Confused about my new kitten's behaviour .. Help please.

[Cassi]

Science diet is also considered "crap food", just because it's expensive doesn't mean it's good.

If you're very insistent on feeding dry food, please try to go for something grain-free like Wellness Core, EVO 95% or Taste of the Wild. In the very least, try to fit one wet food meal in a day. All in all, even the lowest quality canned food is still 100% better then even the highest quality dry.

ETA: Meow mix ingredients

ground yellow corn, corn gluten meal, chicken by-product meal, soybean meal, beef tallow (preserved with mixed tocopherols), animal digest, calcium carbonate, turkey by-product meal, salmon meal, ocean fish meal, phosphoric acid, choline chloride, salt, titanium dioxide, vitamins (vitamin E supplement, niacin supplement, vitamin A supplement, d-calcium pantothenate, thiamine mononitrate (source of vitamin B1), riboflavin supplement (source of vitamin B2), pyridoxine hydrochloride (source of vitamin B6), menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of vitamin K activity), vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement), potassium chloride, minerals (ferrous sulfate (source of iron), zinc oxide, manganous oxide, copper sulfate, calcium iodate, sodium selenite), taurine, yellow 5, red 40, yellow 6, blue 2, dl-methionine, l-lysine, rosemary extract.

compared to a high quality diet, in this case, EVO:

Turkey, Chicken Meal, Chicken, Herring Meal, Chicken Fat, Peas, Egg, Turkey Meal, Pea Fiber, Natural Flavors, Apples, Carrots, Cranberries, Herring Oil, Tomatoes, Pumpkin, Dried Chicory Root, Cottage Cheese, Alfalfa Sprouts, Taur, DL Methionine, Minerals, Vitamins, Direct-Fed Microbials

You're paying for quality with NO fillers, or by-products. You're paying for a grain free diet that your cat should be on and you also have to figure, the calorie content. You will be feeding much less of a high quality diet then a low quality diet.

 

[avecat6906]

Science Diet is what this new vet & my good vet recommended so I don't see how it would possibly be considered "crap food." But I will certainly check it out. My vet also said that although Science Diet would be the better choice, that Friskies is another good brand.

Yes I'm insistent on feeding dry food to my older cats. They get wet food about once a week as a treat. All the vets I've ever talked to, and when I volunteered at a cat shelter, said that dry food is best because it helps prevent teeth problems. The kitten on the other hand will be getting dry food, once I find a good one, mixed with wet food until he is old enough to be off the kitten food. Then he will be fed the exact same food schedule as my other cats. Guess I didn't make that clear, sorry for any confusion.

I don't want to start any arguments, but my two other cats are 100% healthy with what I have been feeding them. As are my two cats that live with my parents. All of which just had a vet visit last month. Simba is simply a rare case that is now being properly taken care of. )

ETA: Meow mix ingredients

ground yellow corn, corn gluten meal, chicken by-product meal, soybean meal, beef tallow (preserved with mixed tocopherols), animal digest, calcium carbonate, turkey by-product meal, salmon meal, ocean fish meal, phosphoric acid, choline chloride, salt, titanium dioxide, vitamins (vitamin E supplement, niacin supplement, vitamin A supplement, d-calcium pantothenate, thiamine mononitrate (source of vitamin B1), riboflavin supplement (source of vitamin B2), pyridoxine hydrochloride (source of vitamin B6), menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of vitamin K activity), vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement), potassium chloride, minerals (ferrous sulfate (source of iron), zinc oxide, manganous oxide, copper sulfate, calcium iodate, sodium selenite), taurine, yellow 5, red 40, yellow 6, blue 2, dl-methionine, l-lysine, rosemary extract.

compared to a high quality diet, in this case, EVO:

Turkey, Chicken Meal, Chicken, Herring Meal, Chicken Fat, Peas, Egg, Turkey Meal, Pea Fiber, Natural Flavors, Apples, Carrots, Cranberries, Herring Oil, Tomatoes, Pumpkin, Dried Chicory Root, Cottage Cheese, Alfalfa Sprouts, Taur, DL Methionine, Minerals, Vitamins, Direct-Fed Microbials

You're paying for quality with NO fillers, or by-products. You're paying for a grain free diet that your cat should be on and you also have to figure, the calorie content. You will be feeding much less of a high quality diet then a low quality diet.

