Cat People... please convene!

[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.

Just bumping this thread... just noticed the ingredients of Felidae Cat & Kitten (dry) Formula, which we have all given the thumb''s up to:

Ingredients:

Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Brown Rice, Lamb Meal, Chicken Fat, ( preserved with mixed tocopherols and ascorbic acid ), Menhaden Fish Meal, Eggs, Flax Seed Meal, Sun Cured Alfalfa Meal, Sunflower Oil, Lecithin, Nutritional Yeast, Natural Flavors, Linoleic Acid, Rosemary Extract, Sage Extract, Amaranth, DL Methionine, Taurine, Kelp, Cranberry meal, Apple meal, Yeast Culture, Dried Aspergillus Niger Fermentation Extract, Dried Aspergillus Oryzae Fermentation Extract, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Streptococcus Faecium Fermentation Product, Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Copper Amino Acid Chelate, Cobalt Amino Acid Chelate, Iron Amino Acid Chelate, Vitamins A, D-Activated Animal Sterol Vitamin D3, Vitamin E, Vitamin B12, Riboflavin, Niacin, Choline Chloride, Calcium Pantothenate, Folic Acid, Pyridoxine-Hydrochloride, Thiamin, Biotin, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite, Bacillus Subtillis, Yucca Schidigera Extract.

Cat parents -- what do we think of this?!

Thank you!

 

[chrono]

My 2 cents for what''s its worth:
Cats don''t eat grains in the wild; any grains or carbs they digest are the natural grains/carbs leftover in their prey. Therefore, if there is any carbs, the quantity will be quite low. A cat does not need rice, oatmeal, wheat, sweet potatoe, carrots, blueberry etc.

 

[Lynn B]

I tried to bump AmberGretchen's pet food ("better choices") thread, but it's locked. Blast!

But I'm hoping for some opinions on this food, new on www.petfooddirect.com:

Grandma Lucy's True Grain-Free Chicken & Fish Flavor Cat Food

NEW!
Things Grandma Lucy's does to bring you a True and healthy pet food:


USA Originated Ingredients
Grain-Free Recipes
USDA Meat
Human-Grade Ingredients
Hormone and Antibiotic Free Meats
No By-Products
Tough Standards
All Products Made in Our California Facility
Grandma Lucy's True is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for all-stages.


Package: 3-lb bag

Shipping Weight: 4.1 -lbs

Price: $19.99

Important Information:

Each serving of Grandma Lucy's True should be rehydrated with an equal amount of hot water.

Add water to the food and stir well. Let stand for 3-5 minutes. After 3-5 minutes, food may be consumed. Leftover food may be refrigerated for up to 48 hours.

Ingredients:
USDA Chicken, USDA Ocean White Fish, Potatoes, Flax, Carrots, Celery, Apples, Cranberry, Blueberry, Taurine, Vitamin A, Vitamin D3, Vitamin E, Niacin, Iron, Calcium, Phosphorus, Zinc, Riboflavin, Thiamin, Potassium, Manganese, Chloride, Copper, Magnesium, Pyridoxine, Cyanocobalamin, Maltodextrin

Guaranteed Analysis %:
Crude Protein (min) 40
Crude Fat (min) 15
Moisture (max) 6
Crude Fiber (max) 4.7
Calcium 1
Phosphorus 0.55
Taurine 0.3
Magnesium 0.16


Extra Information:
Calorie Content:
3948 kcal/kg
340 kcal/cup
16 cups per 3lb bag

I know that cats don't *need* the nice-sounding fruits and veggies, and unless I make Boo's food myself, I'm probably not going to be 110% satisfied with ANYTHING

but I did think this food sounded promising. I also really like the refreshingly SHORT ingredient list!

Sooooooooo, cat people... please... what say you?!

Thank you!

Lynn (and Boo, who has a vested interest in your opinions, too!

)

 

[Lynn B]

And one more opinion, please?

Orijen Adult Cat & Kitten Formula Dry Cat Food

FRESH REGIONAL INGREDIENTS:
Deboned chicken, chicken meal, turkey meal, russet potato, lake whitefish, chicken fat, sweet potato, whole eggs,de-boned turkey, salmon meal, salmon and anchovy oils, salmon, natural chicken flavour, sunflower oil, sun-cured alfalfa, dried brown kelp, carrots, spinach, peas, tomatoes, apples, psyllium, dulse, glucosamine Hcl, cranberries, black currants, rosemary extract, chondroitin sulfate, sea salt.
TONIC HERBS AND BOTANICALS:
Chicory root, licorice root, tumeric root, funugreek, marigold flowers, sweet fennel, zea mays, peppermint leaf, chamomile flowers, dandelion, summer savory, rosehips.
ORGANIC MINERALS:
Iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, manganese proteinate, copper proteinate.
PROBIOTIC MICROORGANISMS:
Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product.
PREMIUM VITAMINS:
Mixed tocopherols (source of vitamin E), choline chloride, vitamin A, vitamin D3, thiamine mononitrate, vitamin B12, folic acid, biotin.

