Cat Food Switch

[akw94]

I''m trying to switch to a healthier cat food (partly due to reading the older threads on this on PS.. thanks!). I tried something local but she''s been throwing up and doesn''t seem to like it.
So I want to switch to something else and have been thinking of Innova, California Natural or Tiki Cat.

Anyone use any of these and what do you think? Anyone dislike any of these and have a better suggestion? Tiki Cat is an all fish line of food and I thought I read somewhere that all fish isn''t good but I may be remembering incorrectly.

Thanks!

 

[CrookedRock]

I have a 6 month old cat that I got from a very highly regarded breeder. She only feeds her cats Life''s Abundance and makes anyone adopting from her promise to do the same. He really loves it, and I even have my Mom''s cat here right now, and he eats it too... I have only ever been able to find it at one vet, but they make it super easy to order it and put it on auto ship...
http://www.healthypetnet.com/Healthypetnet/home.aspx?realname=

 

[ephemery1]

I''m a big supporter of quality cat food, so I''m sure I had some comments on those previous posts you were reading! Wet food is definitely best for cats, but not all cats will eat it (and sometimes it''s just not convenient)... so as far as dry food goes, Innova Evo is arguably the highest quality dry food out there. Very low percentage of carbs (which cats don''t need) and high amount of protein. Otherwise, regular Innova, Wellness and California Natural are a few other high-quality brands that my kitty has always liked. And Wellness also makes a low-carb version now, but Maya didn''t like it as much as the Evo.

As for wet food, all those brands make wet food as well, so you really can''t go wrong with any of them... Merrick is another brand Maya likes. Never heard of Tiki Cat though. They do say that fish isn''t as good because cats can become somewhat "addicted" to the strong flavor and refuse to eat anything else, so I''ve always avoided it. I''d also imagine it''s subject to the same toxins/mercury issues as the fish we humans eat, if that''s something that would concern you. Maya has always liked beef and chicken flavors best, so it''s never been a problem for us, fortunately.

Also, a lot of cats have sensitive tummies and need some time to adapt to a new food, so you''ll want to make the change verrrry slowly... start by mixing her current food with just a little bit of the new kind, etc. Good luck and keep us posted!!

 

[akw94]

Crooked Rock, thanks! I''ll have to check out Life Abundance; I''ve never heard of it. Do you happen to know why she recommends it so much?

Ephemery, yes, I remember reading about Maya in the other threads

. I am mostly using wet food which my cat just loves. Plus, she had an infection and the vet recommended wet food so she couldn''t be happier. She used to put her dry food into the water anyway.

I used to buy Iams dry food so I have a huge bag of Innova and I''ve mixed the two. She seems ok with that. I just fill the bowl about 1/2 way each day so she can munch on it throughout the day.
As for the wet, I was using Fancy Feast but really wanted something better. Today, I bought some of the Calif. Natural and some of the Tiki Cat to test. They didn''t have any other choices at this store except Evo and I''d rather stay away from that b/c it seems a little harsher of a switch. If she doesn''t like those, I''ll have to look around for the other brands suggested.
Hmm, I wonder about the mercury issues w/fish so I''ll have to look into that.
They also suggested mixing the foods too so I will do that also.

Thanks for the suggestions!

 

[ephemery1]

Date: 3/19/2008 4:20:33 PM
Author: dixie94
Crooked Rock, thanks! I''ll have to check out Life Abundance; I''ve never heard of it. Do you happen to know why she recommends it so much?

Ephemery, yes, I remember reading about Maya in the other threads

. I am mostly using wet food which my cat just loves. Plus, she had an infection and the vet recommended wet food so she couldn''t be happier. She used to put her dry food into the water anyway.

I used to buy Iams dry food so I have a huge bag of Innova and I''ve mixed the two. She seems ok with that. I just fill the bowl about 1/2 way each day so she can munch on it throughout the day.
As for the wet, I was using Fancy Feast but really wanted something better. Today, I bought some of the Calif. Natural and some of the Tiki Cat to test. They didn''t have any other choices at this store except Evo and I''d rather stay away from that b/c it seems a little harsher of a switch. If she doesn''t like those, I''ll have to look around for the other brands suggested.
Hmm, I wonder about the mercury issues w/fish so I''ll have to look into that.
They also suggested mixing the foods too so I will do that also.