Thank you very much for that information. But like I said I had fed this to my other cats without problems so I didn't think it would be an issue. I now know that it isn't a good food.

 

[Stackie]

I work in a vet's office...some of the worst teeth cases I have seen were of cats that were fed strictly dry feed. Honestly, dry food really doesn't have that many benefits. When a cat chews the kibble (if they even chew), the feed just shatters. It only comes in contact with the tips of the teeth..it really does next to nothing for cleaning the plaque/tartar. You can't rely on the feed to keep your cats clean..it requires upkeep on your part by brushing.

Cassi is right about Science Diet...you really want to steer away from anything with that much fillers. Feed that contains good, wholesome ingredients help with the cat's digestion. More nutrient absorption from good ingredients = less feeding = less poop.

A couple google searches on the matter will turn up quite a bit...

 

[avecat6906]

So then why the heck would my vets tell me dry food is good?? Ugh I'm so confused right now. This is ridiculous. None of my cats have ever had teeth problems ...

 

[pamszoo]

My 2 cents for what it's worth:

Get the kitten checked for round/hooks/whipsworms. Also check for giardia. It sounds like the first vet is covering all basis with the rx prescribed. I would totally nix the meowmix! Not only is it crap food, it is the cause of most male cats blocking where I work. I would also not feed a strickly grain free diet to any neutered male cat. I have seen too many males come in with urinary issues when being fed an all grain free diet. I'm not saying all male cats will have this problem but I will never feed it again here.

Has this kitten been tested for FELV/FIV?? He should have been kept separate from the others in the house until his vaccines and testing. If he is positive, you are risking the other cats in the house getting it as well.

 

[Jenn]

My cats enjoy the taste of the crappy, cheaper food better, but one cat had become overweight, and the other would puke up her food occasionally. I switched them a few months ago to Taste Of The Wild. They eat a lot less of it, and my puker has stopped puking - unless she gets into something she isn't supposed to! lol. They occasionally get one can of moist food to share at night, for a bit of variety. I see improvements in them already, and even though they don't enjoy the taste of it as much as the crappy food, I will continue to feed them the healthier food to improved their quality of life. Tough love, lol

 

[avecat6906]

My 2 cents for what it's worth:

Get the kitten checked for round/hooks/whipsworms. Also check for giardia. It sounds like the first vet is covering all basis with the rx prescribed. I would totally nix the meowmix! Not only is it crap food, it is the cause of most male cats blocking where I work. I would also not feed a strickly grain free diet to any neutered male cat. I have seen too many males come in with urinary issues when being fed an all grain free diet. I'm not saying all male cats will have this problem but I will never feed it again here.

Has this kitten been tested for FELV/FIV?? He should have been kept separate from the others in the house until his vaccines and testing. If he is positive, you are risking the other cats in the house getting it as well.

I just double checked his records, and yes he has all of his vaccinations and been tested for the FELV/FIV and does not have it. Also just double checked my bill from the other day and it says that they are testing for worms, parasites, etc and giardia via the stool sample. Although he is not being kept completely separate from the other cats, they are using different litter boxes, food & water bowls. I've been keeping a close eye on them ) Oh and whenever I go out or I can't watch them, the kitten goes in the bedroom away from my other cats.

 

[Cassi]

So then why the heck would my vets tell me dry food is good?? Ugh I'm so confused right now. This is ridiculous. None of my cats have ever had teeth problems ...

Same reason why some vets will say that you should be feeding a chinchilla fruits and veggies, they're not well informed and/or don't do any research on it.

