First pet - new stray cat - How can I give her the food she likes?

Question

Hi,

Just have taken in a new stray cat from a friend (she already has quite a few cats) and it's my first pet :) outside for 4+ mos.Love her to death. We've already been to the vet (shots) and the MSPCA (spay) so we're all happy now. I just wanted to know how you know what the best food is for the world's most absolutely beautiful cat ?! I leave out dry all day (likes it, but resorts to it only when the wet food is gone - over the night, etc.). But she loves of course the "expensive" stuff - so I've tried mixing the reg stuff and the expensive stuff and she picks through for the good stuff. My husband says I'm getting her too used to the good stuff - but if that's what she likes.... I guess I'm wondering if I spoiled her by giving her the higher end stuff from the beginning?

As I said, she was a stray, but came from somewhere because she is the nicest, gentlelest cat alive (she's about 3 yrs the vet said). Thanks for any food advice :)

Should have mentioned - I'm keeping her as an indoor cat. Also - if she does get out - what kind of ID tag should I get? Thanks a million!

Thank you so much for the great tips! I have alot of good leads and it's so helpful to get the advice of experienced owners! My friend had been feeding her mostly dry and she splits a can of wet between 4 cats/day. She loves cats - would've taken her but because of the other kitties didn't. Right now I'm doing little meals probably about 6x/day (less than one of the big cans). I'm lucky because I work from home, so I'm around (heck, she's around for me - who am I kidding :) !) I really appreciate everyone's input!

Answer 1

Good for you. Unfortunately the good cat foods are really expensive but so are some of the really bad foods.You do not spoil a cat by giving it what it needs to stay healthy.
Cats should not eat dry food at all. canned foods without gravy are better and without any grains are best

Nutrition since there are so many bad things out there is very important to your cat’s health
Contrary to what you may have heard; dry foods are not a great thing to feed a cat.
Please read the label on what you are feeding? What are the ingredients? Do you know what they mean? Is the first ingrdiant a muscle meat like chicken or meal or other things?
http://www.catinfo.org/#Learn_How_To_Read_a_Pet_Food_Ingredient_Label
Dry foods are the number 1 cause of diabetes in cats as well as being a huge contributing factor to kidney disease, obesity, crystals, u.t.i’s and a host of other problems. Food allergies are very common when feeding dry foods. Rashes, scabs behind the tail and on the chin are all symptoms
The problems associated with Dry food is that they are loaded with carbohydrates which many cats (carnivores) cannot process them. Also, Most of the moisture a cat needs is suppose to be in the food but in
Dry, 95% of it is zapped out of dry foods in the processing. Another thing, most use horrible ingredients and don't use a muscle meat as the primary ingredient and use vegetable based protein versus animal. Not good for an animal that has to eat meat to survive.
You want to pick a canned food w/o gravy (gravy=carbs) that uses a muscle meat as the first ingredient and doesn't have corn at least in the first 3 ingredients if at all. Fancy feast is a middle grade food with 9lives, friskies whiskas lower grade canned and wellness and merrick upper grade human quality foods. Also, dry food is not proven to be better for teeth. Does a hard pretzel clean your teeth or do pieces of it get stuck? http://www.felinefuture.com/nutrition/bpo_ch4a.php

Please read about cat nutrition.
http://www.newdestiny.us/nutritionbasics.html
http://www.catinfo.org/feline_obesity.htm
http://maxshouse.com/feline_nutrition.htm#Dry_Food_vs_Canned_Food.__Which_is_reall

Answer 2

Actually, almost all cats prefer wet food rather than dry food because of the gravy in it. I have 3 cats myself, so what I do is give them 1/2 can each morning and let them eat the dry food throughout the day. What you can also do is buy gravy for the dry food and just mix it a bit. But I think all cats prefer wet food oppose to dry food as well as [most] dogs. So let her get use to it... and I wouldn't suggest mixing the wet with dry just cause the dry food will get a crust after they finish picking out the wet food, I see that a lot where I work, which is at a animal kennel. Hope it helps.

