Re: Canned Food - A MUST For Our Cats!!

I totally agree. My "unexpert" opinion is that all that filler, i.e. corn and corn by products, are doing just as much damage to our pets, as is all the corn filler products are doing to humans, such as corn syrup, hi fructose corn syrup, etc. My cats get some canned food a few times a day (small portions at a time), but they also have kibble that is produced by Amish farmers, made with free-range chicken. It is holistic cat food sold at Trader Joes. They love it, and I am satisfied with the ingredients...

Re: Canned Food - A MUST For Our Cats!!

Dry food makes crystal form on your cats kidneys and can make them get UTI and kidney infections. My also result in surgery

Re: Canned Food - A MUST For Our Cats!!

The drinking thing was interesting. Now I understand why our guy prefers to lick at the running water from the bathroom faucet whenever we go in there, instead of using his water bowl. We just thought he was kind of a spazz who stuck his nose into the water, because he usually snorts and coughs when drinking from the bowl!

Re: Canned Food - A MUST For Our Cats!!

I have recently been feeding canned food to my 11 cats, but quality canned food is very expensive with such a crowd. At least for a while, I will still have to use kibble (excellent quality however) to fill up my kitties tummies.

Re: Canned Food - A MUST For Our Cats!!

Also, forgot to mention a while ago I purchased a Drinkwell fountain. A little extra work keeping it clean and sanitary, but well worth the effort - the cats drink more - also play a little in it, but they did that with the "stationary" water too.

Re: Canned Food - A MUST For Our Cats!!

My cats have been on Eukanuba since they were kittens and I haven't had any issues. They all drink plenty of water too. I have tried to give them some soft food and they turned their noses up at it.

Re: Canned Food - A MUST For Our Cats!!

After working for a vet, I have doubts about saying dry food is so unhealthy and doesn't help keep teeth clean. I think this should be looked into a little more.

Re: Canned Food - A MUST For Our Cats!!

I agree with wborgman. A high quality dry food can crunch the food off their teeth. My cats love the "dental bites". They also love wet food but we'd been giving them a very good dry food, no preservatives/fillers. I read the article and can see the point. So, I'm going to give them both!!! They drink out of the toliet all the time which is gross but it also forces me to clean the toliets often! :-)

Re: Canned Food - A MUST For Our Cats!!

My very strange cat won't even eat canned tuna (!) much less any other canned cat food. She has been on dry food for all of her 10 years with me. I was a bit distressed to see this article as I certainly love my cat & don't want to compromise her health. But, sheesh, I can't force feed her! LOL Open to advice!!

Re: Canned Food - A MUST For Our Cats!!

My vet said that canned food is worse for my cat than dry food and should be avoided, so I don't know what to believe now.

Re: Canned Food - A MUST For Our Cats!!

My vet said that canned food is worse for my cat than dry food and should be avoided, so I don't know what to believe now.

Re: Canned Food - A MUST For Our Cats!!

It must depend somewhat on the dry food. I've been feeding my 2 cats Purina Cat Chow Indoor forumla for the 4 1/2 years I've had them, and at every checkup their vets rave about how healthy they are. (I've seen several different doctors at the same clinic.) I also use the Science Diet TD dry food as treats to keep their teeth clean, and it's doing the job; no dental problems.

Re: Canned Food - A MUST For Our Cats!!

i feed my 3 cats both, dry food is left out for all of the time, i feed them canned food every other day or so, and they are doing great according to my vet. i think its a matter of opinion by the vets, on what is better. cats are carnivores and they need meat. water is always available for them, sometimes they will drink out of my water glass with their paw, they like the bottled water better i guess.

Re: Canned Food - A MUST For Our Cats!!

I feed my 4 indoor cats canned twice a day, but leave them some kibble so they can munch through the day. I've been leaving them less and less kibble simply because even though he's a big cat, my oldest, Vlad is slightly overweight. I'm trying to get them used to only canned. My outside cat eats kibble, but she regularly makes some unfortunate birds her meal. So she gets fresh meat.

Re: Canned Food - A MUST For Our Cats!!

When I first adopted my Nalla, I was feeding her canned cat food. Her vet told me to switch her asap to dry as she is an indoor cat, it would be healthier for her. I did so and she was 4 1/2 years old before the vet said anything about her teeth. After I had her teeth cleaned, I tried to give her canned food, but she turned her nose up at it. Her little brother wound up eating it!!!

Re: Canned Food - A MUST For Our Cats!!

furfaceluv: My cat also will not eat canned cat food. I have tried several different brands, all to no avail.

She will eat any dry food, so I switch between a few brands for variety. She does enjoy canned tuna and fresh chicken, shrimp and steak. And I'm glad to read that she's not the only cat who prefers her water directly out of the faucet. I love to spoil her, so I'll turn the faucet on and off however often is necessary. She also seems to like fresh water for grooming.

She's basically an indoor cat, but she liikes to go out for lizards when the weather's nice, as well as the occasional low flying, slow butterfly.

She's two years old now and plenty healthy and energetic.

Re: Canned Food - A MUST For Our Cats!!