Thankfully I have a great vet for my cats and he supports my decision on raw-feeding and asks a bunch of questions when we happen to go in. The best vets are the ones who are willing to learn!

 

[avecat6906]

Ok so I just got back from PetSmart, I know not the best place to buy stuff but I read ingredients on almost all the kitten food there before buying anything. They didn't carry any of the brands Cassi recommended so I picked up Blue Buffalo kitten food. Crazy expensive! $16 for 5 lb bag. My boyfriend is not going to be happy about this but hopefully if I pay for it, it will be okay. I also plan on switching (if you guys approve ) to this for my adult cats as well, but I'm going to wait until we finish up the food we already have for them. No sense in wasting it.

A few ingredients of the Blue Buffalo kitten food ..
Deboned Whitefish, Salmon Meal (natural source of DHA-Docosahexaenoic Acid), Chicken Fat (naturally preserved with Mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid), Menhaden Fish Meal (natural source of Omega 3 Fatty Acids), Whole Ground Brown Rice, Peas, Oatmeal, Whole Ground Barley, Eggs, Potatoes, Natural Fish Flavor, Oat Bran, Carrots, Spinach, Broccoli, Tomatoes (natural source of Lycopene), Apples, Cranberries, Blueberries, Flaxseed (natural source of Omega 3 Fatty Acids), Barley Grass, Turmeric, Rice Bran, Dried Kelp ... etc.

It keeps going on but it get's to the point where it's big fancy words that you don't know what they mean lol. Does this sound like a better food? From what I was reading on other labels it seems to be the best choice available at PetSmart.

P.S. My other cats are currently going crazy over the smell of the bag of food xD I guess they approve )

 

[Stackie]

Blue Buffalo is a good brand.

 

[Ash]

A lot of vets also gets kickbacks for selling and pushing science diet.

 

[fanofdmb84]

I'm glad to see you've found a better food for your kitty. Iams, Science Diet, Purina, Friskies, etc etc are all JUNK. I've found most vets will say anything is a "good food" just to avoid stepping on toes or because they get paid to sell the stuff or because they just don't know any better.

I always tell people those foods are like McDonalds. Can you survive on it? Yes. Can you live a long time eating nothing but [junk] McDonalds food? Yes. Is it good for you? Heck no!!! Would you be healthier eating something better? Definitely.

You'll find your cats will eat less and poop less when on a higher quality food. That's because they actually absorb the nutrients from the food instead of all of it passing right through (which is what happens with any corn-based food). You can get food for cheaper online or at different stores. We buy grain-free Blue Buffalo for our cat on Amazon for $34 for a 12lb bag which lasts him a couple of months.

 

[Cassi]

Catherine, thats great that you got a better brand. I am not trying to be nit-picky, but after you're done with this bag of food please try to get on a blue buffalo food that is turkey, beef, or chicken based. Fish, if fed too much, can result in mercury poisoning and fish can also lead to urinary problems such as UTI's. Also, I'd get the Blue Buffalo Wilderness which is grain free, their other kinds, however, are not. If you're wanting a cheaper alternative for grain free, as BB is a bit pricey, Taste of the Wild is the most cost effective, IMHO and from what I've seen.

 

[avecat6906]

You can get food for cheaper online or at different stores. We buy grain-free Blue Buffalo for our cat on Amazon for $34 for a 12lb bag which lasts him a couple of months.

My PetSmart sells the big bags for $33 lol. I know it's just a dollar but, I like to save as much as I can lol. Do you pay shipping as well? Because if you do, it might not save me that much in the long run. Thanks for the info, maybe I can find it online somewhere else cheaper. I hadn't even thought of getting it online, lol!