Thanks for the suggestions!

Haha, Dixie, I can imagine that I was probably very adamant about my cat food beliefs in the other threads.

It IS an important thing though! Especially considering how much false information there is out there, even amongst veterinarians. I''ve had a lot of success ordering different kinds of wet food online for Maya to try... Pet Food Direct has good prices and regular sales. (If I''m not allowed to post that, Mod, feel free to remove it!) Otherwise, if you search for a specific brand (ie., Wellness) by zip code, often you''ll find little specialty pet shops in your area that you never even knew existed. Maya had really strong preferences for certain foods, so for us, it was worth trying a bunch of brands to find one she really liked. I''m glad your kitty is a happy wet-food eater!

 

[zoebartlett]

Why is wet food better than dry food? I thought it was the other way around (something about the wet food not being good for cats'' teeth). My cats'' vet doesn''t have a strong opinion either way and I can''t get a specific brand name recommendation out of him.

Dixie, I''ve heard that Innova is good but I don''t know much about the other two brands.


Zoe

 

[choro72]

I thought dry food was better for their teeth too...And something about smelly breaths.

 

[ephemery1]

Date: 3/19/2008 6:50:38 PM
Author: ZoeBartlett
Why is wet food better than dry food? I thought it was the other way around (something about the wet food not being good for cats' teeth). My cats' vet doesn't have a strong opinion either way and I can't get a specific brand name recommendation out of him.

Dixie, I've heard that Innova is good but I don't know much about the other two brands.


Zoe

Wet food is better because it more closely matches a cat's nutritional needs. They are obligate carnivores, so don't require the carbs that humans or even dogs do. The "dry food being good for cat's teeth" thing is a bit of a myth. Some people claim the dry pieces scrape the teeth clean, but an analogy would be like saying eating crackers scrapes a human's teeth clean. It may be true to some degree, but not enough to make a significant impact. And definitely not enough to outweigh the nutritional benefits of wet food.

Most vets in the U.S. don't take more than a class or two on nutrition, and sometimes the class is even sponsored by a company like Science Diet!

So if your vet isn't giving you specific recommendations, that's probably because it's not his area of expertise, and he doesn't want to give you false info... better than the vets who blindly recommend Science Diet just because of the kick-backs they receive!

All that said, my cat hates most wet food... so I feed her Innova Evo dry, which is (so far) the next best thing because of its low-carb/high-protein ratio.

 

[zoebartlett]

Ah, that makes sense. Thanks Ephemery!

 

[Gypsy]

We feed innova EVO. I''ve tried the wellness new equivalent high protienn low carb but it''s more pricey and they don''t seem enthused. Mine like dry, so I give them wet every night. We switch wetfood brands on them quite a bit. And flavors. They get finicky and turn their little noses up at it if it gets repetitive.

When switching to new dry food it takes my Duncan (one with the sensitive tummy) about 7 full days otherwise he gets really ill. FIrst day I add in just a little bit of the new food... and work up daily until by the 8th day it''s all the new food. Otherwise he gets really sick.

 

[allikatac]

I also feed my cat Innova Evo. She is a bengal and she does have a sensitive stomach so we had to slowly transition to it like others have said. She really seems to love it. We also feed her wet food every other day or so as a "treat". I agree that quality cat food is worth the extra cost. Good luck!

 

[sap483]

My kitty loves Wellness. When we first got him we fed him some awful food not knowing any better. Then when he kept getting sick with stomach problems I did some research and switched him to Natural Balance which was the best food at the chain pet store. After reading the threads on here we did some more research and found a pet store nearby that sells the better brands. We feed him mostly wet food but when we know that we''ll be out of the house for a while we also leave him some of the Wellness Core dry food. It''s supposed to be high protein with less carbs for more active kittys. It''s more expensive but it''s completely worth every penny. My kitty hasn''t been sick since- and he even stopped sneezing (he used to sneeze all the time and the vet said he probably always would)!

 

[Lynn B]

I feed Boo a dry mix of (equal parts) EVO, regular Innova, Wellness CORE and Wellness regular... with a little Felidae mixed in for good measure! I use a mix for several reasons. I think it helps to keep him from being a finicky eater, plus I like the idea of not relying on one single food to provide all his nutritional needs. And third, heaven forbid, but should one of his foods ever be recalled

it would only be 20-25% of his diet that would be affected, not 100%, and that thought comforts me greatly!

