Your pets and their food

[La lamy]

I recently took in an abandoned female cat and I've had some challenges trying to figure out what to feed her. At first it was just kibble which I found handy and non messy. She didn't like some Friskies' beef flavour so I eventually figured out she mostly prefers fish. Then a friend told me that a vet told him cats need wet food, that it's healthier for them, while another said they need dry food which is better for their teeth. All I know is my cat prefers wet food and starts meowing WAY TOO EARLY to get some in the morning. SO I'm back to dry for her during the day and wet at night, hoping she'll stop the meowing in the morning. What do you feed your pet, and how is it working out?

[Strongel]

I recently took in an abandoned female cat and I've had some challenges trying to figure out what to feed her. At first it was just kibble which I found handy and non messy. She didn't like some Friskies' beef flavour so I eventually figured out she mostly prefers fish. Then a friend told me that a vet told him cats need wet food, that it's healthier for them, while another said they need dry food which is better for their teeth. All I know is my cat prefers wet food and starts meowing WAY TOO EARLY to get some in the morning. SO I'm back to dry for her during the day and wet at night, hoping she'll stop the meowing in the morning. What do you feed your pet, and how is it working out?

My cats have always preferred chicken. My vet said one meal a day wet, only chicken or fish of good quality food…not the cheap brands and then leave kibble out. I also give temptation treats to my cats but they seem to be addicted to them as though they are catnip.

[ThirdOfFive]

I recently took in an abandoned female cat and I've had some challenges trying to figure out what to feed her. At first it was just kibble which I found handy and non messy. She didn't like some Friskies' beef flavour so I eventually figured out she mostly prefers fish. Then a friend told me that a vet told him cats need wet food, that it's healthier for them, while another said they need dry food which is better for their teeth. All I know is my cat prefers wet food and starts meowing WAY TOO EARLY to get some in the morning. SO I'm back to dry for her during the day and wet at night, hoping she'll stop the meowing in the morning. What do you feed your pet, and how is it working out?
Sounds like the OP has--well--a cat. And those of us who have a cat learn very quickly who is in charge. (hint: it isn't the human).

Our cat (a rescue job from a St. Paul, MN animal shelter), has a way of interpreting the rules so that they favor her. For example, my wife tired of Kitty wanting to be fed every time my wife was cleaning in the kitchen. So she laid down the rule. No food until AFTER the dishwasher closes. She caught on pretty quick, only she interpreted it to mean that EVERY time the dishwasher closed, she was going to get fed.

Also, just accept the fact that every cat has expensive taste. At first we gave her some expensive wet food as an occasional treat. Wasn't long until she expected the expensive stuff for EVERY meal. Didn't work to not give her the stuff she wanted and she wasn't fooled one bit by being given a less expensive wet food. She wanted the top-shelf stuff and would either meow incessantly at one or the other of us until she got it, or would sit staring at her dish with her pathetic I'm-just-a-poor-starving-kitty look, looking at us when one of us were in the area and giving us the most forlorn, sad-sounding meow that you can imagine.

Oh--and things happen on HER timetable, not ours. If Kitty gets hungry at 3:00 AM, she'll wake me up to get fed. She has a sort of graduated-intervention way of doing it. If pats and meows don't do it, expect a wet nose in the ear. Covering up doesn't help. She'll look for any bit of exposed skin and bite it--not hard, but noticeable. And if THAT doesn't work, she rolls out the big guns. One tactic that just about always works is picking up my glasses from the nightstand and dropping them onto the floor. Or, if she can't find the glasses (or if I put them in some inaccessible place before I go to bed) she's discovered that a TV remote dropped on the floor will eject the two "AA" batteries onto the floor, which she then bats under just about any piece of furniture in the area, which is a guarantee that her human will throw in the towel and feed her just to get a little sleep.

I heard it summed up perfectly once: "Dogs have owners. But cats have staff". True words.

[La lamy]

Sounds like the OP has--well--a cat. And those of us who have a cat learn very quickly who is in charge. (hint: it isn't the human).

Our cat (a rescue job from a St. Paul, MN animal shelter), has a way of interpreting the rules so that they favor her. For example, my wife tired of Kitty wanting to be fed every time my wife was cleaning in the kitchen. So she laid down the rule. No food until AFTER the dishwasher closes. She caught on pretty quick, only she interpreted it to mean that EVERY time the dishwasher closed, she was going to get fed.

