Cat People... please convene!

[Lynn B]

Someone on the Ragdoll forum I visit recently recommended Eagle Pack cat food... and I thought Boo might like the anchovy flavor. BUT, before I buy anything, I wanted to check with you guys who would be far more knowledgeable than I am about the quality and nutrition of this food. Comments, please? (Be brutally honest!)

Eagle Pack Holistic Select Cat Anchovy, Sardine & Salmon Meal Dry Food
Holistic Select® Anchovy, Sardine & Salmon Meal Formula: 32% Protein / 20% Fat

Ingredients:
Anchovy, Sardine & Salmon Meals, Ground Brown Rice, Chicken Meal, Chicken Fat (Preserved with Natural Mixed Tocopherols), Oatmeal, Menhaden Fish Oil, Flaxseed, Dried Egg Product, Tomato Pomace, Dried Beet Pulp, Natural Chicken Flavor, Carrots, Sun-Cured Alfalfa, Peas, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Quinoa (Organic), Taurine, Apples, Blueberries, Inulin, Choline Chloride, Cranberries, Dehydrated Kelp, Beta-Carotene, Glucosamine Hydrochloride, DL-Methionine, Polysaccharide Complexes of Zinc, Iron, Manganese, and Copper, Calcium Carbonate, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin Supplement, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Vitamin A Supplement, Sodium Selenite, Ascorbic Acid, Lecithin, Rosemary Extract, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Folic Acid, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Potassium Iodide, Phylloquinone and Cobalt Sulfate, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei, Enterococcus faecium, B. Subtillus, Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus coagulins, Aspergillus oryzae and Aspergillus niger.

Guaranteed Analysis %:
Crude Protein (min) 32
Crude Fat (min) 20
Moisture (max) 10
Ash (max) 7.1
**Omega 6 Fatty Acids (min) 3.3
Crude Fiber (max) 2.8
**Omega 3 Fatty Acids (min) 1.3
Calcium (min) 1.2
Phosphorus (min) 0.9
**Taurine (min) 0.17
Magnesium (max) 0.14

Important Information:
Eagle Pack Holistic Select Cat Anchovy, Sardine & Salmon Meal Dry Food formula can be fed to all adult cats but also offers unique hypoallergenic benefits. Anchovy and Sardine are dark fleshed, oily species, offering high Omega 3 fatty acid levels to naturally benefit skin, coat and brain health. Omega 6 fatty acids are added to create a correct Omega 6:3 balance. Benefits derived from these species are far superior to non-oily Whitefish. Anchovy and Sardine are virtually mercury free and are preserved naturally. (CG and DOT permits on file.) We add a farm stand blend of Carrots, Peas, Alfalfa, Blueberries, Apples and Cranberries.

The above information was taken from the www.petfooddirect.com website (specifically HERE for all Eagle Pack dry cat food varieties). Also, here''s the website for Eagle Pack if anyone is interested: http://www.eaglepack.com

So, what do you guys think? Thumbs up? Or not?

Thank you!

 

[lovewhitediamonds]

Hi Lynn,
We have (2) Raggies -- and they eat Royal Canin food (we get the Duck & Green Peas)
We have used it for 6 years. I switch it up betw dry and wet and sometimes mix too.

I have never heard of or tried Eagle Pack ... but can''t try new food since one of our cats has health issues.

If your kitty is healthy and you are looking for a switch -- give it a try and see if Boo likes it.. the ingredients look healthy (dried beet pulp!?), but I''m not a vet... good luck!

 

[brazen_irish_hussy]

I know very little of cat nutrition, but I have heard feeding them food based on smelly fish makes them less inclined to eat other food because the smell isn''t as strong.

 

[AmberGretchen]

Lynn - the ingredients and composition look fine, Eagle Pack is a good brand, right up there with the other premium brands like Innova, Wellness, etc...

The only thing I would caution is to make sure you don''t feed fish as an exclusive protein source because it can be hard (I think) on the kidneys/bladder. So this would be fine to feed, just also use a chicken/turkey-based food as well.