ETA: I buy Boo's food from www.petfooddirect.com because there is no place local to me that sells any of it. If you sign up for their e-mail newsletters, you will get notice of their sales. 10% - 15% off is pretty common; the best sales I have ever seen are 22% of your entire order... I think I see that maybe once a month or every 6 weeks or so... it's worth waiting for!

 

[Matata]

You''re doing a great thing trying to provide the best nutrition possible. There is excellent information about commercial cat foods, home made alternatives and feline nutrition at catinfo.org and catnutrition.org.

Based on the info I read on catinfo.org, I transitioned Maggie from canned Wellness, a good quality food, to ground raw (meat, bones, & organs)and to whole prey when she almost died of Irritable Bowel Disease last month. She is, at 14 years old, healthier than ever and off of all the drugs the vet prescribed for the disease. I feed her raw ground for a few days (switching between turkey, chicken, & game hen) and she gets day old chicks or quail for a few days. Got to keep the variety going to keep her from either getting addicted to one type of meat and to keep her from getting bored.

 

[ephemery1]

Yay!!! I love reading that all these PS kitties get such healthy, high-quality food. Haha... I''m sure a nerd.

Gypsy, interesting that your kitties also prefer the Innova Evo over the Wellness Core... I thought that was just a weird Maya thing, but maybe not!

Lynn, I almost forgot about Felidae... another great brand!

 

[akw94]

Ephemery, there is actually a shop in my area which I still have to try. I''m hoping they have some other brands for me to try. I''m thinking I will mix brands that way my cat doesn''t get too attached to anything. I tried the TikiCat with her so far, the sardines version and she seems to like it. I gave that to her in the morning and then the Fancy Feast at night. I thought about mixing the two and maybe it''s just me but mixing sardines w/beef or chicken made me

.

Zoe, I think it''s hard to get a find a trustworthy vet! I asked mine about the different versions of cat food and they never even suggested these healthier ones, just acted like I could go ahead and spend the extra $ if I wanted, but there was no need to. I didn''t like that. I would think they should at least talk to me about the various ones and tell me the pros/cons vs just recommending the Fancy Feast (which is why I chose it initially). As for the wet vs dry, what I heard is that cats never ate anything like the dry food originally and their bodies just aren''t designed to handle it as well. It''s good as a supplement but not a full diet. And that manufacturers make it b/c it''s cheaper and you can buy in the mass quantities for the consumer. Of course, that''s just what I''ve heard/read but luckily, my cat likes the wet stuff so it''s easy.

Choro, I heard that about the dry food too and one person I spoke to suggested that giving some dry food is ok or giving treats so that they get that hard texture but it''s not necessary for the whole diet.

Gypsy and Allikatac, thanks for the mixing suggestion. I may just go ahead and mix the flavors, just seems odd to me. But hopefully she''s not as picky as I am! I may try the Evo since it is so popular.

Sap, it''s amazing how the better foods really help them! I haven''t found Wellness in any stores but may give it a shot if it''s at my local store. I also need to take the time to compare the online prices.

Lynn, wow! I think your idea of mixing all the foods is great. I''m not sure I have the energy to do all of that but it is a great idea. I''ll have to sign up at petfooddirect to get those sales, thanks!

Matata, thanks for the catinfo site. That''s great about Maggie''s health! I have heard great things about the raw diet and I have a friend who''s doing that for her dog. You gals are wonderful pet parents!

Thanks again everyone. All this helpful information has made it easier to transition to healthier food.

 

[LegacyGirl]

Both my cat and my dog are only fed Innova dry food. For wet food they eat Wellness and California Naturals. They do very well eating this.

 

[Gypsy]

There is a HUGE difference between the health of a cat on good food and bad food. When we were in NJ we kept all our cats and FMIL's cat Noel on Innova dry. When we moved FMIL switched her to supermarket brand dry (

) because she couldn't be bothered going to two stores, and couldn't understand the extra expense. And Noel is pretty much a dry food only cat, only plays with wet food (which was also supermarket generic brand).