Guaranteed Analysis %:
Protein 45
Fat 20
Carbohydrate 15
Moisture 10
Omega-6 3.8
Fiber 2
Calcium (min.) 1.6
Phosphorus (min.) 1.3
Omega-3 0.9

Biologically Appropriate for ALL CATS AND KITTENS:
ORIJEN Cat is formulated with a biologically correct (75/25/0) ingredient ratio of 75% meat, 25% fruit and vegetables and 0 grain.

More info can be found at:
http://www.petfooddirect.com/store/product_detail.asp?pf%5Fid=301107501&dept%5Fid=5&brand%5Fid=1075

 

[Lynn B]

Just bumping for the Sunday crowd...

Thanks!

 

[Babyblue033]

Personally I''m just not a big fan of dry food period. I think one of the biggest problems our cats have is not getting enough water in their diet, as their ancestors did from hunting preys. So many cats have kidney issues in their old age and I believe at least some of that can be prevented simply by feeding wet food (or RAW, even better!).

I do keep Wellness Core (grain free) dry food around because I have a cat who has trouble maintaining his weight (who''s a dry food junkie

) but I feed it more as a treat than main meal.

EVO 95% meat food looks wonderful, but it''ll be quite a hit to my wallet trying to feed 5 mouths

 

[Lynn B]

Date: 5/18/2008 5:12:24 PM
Author: Babyblue033
Personally I''m just not a big fan of dry food period. I think one of the biggest problems our cats have is not getting enough water in their diet, as their ancestors did from hunting preys. So many cats have kidney issues in their old age and I believe at least some of that can be prevented simply by feeding wet food (or RAW, even better!).

I do keep Wellness Core (grain free) dry food around because I have a cat who has trouble maintaining his weight (who''s a dry food junkie

) but I feed it more as a treat than main meal.

EVO 95% meat food looks wonderful, but it''ll be quite a hit to my wallet trying to feed 5 mouths

I know what you mean about the dry food/drinking thing, but we have a fountain and I honestly think Boo is a very good drinker. My vet tells me that cats on wet or moist food have the worst time with their teeth, and he really recommends dry. I''m not adverse to wet food, or even considering raw, but for now, dry is working well for us... so I just want to make sure he is eating the highest quality dry food possible.

 

[Babyblue033]

Date: 5/18/2008 10:08:44 PM
Author: Lynn B

Date: 5/18/2008 5:12:24 PM

Author: Babyblue033

Personally I''m just not a big fan of dry food period. I think one of the biggest problems our cats have is not getting enough water in their diet, as their ancestors did from hunting preys. So many cats have kidney issues in their old age and I believe at least some of that can be prevented simply by feeding wet food (or RAW, even better!).


I do keep Wellness Core (grain free) dry food around because I have a cat who has trouble maintaining his weight (who''s a dry food junkie

) but I feed it more as a treat than main meal.


EVO 95% meat food looks wonderful, but it''ll be quite a hit to my wallet trying to feed 5 mouths

I know what you mean about the dry food/drinking thing, but we have a fountain and I honestly think Boo is a very good drinker. My vet tells me that cats on wet or moist food have the worst time with their teeth, and he really recommends dry. I''m not adverse to wet food, or even considering raw, but for now, dry is working well for us... so I just want to make sure he is eating the highest quality dry food possible.

You''re so lucky about the fountain! I got one too in hopes that it''ll help but other than getting clogged with cat hair it doesn''t seem to entice my guys to drink more. Such boogers

As for the wet food and bad teeth, that''s a very popular theory that''s been disputed in the recent years. Cats are notorious for having bad teeth anyway so no doubt vets have seen many cats with terrible teeth regardless of their diet, but dry food is no more or less beneficial for their teeth than wet food. Here''s an interesting article about written by a vet.
Dry food and clean teeth

Interestingly enough, my own vet is always amazed at how healthy my boys'' teeth are and they''ve been eating can food most of their lives

When it comes to dry food I''m most fond of Wellness Core, which my guys do backflips over

 

[AmberGretchen]

Lynn - I was curious about the Aunt Lucy''s too - I''m thinking of getting some for my babies to try at some point.

