Question about cat foods?

Question

I am most familiar with dog foods. Can anyone honestly tell me if cats have the same types of allergies etc, as dogs do with corn and wheat? I looked up the top 10 cat kibbles and none of what you all have mentioned in past posts is in it. Cats are carivores so corn and wheat are useless cheap fillers. How come nobody looks up these things. I see you all use store bought brands. Mostly. I will never buy science diet, eukanuba, Iams, so many more.
I would like to know if any of you alls cats have itchy skin or other health problems feeding the lower costing foods.
I feed my dogs only human grade foods, Innova and Artemis. Innova has a cat food. I am actually doing some research for my boss that has an obese cat, and just listens to everybody else, like petco employees, that don't always know what they are talking about.
Just like the Eukanuba saleguys last week. I told him why I will not buy that brand and he had no reason for me to try it.

Answer 1

It's refreshing to find someone who actually understands something about feline nutrition!

It's a more complicated subject than you may realize, though, if you're mainly a dog person. Cats have a unique metabolism and their nutritional requirements are quite specialized.

I feel bad for the cats who's people think they're doing well on some of the foods mentioned in this thread. They're probably the same idiots who think a cat is old if it lives past age ten, or that chronic renal failure is a natural part of the aging process.

You must be a label reader, too - you even know that Science Diet is crap! Most people believe the hype and think it's great stuff.

I don't know if cats are "allergic" to corn and wheat, but I know that they can't digest grain like we omnivores do, and that corn and wheat are particularly bad for them, even more than other grains.

You'll love this web site!

http://www.catinfo.org

You already know a lot about feline nutrition, but when you've perused these pages you'll know more than most vets! The vet who set up this site did it because she was outraged that she happened to learn this stuff from a scientific paper and realized that it's not covered at all in vet school! (I know the background because I "know" Dr. Lisa from her participation in our support group for people with cats afflicted with Vaccine Associated Sarcoma.)

Which neatly seques into something else you might be interested in, since you obviously take feline health seriously:

http://www.vas-awareness.org

Show your boss Dr. Lisa's site, and the VAS site, too.

If you don't already have one, please consider adopting a cat! You'd make a wonderful kitty mom!

Answer 2

Remember, not all cats do well on all foods!!!!! I have tried Innova,Wellness, and some other high grade foods, and a few of mine DID not do well at all. DIARRHEA!!!!!!! (and yes, I know how to make a food switch.). Most of my cats were fine, but three just could not do it. I feed Iams, plus a raw diet. They all tolerate that well. I have no illusion that Iams is a great food, but it works for us.
I however will never feed foods with dyes. The shelter I work at has tried Cat Chow, which was tolerable until the new introduction of the "red hearts"!!!! That was a disaster and we saw a HUGE increase in the amount of itching,vomiting,diarrhea,ear problems,UTI's, and many other conditions. The Cat Chow was stopped. It all went away. Cat Chow was started again, all the problems returned again. It was amazing to see the results on such a large scale. (200 cats).

Answer 3

I said if I got another pet, i would only feed it the good stuff like Science Diet. I got a kitten a few months ago and she wouldn't touch it. It looks like cereal and I couldn't really blame her since cats are carnivores. My older cat has always eaten the dry food Deli Cat. The baby loved it. I keep that out always along with just about any of the Friskies canned food twice a day. Years ago people just fed their animals table scraps or canned food and they did just fine. I haven't seen any evidence to tell me different. I think that Vets and Pet Centers are just trying to make a buck.

Answer 4

My cats have a dinner menu of a raw meat mixture (with supplements) that I prepare for them, freeze a batch and then thaw as needed. They have raw ground chicken, with chicken liver and chicken heart. They have turkey with raw ground turkey, turkey liver and turkey heart. Because mixing different species of protein in not a natural diet.

For breakfast they have dried food (except for two who only eat the meat). I have used Innova and within six months most had gained 2 lbs. I think it is the potatoes that did that. I use CA Natural which is chicken and rice. I use Natural Balance which is venison and pea. I have started using Prairie which is mostly chicken and I don't have a bag here now so can't tell you what the carbohydrate is.

Answer 5

I've had six cats over the past 20 years four still living the other two died of old age last year at 17 and 18, I have been feeding them whiskas dry cat food for many years and they have all been very healthy with no allergies, They all get check ups at the vets once a year.

Answer 6

I could never feed my cats the cheep cat food that corn or something to do with corn is the first ingredient. I care about my boys too much.

I feed my 2 cats Natural Choice Complete Care Indoor Formula

Answer 7

What I did. I let them try the every staff in cans. Get one of them in the medium prize. When You find out what the cat like.
Every day have to be different can : juicy/gravy/ next day solid food,juicy next day solid......... .Never fish next day fish, or turkey next day turkey. Mix the "animals" as possible.
Dry food-bay the sample and see what the cat like /the hard is good/ is just for every day /do not put too much - when finish give different one.
Cans are for dinner time only.
Andy


Give the can food in dinner time, ones a day.

Answer 8

My cat gets a little bit of everything. I buy a good dry food, because that's what she eats most of.(Nutro's Natural choice complete care indoor kitten) I feed her friskies or fancy feast canned food twice a day, and i give here temptations treats. She's very healthy and happy.

Answer 9

My grandmother has been feeding her cat regular cat food all it's life, and its 19 now and has no health problems whatsoever.

Answer 10

My cats eat tortillas, donuts, cabbage and anything else that humans like. But there favorite is cheese. My cats are very healthy.