Where can if find recommendations for what to look for in wet cat food?

[rhett o rick]

What's good and what's not good in a wet cat food.

Also, anyone had experience with "Petite Cuisine".

[Auggie]

1. We've been advised that wet cat food

leads to premature dental disease. We feed our only dry.

[rhett o rick]

2. I would be curious where you got that advice.

I have never seen that recommendation. Sights like http://www.catinfo.org/?link=cannedfoods#Commercial_Foods recommend wet food over dry food.

[Auggie]

7. The vet

[rhett o rick]

9. I figured. I recommend you research further for the sake of your pet.

Here is a link to start with. http://www.catinfo.org/?link=cannedfoods#By-products

[Sanity Claws]

4. Dry food is high in carbs and fillers

It should never be fed to diabetic cats.
Its high carb ingredients may also be linked to diabetes.

The real advantage of dry food is cost and convenience to the owner, not the health of the cat.

[Auggie]

8. Not our dry food

[rhett o rick]

10. Many cat experts state that any wet food is better than any dry food.

Dry food is easy and the cats love it, but not the best for their health.

[Auggie]

11. Just following my vets recommendation

[rhett o rick]

12. With respect I recommend for your pets sake, you do some research.

There is a lot of nutritional data available. Vetrinarians are not necessarily trained in nutrition and some get kick backs for recommending specific brands that they sell, like Science Diet. I am pretty sure I read that Science Diet has had some recalls.

http://www.experts123.com/q/what-dry-dog-food-do-veterinarians-recommend-most.html

[Auggie]

14. I'm familiar with the Science Diet kickback

[rhett o rick]

15. Then I assume you are familar with their recalls also.

Best of luck.

http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/newpetfoodrecalls/brand_list.cfm?Trade_Name=SCIENCE%20DIET&pet=Cat

[shanti]

31. really?

my vet told me that any brand of wet food was better than the best dry food, mainly because cats get the majority of their water from their food (as in nature). formerly, i was only feeding costco kibble, now i buy the 48 can packs of little friskies pate, the stinkier the better (for them, not me, ha!)

[avebury]

3. My cat Cookie has never been into chowing

down so if I find something she will eat, that is what she gets. She is now 18 years old and is free fed Proplan Chick and Rice dry food and given a can of Fancy Feast Delights canned with cheddar each day.

At her age I am more concerned about her quality of life and that she is a happy girl.

[ceile]

5. Here is a good place to start:

http://cats.about.com/od/cannedfood/Canned_Cat_Food_Next_Best_Choice_after_a_Raw_Diet.htm

My kitty is diabetic, so food w/ no carbs or fillers. He eats Hound & Gatos wet and Wellness dry. When I can't get to the pet store, Fancy Feast is always a good back up. But only the "original" flavors- chicken, beef, turkey- because they are nearly all meat, little fillers.
Always read the labels!

[rhett o rick]

6. Fancy Feast is cheap and loved by cats but doesnt get good reviews

by cat food experts. http://petfoodtalk.com/catfoodreviews/fancy-feast/

Fish broth, tuna, fish, chicken, liver, are all good, but wheat gluten, meat by-products, soy flour, soy protein concentrate are not particularly good for your cat. I think there are better alternatives.

[ceile]

16. That's why I said only the meat versions.

The meat versions beef, chicken and turkey have very few by-products in them.

[rhett o rick]

17. There are inexpensive alternatives that have zero by-products

Did you know that by-products some times includes rendered dogs and cats and roadkill?

Also, products are available w/o grains.

[ceile]

18. no, I've never heard of a food that contains dogs, cats and roadkill...n/t

[rhett o rick]

19. If you want to know what's in your cat's food research what is allowed

to be called "by-products".

[ceile]

22. I already know, thanks. n/t

[rhett o rick]

23. That's good, then you must know

"...that meat byproducts may also legally contain: "4D animals (dead, dying, diseased, down), road kill, euthanized cats and dogs, including their collars. These source products are rendered, the fat is siphoned off to be used as "animal fat," and the remaining material is extruded to form "meat by-product meal."

http://cats.about.com/od/catfoodglossary/g/meatbyprod.htm

My best to you and your pets.

