so my first guess was the chicken liver and hearts. But, they are hydrolyzed. I asked. Still could be that but there are a number of other things in it that arent in the Alnutrin (which has a pretty minimal ingredient list). Could potentially be a number of things. Still, I'm sure it would work well for most cat parents who don't have cats with tummy issues.

 

[lisahe]

I couldn't agree more with daftcat75 's suggestions and thoughts.

Getting supplements and ingredients together, and then making homemade will take a bit of time so don't ditch the Sheba. And even when/if you do get Spec eating homemade, still don't ditch the Sheba! You never know when something -- be it weather, Spec's changing tastes, or some other unpredictable factor -- will mean that you need to take something off the shelf for an emergency feeding or treat. In any case, it's not worth rushing into a supplement: look through the instructions and consider what you'd need to buy for any of them. Compare the prices. EZ is a fantastic supplement but it's far more expensive than Alnutrin (which I know you're not going to use anyway, but I'm saying that for comparison!).

Beyond that: there's nothing wrong with byproducts and I also think guar gum gets a bad rap. I bolded that because I think it's really important and is another reason not to rush into something. Sheba (especially pate) is very decent food, particularly for the money, a far better value that lots of more expensive foods. For more on byproducts and guar gum, check catinfo.org, written by a real vet who's very knowledgeable about feline nutrition and what works for cats. You'll find plenty about byproducts on the very lengthy home page and if you search "guar" on the site, you'll find that she's a fan of the stuff. Dr. Pierson is my favorite source of information on cat food and nutrition because she bases her recommendations on both science and experience/observation. Plus she's very practical.

One other thing: there's nothing wrong with feeding multiple modes of food: we feed commercial raw, cooked homemade, and canned. The cats love the variety.

 

[SpecterOhPossum]

Beef liver, Krista tells me, has a different flavor from chicken liver. Krista isn't a red meat cat and she's not crazy about beef liver. If yours doesn't eat red meat, you may want to stick to EZ Complete. Even though EZ Complete is more expensive than the others, if your cat will eat it, it will be the easiest. They have a scoop that lets you balance it down to a single 1.5 oz serving. Given that Krista doesn't like the same homemade twice, this would have been a huge boon. But...Krista isn't an EZ cat. She has IBD and chicken is a no-go protein with her. Also, when she eats food with digestive enzymes, it always look like she's being eaten instead of the other way around.

I would buy some more Sheba because you may not get this right the first time. Then contact each one of them and see if you can get samples or a trial size. I wouldn't put yourself or your cat on a deadline or go all in, at first. Instead, make a batch and see if she will eat it and if it agrees with her. I would introduce it as a guest star meal. If she gets fed twice a day, introduce it as a third, smaller meal separate from the other two. This way, she's not left without food to eat if it doesn't work or she doesn't like it.

Oh, I hadn't considered that! Yes, she doesn't like beef very much..I got the ez sample and she seemed to like it, so maybe we should stick to it! Can I ask..........What exactly digestive enzymes ARE? I'm confused by it, even after asking around... !!

By the way, by-products are simply unnamed organs e.g. it's not liver or it may be liver but also mixed with kidney, heart, or other organs. Cats will eat the whole animal so there really aren't by-products as far as a cat is concerned. It's not teeth and fur or other undesirable parts because those aren't allowed in cat food anyway.

And guar gum, I'm not convinced it's bad. I think it gets swept under the bus with the other gums and thickeners. But it's a simple fiber that can also act like a prebiotic feeding healthy gut bacteria. My IBD kitty who is sensitive to a lot of the gums, especially xanthan gum which runs through her like a river and agar agar which doubles her over like digestive enzymes, she doesn't have an issue with guar gum. I was feeding her Fancy Feast for awhile until I realized the poultry giblets in the turkey recipe were almost certainly chicken-based. While she was keeping it down, her blood work showed indicators of inflammation. To be honest, if I felt I needed a gum or thickener in homemade (and gelatin wasn't doing it), I'd reach for guar gum.

Hopefully that will make you feel a little better about feeding Sheba until you can get her a homemade she likes, agrees with her, and you can afford.

Well, we broke down and got 12 sheba trays anyways this morning, but yes, you did help my brain with it; as I felt like crap about it earlier.. I don't know, I mean, I'd prefer not to feed it anyways because such a title is so vague; and I don't really feel comfortable letting her eat fish/pork/beef very much........ And you can't be sure with just.. "by products"... I never thought about geletin though! I wonder why campanies don't just use geletin...?