Oh, and I know I promised a detailed update on the vet''s opinion about raw food, which I really will post when things calm down at the lab. For now though, the bottom line is that she thinks that a high-quality dry food (we feed Innova + EVO as a mixture) is totally fine - she said our kitties coats, teeth, eyes, etc...all looked fantastic, our girls are just a bit overweight. She said if they don''t lose weight by reducing the amount we''re feeding, then we could try alternative diets. She also said she agreed about the dry food cleaning the teeth, so I''m pretty confused about that - this is a vet who treats only cats, and she seems to really keep up on the latest literature, so I''m thinking its maybe not totally clear one way or the other...

 

[BigDiamonds]

Lynn, I have nothing to add on the nutritional quality of those foods (given that everything I know I learned from you and AG

), but I''m curious about Boo''s "mix". Do you actually mix them all together and feed them at the same time, or do you rotate? Any tummy issues?

We have Coltrane on the chicken-based Wellness, and we''re working some Wellness canned into his diet a few times a week. He really likes it, but he doesn''t eat very much of it. I''m feeding him less than an ounce at a time right now, and it takes him several "sessions" over a period of 2-3 hours to finish it. I want to switch him to EVO eventually, but the nice people at my holistic pet store told me that kittens under 1 year don''t do very well on it.

Anyway, what''s the strategy on the mix? Did you combine specific foods due to their different ingredients? How does it work? Thank you!!

 

[Lynn B]

Date: 5/19/2008 12:21:53 AM
Author: BigDiamonds
Lynn, I have nothing to add on the nutritional quality of those foods (given that everything I know I learned from you and AG

), but I'm curious about Boo's 'mix'. Do you actually mix them all together and feed them at the same time, or do you rotate? Any tummy issues?

We have Coltrane on the chicken-based Wellness, and we're working some Wellness canned into his diet a few times a week. He really likes it, but he doesn't eat very much of it. I'm feeding him less than an ounce at a time right now, and it takes him several 'sessions' over a period of 2-3 hours to finish it. I want to switch him to EVO eventually, but the nice people at my holistic pet store told me that kittens under 1 year don't do very well on it.

Anyway, what's the strategy on the mix? Did you combine specific foods due to their different ingredients? How does it work? Thank you!!

Hi, Megan! OK, here's the scoop on my "mix". I buy the smaller sized bags of Innova, EVO, Wellness, Wellness CORE and Felidae and free-feed him. (And I am always on the look-out for other [superior] brands, to add to the mix.) In fact, I think I am going to order the Orijen and add it in next time. Anyway, I mix them all together, equal parts of each one, into one huge airtight container. I keep a scoop in there and it makes it very easy to feed Boo.

I decided to do this for several reasons... I think the varying formulas work together to (hopefully, anyway!)... #1) complement one another and give him the best opportunity for a well-rounded, well-balanced diet, #2) keep him from getting finicky (he's somewhat prone to that!) because of the various flavors, tastes, shapes, smells, etc., and #3) heaven forbid, but if any of his food is ever recalled

, it would only be 1/5 (or less) of his diet - not 100%; and I have to think that that is a significant health safeguard.

And it's working for us... he is so frisky, happy and healthy-looking, he is really thriving.

Like I said, I plan to incorporate the Orijen into his mix next time and I am always on the lookout for new foods with exceptional ingredient lists. My thinking is, the more the merrier -- although I DO try each one separately at first (before it goes into the mix) to be sure that he's not going to have any strange reaction, etc., and so far [and knock on wood!

, he hasn't.

And, lastly, I have been thinking some more these last few days about wet food, and I think I am going to incorporate some (wet food) into Boo's diet. I didn't know about the "EVO 95% meat" cans, and I like the idea of that. So my plan is to try it, see if he likes it, see how it affects him, and if all is good... I expect to start feeding him a bit of wet in the morning and perhaps also in the evening, with a bowl of the mixed dry out all day. I also think I'm going to try the Grandma Lucy's, as an alternative some days to the canned EVO. That product really intrigues me!

I'm lucky in that Boo is a good eater, but he doesn't over-eat, so I think this should work for us.

Please let me know if you have any questions. As everyone knows by now, I LURVE to talk about my precious BooKat!!!

 

[miraclesrule]

Hmmmmm, I think my cats ate my post too!!