I posted to this topic before, but I now have more to add. Before premium cat food ever came on the market (about 25 years ago - or maybe it was out there and I didn't know about it); nonetheless I had four cats who ALL lived 16 years or more, never had dental problems, and who were fed exclusively 9-LIves and other supermarket food. Until cancer and old age took them (the oldest lived to be almost 20), the only reason I had to take them to the vet was for shots and minor ailments. Now I use premium food and while not entirely unhealthy, the cats I now have are less healthy than the four earlier unrelated ones. Coincidence? Luck? Good genes? I don't know. I still intend to use premium cat food, but I'm just saying...

Re: Canned Food - A MUST For Our Cats!!

As a vet tech, I disagree with the statement that dry food doesn't help to clean a cat's teeth. There is in fact an excellent dental diet that Hills puts out with large kibble that forces the cat to chew more which can help remove plaque and tartar. My cats are on a diet of both canned and dry. The get quality dry food, and cheap canned because the won't eat the vet diet canned food. (Snobs!) I do like the fact that they get a lot of water from the canned food, which is really important especially for male cats because of their urinary tract make-up. (They are more suseptible to bladder and kidney stones) Kidney problems are probably the number one issue that we see at our hospital, so I try to make sure my cats have both canned for moisture, dry for the teeth and a running water fountain to drink from.

Re: Canned Food - A MUST For Our Cats!!

I just had my 6 year old to the vets this weekend for asthma attacks. In checking her gums for color (she was good), he asked what I feed her....all dry, with occational cat tuna for a treat. Her teeth are clean. His only concern was her skin & fur. She has drandriff. He gave her a shot & advised me to get fish oil for her. Because the dry food is lacking in oils to keep her fur & skin healthier. He also suggested a little can food every day (instead of just mixing fish oil in her food) to give her the moisture she needs. She's not a fan of can food, but, we'll give it a try!

Re: Canned Food - A MUST For Our Cats!!

SO, what's a meowmy gonna do if the cat won't eat wet food? Believe me, I've tried MANY different brands, flavors!
She seems to be doing well on the Innova dry (have been on it since stopping the Eukanuba kitten after a year. She's now 7 yrs) - pretty high protein, low carbs & no corn of any kind in it. She's the same way with treats of any kind, except Kitty Kaviar. My outdoor kitty is really picky too, but at least he will eat ONE flavor only of Fancy Feast wet.

Re: Canned Food - A MUST For Our Cats!!

As I veterinarian I see this as horrible advice, this article.
Sorry but it's a mixture of haft facts and uniformed opinion. I mean this with respect but I only base my science on facts. So it is important to understand it is fine to feed your cat WELLNESS Dry its entire life. Any good food is fine dry. Actually most canned foods other then Wellness and a few other brands are extremely bad in some ways for cats. I will blog about this on my Live Journal and post all the facts. Peace out, Amanda

Wellness is a good dry food.

Any suggestions for my old lady cat who only likes to lick gravy?

whether it be wet or dry...i always buy my cats foot free of by-products! good quality.
but, my little old lady MOCA has kidney failure. unfortunately i will not give her daily shots (was too traumatic for both myself and my old cat & my dad had to give the shots) so i am looking into alternatives. being she needs lower protein, the moist food has that as it is mixed with water. so i mush it up with a little extra water & some supplements as she only licks it anyways, but i do this 2 times a day or more if home to make sure she eats.
we have tried all kinds of expensive good quality moist foods, she changes her mind all the time.
the vet wants her on a special food only available through the vets which is expensive & has by-products right at the beginning of the list. since i don't agree by-products in the food...
does anyone have any suggestions for a high caloric gravy type recipe for an old cat who likes to lick juice??
thank you!

Re: Canned Food - A MUST For Our Cats!!

My cat throws up canned food no matter what kind, she can only keep dry food in her stomach, even one little piece of canned food and she will throw up all over the house and sometimes get diahrrea. Any advice?

Re: Canned Food - A MUST For Our Cats!!

*stands up and cheers* thank you for this post. It will take a lot more like it to convince people that *as a whole* dry food is not good for cats. A lot of people will tell you "well I've fed my cat dry food for years and he was fine!" well surviving is not the same as thriving, now is it? but how many people HONESTLY know the difference? it is like saying that because a cat went outside and lived until he was 15, that all outdoor cats live very long lives (not true, average life of an ourdoor cat is 3 years)

My cats were fed dry until I realized the truth. They are now all on a homemade raw diet (recipe from a vet) and are doing great. On dry I had several cats that needed dentals. Now granted on raw I have cats that need dentals too.. teeth in cats are much like teeth in humans - depsite how well or how badly you care for them, some are just going to have naturally stronger teeth.

I realized the myth of dry food cleaning teeth was a myth when I saw my cat vomit up whole pieces of dry food! they rarely chew it. and if they do, their sharp pointy teeth simply shatter the kibble. it does not grind against the teeth at all. Cats are carnivores, and their teeth reflect that. they were designed for ripping the flesh off bone, not chewing kibble.. yes the large T/D forces more shattering of kibble, and maybe some positive effect is gleened from that, but that would be like a human being relying on crackers to clean their own teeth.

there are some "better" brands of dry food out there. but all are very high in carbs - which cats can not process. Think McDonald's food for humans. the closer the cat's diet mimics their natural diet (aka mice / rodents) the better it is.

want more reading? check out www.catinfo.org

Re: Canned Food - A MUST For Our Cats!!

I do not belive in can cat food my vet has told me it rots their teeth
So i feed mine all natural foods dry though not wet and they love it.