We''re still feeding Innova dry and Merrick wet but we''re considering a switch to raw food which some people claim is the very best to feed your dog or cat - pre-made of course (I''m way too grossed out by the idea of making it myself plus I don''t know when I''d ever find time...). We''re planning on asking our vet about it when we take them all in for their annuals, so maybe I''ll post about what she says - it sounds like an intriguing concept.

Lovewhitediamonds - I love your Raggies on the Ragdoll thread, they are SO DARLING

Please take this kindly as it is meant that way, but Royal Canin is very low quality food, nutritionally speaking. May I ask what is the main health problem that your one kitty has that makes you feed this food? Depending on what it is, there are (likely) much better options out there, and in any case feeding a better-quality food to your healthy kitty should help keep him/her from developing health problems in the future. There have been several threads on this topic, here are links to a couple:

link 1

link 2

Again, this is really not meant as criticism, just to say that there are much better food choices out there and while I understand that sometimes a prescription diet is necessary for kitties with serious and specific health problems, something higher-quality might help keep your other kitty from developing health problems to begin with.

 

[lovewhitediamonds]

Date: 4/4/2008 12:47:00 AM
Author: AmberGretchen
Lynn - the ingredients and composition look fine, Eagle Pack is a good brand, right up there with the other premium brands like Innova, Wellness, etc...

The only thing I would caution is to make sure you don''t feed fish as an exclusive protein source because it can be hard (I think) on the kidneys/bladder. So this would be fine to feed, just also use a chicken/turkey-based food as well.

We''re still feeding Innova dry and Merrick wet but we''re considering a switch to raw food which some people claim is the very best to feed your dog or cat - pre-made of course (I''m way too grossed out by the idea of making it myself plus I don''t know when I''d ever find time...). We''re planning on asking our vet about it when we take them all in for their annuals, so maybe I''ll post about what she says - it sounds like an intriguing concept.

Lovewhitediamonds - I love your Raggies on the Ragdoll thread, they are SO DARLING

Please take this kindly as it is meant that way, but Royal Canin is very low quality food, nutritionally speaking. May I ask what is the main health problem that your one kitty has that makes you feed this food? Depending on what it is, there are (likely) much better options out there, and in any case feeding a better-quality food to your healthy kitty should help keep him/her from developing health problems in the future. There have been several threads on this topic, here are links to a couple:

link 1

link 2

Again, this is really not meant as criticism, just to say that there are much better food choices out there and while I understand that sometimes a prescription diet is necessary for kitties with serious and specific health problems, something higher-quality might help keep your other kitty from developing health problems to begin with.

Thanks for letting me know!!!

This brand comes highly recommended by my vet (the only place that I can buy it)... Our cat has triaditis (sp?) and recently had surgery to widen his urethra -sick, sick kitty. Meanwhile the other cat is super healthy. Maybe I should look at a switch myself to save $$ too -- as it''s $50 for a bag/case! Thanks again!!

 

[Lynn B]

Oh AG, I am so glad you saw this and chimed in! THANK YOU! xoxoxo! I *thought* (based on your excellent tutelage!) that the Eagle Pack was a good food, right up there with Innova and Wellness... but I wanted your stamp of approval! BTW, what do you think of Felidae? "As good" as Wellness, Innova, etc? Or a bit of a "step down"?

Also, thanks for the head''s up about not feeding a fish-based food exclusively, I really appreciate that. I am just planning to add it to his "mix", for variety and (hopefully) a different kind of nutrition. His mix is currently Wellness and Wellness CORE, Innova, EVO and Felidae.

And OH! I am VERY interested in learning more about a raw diet, too (*pre-made*, though -- I feel the same as you about making it myself.

) So PLEASE give us all the details about what your vet says, and what you decide to do.

LWD,
I know that RC is a very popular cat food, same as SD, but believe me, AG knows what she''s talking about! You''d think our vets would recommend truly good foods for our pets, but unfortunately, that is usually NOT the case. It''s really too bad that, in general, we simply cannot count on them for good nutrition information for our fur-babies. My vet told me to feed Purina, said EVERYTHING ELSE is just "expensive fat".

 

[tberube]

I''m no expert but good advice I''ve received that I go by is: if the first four ingredients don''t have corn products or processed products, then you''re good.

