Cheap but good cat food?

rita-rabbit

925dancer wrote: »

Sorry, wanted to add, I know of a lot of cats petrified of the water fountains.

I know plenty of cats who have never been witnessed drinking ever, not even from a dirty puddle.

My cats seem to actually be rare in that they are constantly drinking.

This I have gleaned from a cat forum with lots of despairing cat owners who try all sorts to get their cats to drink! Cats don't have a thirst trigger like we do, they don't know they're dehydrated which triggers a need to drink.

I have seen mine drink water, regularly but after the urinary blockage the tom had on 100% dried will ALWAYS feed 50% wet now to both my two. Am really strapped currently (car MOT & tax as well as mortgage) so will be feeding alot of raw (ox heart from the Halal butchers) when the tinned runs out - the female doesn't like it but she can survive on the dried food until next month!

rising_from_the_ashes

purplepardalis wrote: »

Apologies - typo! Arden Grange 2.5 kg for £8 !!! Lol - I'd like to get 7.5 for £8. Sorry everyone. Still it's good value for a quality food. I get mine from Waitrose or Ocado when I do a big shop.

Chuckling!! I did wonder!

Still quite a bit cheaper than the RC so think I'll get a bag to try - I don't like being reliant on the one food only as if they change it, (like Purely) it causes loads of hassle!

Sugar_Moon

I think something like whiskas kitten is fine- I tend to feed mine on dry food as it last longer, makes their poop less smelly and is better for their teeth.

I once switched to tescos own kitten food but it gave them bad tummies so wouldnt reccomend that

925dancer

Not sure how many times I will repeat this in my life time but DRY FOOD IS NOT PROVEN TO BE GOOD FOR TEETH AND COULD IN FACT BE THE OPPOSITE!

Whiskas is the MacDonalds of cat food, best avoided if you can.

GlynD

925dancer wrote: »

Not sure how many times I will repeat this in my life time but DRY FOOD IS NOT PROVEN TO BE GOOD FOR TEETH AND COULD IN FACT BE THE OPPOSITE!

Whiskas is the MacDonalds of cat food, best avoided if you can.

We are told that cat's like to crunch and that crunchy food is good for them. The only problems we've had were with our older moggy. She was born with gingivitis and had to lose ten teeth when she was seven as a result. The food wasn't cited as a causal effect.

925dancer

There is still ongoing study into it but most cats don't actually crunch their biscuits, certainly not enough to have a cleansing effect and they could in fact damage teeth. They also leave residual crumbs in the mouth and between teeth, which can rot and decay. Don't see many cats picking bits out form their teeth or swirling water round their mouth to clear the debris do you?

If you want to offer a bit of tooth cleansing help, offer raw chicken wings, which are proven to be beneficial to tooth health.

http://www.blakkatz.com/dryfood.html

Dental Disease

While there is no documented proof that a natural diet contributes to dental health; periodontal disease is the most common disease of adult dogs and cats.5 Except for Wiley, now deceased, none of the cats in my care have had to have dental work done. Contrary to what most people have been told by their veterinarian, dry food does not clean teeth! When a cat chews dry food, it shatters into small pieces. In order to promote effective cleansing of tooth and gums, the food must remain in contact with the teeth and gums for a period of time. Nothing is going to provide effective abrasive cleansing than chunks of raw meat. Unless you are prepared to brush your cat's teeth or pay hundreds of dollars for dental work, I suggest you start feeding chunks of meat. As I write this, I'm making a note to myself that Ms. Bella, the resident lazy chunky-monkey, chowhound is going to go on an all-chunks diet regimen for a few weeks.

http://www.facekitty.com/2008/11/does-dry-food-clean-cats-teeth.html

Let's get this one straight once and for all: dry food does not clean your cat's teeth! In fact, dry food really has no benefits for the cat. It is merely a convenience for the guardian. If you haven't already read "Why Cats Need Canned Food", that's a good place to start in your quest for accurate, up-to-date information on feeding cats.

Most cats don't consistently chew dry food; they swallow it whole. Obviously, without contacting the teeth, there is zero effect on tartar accumulation. For cats who do chew dry food, whether consistently or occasionally, there is still little or no benefit. The kibbles shatter, so contact between the kibble and the teeth occurs only at the tips of the teeth. This is certainly not enough to make a difference in the formation of tartar and plaque, which most commonly builds up along (and underneath) the gumline at the base of the teeth.

Keeping your cat's (or dog's) teeth and gums healthy requires a commitment on your part. Daily toothbrushing and regular veterinary cleanings are still important. The labels on even the special "tartar control" diets like Hill's t/d and Friskies dental diet recommend these additional steps. (Of course, brushing daily with periodic cleaning by the vet are sufficient to keep the teeth healthy by themselves, without using a special diet at all!) Dental diets are very different from all other dry foods. The kibbles are very large, and have a different texture than regular dry food.

Just a couple of articles with information about dry food and dental health.

GlynD

925dancer wrote: »

There is still ongoing study into it but most cats don't actually crunch their biscuits, certainly not enough to have a cleansing effect and they could in fact damage teeth. They also leave residual crumbs in the mouth and between teeth, which can rot and decay. Don't see many cats picking bits out form their teeth or swirling water round their mouth to clear the debris do you?

If you want to offer a bit of tooth cleansing help, offer raw chicken wings, which are proven to be beneficial to tooth health.

http://www.blakkatz.com/dryfood.html



http://www.facekitty.com/2008/11/does-dry-food-clean-cats-teeth.html




Just a couple of articles with information about dry food and dental health.

You've taught me something. Thank you.

925dancer

That's all I hope to do, I was completely oblivious to feline nutrition until a couple of years ago, now I'm verging on being a bit evangelical about it!

This is another fabulous article about dried foods, long but incredibly informative and easy to read.

http://www.catinfo.org/#My_Cat_is_Doing_Just_Fine_on_Dry_Food

paddypaws101

925dancer wrote: »

That's all I hope to do, I was completely oblivious to feline nutrition until a couple of years ago, now I'm verging on being a bit evangelical about it!

This is another fabulous article about dried foods, long but incredibly informative and easy to read.

http://www.catinfo.org/#My_Cat_is_Doing_Just_Fine_on_Dry_Food

I am with you dancer....I was a fully paid up member of the Hills dry food Club until one of mine developed diabetes two years ago.
Incidentally, my kitten Milo can --and does--swallow Vermex treats whole, little beggar doesnt even attempt to crunch them ( they are about twice the size of a kidneybean BTW )

rita-rabbit

Has anyone actually managed to regularly brush their cats teeth?

I still will continue to feed mine 1/2 & 1/2 for their health & my pocket. However, I apply Logic toothpaste along their gumlines for their teeth. If I was starting from scratch with kittens I would feed more raw - like chicken wings but my two do not like change & I figure that changing from supermarket to other food with a bit of raw is enough for them/me to cope with.