So Noel got VERY VERY SICK with serious digestive problems in January went and from a plump 13 pounds to 6 pounds in a few weeks. 4000 dollars, three trips across the state to the emergency vet and specialists later... Noel is healthy and back on Innova. FMIL has seen the light. Noel is the kitty in my AV. My bright eyes.


I was fit to be tied. Seriously LIVID, and ready to fly out, get the cat, and bring her to CA with me when I found out why the cat was ill. Enraged would be an understatement.

Feed your cats the good stuff. It's worth it.

 

[LegacyGirl]

Date: 3/21/2008 12:19:37 PM
Author: Gypsy
There is a HUGE difference between the health of a cat on good food and bad food. When we were in NJ we kept all our cats and FMIL''s cat Noel on Innova dry. When we moved FMIL switched her to supermarket brand dry (

) because she couldn''t be bothered going to two stores, and couldn''t understand the extra expense. And Noel is pretty much a dry food only cat, only plays with wet food (which was also supermarket generic brand).

So Noel got VERY VERY SICK with serious digestive problems in January went and from a plump 13 pounds to 6 pounds in a few weeks. 4000 dollars, three trips across the state to the emergency vet and specialists later... Noel is healthy and back on Innova. FMIL has seen the light. Noel is the kitty in my AV. My bright eyes.


I was fit to be tied. Seriously LIVID, and ready to fly out, get the cat, and bring her to CA with me when I found out why the cat was ill. Enraged would be an understatement.

Feed your cats the good stuff. It''s worth it.

Oh Gypsy I''m so sorry to hear that! At least he is ok now. I won''t leave my dog with my SO''s mother because she is convinced that a 3lb Chihuahua needs to eat her weight in rice 3x a day. She tries to give her big bowls of Jasmine rice when I bring her over and I flip out a little and have to get SO to try to explain to her that dog cannot eat that much rice (she can hardly speak English so she probably thinks I''m insane when I''m going NO NO NO hahaha).

 

[Gypsy]

Date: 3/21/2008 12:33:11 PM
Author: LegacyGirl

Date: 3/21/2008 12:19:37 PM
Author: Gypsy
There is a HUGE difference between the health of a cat on good food and bad food. When we were in NJ we kept all our cats and FMIL''s cat Noel on Innova dry. When we moved FMIL switched her to supermarket brand dry (

) because she couldn''t be bothered going to two stores, and couldn''t understand the extra expense. And Noel is pretty much a dry food only cat, only plays with wet food (which was also supermarket generic brand).

So Noel got VERY VERY SICK with serious digestive problems in January went and from a plump 13 pounds to 6 pounds in a few weeks. 4000 dollars, three trips across the state to the emergency vet and specialists later... Noel is healthy and back on Innova. FMIL has seen the light. Noel is the kitty in my AV. My bright eyes.


I was fit to be tied. Seriously LIVID, and ready to fly out, get the cat, and bring her to CA with me when I found out why the cat was ill. Enraged would be an understatement.

Feed your cats the good stuff. It''s worth it.

Oh Gypsy I''m so sorry to hear that! At least he is ok now. I won''t leave my dog with my SO''s mother because she is convinced that a 3lb Chihuahua needs to eat her weight in rice 3x a day. She tries to give her big bowls of Jasmine rice when I bring her over and I flip out a little and have to get SO to try to explain to her that dog cannot eat that much rice (she can hardly speak English so she probably thinks I''m insane when I''m going NO NO NO hahaha).

That''s just wrong. All carbs too. Can''t you get you SO to tell her that your dog is on good food, and doesn''t need jasime rice infusions religiously? My FMIL is honestly just cheap and lazy and ignorant. John would kill me for saying so, but it''s the truth. Love her for all her faults but the woman drives me batty. She''s also one of those people who, even if you explain things to them logically and with facts and documentation let their cheapness and laziness win out in the end, regardless. It takes something like a 4000 vet bill and the inconvenience of driving accross the state to drive the point home to her.

 

[LegacyGirl]

Date: 3/21/2008 12:50:06 PM
Author: Gypsy

Date: 3/21/2008 12:33:11 PM
Author: LegacyGirl

Date: 3/21/2008 12:19:37 PM
Author: Gypsy
There is a HUGE difference between the health of a cat on good food and bad food. When we were in NJ we kept all our cats and FMIL's cat Noel on Innova dry. When we moved FMIL switched her to supermarket brand dry (

) because she couldn't be bothered going to two stores, and couldn't understand the extra expense. And Noel is pretty much a dry food only cat, only plays with wet food (which was also supermarket generic brand).

