Who can afford cats?

[FosterFurEver]

I'm so upset. My cat has a UTI again. The big orange one has had one and had to have surgery, and this is the second time for this little tabby. The vet always says to feed them better food, but who can afford $250-600 or whatever, a month for food? I don't know what else it could be. They're not stressed, they have their own spots, places to eat, etc. They are fed only wet food, though it's Friskies. They're not great at drinking, so that's another reason we get wet food. Sometimes they do, sometimes they just don't drink water.

Every time this happens, I look at all the foods that are supposed to be better and end up crying, because ... how can people afford cats if that's how it is? And how is this better food SO much more expensive than this other food? Maybe I could afford dry food, I don't know, but everyone is like 'omg no!' I've looked and looked at that chart (I can't find it right now, but I'm sure a lot of you know what I mean), and trying to find more affordable food w/ less phosphorous always leads me to Friskies, though not always the type that is still made.

I don't get it. I was raised w/ cats and they never ever had issues like this and lived for 15-20 years. One would not eat anything but dry deli mix and lived to be 18. I grew up in the south and am now in the very dry NW, so maybe that's something?

I feel like I'm doing something wrong and I feel like someone else should take care of my cats since I can't afford to keep them happy, but who? And how does the shelter adopt so many cats out knowing full well that most of these folks can't afford good food? Like, "here's this cat you can adopt for $40, and btw, it costs $300 a month to feed it, unless you want it to die."

I'm at my wits' end and just don't know what to do.

Any advice?

 

[Meekie]

My new kitten has been finicky to the point of worrying the vet.

When I got her she was used to eating a brand of food that runs $40 a case (only 12 3 ounce cans!). Not only can I not afford that, but there are sure to be supply chain issues from time to time since it's imported from Italy.

Many people here told me that gourmet brands are not necessary. Veggies and all might seem like a nice additive, but what they really need is protein. I've heard plenty of stories about cats who led long healthy lives on Friskies or Fancy Feast.

Whatever they will eat. That's what you should feed them. I've spent hundreds of dollars so far on all kinds of Blue Buffalo and Science Diet and now she's eating Fancy Feast. I'm hoping that once she settles in and feels comfortable she will accept the other food I got her.

I wouldn't recommend feeding only dry food, though. It's tough on the kidneys.

 

[Furballsmom]

Try a variety of brands, like using a menu for them where you pick and choose, which could help a bit dollar wise.

Fancy feast primavera and gravy lovers varieties are commercial foods that are among the lowest regarding the level of phos. Wild Salmon primavera is one that I use.

Another brand / variety is Tiki cat after dark grain free chicken

And weruva truluxe steak frites beef and pumpkin is another.

 

[maggiedemi]

They are fed only wet food, though it's Friskies.

So they are on a wet food only diet? Which Friskies, the pate or the ones with gravy?

 

[FosterFurEver]

So they are on a wet food only diet? Which Friskies, the pate or the ones with gravy?

Yes, only wet food, besides the occasional crunchy treat. The vet told us to never feed dry food after the big orange one had to have surgery. We feed the shreds or gravy kind. We occasionally give them treats of seafood pate, but only once or twice a week. Same vet kinda scoffs and sighs when I tell him we feed them Friskies, and said that's the worst. But better than the worst, to him, is science diet, ofc. So I guess there's only good or bad? I dunno.

 

[Furballsmom]

Not to agree or not with your vet, but my boy can't eat Friskies any longer, he throws it back up consistently so I didn't include it when I was researching low phosphorus cat food a few months ago.

 

[maggie101]

2 of my 3 cats cannot eat expensive food,throw it up, but can eat fancy feast classics. Something about the ingredients. Luckily she's only 7 pds and doesn't each much. My other cat is 9 pds and eats a can and 1/2 of weruva 6 oz cans

 

[maggiedemi]

We feed the shreds or gravy kind.

Can you try switching to the non-fish Friskies pates and see if that helps? The gravy ones have fillers like gluten I think. Fish is bad for UTIs.

 

[FosterFurEver]

Can you try switching to the non-fish Friskies pates and see if that helps? The gravy ones have fillers like gluten I think. Fish is bad for UTIs.

