[Brutuses]

No need to switch them, but it is healthier for them over the years. Not to mention how tired they would get eating the same thing every day of their life. I love my animals too much to institute that type of diet on them. They like variety and I've never had a dog or cat want to overeat or eat things they shouldn't because they are hungry for nutrients they don't get in their food.

Iams and Science Diet regular food are full of cereal and fillers. The only Science Diet food I'll use is the Z/D and K/D. Was shocked to see the ingredient list for the new J/D Joint Diet for elderly dogs. The first ingredient is whole corn, then the list goes on with byproducts and other low grade food sources. I wrote and told them how ridiculous it was for them to make a food for senior dogs that had corn as the first ingredient when anyone who knows about nutrition knows corn is the most fattening carb you can eat and seniors need food that is balanced and I didn't think corn being the first ingredient was very healthy or balanced for a senior and I wouldn't be buying their product. Science Diet has been the biggest rip off in the pet food business for too long. They give vets fabulous pricing and freebies to promote their products. Anyone can just read the label and know their food is junk except for some of their prescription diets, which frankly I prefer a lot of Royal Canine prescription food to Science Diet. It's a much better food. I'll keep my big dog on the Z/D for 3 months then switch him over to Royal Canine allergy food, then switch him to Purina, etc. I have cats and dogs that lived to 22 years old and were never sick a day in their life till a few weeks before passing away from old age. I've studied animal nutrition for 20 years and after raising 80 animals, kind of like my own lab experiment in nutrition, I know what's best for animals to live long lives with no illness or disease.

[bittacus]

Originally Posted by j2012

For those that feed high end kibble, have you ever consider a raw diet?

An average cat (depending on age, size, and activity level) will consume approximately 3-6 oz of raw food a day. That's 90-180 oz a month, or 5 -11 lbs a month. The best part is that you can use meats from the grocery store and buy whats on sale. If you can get meats for around $1-2 a lb, you're paying less than $25 a month!

Anyway, if anyone is interested, let me know

I feed my 3 ferrets a raw diet. They eat about 6-8 oz a day combined. I spent about $35 a month on food. Less if I can stock up on good meat prices

I love the natural diet! I feed both my dogs natural diet. My Golden Retriever is 13 1/2 years old and has thrived since I took her off kibble 2 years ago and my Belgian Tervuren is almost 3 years old - she was raised on raw food.

[j2012]

Hey there,

I'm so glad you've found a simple solution to your kitties issues. One of the main issues with carnivores in general is that they lack a large enough thrist drive to adequately hydrate them. This means that they do not get the "urge" to drink water nearly enough.

Carnivores are not equipped with this drive because 70-90% of moisture should be derived from their diet of fresh meats.

This lack of hydration causes the urine to become extra concentrated.

Meat also contains components that lower the pH of the urine (making it more acidic). An acidic environment is one that discourages bacterial growth and colonization, decreasing the likelihood of UTIs and stones. Plant matter raises the pH (more basic) and that create an environment more friendly to bacteria colonization.

I feed raw, and another benefit of that is that dental care becomes no existent. The bones and chewy meats gently scrape the teeth (contrary to what most believe, bone is very "spongy" - I have never ONCE had to brush my fuzzes teeth, get a cleaning done (WOW expensive!).

I've found it's also cheaper to feed raw. I can get whole chickens on sale for 89cents a lb! That makes up about 35-50% of my fuzzes diet monthly. Super super affordable.

Originally Posted by FreeCouponingOnline

scottd09,

Been a cat guardian for 28 years and have fed my kitty-cat furbabies a wide assortment of cat food brands/formulas.

Since our boys are prone to FLUTD (Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease) a.k.a. FUS (Feline Urinary Syndrome) we used to be loyal consumers of Purina One: Special Care Urinary Tract Health Formula (dry cat food) in the 16 lbs turquoise bag.

However, when one of our girls was diagnosed with diabetic ketoacidosis (the absolute worst stage of type II diabetes) in 2009 we completely changed not only her diet, but all of the other kitty's as well for preventative/precautionary measures.

Now all of our kitties are only fed:

* Wet canned cat food, i.e. Friskies, Fancy Feast, 9 Lives, Whiskas, etc.