Also, just accept the fact that every cat has expensive taste. At first we gave her some expensive wet food as an occasional treat. Wasn't long until she expected the expensive stuff for EVERY meal. Didn't work to not give her the stuff she wanted and she wasn't fooled one bit by being given a less expensive wet food. She wanted the top-shelf stuff and would either meow incessantly at one or the other of us until she got it, or would sit staring at her dish with her pathetic I'm-just-a-poor-starving-kitty look, looking at us when one of us were in the area and giving us the most forlorn, sad-sounding meow that you can imagine.

Oh--and things happen on HER timetable, not ours. If Kitty gets hungry at 3:00 AM, she'll wake me up to get fed. She has a sort of graduated-intervention way of doing it. If pats and meows don't do it, expect a wet nose in the ear. Covering up doesn't help. She'll look for any bit of exposed skin and bite it--not hard, but noticeable. And if THAT doesn't work, she rolls out the big guns. One tactic that just about always works is picking up my glasses from the nightstand and dropping them onto the floor. Or, if she can't find the glasses (or if I put them in some inaccessible place before I go to bed) she's discovered that a TV remote dropped on the floor will eject the two "AA" batteries onto the floor, which she then bats under just about any piece of furniture in the area, which is a guarantee that her human will throw in the towel and feed her just to get a little sleep.

I heard it summed up perfectly once: "Dogs have owners. But cats have staff". True words.

Oh wow, I guess my cat could be WAY worse! LOL

[NotGolfer]

Sounds like the OP has--well--a cat. And those of us who have a cat learn very quickly who is in charge. (hint: it isn't the human).

Our cat (a rescue job from a St. Paul, MN animal shelter), has a way of interpreting the rules so that they favor her. For example, my wife tired of Kitty wanting to be fed every time my wife was cleaning in the kitchen. So she laid down the rule. No food until AFTER the dishwasher closes. She caught on pretty quick, only she interpreted it to mean that EVERY time the dishwasher closed, she was going to get fed.

Also, just accept the fact that every cat has expensive taste. At first we gave her some expensive wet food as an occasional treat. Wasn't long until she expected the expensive stuff for EVERY meal. Didn't work to not give her the stuff she wanted and she wasn't fooled one bit by being given a less expensive wet food. She wanted the top-shelf stuff and would either meow incessantly at one or the other of us until she got it, or would sit staring at her dish with her pathetic I'm-just-a-poor-starving-kitty look, looking at us when one of us were in the area and giving us the most forlorn, sad-sounding meow that you can imagine.

Oh--and things happen on HER timetable, not ours. If Kitty gets hungry at 3:00 AM, she'll wake me up to get fed. She has a sort of graduated-intervention way of doing it. If pats and meows don't do it, expect a wet nose in the ear. Covering up doesn't help. She'll look for any bit of exposed skin and bite it--not hard, but noticeable. And if THAT doesn't work, she rolls out the big guns. One tactic that just about always works is picking up my glasses from the nightstand and dropping them onto the floor. Or, if she can't find the glasses (or if I put them in some inaccessible place before I go to bed) she's discovered that a TV remote dropped on the floor will eject the two "AA" batteries onto the floor, which she then bats under just about any piece of furniture in the area, which is a guarantee that her human will throw in the towel and feed her just to get a little sleep.

I heard it summed up perfectly once: "Dogs have owners. But cats have staff". True words.

We've had both dogs and cats. They're both intelligent in their own way and have some tendencies that are acceptable to being pets. HOWEVER, it's amazing how cats become "in charge". Your post is funny but the antics would drive me bonkers. Our daughter once had 4 cats plus their dog in an apartment. Yes, you read that right. They're down to one cat plus the dog now....but due to the other 3 either passing and one needing to go to a farm instead. The 3 cats would lie on the floor outside her bedroom and meow and do the foot under the door thing. The meowing was so pathetic as to try to make one feel sorry for them. They had the best of owners and were plump. Our cat was independent as cats tend to be. She "taught" us to play fetch with little nerf balls. After some time the balls would disappear to ???? We found only some when we moved. Where the others went---would be any human's guess. The late evening Zoomies were hysterical to watch. Hope you find a happy food choice for yours.