I can definitely try that. Is gluten bad for the kidneys/UT? I haven't read up on that.

 

[maggie101]

Since churu or tiki sticks are 90% water does that mean it's ok to feed dry if added? Just wondering since I never feed dry. Of course you still have to pay 1$ a stick

 

[maggiedemi]

Is gluten bad for the kidneys/UT?

I'm not sure. But I know a lot of people here won't feed it, they stick to the pates and claim they are healthier.

 

[Margot Lane]

You can do the thing of buying raw meat and cooking it and adding in anything recommended and freezing it in bulk, but who has the time and you have to get it right. I wouldn’t feel bad: all you can do is your utmost! I HAVE noticed though at one place I get catfood, which is very farm animal oriented, they do offer “meats,” of various types, which are there for dogs and cats. I haven’t inquired, but they have regulars who swear by it. Honestly think everyone above has already pointed you in a positive direction! Don’t lose hope!

 

[maggie101]

I'm so upset. My cat has a UTI again. The big orange one has had one and had to have surgery, and this is the second time for this little tabby. The vet always says to feed them better food, but who can afford $250-600 or whatever, a month for food? I don't know what else it could be. They're not stressed, they have their own spots, places to eat, etc. They are fed only wet food, though it's Friskies. They're not great at drinking, so that's another reason we get wet food. Sometimes they do, sometimes they just don't drink water.

Every time this happens, I look at all the foods that are supposed to be better and end up crying, because ... how can people afford cats if that's how it is? And how is this better food SO much more expensive than this other food? Maybe I could afford dry food, I don't know, but everyone is like 'omg no!' I've looked and looked at that chart (I can't find it right now, but I'm sure a lot of you know what I mean), and trying to find more affordable food w/ less phosphorous always leads me to Friskies, though not always the type that is still made.

I don't get it. I was raised w/ cats and they never ever had issues like this and lived for 15-20 years. One would not eat anything but dry deli mix and lived to be 18. I grew up in the south and am now in the very dry NW, so maybe that's something?

I feel like I'm doing something wrong and I feel like someone else should take care of my cats since I can't afford to keep them happy, but who? And how does the shelter adopt so many cats out knowing full well that m

ost of these folks can't afford good food? Like, "here's this cat you can adopt for $40, and btw, it costs $300 a month to feed it, unless you want it to die."

I'm at my wits' end and just don't know what to do.

Will this thread help?

Is "good dry food" better than "low quality wet food" in a diet?
Any advice?

 

[FosterFurEver]

You can do the thing of buying raw meat and cooking it and adding in anything recommended and freezing it in bulk, but who has the time and you have to get it right. I wouldn’t feel bad: all you can do is your utmost! I HAVE noticed though at one place I get catfood, which is very farm animal oriented, they do offer “meats,” of various types, which are there for dogs and cats. I haven’t inquired, but they have regulars who swear by it. Honestly think everyone above has already pointed you in a positive direction! Don’t lose hope!

Thanks. I did look into that and found what you found, which is probably more than I can handle. I was reading that very good quality dry food is better than low quality wet food, so I was thinking about mixing the two so they will get a lil moisture + quality food.

We drop her off at the vet early in the morning, so at least we'll have her on antibiotics soon. I just hate it that she is so miserable. She's eating and playing ok, but I can tell she is very uncomfy. I was going through the paperwork for her and noticed/remembered that she had a UTI when I first adopted her, so this is the 3rd time.

 

[FosterFurEver]

maggie101

Bless you. I was JUST wondering that.

 

[Furballsmom]

 

[BoaztheAdventureCat]

I'm so upset. My cat has a UTI again. The big orange one has had one and had to have surgery, and this is the second time for this little tabby. The vet always says to feed them better food, but who can afford $250-600 or whatever, a month for food? I don't know what else it could be. They're not stressed, they have their own spots, places to eat, etc. They are fed only wet food, though it's Friskies. They're not great at drinking, so that's another reason we get wet food. Sometimes they do, sometimes they just don't drink water.