* Jarred baby food meats i.e. Beech-Nut, Gerber, Del Monte, etc.

* or human quality, grade A protein i.e. boiled chicken breast, whole chicken fryers (with bone & skin removed), whole turkey (with bone & skin removed), etc.

Our type II diabetic beloved family cat who needs a human quality, grade A protein diet with daily insulin injection therapy as set the dietary example for the others.

Although the initial upfront cost of this new diet is more expensive than the previous one, it is saving us money in the long run by preventing any more kitties from developing diabetes; thus eliminating future medical bills. Purchasing cat food is always cheaper than taking the cat to the vet.

I have tried to get my furbabies to use "World's Best Cat Litter", but unfortunately, they refuse to use it. Whenever I bring a bag home and fill a litter box with it, they quickly let me know how much they hate it by inappropriate eliminating (urinating, defecating, spraying) outside of that particular litter box.

Therefore, I buy what they like and will use; Scoopable clay cat litter.

Tidy Cats 35 lb yellow bucket $11.99 Target scoopable clay.

Tidy Cats 35 lb yellow bucket $9.99 Kmart scoopable clay.

Exquisicat 40 lb turquoise box $11.99 PetSmart scoopable clay.

[Brutuses]

j2012, what kind of supplements are you giving the cats with the raw meat?

I use to have a cat who ate nothing but raw. She was weaned onto raw because she absolutely refused every kind/make of cat food out there. I would buy her the packaged stuff online that was fortified with vitamins, etc. because I didn't have time to make my own.

[j2012]

I have ferrets not cats, but their dietary needs are very, very similar. Ferrets tend to need more calcium and eat more per lb.

I use a powdered taurine supplement. I use extra virgin olive oil to prevent hairballs and to prevent ulcers from heliobacter. I also use plain canned pumpkin almost daily to add fiber back into the diet (this would come from the fur and indigestibles in prey).

[Brutuses]

I'm sorry, that's right you said that you had ferrets. Ah, yes the taurine supplement, very important in cats. Some people don't realize that's the number one nutrient cats need and the reason why they shouldn't be allowed to eat the dog's food.

[j2012]

Yes, extremely important. Taurine degrades over time so I like to use the powdered stuff just as a back up. I also feed heart and brain meat (occasionally eyes too) which are all Naturally enriched with taurine (I prefer a natural source to a supplement any day).

[JeanneF78]

I've just recently switched my 2 male cats, and 1 female dog to Blue Buffalo dry food....It is ridiculously expensive but my one cat has a very sensitive stomach, no matter what I've tried to feed him in the past it's caused him to vomit daily Switched him to Blue....no vomiting issues anymore! Yay! The cats also split a half of a can of wet food (9 lives) a day....my vet recommended this to help make sure they are getting enough water to avoid Urinary/Bladder issues.....and my dog gets a half of a can of Mighty Dog wet food each day mixed with some of her Blue hard food. I am considering switching them both to Blue wet food as well....since our experience with the hard food has been so amazing.

As for cat litter......Tidy Cats scoopable.

[scottd09]

Originally Posted by JeanneF78

I've just recently switched my 2 male cats, and 1 female dog to Blue Buffalo dry food....It is ridiculously expensive but my one cat has a very sensitive stomach, no matter what I've tried to feed him in the past it's caused him to vomit daily Switched him to Blue....no vomiting issues anymore! Yay! The cats also split a half of a can of wet food (9 lives) a day....my vet recommended this to help make sure they are getting enough water to avoid Urinary/Bladder issues.....and my dog gets a half of a can of Mighty Dog wet food each day mixed with some of her Blue hard food. I am considering switching them both to Blue wet food as well....since our experience with the hard food has been so amazing.

As for cat litter......Tidy Cats scoopable.

Blue has a line of food called "Basics" that has minimal ingredients for cats with allergies. You might try that wet food. It is actually better to only feed wet food. That's what I would like to do but I have a very picky cat who is slowly transitioning.

You might want to consider switching to a corn or pine based litter: The Trouble with Kitty Litter: What is Safe and What is Not? - Cats - Zimbio

[JeanneF78]

Originally Posted by scottd09

Blue has a line of food called "Basics" that has minimal ingredients for cats with allergies. You might try that wet food. It is actually better to only feed wet food. That's what I would like to do but I have a very picky cat who is slowly transitioning.