[ThirdOfFive]

We've had both dogs and cats. They're both intelligent in their own way and have some tendencies that are acceptable to being pets. HOWEVER, it's amazing how cats become "in charge". Your post is funny but the antics would drive me bonkers. Our daughter once had 4 cats plus their dog in an apartment. Yes, you read that right. They're down to one cat plus the dog now....but due to the other 3 either passing and one needing to go to a farm instead. The 3 cats would lie on the floor outside her bedroom and meow and do the foot under the door thing. The meowing was so pathetic as to try to make one feel sorry for them. They had the best of owners and were plump. Our cat was independent as cats tend to be. She "taught" us to play fetch with little nerf balls. After some time the balls would disappear to ???? We found only some when we moved. Where the others went---would be any human's guess. The late evening Zoomies were hysterical to watch. Hope you find a happy food choice for yours.
My wife says I'm a soft touch when it comes to Kitty. I suppose I am. The little critter is a past master at eliciting sympathy.

The nerf ball thing is funny, and reminds me of something I just found out a few weeks ago. I began noticing that pens were disappearing. My wife denied being the culprit and to be honest I tend to be pretty forgetful myself so I just chalked it up to putting them down and forgetting where. Kitty has a favorite chair that she sleeps on. One day I saw the tip of a pen sticking up between the seat and the back of the chair. Further investigation revealed FIVE pens stuffed in there.

[La lamy]

:click:[QUOTE=ThirdOfFive;2114714]My wife says I'm a soft touch when it comes to Kitty. I suppose I am. The little critter is a past master at eliciting sympathy.

The nerf ball thing is funny, and reminds me of something I just found out a few weeks ago. I began noticing that pens were disappearing. My wife denied being the culprit and to be honest I tend to be pretty forgetful myself so I just chalked it up to putting them down and forgetting where. Kitty has a favorite chair that she sleeps on. One day I saw the tip of a pen sticking up between the seat and the back of the chair. Further investigation revealed FIVE pens stuffed in there.

[coralway]

feed it to the gators - they also gotta eat

[Reiver]

I believe that many issues with cat's skin and kidneys are allergies to seafood so I avoid it.
He gets as much as he wants of Tiki Cat "Born Carnivore Chicken & Egg Grain-Free Dry Cat Food".
A daily pouch of Hartz Delectables Bisque Non-Seafood to ensure liquids.
A bowl of water changed daily.
Temptations Mixups Backyard Cookout Cat Treats when he wants them.

Go to chewy.com

[villageuser]

After hearing everything my various vets have had to say, I decided to let my cat dictate what he eats. He now gets his inferior quality wet food, because he refuses to eat any more of the supposedly better quality wet food, though that was all he ate the first two years of his life. He also gets Origen, which I am told is considered a kibble, however it is freeze-dried, with very high quality ingredients. My cat likes the Original and Six Fish; the feral cat we also feed also likes the Regional Red, which my cat will not touch. Recently, I have started giving him Greenies, both the tuna and the catnip flavor, for his teeth, which he absolutely loves. I have two small bowls, I keep the bowls filled, cause as any cat owner knows, if the bowl if half empty, the cat considers it empty. This strategy works for my cat, cause he eats what he must and then leaves the rest for later. He is 7 years old and sleek. (I do have 2 extra bowls that I rotate in, so he is not eating out of a previously dirty bowl). I make sure that his bowls have food in it before I go to sleep to circumvent the 3:am wake up call though that doesn’t always work. Yes, sometimes he can be a pain, but he is very much loved, and we are very happy that he is a part of our lives. I hope you and your cat do well together, too.

[La lamy]

After hearing everything my various vets have had to say, I decided to let my cat dictate what he eats. He now gets his inferior quality wet food, because he refuses to eat any more of the supposedly better quality wet food, though that was all he ate the first two years of his life. He also gets Origen, which I am told is considered a kibble, however it is freeze-dried, with very high quality ingredients. My cat likes the Original and Six Fish; the feral cat we also feed also likes the Regional Red, which my cat will not touch. Recently, I have started giving him Greenies, both the tuna and the catnip flavor, for his teeth, which he absolutely loves. I have two small bowls, I keep the bowls filled, cause as any cat owner knows, if the bowl if half empty, the cat considers it empty. This strategy works for my cat, cause he eats what he must and then leaves the rest for later. He is 7 years old and sleek. (I do have 2 extra bowls that I rotate in, so he is not eating out of a previously dirty bowl). I make sure that his bowls have food in it before I go to sleep to circumvent the 3:am wake up call though that doesn’t always work. Yes, sometimes he can be a pain, but he is very much loved, and we are very happy that he is a part of our lives. I hope you and your cat do well together, too.