Every time this happens, I look at all the foods that are supposed to be better and end up crying, because ... how can people afford cats if that's how it is? And how is this better food SO much more expensive than this other food? Maybe I could afford dry food, I don't know, but everyone is like 'omg no!' I've looked and looked at that chart (I can't find it right now, but I'm sure a lot of you know what I mean), and trying to find more affordable food w/ less phosphorous always leads me to Friskies, though not always the type that is still made.

I don't get it. I was raised w/ cats and they never ever had issues like this and lived for 15-20 years. One would not eat anything but dry deli mix and lived to be 18. I grew up in the south and am now in the very dry NW, so maybe that's something?

I feel like I'm doing something wrong and I feel like someone else should take care of my cats since I can't afford to keep them happy, but who? And how does the shelter adopt so many cats out knowing full well that most of these folks can't afford good food? Like, "here's this cat you can adopt for $40, and btw, it costs $300 a month to feed it, unless you want it to die."

I'm at my wits' end and just don't know what to do.

Any advice?

I'm sorry to hear about the struggle. I've never heard of it costing several hundred dollars a month to feed a single cat high quality food. (How many cats do you have, if I might ask?) I feed my cat Boaz human-grade canned food only, no kibble, and his food costs me and my family about $60-$80 per month depending on the flavors we buy. The brand we use is Tiki Cat.

My cat is not much of a drinker even with wet food, so I add a little extra water to his canned food and that seems to help. Now that we're getting hot summer weather, though, he's more motivated to drink from his water bowl during the day.

 

[maggie101]

One of my cats I feed weruva trulex steak frires for 24 cans 6 ounce 67$,peaches,nutro perfect portions or ff classics,Coco dr elseys or rawz what ever pates avaliable. Weruva is only .57 phos. The weruva website lists thier food and nutrition which is low phos,low carbs,high protein

 

[FosterFurEver]

I'm sorry to hear about the struggle. I've never heard of it costing several hundred dollars a month to feed a single cat high quality food. (How many cats do you have, if I might ask?) I feed my cat Boaz human-grade canned food only, no kibble, and his food costs me and my family about $60-$80 per month depending on the flavors we buy. The brand we use is Tiki Cat.

My cat is not much of a drinker even with wet food, so I add a little extra water to his canned food and that seems to help. Now that we're getting hot summer weather, though, he's more motivated to drink from his water bowl during the day.

We have 2 cats, 1 11.2 lb (exactly, has never changed lol) and 1 a little over 14 lb (who is on a diet, and not the sick one).

We pay $16.80 each for a case of 24 cans of 5.5oz of food and get 4 cases of that every 6 weeks, so that is ~$73. For Tiki, looking at petco's first listing, it is $22.68 for a case of 12 cans of 2.8 oz. So that would cost about ~$363 for Tiki for 6 weeks. Hope that makes sense. Let me know if my math is off.

But, oh! I just looked around on petco and saw the variety pack that's 12 can cases with 3 oz cans for 12.84, so that would be less than the $22.68, but still be about $205 per 6 weeks, which... I'm glad you inspired me to do the math, because that's the best price of any of the higher quality ones I've found, and isn't automatically like 'omg that's 4x what we're paying now' in my head, so thank you for that. Still quite a bit more, especially since it says that that cheaper price is on sale. Again, let me know if my math is off. Long day.

They sometimes will drink from some pitchers I keep by my indoor garden, but not lately. The other one drinks quite a bit from the outside fountain, but I never see her (the little one who is sick) doing it. She will drink from a bowl occasionally (we have water bowls allll over the house), but not sure how much, really, since water evaporates so quickly in the INW. I got a indoor fountain about a month or so ago and they acted like it didn't exist lol

 

[FosterFurEver]

One of my cats I feed weruva trulex steak frires for 24 cans 6 ounce 67$,peaches,nutro perfect portions or ff classics,Coco dr elseys or rawz what ever pates avaliable. Weruva is only .57 phos. The weruva website lists thier food and nutrition which is low phos,low carbs,high protein

Gosh, I'm surprised they even list phos. I've had to search so hard for that info for most foods, even the sustainable human food type stuff. Still quite a bit more than we pay.

I will definitely try pate to see if that helps. Kinda desperate right now, especially since she's having a super hard time tonight.