You might want to consider switching to a corn or pine based litter: The Trouble with Kitty Litter: What is Safe and What is Not? - Cats - Zimbio

I've tried the wet food only diet with the cats....nightmare...the spoiled brats want that hard food....as for the other kitty litter, I'll look into....tbh I've been a cat mommy for the last 16yrs and I've never heard anything bad about litter....this is a first for me for sure...so I'm going to read up! Thanks for the link

[famofthree]

hills science diet only..nothing else.

[5forme]

I feed my cats taste of the wild ONLY. It kills me I mean costs me 41.99 a bag

[scottd09]

Originally Posted by JeanneF78

I've tried the wet food only diet with the cats....nightmare...the spoiled brats want that hard food....as for the other kitty litter, I'll look into....tbh I've been a cat mommy for the last 16yrs and I've never heard anything bad about litter....this is a first for me for sure...so I'm going to read up! Thanks for the link

No problem. I find a lot of vets don't bother to tell anyone about nutrition or litter. I get so aggravated when they recommend Science Diet because it's truly no better than supermarket brand. I prefer World's Best Cat Litter personally but it's hard to find in non-pet stores. I know Walmart sells Feline Pine and Fresh Step's saw dust looking stuff. It's a corn based scoopable litter. I get the original as it's not scented but does well with odor control. You can get a free bag with a MIR right now: World's Best Cat Litter™ Feline Pine has coupons on their website as well.

[scottd09]

Originally Posted by famofthree

hills science diet only..nothing else.

If Science Diet is priced like I remember it, it's quite expensive. You can get a much higher quality food for the same price. You may want to check out: Science Diet. Why it’s crap. « I just found this Google within a few seconds. You might want to do more research on it but it's really not good food. Veterinarians promote it because they get money from the sales. Hill's often sends representatives to veterinary schools as well and that's the usually only education about nutrition they receive which is biased towards their products.

[scottd09]

Originally Posted by 5forme

I feed my cats taste of the wild ONLY. It kills me I mean costs me 41.99 a bag

I've heard good things about this food and the ingredients look super. Hopefully, I will have my kitty converted to wet food that is grain-free soon.

[katieculpepper]

for those of you who use Science Diet... do you use it because your Vet said to do so? Are you aware that the reason it is sold in vets offices is because they are paid by Science Diet to push it on people and it really is no better then grocery store dog food? It is only a "prescription" because that is their sales mumbo jumbo.

[time_is_on_my_bad_side]

We have one cat and she is the only brand-loyal one in the house, !

We free-feed her Nutro Natural Choice Indoor dry food and Nutro NC or Max Cat cans - she gets 1/2 small can daily. We used to offer the whole thing but she always left half. She only gets poultry/seafood because every red meat variety we tried made her vomit.

Previous cats I had with urine crystal tendencies got rx Royal Canin.

We give her Greenies treats usually, but others occasionally if they are free.

We use WBCL too.

FWIW I totally would do raw but my DH is NOT open to it. He slowly came around to having a cat at all (but he is very happy with her now).

Cats are carnivores but dogs are actually omnivores like us.

[misticmimic]

My dogs get a mix we have a HUGE bin I store dry food in. Every other month I have to pick up a bag of cheap stuff and every 3-4 months get a bag of each of my expensives. Cheap food - 50 pounds of Dog chow for $20. Other food Black Paw Gold - 35 pounds for $30, and Red Paw 20/30 (can only get from sled dog distributors) 35 pounds for $50 and do a mix of one bag chow 1/2 bag Gold and 1/2 bag Paw. They love the higher protein and makes everyone's coats show quality all year round. They also get a vast assortment of treats including each getting a bag of Moist and Meaty each week with a raw egg (shell and all just cracked) and chicken jerky on a daily basis.

Kitties get Purina cat chow Indoor Formula. Then whichever Whiskas or Friskies cans are cheaper when I need to stock up. They would much rather eat the dog food though, which is why I mixed dog and cat food for years as the dogs would rather eat kitty food. For treats they eat the same chicken jerky that the dogs do.