When I got home and went outside to refresh my cats water and give them some food, there were bird feathers all over the patio.

I''m fairly certain my cats ate a bird today.

 

[BigDiamonds]

Thanks Lynn! Those are some pretty good reasons for your mix...especially the contamination issue.

Fortunately, it doesn''t seem like I have to worry about Coltrane getting finicky - so far he has eaten EVERYTHING we have put in front of him. We tried about 5 different foods on our way to Wellness and he loved every one. He really liked the herring and sweet potato California Naturals - what do you think of that one? I was a little worried about the short ingredient list when he doesn''t need it (seems like it''s training him to be finicky, in my uneducated opinion), but maybe it would work in a mix. I actually need to go to the pet store this week, so maybe I''ll pick up a second bag and start my mixin''!

I was very resistant to the canned food thing, since Coltrane eats dry food fine and I always thought he was good about drinking water. Then the people at the pet store laid it on pretty thick about how most cats won''t drink enough water to meet their moisture needs, and how it can contribute to kidney and urinary problems down the road. I did some research and read that a cat on an all-dry diet needs about 7 ounces of water a day

and I knew Coltrane wasn''t drinking quite that much. I decided to start feeding a mixed diet to see how he did with it. Overall it''s going well, except that he''s so good at regulating his food intake that it takes him forever to eat it.

I suppose there are worse problems, so I won''t complain!

 

[Lynn B]

Date: 5/20/2008 12:21:34 AM
Author: BigDiamonds
Thanks Lynn! Those are some pretty good reasons for your mix...especially the contamination issue.

Fortunately, it doesn''t seem like I have to worry about Coltrane getting finicky - so far he has eaten EVERYTHING we have put in front of him. We tried about 5 different foods on our way to Wellness and he loved every one. He really liked the herring and sweet potato California Naturals - what do you think of that one? I was a little worried about the short ingredient list when he doesn''t need it (seems like it''s training him to be finicky, in my uneducated opinion), but maybe it would work in a mix. I actually need to go to the pet store this week, so maybe I''ll pick up a second bag and start my mixin''!

I was very resistant to the canned food thing, since Coltrane eats dry food fine and I always thought he was good about drinking water. Then the people at the pet store laid it on pretty thick about how most cats won''t drink enough water to meet their moisture needs, and how it can contribute to kidney and urinary problems down the road. I did some research and read that a cat on an all-dry diet needs about 7 ounces of water a day

and I knew Coltrane wasn''t drinking quite that much. I decided to start feeding a mixed diet to see how he did with it. Overall it''s going well, except that he''s so good at regulating his food intake that it takes him forever to eat it.

I suppose there are worse problems, so I won''t complain!

Hi Megan! You''ll have to let me know how the mix goes. I think it''s a really good idea, personally... thankfully there are more and more good cat foods out there, and I can''t see limiting a cat''s intake to just *one*. I just don''t want to put all of Boo''s (nutritional-needs) eggs

in one basket. And I think changing foods constantly can possibly be a recipe for tummy upsets or GI problems, but a consistent "mix" eliminates that.

BTW, the ingredients for that California Natural food are:
Herring, Barley, Oatmeal, Herring Meal, Chicken Fat, Natural Flavors, Sweet Potatoes, Sunflower Oil, Herring Oil, Vitamins, DL-Methionine, Minerals, Taurine, Rosemary Extract

And I am NOOOOOOOO expert, by ANY means, but personally, I think you can do better. The 2nd and third ingredients are grains... this isn''t one that I would choose to add to Boo''s mix.

I''d like to hear what our other Cat People think.

 

[spike13]

One thing I''ve noticed since getting the kitties off dry and onto a mix of quality canned and raw is less waste. Since the food contains more real ingredients there''s a lot less coming out in the litterbox.

There''s been times in a pinch I had to feed our older kitty dry again and I can immediately tell the difference in litterbox output.

 

[wishful]

I work for a tack shop (horse supplies) but we also carry premium pet food. We just got in a new food called Before Grain. It''s excellent. Just started my cats on it and they love it.
It''s similar to Wellness Core but it has more antioxidants but both are protien balanced. And the Before Grain has some nice flavors for kitties. Dry food has Tuna, Chicken and Salmon. Wet food has Chicken, Salmon, Tuna, Beef, Quail and Turkey.