 

[SpecterOhPossum]

I couldn't agree more with daftcat75 's suggestions and thoughts.

Getting supplements and ingredients together, and then making homemade will take a bit of time so don't ditch the Sheba. And even when/if you do get Spec eating homemade, still don't ditch the Sheba! You never know when something -- be it weather, Spec's changing tastes, or some other unpredictable factor -- will mean that you need to take something off the shelf for an emergency feeding or treat. In any case, it's not worth rushing into a supplement: look through the instructions and consider what you'd need to buy for any of them. Compare the prices. EZ is a fantastic supplement but it's far more expensive than Alnutrin (which I know you're not going to use anyway, but I'm saying that for comparison!).

Beyond that: there's nothing wrong with byproducts and I also think guar gum gets a bad rap. I bolded that because I think it's really important and is another reason not to rush into something. Sheba (especially pate) is very decent food, particularly for the money, a far better value that lots of more expensive foods. For more on byproducts and guar gum, check catinfo.org, written by a real vet who's very knowledgeable about feline nutrition and what works for cats. You'll find plenty about byproducts on the very lengthy home page and if you search "guar" on the site, you'll find that she's a fan of the stuff. Dr. Pierson is my favorite source of information on cat food and nutrition because she bases her recommendations on both science and experience/observation. Plus she's very practical.

One other thing: there's nothing wrong with feeding multiple modes of food: we feed commercial raw, cooked homemade, and canned. The cats love the variety.

True... Al true.. We bought some more sheba and I guess after we figure out home made, we will use sheba as a treat or so... Ez is crazy expensive, lol, but I think it makes a ton of food so it's not too crazy, right? We got a sample and she likes it so far
And I know they're not terrible, but I'm not personally comfortable with it, I'd like to feed just meat and a premix, without filler/veggies

 

[daftcat75]

Oh, I hadn't considered that! Yes, she doesn't like beef very much..I got the ez sample and she seemed to like it, so maybe we should stick to it! Can I ask..........What exactly digestive enzymes ARE? I'm confused by it, even after asking around... !!


Well, we broke down and got 12 sheba trays anyways this morning, but yes, you did help my brain with it; as I felt like crap about it earlier.. I don't know, I mean, I'd prefer not to feed it anyways because such a title is so vague; and I don't really feel comfortable letting her eat fish/pork/beef very much........ And you can't be sure with just.. "by products"... I never thought about geletin though! I wonder why campanies don't just use geletin...?

Gelatin is used mostly in raw foods. I can only imagine that it doesn’t produce the desired result in a canned food. Thus you get about a half dozen gums from food scientists and only a couple of natural ones that aren’t so harmful. Rawz uses fenugreek seeds.

Digestive enzymes are what they sound like. They help digest the food. The idea is that cats with sensitive stomachs have compromised digestion and could use the extra help. My guess is that there’s likely something problematic with the plant or fungal source of those enzymes that irritates Krista. She has the scrunched face of pain and remains crouched in a tight ball when she’s had them in her food. I’m told this isn’t uncommon. I wish these pre-mixes were more basic and modular. Like turkey liver instead of chicken liver and the option to leave out the enzymes. Then this would likely be a hit with Krista. Your cat may not have any trouble with digestive enzymes. Every cat is different!

 

[lisahe]

True... Al true.. We bought some more sheba and I guess after we figure out home made, we will use sheba as a treat or so... Ez is crazy expensive, lol, but I think it makes a ton of food so it's not too crazy, right? We got a sample and she likes it so far
And I know they're not terrible, but I'm not personally comfortable with it, I'd like to feed just meat and a premix, without filler/veggies

The EZ Complete site tells how many portions it makes -- you can do the math to figure out how much the supplement will cost per serving.

As for byproducts, yes, I know some people aren't comfortable with them. But many of the organs that are in byproducts are very nutritious for cats! Here's the AAFCO list of what can and can't be in byproducts; you'll need to scroll down a bit. This is what made me feel better about byproducts. They're definitely not filler like, say, peas or grains, and some, like liver, are used for required nutrients for cats.

 

[SpecterOhPossum]

Gelatin is used mostly in raw foods. I can only imagine that it doesn’t produce the desired result in a canned food. Thus you get about a half dozen gums from food scientists and only a couple of natural ones that aren’t so harmful. Rawz uses fenugreek seeds.

