Special food for Pedigree breeds...

[Moli]

I have 4 Pedigree cats, never ever used special food for their breed, they just eat ordinary food...Does any think these special food are better for Pedigree Cats....:?

[Elaine]

:lol: :lol: :lol: Have I rattled you Pat?:lol: :lol: :lol: Sorry, didnt mean to, just typing out loud;)

With respect to the debate though, I wouldnt know, having never had a pedigree.
All I know is that I have turned my cats into fussy eaters in my strive to find them a good diet and now all they will eat is the very food that many say is crap, but they have to eat dont they?

[Moli]

No you have not rattled me Elaine, its something I have thought abou often, just wanted peoples views.....

[Moli]

:lol: :lol: :lol: Have I rattled you Pat?:lol: :lol: :lol: Sorry, didnt mean to, just typing out loud;)

With respect to the debate though, I wouldnt know, having never had a pedigree.
All I know is that I have turned my cats into fussy eaters in my strive to find them a good diet and now all they will eat is the very food that many say is crap, but they have to eat dont they?
If they like it and its doing them no harm, I would give it to them...

[smudgley]

not sure about cats, but when the breed specific dog diets were introduced I thought how silly, it will be all the same food just in different packaging but it's not. They take into account things like with the labrador diet, they're greedy and therefore they use a low calorie, high density food that gives the dog the idea he's full up! The GSD diets are fantastic, most GSD's are fussy, this is taken care of with the very palatable diet, they usually poo loads (:roll: ) this too is catered for, with the speed the food travells trough the gut and They also have a sensitive digestive sysem and even this is taken care of in the digestibility of the product.
I really love the dog breed specific diets, so I'm sure the same process has gone into the cat ones.

[dandysmom]

I've never tried breed specific foods...both my pedigrees and moggys ate/eat Fancy Feast. Whenever I try to get Leia to eat one of the more nutritious brands she spurns it. Just tried a Newman's own (at $1.49 per 3 oz tin!!) of chicken and rice and she hated it. Same with the Whole Foods brands and the Royal Canin the vet recommended. Now, I've created a fussy eater too, but she eats and is healthy, so I'm sticking with FF.

[yola]

I think there may be some value in it as some cats do display particular health characteristics that can be to some extent abated by a special diet. Take for instance Persians; their kibble enables the 'fast transit' of fur through the digestive system; there is even a more extreme variant for cats who have problems with furball blockages (as you may remember Darcy did). Obviously for a long and dense haired cat this is of value. The Persian food also factors in ingredients to protect against kidney diseases - something they tend to suffer with.

My cats seem to respond positively to the food - in terms of preference and health (no proof however that this may not have also been the case with non-breed-specific diets).

[Rockmaiden]

I have both a pedigree Ragdoll and moggies in my home and they all eat the same food.

I do buy a high quality food, usually Iams unless it's out of stock which it often is, simply because I fell that the higher quality food will have better nutritional value.

I don't bother with the breed specific as I can't really see what benifit it would have, a cat is a cat afetr all!

Plus my cats all mix and match food bowls and eat each other's food so it wouldn't work in my house anyway.

I would be interested to know if anyone does use breed specific food and found any benifit from it.

[mattde]

I will be moving to RC Maine Coon food soon, I have heard good things and bad things about it. I think a good mixture of food is the key. I have heard of people complaining the RC makes the cats coat too greasy. I will also be trying Almo Nature Holistic dry food, it gets good reports.

[fancyabrew]

I see they do one for BSH's now, but I think I'll be sticking with TD for our lump as she has dodgy teeth. although she was tucking in to a plate of Pheasent this morning!

[PoshPuss]

Posh eats Whiskas/Sheba but has a bowl of specially-for-Persians kibble for the same reasons as Yola mentions re. furballing. Also, Ma'am will eat chicken and ham from one's hand,of course! :-D
Didnt realise about the kidneys, will have to monitor the salt intake.

[Leesy]

I will be moving to RC Maine Coon food soon, I have heard good things and bad things about it. I think a good mixture of food is the key. I have heard of people complaining the RC makes the cats coat too greasy. I will also be trying Almo Nature Holistic dry food, it gets good reports.

Matt I was just wondering what do you feed your 2 at the moment?

Maxi is on the RC urinary S/O at the moment due to the crystals that showed in his urine (wich last test had a clear test):D , he also has a bit of the Applaws chicken mixed in with it otherwise he dosen`t eat much of it, and just has a little bit of the RC kitten dry kibble as treats.