Good point about keeping bowls clean. I forget to do that with kibble bowl. And re 1/2 empty bowl is empty to them, so true! I end up re piling the wet food a couple times to make it easier for her to get to.

[Rsenholzi]

My cat lived for 19 years. All I ever fed her was kibble. I think everyone is over thinking it nowadays. I put her kibble down in the morning and let her graze throughout the day. She was always thin and healthy as a result. She ate when she was hungry and usually just a few pieces at a time. As a treat on holidays , I might buy a can of wet food but always put this on a separate plate so she knew it was a treat only. I really wouldn’t worry about what everyone tells you. Find a kibble your cat likes and stick to it only. Your cat will be healthy and happy as a result

[Larchap49]

My cats have always preferred chicken. My vet said one meal a day wet, only chicken or fish of good quality food…not the cheap brands and then leave kibble out. I also give temptation treats to my cats but they seem to be addicted to them as though they are catnip.

Our cats also loved temptations but vets said too much sugar and raised kidney enzymes and could could result in diabetes

[airstreamingypsy]

I've been feeding a feral cat for months, fact is.... Fancy Feast is his preferred food, and he won't eat others. He gets a can of Fancy Feast daily. I'm not actually sure he doesn't have a home, but his ear is notched, so I'm guessing feral. He may just be conning me.

[ThirdOfFive]

Good point about keeping bowls clean. I forget to do that with kibble bowl. And re 1/2 empty bowl is empty to them, so true! I end up re piling the wet food a couple times to make it easier for her to get to.
Cats do like their food fresh--at least our cat does. I've learned to portion out the wet food: she'll eat the entire amount if it is small, but is apt to leave part of a larger serving which then gets tossed. I also have two cans of wet food going at the same time and alternate servings: provides a bit more variety and saves on cost as there seems to be less waste that way.

[propartee]

La lamy

A cat 'expert' said morning and evening is 'wet food' time..dry food all day available...I see if my cat was without 'dry' early, he would eat wet food quickly (the low cost) ...but if he's snacking dry...he wouldn't eat the cheap wet...knows I have better ones also! ;-)
Diane & BB "cat" (sis Helen is now in The Villages...left Texas)

[cathiehines]

I had a cat with diabetes so I did a lot of research on cat food. A vet who specialized in diabetic cats recommended Friskies wet food over even the expensive specialized foods. I split one 6 Oz can between two cats daily. My cats prefer turkey with giblets. They prefer filets or shreds but will eat the pate. I also leave a bowel of dry kibble for them to graze on. I usually buy Purina urinary tract kibble. Water is also key. Hope this helps you. I always have two cats so they have companionship when I am gone.

[propartee]

Hi La lamy...

A cat 'expert' said morning and evening is 'wet food' time..dry food all day available...I see if my cat was without 'dry' early, he would eat wet food quickly (the low cost) ...but if he's snacking dry...he wouldn't eat the cheap wet...knows I have better ones also! ;-)

[kitnhead]

I used to feed a bunch of strays at my office before retiring. We always gave them wet and they really liked the fish (it almost caused fights they like it so much). They lived forever so it must have been okay to give them that.

[Boomer]

For me, it has been only dogs, but it is fun to hear cat stories.

If you tend to anthropomorphize your pets -- like I do, by giving them voices to say what they are thinking -- I think you might like Henri, le Chat Noir in his youtube videos.......

Henri is aloof and cynically observant and oh so angst-ridden, suffering from ennui, from being surrounded by "imbeciles." We "hear" him in French but the screen's subtitles are in English. The guy who "discovered" Henri is his owner Will Braden. Henri thinks of his owner as "the thieving filmmaker."

Henri has jaded opinions on everything that happens in his life.

There are several youtube videos of Henri as he comments on different subjects. I think he started in 2007 and the last one was about 5 years later. But Henri is no longer with us.