 

[AmberGretchen]

Date: 4/4/2008 8:40:40 AM
Author: Lynn B
Oh AG, I am so glad you saw this and chimed in! THANK YOU! xoxoxo! I *thought* (based on your excellent tutelage!) that the Eagle Pack was a good food, right up there with Innova and Wellness... but I wanted your stamp of approval! BTW, what do you think of Felidae? ''As good'' as Wellness, Innova, etc? Or a bit of a ''step down''?


Also, thanks for the head''s up about not feeding a fish-based food exclusively, I really appreciate that. I am just planning to add it to his ''mix'', for variety and (hopefully) a different kind of nutrition. His mix is currently Wellness and Wellness CORE, Innova, EVO and Felidae.


And OH! I am VERY interested in learning more about a raw diet, too (*pre-made*, though -- I feel the same as you about making it myself.

) So PLEASE give us all the details about what your vet says, and what you decide to do.

LWD,

I know that RC is a very popular cat food, same as SD, but believe me, AG knows what she''s talking about! You''d think our vets would recommend truly good foods for our pets, but unfortunately, that is usually NOT the case. It''s really too bad that, in general, we simply cannot count on them for good nutrition information for our fur-babies. My vet told me to feed Purina, said EVERYTHING ELSE is just ''expensive fat''.

Lynn, you''re such a sweetie

I honestly don''t think I''m truly an "expert" I''ve just spent some time reading up on it and try to stay current, but I always feel there''s lots I''m missing

Felidae is an excellent food - definitely up there with the other brands, but our kitties wouldn''t eat it, so I''d try a small sample before getting a large bag, just to make sure Mr. Boo won''t turn up his adorable pink nose at it

I''ll definitely keep you posted on the vet''s take on raw food, and if we decide to give it a try.

 

[Lynn B]

Date: 4/4/2008 3:10:35 PM
Author: AmberGretchen

Lynn, you''re such a sweetie

I honestly don''t think I''m truly an ''expert'' I''ve just spent some time reading up on it and try to stay current, but I always feel there''s lots I''m missing

Felidae is an excellent food - definitely up there with the other brands, but our kitties wouldn''t eat it, so I''d try a small sample before getting a large bag, just to make sure Mr. Boo won''t turn up his adorable pink nose at it

I''ll definitely keep you posted on the vet''s take on raw food, and if we decide to give it a try.

AG,

Thanks for the Felidae reassurance. Actually, Boo seems to like it just fine as part of his "mix". I am eager to try the Eagle Pack, though, I do like the idea of adding in the anchovy flavor into his mix. I called Eagle Pack and they were very nice, offered to send out a small sample size bag in each of the 3 Holistic flavors, plus some coupons!

Thanks again for the advice and input! xoxox! I''ll be very eager to hear what you decide to do about a raw diet.

Lynn

 

[FireGoddess]

Date: 4/4/2008 12:47:00 AM
Author: AmberGretchen

The only thing I would caution is to make sure you don''t feed fish as an exclusive protein source because it can be hard (I think) on the kidneys/bladder. So this would be fine to feed, just also use a chicken/turkey-based food as well.

Definitely agree with AG...after Chloe''s kidney stone issues early on I was definitely cautioned that lots of fish or tuna was a big no-no. The cat loves it though, so I usually buy a can of tuna in water (intended for human consumption) and portion it into cubes in an ice cube tray and freeze ''em. Then the kitties each get their own ''tuna cube'' when I feel like giving them a very special treat.

 

[Lynn B]

Glad to see you, FG! I was hoping you'd find this thread, too!

I will definitely limit the fish, for sure. But I do think as 1/5 or 1/6 of his "mix" (or so) it should be OK, what do you guys think?

Boo is STILL at 11.5 pounds. Has been at the same weight since he was 11 months old... and now he's 14 months old.

Sometimes I think he doesn't really eat very much... I'm hoping he likes the Eagle Pack food and eats a little more!

I should probably be happy that he doesn't OVEREAT! Oh well, I'm an Italian mama, what more can I say?!

ETA: Oh, almost forgot to add... great tip on freezing little portions of tuna! Thanks! Boo's big idea of a treat is a few licks of all meat baby food... ohmyword, he LOOOOVES that. But too much and he gets runny poo, and oy, we ALL hate that!!!