Maisy has the RC kitten wet pouches with RC kitten kibble, she also has some Applaws chicken mixed in.

[mattde]

Matt I was just wondering what do you feed your 2 at the moment?

Maxi is on the RC urinary S/O at the moment due to the crystals that showed in his urine (wich last test had a clear test):D , he also has a bit of the Applaws chicken mixed in with it otherwise he dosen`t eat much of it, and just has a little bit of the RC kitten dry kibble as treats.

Maisy has the RC kitten wet pouches with RC kitten kibble, she also has some Applaws chicken mixed in.

In my last post i said i will be moving to, think i meant moving from lol.

At the moment I feed them RC Kitten 36 , just finishing the last of the 10KG bag. I have some Almo Nature Holistic on order so I will let you know what they think of that. I've heard its good stuff. They have the dry food out 24 hours a day.

For wet food they get Felix or something else that's on special offer. I don't see much point paying loads of money for wet food.

Treat wise they have fresh fish, fresh meat , tuna from the can for Myrtle . Marmalade only like fresh tuna :shock:

I try to keep an eye on salt intake but its hard :-)

[Leesy]

In my last post i said i will be moving to, think i meant moving from lol.

At the moment I feed them RC Kitten 36 , just finishing the last of the 10KG bag. I have some Almo Nature Holistic on order so I will let you know what they think of that. I've heard its good stuff. They have the dry food out 24 hours a day.

For wet food they get Felix or something else that's on special offer. I don't see much point paying loads of money for wet food.

Treat wise they have fresh fish, fresh meat , tuna from the can for Myrtle . Marmalade only like fresh tuna :shock:

I try to keep an eye on salt intake but its hard :-)

I have got some of the new Applaws dry food for them that is 80% meat and does not contain any of the cereals alot of dried food seem to have in them.
They have had a few little nibbles and love them, but they do both have wet for the most because of Maxi`s urinary complaint, but once he has had the all clear for a couple of months I am hoping to get them to eat abit more dry food:)

[mattde]

I have got some of the new Applaws dry food for them that is 80% meat and does not contain any of the cereals alot of dried food seem to have in them.
They have had a few little nibbles and love them, but they do both have wet for the most because of Maxi`s urinary complaint, but once he has had the all clear for a couple of months I am hoping to get them to eat abit more dry food:)

The applaws sounds good. do checkout the Almo Nature i think that's cereal free.

How did you notice Maxi`s urinary complaint , my two have enclosed turdis litter trays so i don't see the numbers 1's

Hope Maxi gets sorted soon.

[Leesy]

The applaws sounds good. do checkout the Almo Nature i think that's cereal free.

How did you notice Maxi`s urinary complaint , my two have enclosed turdis litter trays so i don't see the numbers 1's

Hope Maxi gets sorted soon.

Yes I will certainly check out the Almo Nature, thanks:) .

I noticed Maxi`s urinary complaint while having to check his poops:oops: :oops: , dosen`t sound nice I know but when you love these kitties you will do anything to help them;) .
Cut a long story short when we fist got Maxi he had very loose stools for about a day and then I noticed streaks of red blood in them, he was still eating fine no probs there but took him to the vets, they said it was Colitus and said to change his food to Hills I/D dry, and started him of on antibiotics wich cleared up the blood but didn`t form his stools so they started him off on steriods wich firmed them up but they were never like they should be really and he had been on them since with the odd flair up like when he was neuterd, so I was basically checking his poops to make sure there was not any blood in them, that was when I noticed that when he had piddled it was stained pinky which meant he had blood in his urine, so back off to the vets for tests and the likes another change of diet to the RC S/O , antibiotics, increase in Steroids and Cystease tabs, he was abit like a junky:lol: .
But now his crystals have cleared and his bowels on the RC are the best they have ever been they are just perfect LOL:lol: :lol: and he isn`t even on the steroids any more:D :D Which leads me to believe that it was the Hills I/D that was intsead of making his tummy better was probably upsetting it :evil: :evil:
So there you go you asked for it LOL, oh by the way we have a hooded Turdis as well ;)

[mattde]

Yes I will certainly check out the Almo Nature, thanks:) .