Henri signed with a cat food company to give his opinion on the boredom of cat food. I am linking one of Henri's cat food commentaries below. If you like it, I bet you will like his other subjects, too. (This link is to his first ad on cat food boredom, but all 4 are there on youtube and are even better. Henri is sooooo well-read. :) )

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgpRDLVAO1s

Boomer

[Lea N]

I recently took in an abandoned female cat and I've had some challenges trying to figure out what to feed her. At first it was just kibble which I found handy and non messy. She didn't like some Friskies' beef flavour so I eventually figured out she mostly prefers fish. Then a friend told me that a vet told him cats need wet food, that it's healthier for them, while another said they need dry food which is better for their teeth. All I know is my cat prefers wet food and starts meowing WAY TOO EARLY to get some in the morning. SO I'm back to dry for her during the day and wet at night, hoping she'll stop the meowing in the morning. What do you feed your pet, and how is it working out?

Congratulations on your new family member. I think canned food tastes better to a cat than dried food. We once got a cat from someone who was moving away and wasn't taking their cat. She was a kitten, only 6 months old and had only had tuna fish her whole life (cats get addicted to tuna.) She had hissy fits as we weaned her to regular cat food.

If you haven't already visited Dr. Karen Becker's website give her a visit. She is a wealth of knowledge.

[Carlsondm]

Remember when you switched your little ones from formula to solid food. They slept longer and were filled up. Same with kittens/cats. Wet food is good to get them used to and probably better, but solid food sticks to the ribs.
Put some dry food and wet food on a plate. I always put the wet over the dry. They will eat it and stay full longer. Always leave dry food out for a young cat so they can graze.
Sometimes they just like attention. Remember, they are training you - they think.

[Carlsondm]

I recently took in an abandoned female cat and I've had some challenges trying to figure out what to feed her. At first it was just kibble which I found handy and non messy. She didn't like some Friskies' beef flavour so I eventually figured out she mostly prefers fish. Then a friend told me that a vet told him cats need wet food, that it's healthier for them, while another said they need dry food which is better for their teeth. All I know is my cat prefers wet food and starts meowing WAY TOO EARLY to get some in the morning. SO I'm back to dry for her during the day and wet at night, hoping she'll stop the meowing in the morning. What do you feed your pet, and how is it working out?
Remember when you switched your little ones from formula to solid food. They slept longer and were filled up. Same with kittens/cats. Wet food is good to get them used to and probably better, but solid food sticks to the ribs.
Put some dry food and wet food on a plate. I always put the wet over the dry. They will eat it and stay full longer. Always leave dry food out for a young cat so they can graze.
Sometimes they just like attention. Remember, they are training you - they think.

[DAVES]

I recently took in an abandoned female cat and I've had some challenges trying to figure out what to feed her. At first it was just kibble which I found handy and non messy. She didn't like some Friskies' beef flavour so I eventually figured out she mostly prefers fish. Then a friend told me that a vet told him cats need wet food, that it's healthier for them, while another said they need dry food which is better for their teeth. All I know is my cat prefers wet food and starts meowing WAY TOO EARLY to get some in the morning. SO I'm back to dry for her during the day and wet at night, hoping she'll stop the meowing in the morning. What do you feed your pet, and how is it working out?

Abandoned cat? Have you tried to find the owner? There is a post in talk of the villages by someone looking for a short haired skinny, timid cat.

I would take the cat to a vet. You want to know health, shots, has it been neutered etc. Truth, I had a friend, years ago, pick up a stray dog at the NY Maritime museum. He took it to a vet as soon as he could. It was not a dog at all, it was a huge rat from Australia.

[La lamy]

My cat lived for 19 years. All I ever fed her was kibble. I think everyone is over thinking it nowadays. I put her kibble down in the morning and let her graze throughout the day. She was always thin and healthy as a result. She ate when she was hungry and usually just a few pieces at a time. As a treat on holidays , I might buy a can of wet food but always put this on a separate plate so she knew it was a treat only. I really wouldn’t worry about what everyone tells you. Find a kibble your cat likes and stick to it only. Your cat will be healthy and happy as a result

Thanks so much for that!!! :BigApplause:

[La lamy]

I used to feed a bunch of strays at my office before retiring. We always gave them wet and they really liked the fish (it almost caused fights they like it so much). They lived forever so it must have been okay to give them that.

What a nice thing to do!

[La lamy]

Abandoned cat? Have you tried to find the owner? There is a post in talk of the villages by someone looking for a short haired skinny, timid cat.

I would take the cat to a vet. You want to know health, shots, has it been neutered etc. Truth, I had a friend, years ago, pick up a stray dog at the NY Maritime museum. He took it to a vet as soon as he could. It was not a dog at all, it was a huge rat from Australia.