[ceile]

26. yes, thanks. n/t

[glinda]

24. FF (kitty crack), as far as grocery store brands go, is one of the better choices but

weigh the cost of Veterinarian bills against the cost of just paying a little more for a decent food.

it always is an issue of what a cat will eat. Halo (small cans only as bigger ones have toxic liners) is a good food both wet and dry although my cats do not like the dry. I find the better food to be more available at independent smaller dealers. You an also purchase online for about the same price or cheaper than adding gas and time.

I buy both online and in smaller store and sometimes at Petco. Although Petco doesn't carry the better cat foods on the top of my list.

Avoid fish whenever possible for many reasons. Occasionally ok but not as steady diet. Provide plenty of purified (not distilled) water so that they avoid urinary issues. Look for the lower amounts of phosphorus and best quality proteins.

Good luck!

[rhett o rick]

25. I have been feeding her Wellness which is one of the best.

But always looking for alternatives for change. Wellness is expensive. Trader Joe's has an inexpensive cat food out that looks good from the ingredients stand point. Havent found many recommendations yet.
From what I can tell FF is one of the worse choices for your cat. If may be the best of the store brands, but that isnt saying much.

Thanks for the tips.

[glinda]

27. Trader Joe's has been under criticism lately for lying about

the background of their Natural foods. I would avoid it personally.

Yes, FF is not good but am saying that people have used it for Rena/Kidneyl Failure kitties at needed times seems since some of them have lower phosphorus levels. They were nOT involved in the massive recalls also so track record is something.

Wellness is one of the better ones it appears. Ziwipeck is near the top but then again cost is something you mention. Nature's Logic is good. None of the vitamins are sourced from China. Keep in mind that when vitamins are added, their fillers and even the vitamins are mostly sourced form China. Nature's Logic processing allows the vitamins to be actually in the food so the animal gets them that way. My dogs are now on that.

I had ten pets that ate poisoned food.

I had four involved with the Lawsuit.

I had four die in the last year from residual effects of that poisoning.

I think I know of what I speak. Ty to anyways but you can never truly know......

[yellerpup]

29. Fancy Feast is what our vet recommended

but ONLY in the original flavors (not flaked, not 'in gravy') because they are all meat. Cats are carnivores and not omnivores, so they can't digest anything like corn or veggies. Vet also advised that dry food is kitty crack and that it causes urinary blockages and kidney failure over the long term. Our own experience bears this out.

[shanti]

32. sadly, i found that out the hard way as well

about six months ago, my 8 year old boy was not voiding or eating anything, so a trip to the vet was in order. come to find out he has developed crystals in his urine (FLUTD). he would ONLY eat dry food, but the vet told me to put him on wet food (no particular brand). vet said it was a chronic condition well, i put he and his sister on wet food, and it took him about 2 weeks to adjust. he still has flare ups, but not often.

[yellerpup]

33. Your boy will keep improving over time.

And so glad to hear you've been able to turn him around so quickly. I've actually started chopping portions of our meat and fish to feed raw or poached, unseasoned (no salt). You'll begin to see a real difference in the coats of both kitties and an uptick in energy as well. Everyone in your house is going to feel happier now. You're a good kitty-mom and I predict you'll be getting plenty of head butts of gratitude from your k-babies.

[shanti]

34. awww, thanks!

now i'm dealing with another issue with manny. he has some kind of infection (source unclear), and the vet prescribed him clavamox on friday. a blood test showed elevated white count. he wasn't eating, peeing, or moving much. yesterday wasn't much improvement, but this morning he ate a bit, moved around, and i saw him enter the cat box, so hopefully he has turned the corner. manny has always been very adamant and vocal about going outside, and i gave in, but i think i shall keep him inside all the time now. much safer!

it's good that you can get your cats to eat plain meat/fish. i would like to get manny to eat it too, but he won't even touch the AD food the vet sent home with me. he will eat the stinky friskies white fish/tuna though.

[yellerpup]

35. My cats hated the $2.75/can food we bought from the vet.

Although, you can reactivate the 'stink' in kitty cans by adding a tsp. of hot water and stirring it in. I'm finding that feeding our boy fresh meat and fish is about equivalent of buying cans. Of course, I buy good human food cheap at Costco, so the numbers work out for me. We live in a 4th floor apartment on a busy street, so our cats never go outside. There are benefits! No fleas, no chance of picking up communicable diseases, and no traffic tragedies to deal with. Your k-boy will get used to it. We have a perch for our boy at the window so he can see what is going on outside. Both of our kitties (Penny was put down due to kidney failure on 7/19 this year) were rescued from a shelter and spent some hard time on the street before we knew them. They never try to escape. Cats have excellent memories. (So, be careful what you say! lol)

Here is a video we did as part of Penny's obituary. She was THE boss at our house. The video doesn't accurately reflect how much smaller she was than Jake. She weighed less than 1/2 his weight. I miss my fearless little girl.