 

[wishful]

Here is the B.G. website for more info

http://www.beforegrain.com/

 

[Lynn B]

Date: 5/21/2008 8:53:59 PM
Author: wishful
I work for a tack shop (horse supplies) but we also carry premium pet food. We just got in a new food called Before Grain. It's excellent. Just started my cats on it and they love it.
It's similar to Wellness Core but it has more antioxidants but both are protien balanced. And the Before Grain has some nice flavors for kitties. Dry food has Tuna, Chicken and Salmon. Wet food has Chicken, Salmon, Tuna, Beef, Quail and Turkey.

Thanks, Wishful! I see that www.petfooddirect.com carries it, too. Here's the ingredient list of the dry Chicken Formula, for our (cat peoples'!) information:

Ingredients:
Chicken Deboned, Chicken Meal, Potato Dehydrated, Turkey Meal, Chicken Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols - a source of Natural Vitamin E), Sweet Potato Dehydrated, Dried Egg, Natural Flavor, Yeast Culture, Dicalcium Phosphate, Lysine, Sea Salt, Alfalfa, Salmon Oil, Choline Chloride, Acai Berry Dried, Blueberry Dried, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Rosemary Extract, Taurine, Zinc Amino Acid Complex, Chondroitin Sulfate, Glucosamine Hydrochloride, Chicory Root, Marigold Extract, Lactobacillus Plantarum, Enterococcus Faecium, Lactobacillus Casei, Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Iron Amino Acid Complex, Vitamin E Supplement, Manganese Amino Acid Complex, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Copper Amino Acid Complex, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin D3, Niacin, Lecithin, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Ethylenediamine Dihydriodide, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Cobalt Amino Acid Complex, Folic Acid, Thiamine Mononitrate, Sodium Selenite.

Guaranteed Analysis %:
Crude Protein (min) 36
Crude Fat (min) 18
Moisture (max) 11
Ash (max) 7
Crude Fiber (max) 3

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And the canned foods have the shortest ingredient lists in a catfood I have ever seen

:

Ingredients:
Quail, Water for Processing

Guaranteed Analysis %:
Moisture (max) 0.78
Crude Protein (min) 0.09
Crude Fat (max) 0.05
Crude Fiber (max) 0.01
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ingredients:
Turkey, Water for Processing

Guaranteed Analysis %:
Moisture (max) 0.76
Crude Protein (min) 0.1
Crude Fat (max) 0.09
Crude Fiber (max) 0.01
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ingredients:
Tuna, Water for Processing

Guaranteed Analysis %:
Moisture (max) 0.78
Crude Protein (min) 0.1
Crude Fat (max) 0.09
Crude Fiber (max) 0.01
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ingredients:
Salmon, Water for Processing

Guaranteed Analysis %:
Moisture (max) 0.78
Crude Protein (min) 0.1
Crude Fat (max) 0.09
Crude Fiber (max) 0.01
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Verrrrry interesting! Thanks for sharing!

 

[wishful]

Oh, and Lynn....I ADORE your kitty! Sooo cute!

 

[anemone]

Nice avatar BTW wishful, I climbed that little rock near the top right of your pic over several days a few years ago.


My cats are doing remarkably well (one is 17yo) on supermarket canned food. I can''t imagine it''s doing them all that much good, however, as they are kinda thin and never finish their portions. Thanks all for the info about the real cat food.

 

[wishful]

Here are my two babies - checking out an unsuspecting pigeon.

 

[wishful]

Thanks anenome - that''s Taft Point in Yosemite. Scary.

 

[wishful]

Oops, sorry Anemone - I mis-read. You're talking about El Cap! Good Job! That one is out of my leauge.

 

[Octavia]

Hi all kitty parents! This thread has been so helpful but I have a couple of questions for anyone who can answer them.

First, I got a Petmate fountain for our little guy and he likes it, but it''s crazy loud! It sounds like it''s growling. Doesn''t seem to bother the cat, but it drives me nuts and FI is more sensitive to sound than I am, so when he gets back he''s going to despise it. I thought something was wrong with the first one so I took it back and exchanged it, but the second one is just as bad, if not worse! It''s completely full of water and I''ve checked everything I can think of in the pump, but to no avail. So, I''m going to have to take it back (again). Has anyone else had this problem? For anyone who has a different fountain, which is the quietest?

Also, our little guy has had loose stools practically since we got him about 1 1/2 months ago, although sometimes they look normal. The vet checked a sample and he doesn''t have any parasites or other bad stuff in there. She keeps recommending Science Diet and saying it will take care of the issue, but after reading this thread and some other materials, I''m not comfortable with that brand. He was on Evo, but he''s only 9-10 months old and I''ve read that cats under a year sometimes don''t do very well on it so I switched him to mostly California Natural Chicken & Brown Rice (for now) with some Evo sprinkled in. When he gets a little older, I''m going to try to transition back to the Evo again. He also gets a half-can of Merrick for breakfast. He''s really feisty and doesn''t seem bothered by anything, and the vet says he''s perfectly healthy and will probably outgrow the tummy troubles, but I still worry.