So Noel got VERY VERY SICK with serious digestive problems in January went and from a plump 13 pounds to 6 pounds in a few weeks. 4000 dollars, three trips across the state to the emergency vet and specialists later... Noel is healthy and back on Innova. FMIL has seen the light. Noel is the kitty in my AV. My bright eyes.


I was fit to be tied. Seriously LIVID, and ready to fly out, get the cat, and bring her to CA with me when I found out why the cat was ill. Enraged would be an understatement.

Feed your cats the good stuff. It's worth it.

Oh Gypsy I'm so sorry to hear that! At least he is ok now. I won't leave my dog with my SO's mother because she is convinced that a 3lb Chihuahua needs to eat her weight in rice 3x a day. She tries to give her big bowls of Jasmine rice when I bring her over and I flip out a little and have to get SO to try to explain to her that dog cannot eat that much rice (she can hardly speak English so she probably thinks I'm insane when I'm going NO NO NO hahaha).

That's just wrong. All carbs too. Can't you get you SO to tell her that your dog is on good food, and doesn't need jasime rice infusions religiously? My FMIL is honestly just cheap and lazy and ignorant. John would kill me for saying so, but it's the truth. Love her for all her faults but the woman drives me batty. She's also one of those people who, even if you explain things to them logically and with facts and documentation let their cheapness and laziness win out in the end, regardless. It takes something like a 4000 vet bill and the inconvenience of driving accross the state to drive the point home to her.

We've both tried to tell her. Me with the horrified looks on my face if I turn my back for a second and there's a big bowl of rice on the floor, and SO by talking to her. Even my FSIL said something to her. In her culture food=love. She tries to feed me to death every time I go over there too. Maybe she really just doesn't like my dog and me and this is her secret plan to get rid of us both

I do compromise and let her give her a few grains of rice. Both her and the dog seem to get a kick out of this.

 

[Gypsy]

Date: 3/21/2008 1:51:17 PM
Author: LegacyGirl

Date: 3/21/2008 12:50:06 PM
Author: Gypsy

Date: 3/21/2008 12:33:11 PM
Author: LegacyGirl

Date: 3/21/2008 12:19:37 PM
Author: Gypsy
There is a HUGE difference between the health of a cat on good food and bad food. When we were in NJ we kept all our cats and FMIL''s cat Noel on Innova dry. When we moved FMIL switched her to supermarket brand dry (

) because she couldn''t be bothered going to two stores, and couldn''t understand the extra expense. And Noel is pretty much a dry food only cat, only plays with wet food (which was also supermarket generic brand).

So Noel got VERY VERY SICK with serious digestive problems in January went and from a plump 13 pounds to 6 pounds in a few weeks. 4000 dollars, three trips across the state to the emergency vet and specialists later... Noel is healthy and back on Innova. FMIL has seen the light. Noel is the kitty in my AV. My bright eyes.


I was fit to be tied. Seriously LIVID, and ready to fly out, get the cat, and bring her to CA with me when I found out why the cat was ill. Enraged would be an understatement.

Feed your cats the good stuff. It''s worth it.

Oh Gypsy I''m so sorry to hear that! At least he is ok now. I won''t leave my dog with my SO''s mother because she is convinced that a 3lb Chihuahua needs to eat her weight in rice 3x a day. She tries to give her big bowls of Jasmine rice when I bring her over and I flip out a little and have to get SO to try to explain to her that dog cannot eat that much rice (she can hardly speak English so she probably thinks I''m insane when I''m going NO NO NO hahaha).

That''s just wrong. All carbs too. Can''t you get you SO to tell her that your dog is on good food, and doesn''t need jasime rice infusions religiously? My FMIL is honestly just cheap and lazy and ignorant. John would kill me for saying so, but it''s the truth. Love her for all her faults but the woman drives me batty. She''s also one of those people who, even if you explain things to them logically and with facts and documentation let their cheapness and laziness win out in the end, regardless. It takes something like a 4000 vet bill and the inconvenience of driving accross the state to drive the point home to her.