Digestive enzymes are what they sound like. They help digest the food. The idea is that cats with sensitive stomachs have compromised digestion and could use the extra help. My guess is that there’s likely something problematic with the plant or fungal source of those enzymes that irritates Krista. She has the scrunched face of pain and remains crouched in a tight ball when she’s had them in her food. I’m told this isn’t uncommon. I wish these pre-mixes were more basic and modular. Like turkey liver instead of chicken liver and the option to leave out the enzymes. Then this would likely be a hit with Krista. Your cat may not have any trouble with digestive enzymes. Every cat is different!

Ah, I see. Poor krista! I've seen mine do this once before I knew much about feline nutrition after she'd eaten some very bad quality kibble before, it's so sad; you just KNOW their stomach is on fire. I guess we will have to see about the enzymes, I hope they don't cause issues! Sadly she only got a few licks in the sample before my big brain set in and I forgot I even made it; and left it on the porch all night. But the flavor seemed to be a hit. I still have a teeny bit of the powder so maybe I'll make a teeny batch when I'm less forgetful and stressed out.
Yeah, the confusion was where these enzymes came from, it's interesting at least! I could use some dang enzymes.

The EZ Complete site tells how many portions it makes -- you can do the math to figure out how much the supplement will cost per serving.

That's what I meant, sorry. Lol, my night brain is even worse than my morning brain, I was commenting on that due to how many servings it makes; it's not really that expensive; though I only have one cat so if you had two or more it would probably not be worth the cost so much...............For reference, her current deal rounds out to about 35$ a week because shipping which is insane & a waste of money to be frank,

As for byproducts, yes, I know some people aren't comfortable with them. But many of the organs that are in byproducts are very nutritious for cats! Here's the AAFCO list of what can and can't be in byproducts; you'll need to scroll down a bit. This is what made me feel better about byproducts. They're definitely not filler like, say, peas or grains, and some, like liver, are used for required nutrients for cats.

That's pretty interesting, definitely made me feel better! For some reason I thought it could include fish; which was the scariest bit. Once I get confident I plan on doing all home cooked; but occasional sheba; daily tiki cat and daily home cooked I think is what we will do to ease in for now. (...and until I get my money back up! lol. It's not that I don't "have" money, it's that I have money locked somewhere and can't access it. Which is even more annoying. Such is life I guess.)

 

[SpecterOhPossum]

oh and also, we just got a good scale finally! so thats out of the way!

 

[lisahe]

That's pretty interesting, definitely made me feel better! For some reason I thought it could include fish; which was the scariest bit. Once I get confident I plan on doing all home cooked; but occasional sheba; daily tiki cat and daily home cooked I think is what we will do to ease in for now. (...and until I get my money back up! lol. It's not that I don't "have" money, it's that I have money locked somewhere and can't access it. Which is even more annoying. Such is life I guess.)

I know, that's the thing about byproducts: there's a pretty common misconception (one I used to share, until I read up on the matter) that they're completely worthless or can include nearly literally just about anything. (Well, not quite but you get my drift.) In fact, many of the items that can be in byproducts -- liver, lungs, blood, bone -- are in pretty expensive commercial raw roods.

The sort of rotation you're thinking of sounds good. And yes, that sort of money issue can be very annoying!

Anyway, fingers crossed on the supplements for Spec!

 

[SpecterOhPossum]

Monthly, ez is gonna cost me too much it turns out which is a bummer. Life's tough!
But, u-stew is within my budget. So I'm wondering, what are you guys thoughts on u-stew?

It makes meat compete right? So feasibly, I could use chicken thighs and water and we'd be set? Kind of lost as our usual tiki cat is unavailable and we're gonna be kind of screwed by the end of the week if I don't figure this out.

 

[darg]

Never used either but if cost is a concern, Alnutrin is less expensive. You do have to add liver but ckicken livers are cheap.

 

[Koveshnikov]

chicken meat, chicken liver, vegetables, greens, fill with water and stew without salt and seasoning

 

[SpecterOhPossum]

The issue is we can't source chicken liver where we're at, I don't think. All they have is chicken thighs and steak, the nearest store is about 8 miles away.

 

[Koveshnikov]

then for now, do without it) it is advisable to buy a vitamin complex for cats, it will complement the menu with)

 

[LTS3]

chicken meat, chicken liver, vegetables, greens, fill with water and stew without salt and seasoning

Cats have no need for vegetables in their diet. That said, commercial cat food do contain veggies but as cheap fillers and as a marketing thing to appeal to what a Human thinks of healthy food.

I use Better In The Raw, the supplement for raw meat. My cats like it. U Stew is no different, just for cooked meat. You can use chicken thighs if you want. Mix the shredded cooked meat with water and the U Stew, portion out, and serve.