Answer 3

I also took in a stray a few years ago. Wonderful cat. Such a big sweetheart. I've been over feeding her according to the vet. She is now overweight. I give her dry food daily and can food once in a while as a treat. She has lots of water to drink which is important. I would definitely give her brands and food she likes. My cat won't eat certain food so I won't buy it again. I stick to what works.

Any ID tag would work. You can also ask your vet for a special tag to keep track of her in case she does get out.

Congratulations and Good luck.

Answer 4

Feed her Innova Evo DRY (wet food should only be given on special occasions, like when she needs medicine)
Get her a break away collar (these are the only collars that cats should wear) try pettags.com for a cute ID tag
Feeding her the "more expensive stuff" will actually save you money, for these reasons
1) she will eat less of it because it is high in protein (will also poop less)
2) she will be healthier all around, therefore causing you to spend less in vet bills later

The reason you dont want to give her wet food as her main diet is because the dry food acts as a toothbrush of-sorts by knocking the plaque build up off the teeth. When the plaque is allowed to build up, it causes gum disease and will also cause kidney damage when ingested. Dental care for your pet is very important, and dental problems can lead to many other problems. Make sure you have a vet that checks her teeth during exams.
Thank you for rescuing her; cats are wonderful, affectionate animals.
Good Luck

heres a pic of my kitty. I rescued her as a stray also, and have fed her Innova Evo for over a year now and I swear she has NEVER had any problems, and has a gorgeous coat.

http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc227/devony30/June2007120.jpg

http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc227/devony30/July2007008.jpg

Answer 5

First of all thank you for taking in a stray and taking such good care of her!!! What I would suggest is just buying one of several kinds of cat food. I have a picky cat and she actually likes the walmart special kitty or something, whatever the cheap kind is. Just keep trying different kinds and you may be able to find another she likes better. You can also just feed her any soft food. She'll hopefully just be glad she gets it and doesn't have to resort to the dry food.

Answer 6

Ahhh a new cat owner (grin).

Cats are whats known as picky eaters, they eat a small amount and then leave it and come back and leave it. They eat small amounts all during the day.

I personally don't feed commercial wet food as its 80% water and a waste of money. Try feeding her raw petmince with a small amount of offal included, she will really enjoy that. I also feed my cats a raw chicken neck or wing at least once a week for teeth cleanliness.

If you are concerned she is getting picky, put her food down and then half an hour later pick it up and dispose of whats left. She will eat when she is hungry and you will be teaching her to eat what you put down.

Answer 7

I feed my cats canned food only, because I believe it to be a healthier and more natural diet for them. Dry food is loaded with carbohydrates and we all know how bad sugar is for the teeth, so I regularly give them tough pieces of meat to chew instead to help keep their teeth clean.

You might find these articles interesting reading.

"Why Cats Need Wet Food" by Dr. J. Mercola
http://www.mercola.com/2005/nov/12/cats_need_wet_food.htm

"Why Cats Need Canned Food" By Jean Hofve, DVM
http://www.littlebigcat.com/index.php?action=library&act=show&item=whycatsneedcannedfood

Thank you for giving a stray cat the chance to know what it is to have a loving home and owner. I hope that you have many happy years together ahead of you.

Answer 8

You can give a cat wet food as long as you feed it dry food, too. Cat foods with weat or corn are hard for them to digest, and you should read the ingredients for by-products. By-products are left overs of bad meat that are not fit for human consuption. It is bad for their system and can lead to health problems. Even if it is really expensive it does not mean that it is healthy; California Natural is very good for them and my cat loves it. Nutro Natural Choice is great, too.

Answer 9

I've had / raised cats for many years, and have always given mine Iam's, Science Diet, or Purina One dry food. They're all healthy, happy, and the only one sick is a 13 yr old diabetic male, and that wasn't caused by their food. I only give mine wet food for a treat, once a month or so. They love it, but they don't get it often enough to make them "not eat" their regular (dry) food. What was your friend feeding her, before you got her? Enjoy your new "baby".......they're wonderful pets. Good luck..........

Answer 10

only give her canned food as a treat,,, over time this can ruin her gums,,, the dry cat food keeps her teeth and gums healthy.