Yes I know my neighbours well and put the word out that this cat seemed homeless since she was living in my bushes for MONTHS, getting skinnier and weaker until I finally decided to feed it. I did take her to a vet and got her all her shots and tests. She's gained some weight and doing so much better now.

[ThirdOfFive]

Yes I know my neighbours well and put the word out that this cat seemed homeless since she was living in my bushes for MONTHS, getting skinnier and weaker until I finally decided to feed it. I did take her to a vet and got her all her shots and tests. She's gained some weight and doing so much better now.
I've always had a passion for cats, and have fed both strays and ferals (hard to tell the difference from a distance, but you sure can if you get within maybe 20 feet of them).

Back in the day, living in the wilds of Northern Minnesota, a cat took up residence in the back of the woodshed. Definitely NOT a stray: if you got within 10' of it, it would fluff up and hiss. But I brought it some food (canned dog food, actually) and left it for him. Slowly, after weeks of this, he and I made friends. He was one tough old cat: scarred from many fights, missing one ear, and with his fur knotted up. He was never a pet; he came and went as he pleased, but he'd show up, hang out for a few days, then disappear for awhile. He actually let me cut out some of the fur knots and comb him out, after a fashion. Named him Wendell.

Wendell was tough, but unlike most cats he didn't seem all that bright. We hung laundry outside to dry back then; the lines strung between two structures of two poles stuck in the ground with a horizontal bar on the top. There was a squirrel that used to hang around; he'd shinny up one pole and sit on the top, chattering at Wendell. Wendell would go up the pole after him; the squirrel would then cross the log to the other pole, where he'd sit, still chattering. Wendell would try to cross the log, but he never made it more than halfway before falling off. I swear that squirrel was actually laughing.

[La lamy]

I've always had a passion for cats, and have fed both strays and ferals (hard to tell the difference from a distance, but you sure can if you get within maybe 20 feet of them).

Back in the day, living in the wilds of Northern Minnesota, a cat took up residence in the back of the woodshed. Definitely NOT a stray: if you got within 10' of it, it would fluff up and hiss. But I brought it some food (canned dog food, actually) and left it for him. Slowly, after weeks of this, he and I made friends. He was one tough old cat: scarred from many fights, missing one ear, and with his fur knotted up. He was never a pet; he came and went as he pleased, but he'd show up, hang out for a few days, then disappear for awhile. He actually let me cut out some of the fur knots and comb him out, after a fashion. Named him Wendell.

Wendell was tough, but unlike most cats he didn't seem all that bright. We hung laundry outside to dry back then; the lines strung between two structures of two poles stuck in the ground with a horizontal bar on the top. There was a squirrel that used to hang around; he'd shinny up one pole and sit on the top, chattering at Wendell. Wendell would go up the pole after him; the squirrel would then cross the log to the other pole, where he'd sit, still chattering. Wendell would try to cross the log, but he never made it more than halfway before falling off. I swear that squirrel was actually laughing.

Wendell was at least entertained I reckon!

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

I recently took in an abandoned female cat and I've had some challenges trying to figure out what to feed her. At first it was just kibble which I found handy and non messy. She didn't like some Friskies' beef flavour so I eventually figured out she mostly prefers fish. Then a friend told me that a vet told him cats need wet food, that it's healthier for them, while another said they need dry food which is better for their teeth. All I know is my cat prefers wet food and starts meowing WAY TOO EARLY to get some in the morning. SO I'm back to dry for her during the day and wet at night, hoping she'll stop the meowing in the morning. What do you feed your pet, and how is it working out?

The thing about dry food and teeth is an outright, absolute, 100% marketing lie. Not even a mistruth. It's flat out wrong.

Think about it: imagine you are stuck eating nothing but vitamin/mineral-fortified cold cheerios without milk for the rest of your life. Imagine eating that, and not being physically capable of brushing your own teeth, and relying on someone else to remember it needs to be done.

Cat teeth are made of the same substance that human teeth are made of.

What's worse, is cats have no molars. They can't CHEW. It's physically impossible. They can bite, they can chip, they can crunch and break up a big piece into shards, but they can't do what is known as "masticate."

Next: cats are obligate carnivores. Their digestive system is not designed to handle vegetable matter efficiently. Yes, they /can/ digest some vegetable matter - but not efficiently, not in a way that maximizes their ability to absorb their nutritional intake.