Litter is Arm and Hammer Double Duty for multiple cats.

[sparklecat2009]

My 2 cats eat Blue Spa Select Indoor Health dry food. Switched over after talking with a neighbor about my cat throwing up his food randomly. They were eating Purina Cat Chow Indoor Health. All vomiting issues ceased and their fur is full and shiny. Cat litter is Tidy Cat and there is no other brand used as it has created litter box issues in the past.

[scottd09]

Originally Posted by misticmimic

My dogs get a mix we have a HUGE bin I store dry food in. Every other month I have to pick up a bag of cheap stuff and every 3-4 months get a bag of each of my expensives. Cheap food - 50 pounds of Dog chow for $20. Other food Black Paw Gold - 35 pounds for $30, and Red Paw 20/30 (can only get from sled dog distributors) 35 pounds for $50 and do a mix of one bag chow 1/2 bag Gold and 1/2 bag Paw. They love the higher protein and makes everyone's coats show quality all year round. They also get a vast assortment of treats including each getting a bag of Moist and Meaty each week with a raw egg (shell and all just cracked) and chicken jerky on a daily basis.

Kitties get Purina cat chow Indoor Formula. Then whichever Whiskas or Friskies cans are cheaper when I need to stock up. They would much rather eat the dog food though, which is why I mixed dog and cat food for years as the dogs would rather eat kitty food. For treats they eat the same chicken jerky that the dogs do.

Litter is Arm and Hammer Double Duty for multiple cats.

You have to be really careful mixing the food together like that. It won't be balanced if you're not. The food is formulated to be fed alone and mixing it together can cause a deficiency.

Cats need taurine or they will have severe health issues. If they're eating dog food rather than cat food, you should probably stop them. Taurine isn't in dog food.

Taurine is an essential dietary requirement for feline health, since cats cannot synthesize the compound. The absence of taurine causes a cat's retina to slowly degenerate, causing eye problems and (eventually) irreversible blindness — a condition known as central retinal degeneration (CRD), as well as hair loss and tooth decay. Decreased plasma taurine concentration has been demonstrated to be associated with feline dilated cardiomyopathy. Unlike CRD, the condition is reversible with supplementation.
Source: en.wikipedia.org

[Foxykelly]

I feed Blue Buffalo or Innova mixed with Iams. The first two are too rich to feed straight for my greyhound and Iams is what the person who takes her while I am gone feeds her dogs, so there isn't a food transition issue. She also gets fresh knuckle bones pretty regularly as well as homemade liver treats.

[kaitlinrt]

We have three cats and three dogs. We used to feed Purina, but one dog started vomiting. A cat also started inappropriately urinating on dog beds, vet diagnosed a UTI. So for a while we tried Purina Urinary Health. Our vet has never been pushy about what we feed, he doesn't even push the stuff his office sells. On a trainers recommendation we looked at corn free foods(Blue Buffalo, Petsmart Authority brand, and Taste of the Wild). We ended up switching both the dogs and the cats to Taste of the Wild. It's the cheaper of the three in our area, and more readily available at a close by store.

All six pets have done wonderfully on their respective dry food. I really like Taste of the Wild(been feeding it for a year). We measure our food for the dogs(1 cup morning, 1 cup night per dog), and the cats free feed(automatic feeder). A 30 lbs bag lasts about two weeks for the dogs, and a 15 lb bag lasts about a month for the cats. I try to buy when it goes on sale at Family, Farm, and Home. Dog food on sale is about $38 and cat food on sale is $19.

If we ever do switch, it would be Blue Buffalo or the Authority brand. Our dogs coats are much shinier and they don't get as sick as often. Works for us.

[FreeCouponingOnline]

With 17 cats in the house (all spayed & neutered. Do not breed, sell, or separate bonded pairs/colonies), we have absolutely never free-fed.

We have a few "piggies" that will "steal" food from the others, so we have to control/monitor their individual food intake.

Before we switched to an all "wet" diet:

* Wet canned cat food, i.e. Friskies, Fancy Feast, 9 Lives, Whiskas, etc.

* Jarred baby food meats i.e. Beech-Nut, Gerber, Del Monte, etc.