I noticed Maxi`s urinary complaint while having to check his poops:oops: :oops: , dosen`t sound nice I know but when you love these kitties you will do anything to help them;) .
Cut a long story short when we fist got Maxi he had very loose stools for about a day and then I noticed streaks of red blood in them, he was still eating fine no probs there but took him to the vets, they said it was Colitus and said to change his food to Hills I/D dry, and started him of on antibiotics wich cleared up the blood but didn`t form his stools so they started him off on steriods wich firmed them up but they were never like they should be really and he had been on them since with the odd flair up like when he was neuterd, so I was basically checking his poops to make sure there was not any blood in them, that was when I noticed that when he had piddled it was stained pinky which meant he had blood in his urine, so back off to the vets for tests and the likes another change of diet to the RC S/O , antibiotics, increase in Steroids and Cystease tabs, he was abit like a junky:lol: .
But now his crystals have cleared and his bowels on the RC are the best they have ever been they are just perfect LOL:lol: :lol: and he isn`t even on the steroids any more:D :D Which leads me to believe that it was the Hills I/D that was intsead of making his tummy better was probably upsetting it :evil: :evil:
So there you go you asked for it LOL, oh by the way we have a hooded Turdis as well ;)

The joys of cat ownership, good to hear things have worked out in the end.

[Leesy]

Thanks Matt, I must admit I am sooooo relieved:D :D :D it is like he is a different cat as he went really quiet after he was neuterd which we thought was down to being done, but now everything is sorted out he is like a different cat always wanting to play which leads me to think he must have been feeling really uncomfortable.

[dandysmom]

Matt, one of the symptoms of cystitis in females is constantly going to the box and just weeing a few drops...as often as 3 - 4 times in 10 minutes. There was no apparent blood in her urine, but when I took her to the vet she was so frightened she weed right on the examining table, and it was pinkish. Fortunately it was inflammation, not infection, so cleared up nicely. She is on about 90% wet food, just a little bit of dry to avoid any future flareups.

[Leesy]

Matt, one of the symptoms of cystitis in females is constantly going to the box and just weeing a few drops...as often as 3 - 4 times in 10 minutes. There was no apparent blood in her urine, but when I took her to the vet she was so frightened she weed right on the examining table, and it was pinkish. Fortunately it was inflammation, not infection, so cleared up nicely. She is on about 90% wet food, just a little bit of dry to avoid any future flareups.

That is hopefully what I want to get Maxi onto once we have had another all clear for crystals about 90% wet and the rest dry:D

[mattde]

Cheers dandysmom + Leesy that's helpful :-)

So do you think I'm doing things wrong having dry food out 24 hours a day?

[Leesy]

Cheers dandysmom that's helpful :-)

So do you think I'm doing things wrong having dry food out 24 hours a day?

All I know is that after what has happened with Maxi and what I have reseached into cystitus and bladder problems(and believe me I have been on for hours on end), "I" personally would not leave dry food down all the time, I don`t now even for Maisy they just have dry as a treat once a day and even then not to much.

[mattde]

All I know is that after what has happened with Maxi and what I have reseached into cystitus and bladder problems(and believe me I have been on for hours on end), "I" personally would not leave dry food down all the time, I don`t now even for Maisy they just have dry as a treat once a day and even then not to much.

Interesting :-) cheers Leesy

[dandysmom]

Leia's a moggy, but the vet told me to avoid too much dry food as apparently she was prone to cystitis. I also add a small amount of warm water to the wet food to increase her liquid intake ,,, Leia loves the extra gravy.

[mattde]

Leia's a moggy, but the vet told me to avoid too much dry food as apparently she was prone to cystitis. I also add a small amount of warm water to the wet food to increase her liquid intake ,,, Leia loves the extra gravy.

Good tip.

Have you seen the water fountain things you can get for cats, they claim to encourage your cat to drink more water.

[dandysmom]

I got that tip here on Catsey, glad to pass it on. I'd love to get a fountain, but I live in an old house and there aren't enough electrical outlets to put one in the kitchen. Every one is in use; I have to disconnect the radio there to plug in the TV! :roll:

[Leesy]

LOL :lol: :lol: yes I have got one and when they were both on dry food they always looked to be having a drink from it and having a play so I was surpised when at the vets when the vet took a sample of wee how concentrated it was, the vet said he is just kidding me that he was drinking the water he was just playing in it:roll: :roll: .
Now they are mostly on wet they don`t really bother with it at all as they get their fluid really from their food and ther urine is lovely and dilute now:D

[mattde]

lol wont be getting one of them then :-)