 

[AmberGretchen]

Lynn - I''m sure the Eagle Pack will be fine as 1/5 or 1/6th of Boo''s food, and not too much fish as long as most of the other kinds have non-fish protein. That''s awesome that they are sending you samples

Interesting that he''s not growing right now - I feel like Ollie went through a "growth stall" around the same time (same age and size). But he certainly got over it

If you''re concerned, maybe ask the vet, but I wouldn''t worry just yet.

 

[SilverLily]

Date: 4/4/2008 12:47:00 AM
Author: AmberGretchen
Again, this is really not meant as criticism, just to say that there are much better food choices out there and while I understand that sometimes a prescription diet is necessary for kitties with serious and specific health problems, something higher-quality might help keep your other kitty from developing health problems to begin with.

Oh no! My beautiful cat KoKo almost died in September from urinary blockage due to crystals in his urine. The vet prescribed Royal Canin S/O (I believe that is the name...too lazy to go look). Is there a better brand out there for urinary issues? I will go over those links you posted, but I have read them before and don''t remember seeing anything about good quality prescription food.

I don''t want KoKo to have to go through what he did again.

 

[Cind11]

A year ago, my cat Phantom had surgery to remove bladder stones. He was put on Royal Canin S/O. He ate it fine for awhile and then completely turned up his nose at it. My "specialty" veterinarian told me to feed him exclusively (any) wet food - no more dry. Then I was supposed to take him in and have the ph of his urine checked. I did take him in, and the Vet said his urine ph was perfect, so no more prescription food. That was quite fortuitous.

 

[Cind11]

Date: 4/4/2008 8:40:40 AM
Author: Lynn B
Oh AG, I am so glad you saw this and chimed in! THANK YOU! xoxoxo! I *thought* (based on your excellent tutelage!) that the Eagle Pack was a good food, right up there with Innova and Wellness... but I wanted your stamp of approval! BTW, what do you think of Felidae? ''As good'' as Wellness, Innova, etc? Or a bit of a ''step down''?

Also, thanks for the head''s up about not feeding a fish-based food exclusively, I really appreciate that. I am just planning to add it to his ''mix'', for variety and (hopefully) a different kind of nutrition. His mix is currently Wellness and Wellness CORE, Innova, EVO and Felidae.

And OH! I am VERY interested in learning more about a raw diet, too (*pre-made*, though -- I feel the same as you about making it myself.

) So PLEASE give us all the details about what your vet says, and what you decide to do.

LWD,
I know that RC is a very popular cat food, same as SD, but believe me, AG knows what she''s talking about! You''d think our vets would recommend truly good foods for our pets, but unfortunately, that is usually NOT the case. It''s really too bad that, in general, we simply cannot count on them for good nutrition information for our fur-babies. My vet told me to feed Purina, said EVERYTHING ELSE is just ''expensive fat''.

My cats (all except the one who can''t aet dry) eat Wellness Core. It seems like a great food. The only thing I wonder about is what a high protein level it has. Did you ever notice that?

 

[spike13]

I feed my cats either Nature''s Variety Instinct canned or Wellness canned (only the grain free flavors). Sometimes I get the Nature''s Variety Frozen medallions but if your cat has been eating dry food for a long time it may be hard to get them to switch to raw meat, as weird as that sounds.
http://www.naturesvariety.com/

Here is a site with lots of detail on proper cat diet:
http://www.catinfo.org/
I ended up calling the woman who put this together because my cat was going through some health problems and my vet wasn''t pretty old school in his diet recommendations. She really helped me figured out the right amount to feed him (he was super fat which was making his health worse) and also other great advice. So if you need more info she''s really approachable. She charged $100 for a 1 hour phone consult. That may seem like a lot but were spending that monthly on vet trips and not making any progress. Now he''s down to a normal weight and is doing a lot better.

This link gives the breakdown of all types of canned food:
http://www.catinfo.org/commercialcannedfoods.htm#Commercial_Foods

I''m eventually planning on going to an all raw diet. This site has a good recipe and other good advice:
http://www.catnutrition.org/index.php

Hope that helps.