&feature=g-all-u

[shanti]

36. oh, i'm so sorry for your loss!

losing a cherished furbaby is never easy. are you going to get a playmate for your other kitty? your video is super cute! they look like they play fight pretty gently. when mine do that, manny is always spitting out fur. he's definitely the alpha kitty here, and she just lets him be "the man", hee.

both of mine were adopted, manny from the local shelter, and mia from a coworker. i think it works out better to have a male and a female rather than two of one gender. i got manny as a pal for mia after my other cat (a manx) had to be put down due to megacolon (what a horrible disease). her own mother died from it too, so it had to have been hereditary.

thankfully, the antibiotics kicked in on saturday night and my boy is eating and feeling a LOT better now!

[yellerpup]

37. Oh, shanti! What great news!

I'm so glad your k-boy is on the mend. Mr. Pup wants to wait a while before we adopt another kitty and I will respect that. Jake went from starving on the streets to a shelter when he was an adolescent (under one year) then to a shelter in Brooklyn. When he went on the kill list there, Cats Assistance Service picked him up and took him to their no-kill facility. He was between 3 and 4 when we got him. Penny was in the same shelter but she had been there just about six months and had a good home before that (I could tell by her 'manners'...) so we took them both since they were compatible at the shelter. Jakes misses her, but now two months after she left us, he is learning how to curb his aggressive tendencies (with humans--he likes to grab and hold with claws and teeth but he does it as a warning; he's never broken skin) and he's also learning how to bargain for affection and food on his own. He even comes and gets me when he's in the mood to play. We have a good game of stick-and-ribbon and he's happy. We'll go get another kitty soon. From the research I've done and from personal experience, females are the alphas in cat relationships. Neutered males get along fine together. Penny was the first girl kitty we've had since 1989 and what a delight she was. I do miss her. I'm so happy Manny is doing well. That will lift a bit of stress off Mia, too. What a relief that he's improving. You saved that boy's life!

[Lydia Leftcoast]

28. My cat got sick on Target's knock-off of Fancy Feast

He revived on Wellness wet food and Innova Evo dry food.

[ginnyinWI]

13. I am also on the side of wet food being best, but this thread is about finding a good wet food

Here is what you do: look on the ingredients list. The first ingredient should be meat, fish, chicken, liver--something recognizable as meat. Not "meat by-products" or "poultry by-products". (This doesn't count the ones that say something like "water sufficient for processing" first--those are the kinds with gravy so just don't count water as a first ingredient.)

Real meat or fish is going to have more nutrition than by-products, which can be just about anything--skin, for example.

I buy some varieties of Friskies, some store brand, one Nine Lives, etc--I mix them up but always get the ones with good ingredients as the first ingredient. Many also have by-products too, but not mostly.

[glinda]

20. go to TruthAboutPetfood.com

then when you get there, pay the small yearly subscription fee for access to the Petsumer Report. It is very very worth it. I paid under $20 awhile back. It breaks down what is in the foods and red flags bad chems and issues.

Then also take into consideration your pet's health needs.

[rhett o rick]

21. Thanks a lot. I will do that. nm

[CountAllVotes]

30. They were giving cans of this away at COSTCO

It is called "I Love My Cat".

I gave some to my cat but she did not much care for it as she does not like wet food.

It looked like it was good food however.

More re: it here:

http://lovecatfood.com/cuisine.php

As for the issue of age v. food.

I had two cats that lived to be almost 18 years old. One ate anything/everything she could get, mostly canned food.

The other one, "Old Kitty" didn't like canned food. She ate mostly dry food and also had occasional bites of cooked chicken, salmon (her favorite), as well as lamb.

My other cat that died in Feb. would only eat dry food as well (similar to Old Kitty's diet). He lived to be 11 years old and died from kidney disease.

The answer for this is that I do not know.

What I do know is that SCIENCE DIET is a big rip-off that is pushed by vets to make a lot of $$$ off of you. I've yet to see one cat yet of mine that ever liked Science Diet.