* or human quality, grade A protein i.e. boiled chicken breast, whole chicken fryers (with bone & skin removed), whole turkey (with bone & skin removed), etc.

each cat received 1/4 scoop of Purina One: Special Care Urinary Tract Health Formula (dry cat food) in the 16 lbs turquoise bag in the morning

and

1/4 portion of a 5.5 oz can or 1/2 portion of a 3 oz can of various wet canned cat food in the evening.

Although we no longer buy any dry cat food we still rotate our kitties' wet canned cat food for variety purposes.

Since Friskies, Fancy Feast, 9 Lives, Meow Mix "cups", Whiskas "trays", Sheba (discontinued), by nature selects (blue Seal Feeds), Science Diet, etc. are "low" quality canned cat food, we buy Authority, Nutro Max Cat, AvoDerm whenever they are on sale.

Dietary transition from dry to wet food took some serious time. Pet guardians need to take the process extremely slow as to not shock their pet's gastric digestive system. Changing their diet too quickly can result in feline IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease).

At first a few of my kitties absolutely refused the chance and simply walked away from their plates. That was ok. I remained firm and did not give in to their demands for the "junk" food. Either they would eat the food from their "new" diet or none at all. Eventually hunger would win out. I just had to be patient and consistent.

Successful dietary transition took about a 6 months.

[FreeCouponingOnline]

Brutuses,

Excellent point!

I absolutely neither have nor ever will feed my cats any brand/forumla of wet/dry dog food!

There is no Taurine in any dog food, and if fed to cats, can kill them. People who chose to do this are playing russian roulette with their cat's health.

Never, ever feed any type of dog food to a cat. Period.

Ah, yes the taurine supplement, very important in cats. Some people don't realize that's the number one nutrient cats need and the reason why they shouldn't be allowed to eat the dog's food.

[FreeCouponingOnline]

JeanneF78,

What makes cat litter "bad" is the silica dust found in all scoopable clay cat litter, non-scoopable clay cat litter, litter "Pearls", litter "Crystals", and Washable Granules.

Dusty cat litter has been suggested as exacerbating respiratory problems in cats. Silica has been reported to act as an airway irritant and cause respiratory diseases i.e. bronchial asthma, chronic bronchitis, viral, bacterial and pyogranulomatous pneumonia, and pulmonary neoplasia are commonly diagnosed in cats.

Despite treatment, these problems may progress and can lead to life-threatening episodes and chronic respiratory disease.

In the United States, the majority most of household cats are exposed to silica dust on a daily basis since more than 95% of cat litter is a form of silica.

Inhaled silica dust has been implicated as a cause of lung cancer and other respiratory diseases in humans and several animal species.

Not only is the dust harmful to breathe, but the particles can settle on their coat/fur and the litter "sand" granules can stick to their paws/claws. If ingested by grooming, can cause gastric/gastrointestinal tract blockage and intestinal obstruction.

Natural Pine/Ceader based cat litter (pellets/shaving) is also bad due to their toxic oils. Both these softwood give off aromatic hydrocarbons (phenols) and acids that are toxic.

The phenols, which give the shavings their scent, are the reason that cedar repels fleas and moths and why pine-oil is the major ingredient in Pine-sol brand disinfectant.

In the laboratory, autoclaved pine and cedar shavings have been shown to inhibit the growth of micro-organisms When animals are exposed to softwood the aromatic hydrocarbons are absorbed through the respiratory tract and enter the blood.

The acids given off by pine and cedar are very damaging to the respiratory tract. These acids can actually destroy cells that line the lungs and trachea.

Pine and cedar toxins also affect humans and other animals.

Although pine and cedar are traditional bedding products for small pets, and used as cat litter they contain toxic chemicals that can cause liver disease and should not be used around animals.

You should also avoid any pellets made from pine or cedar wood. Other litters that shouldn't be used for small animals include clay and sand cat litters. Corn cob litter has been known to get caught in little throats if eaten, and can produce acetic acid and sulfur dioxide, which can irritate the respiratory tract.

http://www.securepet.biz/wordpress/2...-dust-in-cats/

the Rat Report

as for the other kitty litter, I'll look into....tbh I've been a cat mommy for the last 16yrs and I've never heard anything bad about litter....this is a first for me for sure...so I'm going to read up!