 

[Lynn B]

Date: 4/6/2008 5:12:31 AM
Author: spike13
I feed my cats either Nature''s Variety Instinct canned or Wellness canned (only the grain free flavors). Sometimes I get the Nature''s Variety Frozen medallions but if your cat has been eating dry food for a long time it may be hard to get them to switch to raw meat, as weird as that sounds.
http://www.naturesvariety.com/

Here is a site with lots of detail on proper cat diet:
http://www.catinfo.org/
I ended up calling the woman who put this together because my cat was going through some health problems and my vet wasn''t pretty old school in his diet recommendations. She really helped me figured out the right amount to feed him (he was super fat which was making his health worse) and also other great advice. So if you need more info she''s really approachable. She charged $100 for a 1 hour phone consult. That may seem like a lot but were spending that monthly on vet trips and not making any progress. Now he''s down to a normal weight and is doing a lot better.

This link gives the breakdown of all types of canned food:
http://www.catinfo.org/commercialcannedfoods.htm#Commercial_Foods

I''m eventually planning on going to an all raw diet. This site has a good recipe and other good advice:
http://www.catnutrition.org/index.php

Hope that helps.

Spike,
Thanks for the post. When I was reading it, at first I thought, "EEEK! $100 for an hour?!" but then I realized you are right... if she truly knows her stuff and can honestly HELP, that''s money well spent... lord knows the vet is $50 a pop (at least) and if you''re in there 15 minutes you''re doing good! And he''s VERY old school about nutrition... he''s the one who told me to feed Boo "Purina. Everything else is just expensive fat."

On the raw food front, I just spoke with a friend whose vet (not local) is quite opposed to a raw food diet for pets... she feels it can actually be dangerous. I don''t know much more than that, and of course that is just her opinion, albeit professional. Me? I''m waiting to see what AG does!

Haha!

 

[Matata]

I wouldn''t feed this. Too many ingredients that cats don''t need -- oatmeal, brown rice. And why on earth have included so many things that can do as much harm as they can good like Enterococcus faecium & aspergillus niger? Aspergillus niger is a fungi group that can wreak havoc.

Lynn...if you want good food, stick to wellness, innova, evo, felidae. If you want the best, switch to whole ground raw or whole prey. No kibble, even the good stuff isn''t good enough. If a cat doesn''t normally hunt it, we probably shouldn''t be feeding it.

 

[AmberGretchen]

Date: 4/6/2008 5:12:31 AM
Author: spike13
I feed my cats either Nature''s Variety Instinct canned or Wellness canned (only the grain free flavors). Sometimes I get the Nature''s Variety Frozen medallions but if your cat has been eating dry food for a long time it may be hard to get them to switch to raw meat, as weird as that sounds.

http://www.naturesvariety.com/


Here is a site with lots of detail on proper cat diet:

http://www.catinfo.org/

I ended up calling the woman who put this together because my cat was going through some health problems and my vet wasn''t pretty old school in his diet recommendations. She really helped me figured out the right amount to feed him (he was super fat which was making his health worse) and also other great advice. So if you need more info she''s really approachable. She charged $100 for a 1 hour phone consult. That may seem like a lot but were spending that monthly on vet trips and not making any progress. Now he''s down to a normal weight and is doing a lot better.


This link gives the breakdown of all types of canned food:

http://www.catinfo.org/commercialcannedfoods.htm#Commercial_Foods


I''m eventually planning on going to an all raw diet. This site has a good recipe and other good advice:

http://www.catnutrition.org/index.php


Hope that helps.

spike - those are excellent links, thank you so much for posting them. I have to say, the more I read about the raw, the more I''m convinced its a good idea, I just worry about the practicality of it since DH and I both have such unpredictable schedules and are sometimes unable to get to the market regularly, even for ourselves

But I guess if we could keep (lots of) canned food on hand as a backup, then it wouldn''t be so bad...

 

[omieluv]

On Royal Canin...

I have had Omie on Royal Canin OS prescription dry since February, and it seems as if her crystals/stones have not returned. Personally, I am not a very big fan of Royal Canin, but I am reluctant to make a switch to another food, since she has been doing well. To increase her moisture, I also have her on the RC wet food (she is not a wet food fan) & bought her a Petmate fountain (which she loves). The drink fountain has really encouraged her to drink more, which is a good thing.