So, my questions...

1) For a 10-month, 7-lb kitty, how much food is too much or too little? He gets ~2.75 oz of canned food and 1/4-1/3 cup of dry per day. I tried using the calculators on the Natura site but it only works for one kind of food, not a mixture, so this was the best I could come up with for now.

2) Has anyone else dealt with a kitty with a sensitive digestive system? Any suggestions or tips? Can you suggest other kibbles I could mix in as I decrease the California Natural, or better foods to help with his problem? CN seems to have too much rice, but he''s doing mostly okay on it so I want to try new things slowly for fear of upsetting his tummy any more.

Thanks so much, especially if you got all the way through this novella of a post!

 

[AmberGretchen]

Octavia - glad you found this thread helpful. You know we must see pics of your little guy, right?

I can''t help with your first question as we''ve never tried the fountains. We do give our kitties water from our Brita filter rather than straight from the tap because I worry about the minerals in the tap water, but honestly, that''s probably just my own paranoia.

In terms of the food, I think your instinct to avoid the Science Diet is excellent - it will definitely NOT help the problem. Our Oliver (the Raggie-like rescue) had digestive "issues" like what you described when he was little, and he just had to outgrow them. He ate Innova regular when he was a kitten and now that he''s grown we mix some EVO into their regular Innova. Our girls also had some issues when we first got them (they were around 6 months old), that pretty much cleared up as they got older. I almost wonder if the (sorry if TMI for anyone) intestinal flora may not be fully developed when they are babies and so that causes these problems, but it gets better as they get older and the bacteria get more fully populated or achieve the right balance or whatever.

Our girls and Ollie were also all toxic stinky as kittens - Oliver especially, could clear a room when we weighed barely 3 lbs

Anyway, all of that is to say I think what you''re experiencing is normal and as long as your little guy isn''t getting dehydrated (the water fountain or at least fresh water every day and the wet food are both great for that) and is growing normally and otherwise healthy, it should clear up just fine as he gets older.

 

[Octavia]

Thanks for the reply, AG! I''m so glad to hear that your babies went through stuff like this and are now just fine. Well, not glad that they went through it...but you know what I mean

He seems to drink quite a bit (of course, his very favorite sources are the toilet when we forget to close it, and my water glass when I leave it unattended for two seconds...naughty kitty) and seems pretty healthy overall, so I''ll try to calm down a bit. It''s hard to be a new "parent" -- I''m kind of worried what I''ll be like when we have human kids!

 

[Octavia]

Oh, and I don't usually upload too many pictures because I don't want to be *identified* IRL, but just for you, here's a picture of him lolling around in his favorite position:

 

[AmberGretchen]

OMG he''s GORGEOUS

What a cutie pie!! Thank you so much for the pics.

I''m sure he''ll be just fine - ours really did outgrow it just fine.

 

[wishful]

Date: 6/1/2008 10:24:27 PM
Author: Octavia
Hi all kitty parents! This thread has been so helpful but I have a couple of questions for anyone who can answer them.

First, I got a Petmate fountain for our little guy and he likes it, but it''s crazy loud! It sounds like it''s growling. Doesn''t seem to bother the cat, but it drives me nuts and FI is more sensitive to sound than I am, so when he gets back he''s going to despise it. I thought something was wrong with the first one so I took it back and exchanged it, but the second one is just as bad, if not worse! It''s completely full of water and I''ve checked everything I can think of in the pump, but to no avail. So, I''m going to have to take it back (again). Has anyone else had this problem? For anyone who has a different fountain, which is the quietest?

I have a petmate waterer too. I find it''s loud when the inside filter gets clogged with cat hair. However sounds like your''s is new.
Try putting in on a thick towel or on a peice of carpet. That may help.
Also make sure you have enough water in it! If the water level does not cover the little hole in the bottom of the bowl the motor will make noise.

 

[Octavia]

Wishful, thanks for the tips...unfortunately, I already tried all of them, and nothing helps! Even though they were both brand new, I took apart the pumps just to check that they were clean, it''s on a thick rubber mat, and the water is to the top. So either I''ve twice been unlucky, or I''m just overly sensitive to the sound