What do you feed your cat? Canned, dry food or both? Brand names?

Question

We "free feed" our cats Purina One Sensitive System Formula dry food. Buf for a "treat" which seems to be about once a day now, they have me trained well....we feed them that new Meow Mix Premium wet food with no meat by products. It seems to sit well with them (aka not much puke to clean up), and I see why they call it "Meow" Mix when I rip off the top! LOL!

Answer 1

My five cats eat a raw meat diet, home-prepared with a supplement powder. I use organic ground chicken to which is added chicken liver and chicken heart. With the turkey I use turkey liver and turkey heart. That's dinner. For two cats, it is dinner and breakfast with snacks of dry food for the 22 yr old cat whenever she comes to the kitchen during the day. Maybe twice.

Some of them have dry food for breakfast. I use CA Natural, Natural Balance venison and pea and NB's chicken mixture which I think is chicken and rice. NB has a duck and something which I haven't tried yet. I also have started using
Prairie's chicken mixture. Don't have a bag right here so don't know what they use as carbohydrate. I am still looking for a mixture with something other than chicken as I feel the protein source in the food should be varied. Not just chicken. I would like to find one with rabbit and I don't think the food manufacturers have found it economical to raise the rabbits.

I use Wellness and Natural Balance canned food. I add a teaspoon of water to each individual serving. Wellness has a turkey and salmon I use. That is the only fish they get. I use that if a couple of the cats seem extra hungry, if I'm getting close to out on the raw mixture or just feeling lazy. The raw mixture has a salmon capsule added per pound of meat.

That seems to be different from what the other posters have mentioned.

Answer 2

I'm sure you know that shedding is going to happen no matter what. However, it has been my personal experience that feeding moist food has cut down on the amount. Poppy is nothing but hair, and Sophie is just a regular shorthair. They both shed about equal amounts. Both are groomed on a regular basis - Sophie gets a daily brushing and Poppy gets brushed at least once a week. When I switched them from an all dry diet (Purina) to an all canned diet (good quality of course), shedding was reduced. Not only that, but Poppy's dandruff cleared up. I think regular grooming is the key more than diet, but the moist diet did help. However, there are so many other reasons to get cats off the kibble and onto a MUCH better moist diet. Shedding would be at the bottom of that list - improved health would be at the top.

Answer 3

My cat developed an allergy to cat food a few years ago. He was licking all the fur off his belly-poor thing. So now he eats Medi Cal hypo allergenic on the vet's advice and he's been fine since. He always has crunchies (dry) available and twice a day he gets about a tablespoon of the canned. It's made with pheasant and duck. He eats better than I do-and I have a job! lol

Answer 4

I have tried Science, which the shelter/vets prefer, as well as Meow Mix, Purina One, and various treats and wet pouches (never canned). I always check the ingredients first to make sure the first ingredient is real meat.

Answer 5

I feed my cat science diet, dry food. It helps to clean their teeth. Also is recommended by my veterinarian. I would suggest looking at the ingredients on the bag of food. Whatever is listed first, is what the food contains the most of. for example if chicken is listed first, then the food consists of more chicken that anything else. But if it list cornmeal, then the food has the most of cornmeal. For health purposes you want meats first or at least towards the beginning of the list.

Answer 6

Our Scottish fold is a really fussy eater. We started her with Royal Canine as she was started with that in her cattery. She then went through a spell where she would only want canned food, then Iams dry, then Nutro (for a short time). She is now strictly on boiled chicken fillet twice a day and dry Royal Canine fussy cat (with 2 kinds of kibbles!) for the rest of the day/night.

Answer 7

Medical Preventive dry and canned. I work in a vet clinic and th Medical brand is by far my favorite brand. It's only sold in vet clinics, and yes is sometimes more pricey than store brands. But brands like Iams, Royal Canin, Purina, and Science Diet are all good store foods :). Stay away from things like Whiskas, Friskies, and generic brands.

Answer 8

I feed Nutrience supreme or holistic canned (kitten for kittens) Royal Canin dry food, I use several different varieties as they're different breeds and lifestages and have different needs EG: oral sensitive for one of the oldies. They also get chicken chunks and chicken wings and necks and large lamb bones to clean their teeth. I don't like to use all dry because even though the premium brands have additives to help with crystals, i don't trust it, i've lost one to chronic renal failure, i'd rather not lose anymore.

Answer 9

The food vets and Humane society/shelters recommend id Felidae. It is a little more pricey but it is the best. They also make Canidea for dogs. I usually give dry most of the time with moist as a treat.

Answer 10

Both. I use Nutro brand Natural Choice for the dry and for the wet, but one of my three wont eat that wet food. She only likes the Whiskas wet stuff, and only the pate` texture. I think it is junk, though, so I am trying to wean her to something better. Or, she can stick with the dry and eat chicken with me!