is this true?

Question

my aunt told me that i should feed my cats only dry cat food ......because its better for them and that when they get older i should feed them fish more than beef/chicken cat food. ( she's been a cat owner since the early 80's and now has 8 cats!)

Answer 1

Higher quality dry food is better as a rule of thumb because it creates less tartar build up and isn't generally as fatty, but as long as you are able to regulate the kitty's weight and keep tartar under control, it's not a problem. If you're looking for a dry food suggestion, my cat's absolutely love science diet nature's best...which comes in both ocean fish and chicken flavors...

Answer 2

Some vets believe that the tartar will not be scraped off the teeth of the cats if they eat soft food. The research is still up in the air on this. There is also some concern about "ash" content and the effects it can have on some male cats' urinary system. If you are feeding good quality food, either canned or soft will suffice.

There are numerus problems with fish diets. The one *I* would be concerned about is the mercury. If a human is only supposed to eat 8oz or less a week because of mercury issues - how is a cat expected to process it? The other issue is that fish is not part of a cat's diet in the wild, why would it be in the home? There aren't too many domestic cats sticking their paws in creeks to fish for food.

Answer 3

Dry food is better for the cat's teeth and keeps it strong. I only feed my cat a small portion of canned food as a treat once in a while. And as for feeding it fish when it's older, I'm completely not sure about that...

Answer 4

I have always fed my 6 cats Iams Hairball, (which they love) and i divide 2 cans of little friskies between 5 of them every morning and sometimes in the evening also. They eat alot of dry but they love their wet food. My vet told me that you should always leave out dry, and give them wet also. Its good for them. Always remember the fresh water!!.....lol My cats have never had urinary problems or anything. The oldest is 10 and the youngest is 2..

Answer 5

I have heard that all my life...I feed my cats only dry food. But they also get treats. But their treats are also dry...They love them and are very content.

Answer 6

Hi there...actually things have changed in the past 20 years with nutrition for pet animals. Fish has been found to be bad for cats because it causes a vitamin deficiency called steatis http://sd.essortment.com/nutritioncats_rnsg.htm.

Here's more about this:
WHY TUNA IS BAD FOR CATS:
ASCPA: WE'RE TALKING TUNA: HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH FOR YOUR CAT?
http://www.lenhumanesoc.org/Tips/ASPCA-Tuna.htm" target=_blank
>http://www.lenhumanesoc.org/Tips/ASPCA-Tuna.htm

"TUNA FOR CATS? NO!

Tuna can be fatal to cats and is not something to be fed to them...The human variety of tuna fish contains an enzyme that destroys vitamin B1 (thiamine). Cats who regularly eat tuna can develop a vitamin B1 deficiency, which results in neurological symptoms like dilated eyes, loss of equilibrium, seizures and death if this vitamin is not replaced. The scientific name of this disease is polioencephlomalacia.

Clearwater veterinarian Richard Brancato said that though most
domestic cats do enjoy fish, feeding them a diet of only tuna can cause serious disorders.

Although it is high in protein, tuna lacks sufficient amounts of
certain amino acids, mainly taurine, to maintain feline health. There is insufficient calcium to balance the phosphorus; the ratio in canned tuna is 1-to-14.8. This results in bone disease.

Many essential vitamins such as A and most B vitamins are also lacking, Brancato said. A common disease in cats fed a mainstay of canned tuna is steatitis, or yellow fat disease, an inflammation of the fat tissue in the body due to a deficiency of vitamin E.

Source:
St. Petersburg Times, published May 14, 2000"

Regarding wet vs. dry there is still debated controversy, however many vets believe that wet food helps hydrate cats so cats with kidney and bladder problems benefit more from a wet food diet as well as senior cats which kidney and thyroid diseases are common.

Here's a detailed article about feline nutrition and about commercial cat food: http://www.consumersearch.com/www/family/cat-food/review.html

Cats are obligate carnivores therefore their diet should be primarily meat devoid of filler products such as corn, corn meal and byproducts (rendered animal meat) found in most commercial cat food brands such as IAMs, Purina, Science Diet, Eukanuba, etc.

Answer 7

Yes you should only feed them only dry food - with access to plenty of fresh water. Canned food, or human food, only as a treat rarely.

Answer 8

Let yer cat decide what they want. I feed my cat Iams orignal (dry) and then every once in awhile I give her some fancy feast as a treat.

Answer 9

Dry food should alone be used as your cat's staple food. It is better for their teeth, it lasts longer, and it is generally more nutritious compared to moist food that tends to have a lot of artificial colors and preservatives and most health experts consider most wet foods to simply be 'junk food' for your cat. If your cat enjoys moist food try to give it as a treat only.

Answer 10

I just had a problem with my cat! She had bad breath, took her to vet, they put her on a pill & told me to give her canned food! Guess what no more bad breath!