New cats, advice on cat litter and quality food please

barefootmama

So far i've continued our girls on the food they were previously eating (Purina GoCat biscuits) but i've read this is poor quality and i would like to buy the most affordable but better quality food for them. I've heard of Zooplus but there are so many choices i don't know where to start.

One is about 5 months old and the other approx 1.5-2 years old. They were previously both on kitten food(!) How long do i transition them on to new food? They both drink water, the kitten not so much and she has frequent very smelly poos. The cat drinks more often but doesn't use the litter tray much at all. I'm thinking a mixed diet of dry but mainly wet food would be better for them, but the vet has said dry only for their teeth (particularly for the cat who has some gum issues).

Cat lit - the previous own used wooden pellets with them but did they don't seem keen on them at all. On recommendation of another shopper in the aisle i bought Tesco Value brand cat lit, the £1.98 bag should last about 3 weeks. I was keen on the price however it is very dusty and i think irritating the kittens eyes as they're pink I've seen numerous brands rated online and i'd like a few specific recommendations. They are both indoor cats, one is a ragdoll and the other mixed incase that makes a difference.

Cat lit trays - i have an open tray and a hooded one. The hooded one doesn't have a filter, do the filters make much difference?

Many thanks for any advice.

WeAreGhosts

i use Wilkos own brand cat litter
http://www.wilko.com/cat-litter+trays/wilko-lightweight-cat-litter-14ltr/invt/0080430

as for food, its a minefield. i am still learning myself. i have tried the posh stuff from zooplus (Bozita/Feringa) but my cat turned her nose up. she just likes Sheba Fine Flakes.

GwylimT

Dry food doesn't clean a cats teeth, just as only eating biscuits won't clean your teeth. Raw bones however, such as chicken wings will help along with brushing and use of things like plaque off.

The best cheap wet food on zooplus is smilla, mine eats a combo of smilla, macs (happykittycompany) and catz fine food, all have a decent meat content, grain free and sugar free. They also have some raw meat with taurine added. Cats like things like whiskas and Sheba as it is packed full of sugar, it's a bit like feeding a child only McDonald's.

I use catsan clumping, everyone has their favourite though, dusty litters caused my cat to have respiratory problems.

WeAreGhosts

GwylimT wrote: »

Dry food doesn't clean a cats teeth,

i wish someone would tell my vet that. i feel bullied into buying the Hills Science Plan biscuits every time I go. i would change vets but they are the good with opening hours and good with other things like emergencies

p.s i cannot find sugar listed as an ingredient on sheba fine flakes

barefootmama

WeAreGhosts wrote: »

i wish someone would tell my vet that. i feel bullied into buying the Hills Science Plan biscuits every time I go. i would change vets but they are the good with opening hours and good with other things like emergencies

Our vet is the same.

Previously we had a wonderful vet that truly loved the animals and went out of her way, gave holistic care and at good prices. We've moved house and this new vet has good hours and emergency care but pushing biscuits only and costs a lot more.

GwylimT

WeAreGhosts wrote: »

i wish someone would tell my vet that. i feel bullied into buying the Hills Science Plan biscuits every time I go. i would change vets but they are the good with opening hours and good with other things like emergencies

p.s i cannot find sugar listed as an ingredient on sheba fine flakes

It contains both grain based carbohydrate and not a sugar as such, but a lot of cassia gum, cats can't digest these, also a huge 4% meat!

WeAreGhosts

GwylimT wrote: »

It contains both grain based carbohydrate and not a sugar as such, but a lot of cassia gum, cats can't digest these, also a huge 4% meat!

thanks. didnt know what cassia gum was.
i have tried my cat on loads of brands and thats the only one she likes. and i know people say leave it down and if they are hungry they will eat but mine doesnt. starved herself for three days once!

also, dont the meat derivatives make it more than 4%? i am sure thats what i have read.

gettingready

Vets get commission on Hills so push it onto anyone and everyone. Vets know very little about pet nutrition and what they do "know" is from food manufacturers who obviously sing praises of what they sell.

Litter - try good quality clumping liter, seems expensive but lasts ages and no smells, no waste.

Have a look at Golden Grey range:

http://www.zooplus.co.uk/esearch.htm#q=golden%20grey

I used all of them, they are all excellent. Currently on the "white" variety. 2 bags at £19.00 lasts my 4 indoor cats a whole month so it works out at £1.25 per cat per week which is a fantastic value.

Trick is to fill trays really deep for the clumps to be able to form, remove clumps daily and you are left with clean litter in the trays.

I only do a full litter change once every 2 weeks when it is really low - absolute minimum waste. You need a scoop with rally small holes for this litter.

My trays are massive:

http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/cats/cat_litter_litter_boxes/litter_tray_cat_toilet/98035

I have 2 of them for my 4 boys as they happily share. I fill one whole bag between the 2 trays and it lasts full 2 weeks when it goes really low for my 4 so would last a month for your 2.

Dry food - my boys get a mixture of Porta 21:

http://www.zooplus.co.uk/esearch.htm#q%3Dporta%252021%26cats%3D1Cat%257C2Dry%2520Cat%2520Food%26catl%3D3%26p%3D1%26ci%3DCategory_facet%253D1%253A2Dry%2520Cat%2520Food

and Taste of the Wild:

http://www.zooplus.co.uk/esearch.htm#q%3Dtaste%2520of%2520the%2520wild%26cats%3D1Cat%26catl%3D2%26p%3D1%26ci%3DCategory_facet%253D1%253A1Cat

I mix it all in a massive pet food bucket and they have dry food available all the time.

They also eat Felix as good as it looks - i is rubbish food but this is more like a treat than main feed so I am happy with that.

I used to feed them Animonda Carny:

http://www.zooplus.co.uk/esearch.htm#q%3Danimonda%2520carny

- this is excellent food but at some point all of them went completely off. Sighhhhh

GwylimT

I have just pulled out my saddo cat food chart...

An average adult cat can be fed for £66p per day on smilla, 77p on macs. If you feed raw which is the best you can feed from around 20p per day, if you fed meat which contain bones you just need to add taurine (cheaply sourced) if you fed a meal that didn't contain bone you would need a general vitamin powder containing taurine, again very cheaply sourced.

I worked out that if I fed my cat things like chicken wings, chicken necks and very cheap cuts along with vitamins it would cost 36p per day to feed her. The only downside for me was a lack of freezer space, we no longer have a chest freezer so she now has one chicken wing per day with taurine added.

When you change their diet just do it very slowly to avoid a runny bum, it really isn't pleasant having to cut off poo covered fur from a very fiesty ragdolls bum and tail.

GwylimT

WeAreGhosts wrote: »

thanks. didnt know what cassia gum was.
i have tried my cat on loads of brands and thats the only one she likes. and i know people say leave it down and if they are hungry they will eat but mine doesnt. starved herself for three days once!

also, dont the meat derivatives make it more than 4%? i am sure thats what i have read.

Cats are complete pains in the !!!!. Derivatives are normally things like skin which offer little nutritional value.

lemontart

I use the http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/cats/cat_litter/tigerino/tigerino_clumping/468267 for my two and found it the best by far, they eat canin for cats for dry food also via zooplus ( don't forget to go via topcashback) and wet food varies, they love the little trays from aldis