 

[SilverLily]

omieluv, I feel the same way. I don''t want Koko to get crystals again...he went downhill so quickly that I almost lost him. I have three cats, so it is hard to tell if one isn''t urinating, so I didn''t know anything was wrong until he started acting strange. Cats don''t show that they are in pain until it is really bad, so who knows how long he was suffering before I noticed. It still haunts me to this day. I have actually had a nightmare or two about it.

Because of this, I am so afraid to switch his food. I know that Royal Canin has a lot of crap in it, and I want to switch him to something better. He does not like canned food, but I did get him a Petmate fountain as well, and I let him drink from the faucet any time he wants to.

Here is a pic of my baby:

 

[Lynn B]

Date: 4/6/2008 10:30:53 PM
Author: Matata
I wouldn''t feed this. Too many ingredients that cats don''t need -- oatmeal, brown rice. And why on earth have included so many things that can do as much harm as they can good like Enterococcus faecium & aspergillus niger? Aspergillus niger is a fungi group that can wreak havoc.

Lynn...if you want good food, stick to wellness, innova, evo, felidae. If you want the best, switch to whole ground raw or whole prey. No kibble, even the good stuff isn''t good enough. If a cat doesn''t normally hunt it, we probably shouldn''t be feeding it.

Matata,

Thank you for your input, I truly appreciate it. Now I am a little concerned about those ingredients you mentioned...

I just *assumed* that they were healthful probiotics or something...

I wonder what our other *cat people* here think? Anyone?

Thank you!

 

[lovewhitediamonds]

Date: 4/7/2008 1:50:12 PM
Author: omieluv
On Royal Canin...

I have had Omie on Royal Canin OS prescription dry since February, and it seems as if her crystals/stones have not returned. Personally, I am not a very big fan of Royal Canin, but I am reluctant to make a switch to another food, since she has been doing well. To increase her moisture, I also have her on the RC wet food (she is not a wet food fan) & bought her a Petmate fountain (which she loves). The drink fountain has really encouraged her to drink more, which is a good thing.

omieluv,
You and I are in the same exact situation -- I have a kitty on Royal Canin because of stones/crystals -- our cat had to have "PU" surgery (Perineal Urethrostomy) in January because he was blocking up so much. They removed a stone from his bladder and now he should be able to pass crystals and stones easy should they develop. I am very reluctant to switch foods (we also use RC)... although the Wellness, Felidae etc sound more nutrious. We tried a different food when our cat was diagnosed with triaditis, and our vet suspects the stone "could of" developed from the diet change... but who knows. We also add water to the wet food for more moisture and have a petmate fountain So, RC it is for now, but I might try the other brands for our healthy kitty....

 

[Matata]

Date: 4/4/2008 8:40:40 AM
Author: Lynn B
And OH! I am VERY interested in learning more about a raw diet, too (*pre-made*, though -- I feel the same as you about making it myself.

) So PLEASE give us all the details about what your vet says, and what you decide to do.

When I almost lost Maggie in February to irritable bowel disease, I switched her to Feline''s Pride. http://www.felinespride.com/products/catfood.aspx It''s premade ground raw -- organs & bones with appropriate supplements added. I did a ton of research on pre-made raw diets and felt most secure with this one because of Dr. Lisa Pierson''s endorsement on catinfo.org. Lynn, I can''t believe how well she''s doing now. When I read testimonials by raw fed cat owners, I thought some were exaggerating. But darn if the same things didn''t happen to Maggie. She''s 14 and has started playing like a kitten, something she hasn''t done for several years. Her fur has become soft as silk and the colors are richer & deeper. The food is a bit expensive and the shipping more so but it''s better to try pre-made ground than invest in a grinder and all the supplements to find that your cat refuses to convert.

After she was on the raw ground for a few weeks, I started feeding her whole prey -- day old chicks & quail. She hates mice

My cat sitter is a bit queasy about feeding bodies so I''ll keep Maggie on a rotation of ground and whole prey to ensure that I don''t scare all of the cat sitters away

I get the quail & chicks from Rodentpro.com -- excellent product & service!