We''ve both tried to tell her. Me with the horrified looks on my face if I turn my back for a second and there''s a big bowl of rice on the floor, and SO by talking to her. Even my FSIL said something to her. In her culture food=love. She tries to feed me to death every time I go over there too. Maybe she really just doesn''t like my dog and me and this is her secret plan to get rid of us both

I do compromise and let her give her a few grains of rice. Both her and the dog seem to get a kick out of this.

LOL. Well you do the best you can. It sounds like she''s trying to show you and the dog that she accepts you into her family. So, as long as doggie isn''t eating too much rice, and it doesn''t have butter or too much salt or anything... a few grains here and there aren''t bad. In fact plain rice, eggs, and a few other things are what vets recommend when dogs get the runs... so maybe it''s binding LOL.

 

[LegacyGirl]

Yeah no butter or salt or anything. Just plain rice. When she''s sick I usually end up giving her a scrambled egg. She loves that. Sometimes she gets a little rice as a special treat, too. We cook our rice in a rice cooker and when she sees that I have gotten it out she starts doing backflips hoping she''ll get a little bit.

Hopefully FMIL is accepting us hahaha... that sounds much better than trying to kill us

 

[Gypsy]

Date: 3/21/2008 2:07:12 PM
Author: LegacyGirl
Yeah no butter or salt or anything. Just plain rice. When she''s sick I usually end up giving her a scrambled egg. She loves that. Sometimes she gets a little rice as a special treat, too. We cook our rice in a rice cooker and when she sees that I have gotten it out she starts doing backflips hoping she''ll get a little bit.

Hopefully FMIL is accepting us hahaha... that sounds much better than trying to kill us

Thanks now everyone is wondering why I''m chortling with laughter at work.

 

[FireGoddess]

One of mine is on Wellness (both wet and dry) and loves it.

 

[LegacyGirl]

Date: 3/21/2008 2:08:27 PM
Author: Gypsy

Date: 3/21/2008 2:07:12 PM
Author: LegacyGirl
Yeah no butter or salt or anything. Just plain rice. When she''s sick I usually end up giving her a scrambled egg. She loves that. Sometimes she gets a little rice as a special treat, too. We cook our rice in a rice cooker and when she sees that I have gotten it out she starts doing backflips hoping she''ll get a little bit.

Hopefully FMIL is accepting us hahaha... that sounds much better than trying to kill us

Thanks now everyone is wondering why I''m chortling with laughter at work.

Glad I could help!!

 

[Sparkles22]

Wow I really am feeling like I should try this. I have 2 kitties that have sensitive tummies, another that is overweight, an yet another that is a super picky eater (yes, 4 total). Where can I get the Innova?

Right now one is a diet for sensitive tummies (z/d) but he still throws up a lot

. Another is on a diet for bladder crystals (my overweight baby) (c/d), which has helped she hasn''t had anymore crystals but I can''t get her to loose the weight. I have one with autoimmune issues, she sometimes has blood in her stool

. She gets wet Friskers and is a picky kitty. I have one that (knock on wood) is healthy but she is super picky and prefers chicken flavor and it has to be a certain brand ?(friskers) (I got the larger can of the same brand and she refused to eat it, only the small can), if she can''t have that she will eat dry, but not iams dry

.

 

[akw94]

Thanks for the responses ladies!

FireGoddess, Wellness seems popular so I may give it a try too!

Sparkles, you can get Innova at petfooddirect.com or go to the Natura website and find out where a local store near you is. Good luck!

 

[Sparkles22]

Great thanks!

 

[AmberGretchen]

Sparkles - be sure to check with your vet about switching your kitty with bladder crystal problems to different foods, definitely only do it under supervision. I''m a HUGE advocate for better-quality pet foods (we feed Innova dry and Merrick wet and get raves every time we go to the vet about how healthy our three are), but crystals are serious and the special diets really can make a big difference, even though they aren''t nutritionally optimal.

I hope omieluv doesn''t mind me posting this, but this thread (link) had some information about food choices for kitties with crystals when Omie had some issues a while ago - I''d read through it and do some searching on your own and bring those materials/knowledge to your vet to discuss with him/her before switching your kitty with crystal''s food.