Catherine, thats great that you got a better brand. I am not trying to be nit-picky, but after you're done with this bag of food please try to get on a blue buffalo food that is turkey, beef, or chicken based. Fish, if fed too much, can result in mercury poisoning and fish can also lead to urinary problems such as UTI's. Also, I'd get the Blue Buffalo Wilderness which is grain free, their other kinds, however, are not. If you're wanting a cheaper alternative for grain free, as BB is a bit pricey, Taste of the Wild is the most cost effective, IMHO and from what I've seen.

Yes, I can try to find another type but -- fish was the only kitten food that PetSmart carried in the Blue Buffalo brand. Like I said, I did look for the other brands you recommended but my local PetSmart didn't carry them, unless I missed it. But I did go over their entire cat food section pretty well lol. There's a Petco like 20 minutes away from me maybe next time I pass by I can check in there.

 

[avecat6906]

Just found http://www.petfooddirect.com/ and from what I've seen in the past 2 minutes it looks to be much cheaper then other places. Haven't explored their shipping options as I'm not ready to purchase anything right now. Has anybody ever used this website?

http://www.petfooddirect.com/Produc...oasted-Venison-And-Smoked-Salmon-Dry-Cat-Food Is the only thing they seem to have in dry food form Taste of The Wild brand .. but it's two main ingredients are venison and salmon. Would that be a bad choice for my cats because of the mercury poisoning risk?

 

[avecat6906]

http://www.petfooddirect.com/Produc...dult-Chicken-with-Sweet-Potatoes-Dry-Cat-Food Is the only Wilderness Blue Buffalo brand food. Which I'm hesitant to pick because the website only has one flavor and I like to mix it up for my cats so it's not so boring. They have http://www.petfooddirect.com/Produc...-Living-Adult-Chicken-And-Brown-Rice-Cat-Food Spa Select Blue Buffalo in two flavors. .. Could I switch between the Wilderness and the Spa Selects?

Wow I really hate that we only have 10 minutes to edit our posts after they're posted >.<

Would it be possible to give them Blue Buffalo dry food and another brand of wet food? Blue Buffalo wet food is super expensive and I really don't want to spend $1.50 each can.

P.S. This is all concerning my adult cats. I already have proper food for the kitten )

 

[Cassi]

As long as it's grain-free, your kitten can eat "adult" food. If you can't seem to locate a nice mom and pop pet store then I'd go for Wellness before anything else. Wet and dry will be much cheaper in a store other then Petco and Petsmart for sure. Also, to make wet food more cost efficient, make sure you get the biggest cans (12.5oz or 13.2oz). Petsmart has a brand called Sophistacat which is their brand. Their big cans of canned food is not horrible and some are grain free. It's only 78? cents for each 13.2 oz can. Just make sure you don't get the fish kinds. Like I said, even the lower quality wet foods are 100% better then the highest quality dry.

 

[avecat6906]

I just went over to my local PetSmart again to check the prices of some things I saw on the Pet Direct website. The website is loads cheaper for the dry food & litter even with shipping. Wet cans were a lot cheaper then the website so I'll probably end up picking up from PetSmart and just buy the dry food online. And my local "mom & pop shop" is super expensive with almost everything they carry so I don't think I'll be getting anything from there. Unfortunately there aren't too many pet stores in my area besides the franchised ones.

Yeah I always buy the bigger cans, it just makes so much more sense! Good to know that Sophistacat is a decent brand because I always figured it wasn't on account that I hadn't ever heard of it until I worked at PetSmart for a little while two years ago.

:dance3: Can someone please answer my question as to weather or not I can give my cats one brand of dry food, for example Blue Buffalo, and another brand of wet food, for example Sophistacat? If I'm going to spend all this money getting them better food I might as well do it right lol.

 

[Cassi]

Yes ma'am, you can. Keep one brand of dry food and because of the water content in wet food, you can switch between as many flavors and brands of wet food as you'd like! Changing up dry food can cause upset stomachs. Use wet food as your variety.

 

[avecat6906]

Woot this is great to know, thank you soooooo much for all of your help *hugs* )

Just curious, but how do you know so much about the foods and whatnot? lol