I'm not even talking about them needing grain-free. I'm talking fresh raw dead animal, including some raw bones and offal. That's what cats thrive on most.

That's hardly convenient for pet owners (though some people actually do go that route). The next best thing would be a custom diet of ground meats such as duck and rabbit, with some raw chicken bone ground up into bone meal (never cooked), and a pinch of ground grass, also ground. That will best reflect the diet of an animal that a cat would prey on, in the wild.

Next best would be a freeze-dried raw food from a pet store, re-hydrated with water at meal time. I like Stella and Chewy's, it has some vegetable matter in it, which is what is found in the stomachs of a cat's natural prey, but is mostly raw meat, dehydrated into pellets that I rehydrate with warm water.

Alternate with grain-free wet food that does -not- have pea protein or a high vegetable content. Fish should be the last animal protein choice, because of the mercury content. But if they like fish, give'em fish in your rotation. I like the BFF from Weruva, she gets a small can of a variety of chicken-based flavors (they all contain fish) at bedtime.

And oddly enough - Fancy Feast TENDER meals are grain-free, low-veggie content, and inexpensive commercial food. But make sure to get the "Classic Tender" varieties, the other varieties have gluten and/or grain. Cats are gluten-intolerant.

Cats are also intolerant to lactose from cows' milk. A sip or two won't hurt them. But a saucer full can wreck their intestines for a few days.

Cats have naturally low thirst drives. Some cats like water but most don't, and will only drink it if they're already dehydrated. Most cats that are dehydrated, are dehydrated because their owners refuse to give them wet food.

And for the love of everything holy - don't give them Hill's Rx diet. If your vet recommends it, find a new vet. That stuff is poison. Just read the ingredients some time and remember "cats are obligate carnivores."

[La lamy]

The thing about dry food and teeth is an outright, absolute, 100% marketing lie. Not even a mistruth. It's flat out wrong.

Think about it: imagine you are stuck eating nothing but vitamin/mineral-fortified cold cheerios without milk for the rest of your life. Imagine eating that, and not being physically capable of brushing your own teeth, and relying on someone else to remember it needs to be done.

Cat teeth are made of the same substance that human teeth are made of.

What's worse, is cats have no molars. They can't CHEW. It's physically impossible. They can bite, they can chip, they can crunch and break up a big piece into shards, but they can't do what is known as "masticate."

Next: cats are obligate carnivores. Their digestive system is not designed to handle vegetable matter efficiently. Yes, they /can/ digest some vegetable matter - but not efficiently, not in a way that maximizes their ability to absorb their nutritional intake.

I'm not even talking about them needing grain-free. I'm talking fresh raw dead animal, including some raw bones and offal. That's what cats thrive on most.

That's hardly convenient for pet owners (though some people actually do go that route). The next best thing would be a custom diet of ground meats such as duck and rabbit, with some raw chicken bone ground up into bone meal (never cooked), and a pinch of ground grass, also ground. That will best reflect the diet of an animal that a cat would prey on, in the wild.

Next best would be a freeze-dried raw food from a pet store, re-hydrated with water at meal time. I like Stella and Chewy's, it has some vegetable matter in it, which is what is found in the stomachs of a cat's natural prey, but is mostly raw meat, dehydrated into pellets that I rehydrate with warm water.

Alternate with grain-free wet food that does -not- have pea protein or a high vegetable content. Fish should be the last animal protein choice, because of the mercury content. But if they like fish, give'em fish in your rotation. I like the BFF from Weruva, she gets a small can of a variety of chicken-based flavors (they all contain fish) at bedtime.

And oddly enough - Fancy Feast TENDER meals are grain-free, low-veggie content, and inexpensive commercial food. But make sure to get the "Classic Tender" varieties, the other varieties have gluten and/or grain. Cats are gluten-intolerant.

Cats are also intolerant to lactose from cows' milk. A sip or two won't hurt them. But a saucer full can wreck their intestines for a few days.

Cats have naturally low thirst drives. Some cats like water but most don't, and will only drink it if they're already dehydrated. Most cats that are dehydrated, are dehydrated because their owners refuse to give them wet food.

And for the love of everything holy - don't give them Hill's Rx diet. If your vet recommends it, find a new vet. That stuff is poison. Just read the ingredients some time and remember "cats are obligate carnivores."

Wow, thanks so much for this info!