Dog Food V Cat Food

chocolatelover93

pinkteapot wrote: »

That's perfectly normal.

The wet vs. dry debate is not as cut-and-dried as suggested on this thread. The scientific evidence is not conclusive yet.

Everyone (including vets) agree that in cats with a history of kidney and urinary problems, wet food is definitely better. However, there isn't conclusive evidence that wet is better for normal, healthy cats.

A cat will naturally drink more when being fed dry. Wet food is 80% water, so they simply don't need to drink much water. However, not all cats on dry food are dehydrated, because most will up their water intake if they need it. You should see your cats drink more on a dry diet - that's normal.

There's a lot of debate around this, so do your own research and decide for yourself, but introduce a major change in diet gradually.

Thank you will have a look into it

GwylimT - I will have a look on that forum!! Thank you

Is it ok to give them "human" food? They will eat ANY leftovers we have, they're more like dogs than cat's!! They are so funny!!

Rev

I admit I feed my cats crap wet food. One anyway. I've tried every good wet food available and he refused them. He also won't touch raw (wish he would I feed my dogs raw would be much cheaper and easier). But he loves the crap sheeba in gravy so he gets that instead of zero wet food. He does have a high quality dry down.

My eldest cat will only eat applaws wet. That's not complete so she has dry too but she's almost 18 and set in her ways. I wasn't aware dry was bad for them or that not all dry was good until she was quite old so I'm happy to give her shredded chicken or applaws and know she at least has some wet food.


If ever I get another cat they'll be weaned onto raw as soon as possible.

dollydiva

Its not black and white about Dry food for cats by any means. There were scares about dry foods in the '90s and this has lead to a lot of urban myths. The only danger in dry foods is where a cat has no access to water, or drinks little water. Dry foods encourage drinking and this can be a good thing for cats as all cats will suffer kidney problems at some stage. That is the nature of their diet.

Yes, homecooked is good, but you need to add taurine or your cat will be very ill indeed.

We feed our cats a mix of dry, wet and homecooked. I buy cheap chicken portions and cook them in water with a carrot. When cooked, save the water, strip the chicken and mash the carrot. Put the bones back into the water and reduce. Cool, and youll get a rich stock/jelly. Mix in the chicke & carrot and add the taurine as per the instructions.

dollydiva

pinkteapot wrote: »

That's perfectly normal.

The wet vs. dry debate is not as cut-and-dried as suggested on this thread. The scientific evidence is not conclusive yet.

Everyone (including vets) agree that in cats with a history of kidney and urinary problems, wet food is definitely better. However, there isn't conclusive evidence that wet is better for normal, healthy cats.

A cat will naturally drink more when being fed dry. Wet food is 80% water, so they simply don't need to drink much water. However, not all cats on dry food are dehydrated, because most will up their water intake if they need it. You should see your cats drink more on a dry diet - that's normal.

There's a lot of debate around this, so do your own research and decide for yourself, but introduce a major change in diet gradually.

Cats with ckd can get renal dry and your vet will advise this - if it suits them! It made my cat vomit.

GwylimT

dollydiva wrote: »

Its not black and white about Dry food for cats by any means. There were scares about dry foods in the '90s and this has lead to a lot of urban myths. The only danger in dry foods is where a cat has no access to water, or drinks little water. Dry foods encourage drinking and this can be a good thing for cats as all cats will suffer kidney problems at some stage. That is the nature of their diet.

Yes, homecooked is good, but you need to add taurine or your cat will be very ill indeed.

We feed our cats a mix of dry, wet and homecooked. I buy cheap chicken portions and cook them in water with a carrot. When cooked, save the water, strip the chicken and mash the carrot. Put the bones back into the water and reduce. Cool, and youll get a rich stock/jelly. Mix in the chicke & carrot and add the taurine as per the instructions.

Out of the 9 cats I have owned, the oldest being 19 when he crossed the rainbow bridge not a single one has had any form of kidney problem. A cat eating raw or wet meals is sufficiently hydrated, those eating dry aren't as cats do not drink enough to counteract this. My cousin regularly has to put cats to sleep as they have been fed dry, which has led to a fatal urinary blockage, somethinf that only happens to dry fed kitties.

GwylimT

Rev wrote: »

I admit I feed my cats crap wet food. One anyway. I've tried every good wet food available and he refused them. He also won't touch raw (wish he would I feed my dogs raw would be much cheaper and easier). But he loves the crap sheeba in gravy so he gets that instead of zero wet food. He does have a high quality dry down.

My eldest cat will only eat applaws wet. That's not complete so she has dry too but she's almost 18 and set in her ways. I wasn't aware dry was bad for them or that not all dry was good until she was quite old so I'm happy to give her shredded chicken or applaws and know she at least has some wet food.


If ever I get another cat they'll be weaned onto raw as soon as possible.

If she eats the pate it is complete, as are the kitten tins.

chocolatelover93

I had to have my 14 year old cat put down last year because of suspected kidney damage and he only ate dry food, although he do catch a lot of mice and moles and would eat the mice so he was getting some raw food too.

When you say raw food do you mean offcuts and things? Mine have only ever had dry food and when they eat some food it gives them the poops!

Rev

GwylimT wrote: »

If she eats the pate it is complete, as are the kitten tins.

She doesn't.


She eats the chicken one or the chicken and cheese. That's it. Not he chicken with pumpkin or any of the tuna ones. Or any Pate type.


She's a fussy so and so but as I said she's almost 18 and can eat what she likes as far as I'm concerned.

GwylimT

Rev wrote: »

She doesn't.


She eats the chicken one or the chicken and cheese. That's it. Not he chicken with pumpkin or any of the tuna ones. Or any Pate type.


She's a fussy so and so but as I said she's almost 18 and can eat what she likes as far as I'm concerned.

Typical stubborn cat!

Feral_Moon

GwylimT wrote: »

Out of the 9 cats I have owned, the oldest being 19 when he crossed the rainbow bridge not a single one has had any form of kidney problem. A cat eating raw or wet meals is sufficiently hydrated, those eating dry aren't as cats do not drink enough to counteract this. My cousin regularly has to put cats to sleep as they have been fed dry, which has led to a fatal urinary blockage, somethinf that only happens to dry fed kitties.

And all my cats have lived well into their 20s whilst being fed a predominantly dry diet. So no, it's certainly not as cut and dried as people like to make out.

Yet my mother's cat died at around 10yrs old due to kidney failure having only ever been fed Kitekat/Katkins tinned meat with a sprinkling of Go-cat.

I think quality of food is often just as, if not more so, important than type.