Another excellent resource for feeding and holistic cat care is http://www.holisticat.com/forum/ It''s a paid member forum but you can get a free guest membership for 7 days and get a ton of great info.

 

[omieluv]

SilverLily & lovewhitediamonds
Glad you furbabies are doing well since their procedures. Is it just me, or does the RC O/S dry food have a terrible stench? The scent does not seem to bother Omie, but I cannot stand it. Her origninal food (Natural Balance) had just a slight odor to it. Maybe it is that fish smell that others in this thread were mentioning. Whatever it is, yuck!

During her next exam, I am going to ask Omie''s vet whether she will need to be on RC forever.

Cind11
Question for you. You mention that you switched your cat from the RC O/S food after the PH in his urine registered as normal. How long after the surgery did this occur? I ask because I really do not want Omie on RC as her forever food, if I can avoid it. Are you concerned that your cat''s crystals might return? BTW, Omie had calcium crystals, is that what yours had?

 

[Lynn B]

Here's an article I got from Demelza, regarding raw food diets for dogs and cats; I think it's pretty balanced at showing both the pro and con opinions.

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2006/01/19/raw/index.html

It's from 2006, so maybe someone has something more current?

Oh, I honestly don't know if I could feed a whole little dead body to Boo...

I get totally skeeved out and incredibly sad when I just see a dead bird or mouse on the sidewalk or in the yard!

 

[omieluv]

Date: 4/8/2008 5:49:18 PM
Author: Lynn B
Oh, I honestly don't know if I could feed a whole little dead body to Boo...

I get totally skeeved out and incredibly sad when I just see a dead bird or mouse on the sidewalk or in the yard!

The RAW diet is interesting, but like you Lynn, I do not think I could handle feeding Omie a dead body. Not to mention that I could not picture my princess Omie eating food that has not been "prepared" for her. I could just see her turning up her nose and thinking "she really expects me to eat directly from a carcass, how barbaric!" Of course, there are prepared versions of the RAW diet, which I could see her at least trying.

 

[Lynn B]

Date: 4/8/2008 5:56:21 PM
Author: omieluv

The RAW diet is interesting, but like you Lynn, I do not think I could handle feeding Omie a dead body. Not to mention that I could not picture my princess Omie eating food that has not been 'prepared' for her. I could just see her turning up her nose and thinking 'she really expects me to eat directly from a carcass, how barbaric!' Of course, there are prepared versions of the RAW diet, which I could see her at least trying.

Haha, whatta visual, Princess Omie turning up that darling little nose!

And regarding the prepared versions of the raw diet, I am sure that if I ever did change Boo over to a raw diet, it would likely have to be that kind.

I've been thinking about this a lot in the last couple of days. Here are a few random thoughts in no particular order...

In a "perfect world", we wouldn't have to worry about the prey carrying salmonella or e-coli... but we don't live in a perfect world. And in the wild, even if it did eat contaminated prey, a cat likely wouldn't have enough close and continued human contact to pose a risk to humans, anyway. So I am wondering about the real (and/or ideal) situation of what we tend to think of when we think of our pet's ancestors (and the original "raw diet") -- feral cats consuming non-contaminated prey... vs. today's possibility (likelihood?) of housecats with close human contact eating (possibly) contaminated prey?

I don't know... ???

 

[sap483]

Ok, this is probably a stupid question, but I thought EVO was a raw diet. From the sounds of it, it''s not?

 

[Matata]

Date: 4/8/2008 5:49:18 PM
Author: Lynn B
Here''s an article I got from Demelza, regarding raw food diets for dogs and cats; I think it''s pretty balanced at showing both the pro and con opinions.


http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2006/01/19/raw/index.html
It''s from 2006, so maybe someone has something more current?

http://www.all-about-cats.com/rebuttal.htm (2007) The author used to be Director of Technical Affairs at Hills Pet Nutrition, the largest proprietary pet food manufacturer in the world.

http://www.catnutrition.org/openletter.php

this is from 2002 but it''s based on science rather than conjecture http://www.catnutrition.org/openletter.php