Darn cat...

I noticed that many people here are recommending just the canned food. Since your cat readily eats dry, why not go with looking for a dry food with the highest amount of protein in it? Most people wrongly assume canned contains more protein. Granted you cat get liquids from canned food but cats will drink water with no problem if you give them water they want- most prefer moving water (I use a fountain designed for pets- my cats love it - actually play in it). For example I have a can of Fancy Feast (my older cat Lehigh likes wet food sometimes) and checked the guaranteed analysis on the can- only 10% min. protein. Have checked other canned foods too- some higher, some lower. Dry food can vary also but I have found one that contains 38% min. protein- Purina Naturals (in all green bag). My youngest cat Puck loves it. And his vet said the dry is no problem- just don't over feed and provide adequate water (he was 20lb now down to 18 lb- correct weight according to the vet- this cat is a big boy).
I have owned cats since I was a teenager (over 20 yrs now) and most of my cats have lived to 15 yrs old or older (most were/are males). They all ate dry with occasional canned food if they liked it. The most important thing you can do for your cat is not to let it outside. Cats that are allowed to roam outside live only an average of 8 yrs due to fights, cars, disease, etc. Feed your cat a high protein food (wet or dry) that she will eat. Provide a water source she will use. Get regular vet checkups. Don't let her outside. Play with her- cats need to be socialized or they can become aloof or downright mean to people. I have heard many people complain they don't like cats for this reason- then they meet my cats who come right up to them and look to be petted or played with. Then I get asked why are my cats so friendly and fun? Even my feral I got as a kitten was friendly. Trick is to show your cat you are no harm to them, that you actually equal enjoyment. So enjoy playing with your cat daily, she will love you for it.
 
Dry food is a good point...both of my cats prefer dry as well but because of my male cat's urinary issues, I can't give them free choice dry since that is all they would eat! And I have the drinking fountain which they love. :)
 
Ryverrat, is your cat puck black and white?

No I'm not concerned with her gaining/losing weight I just want her eating something that's good for her. I can't normally afford the good stuff for my animals and when I had the opportunity to buy the good stuff for the same as the garbage I jumped on it. I'm not really trying to decide whether or not to feed dry or wet or both. I already bought the wet food so it's kinda what she's gonna have to eat. I'll still give her dry food of course but I'm trying to use it as a reward for eating what I give her. She finally ate the wet food I had given her yesterday, I believe, and she got a big handful of dry kibble which she is eating speedily now. I did check the label on the meow mix bag at it has 34% protein. I've seen used pet fountains on CL for fairly cheap but it's gonna have to go on the end of the list of things I need to buy. Maybe she'll get one for Christmas as Santa has been known for spending way too much on the animals then he should.

I don't let Chance outside. For one I think it's totally disrespectful towards neighbors. Always made me angry when my neighbors cats would come and do some bird hunting in my willow tree. Two, if dogs can't roam I don't understand why cats can. Three, I don't like the thought of not knowing where she is at all times, not knowing that she's safe and isn't being run over by cars repeatedly. Everybody has their own beliefs on the way cats should be kept so I don't fuss at it but it's always been something I believed in despite this being the first month that I've ever owned a cat.

I really am a dog person:) it's been a huge adjustment mixing a cat into the household with 5 dogs all varying in age, energy, disapline/training and breed. None of the dogs had ever been around cats, all were rescues and some of them still have phycological problems so it's been hard. I now feel comfortable with four of my five dogs being with her. The only problem dog is my only little dog, he's always been extremely tough to train so I knew he'd be a problem from the start but we're working through it. Chance has actually started bullying the large dogs and when she comes up to them and and starts swating them on the face they act submissive like I trained them because they can obviously seriously injure/kill her if they reacted to her. So now I'm trying to work with her on not being such a brat.

I'm enjoying having her though. We do play lots. She does seem like she missed being outside sometimes so hopfully at the end of the month depending on how much animal food needs be restocked I can buy a pet stroller off ebay and that way when I take the dogs for a walk she can go too instead of meowing at the window. When I move to Oregon I'll build an outside enclosure for her.
 
Okay so get this. I'm the kitchen probably a half hour since my last post on this thread cleaning out her wet cat food bowl and I'm like maybe I should get her wet food ready again so that when I'd try and feed her again it would be ready to go. So I got the tiki cat tuna and crab out and put two large teaspoons in the bowl and I decided to see if she wanted to eat it so I called her over and put the bowl on the ground and she ate it. Everything, right there and then. I was quite shocked to be frank. It took a lot of fighting to get her to eat it the first time I tried to feed it to her and she starved herself for along time, she starved herself for a long time with the beef and potatoes too and now all of a sudden she's just going to eat it. Just like that, no fussing, no staring at me meowing, just eat it. So she got a 1/3 cup scoop of dry food right after. Boy did she let out one big meow when she saw me going for the dry food :)

I don't know, just makes me happy that she finally can have a full belly.
 
If you dont want tooth problems in cats dry food is the way to go, if you don't want obesity and diabetic problems don't feed them corn and soy byproducts, if you don't want them to get kidney and bladder infections make sure they are drinking enough water. Males especially are known for not drinking enough holding out for blood from pray and you may have to add a little water to a males dry food and let it swell first. routine wet can food is a sure road to gum disease in dogs and cats, although on occasion like once a week is not bad.

For cats that throw-up try an oatmeal based dry food and if it becasue they are eating too much at once too fast, feed them one tablespoon every hour..
 
CWO4GUNNER I agree that you should try to avoid corn and soy in catfood. As far as avoiding gum disease- my one cat ate dry food his whole life but still had problems with this teeth. He had a shorter muzzle than my other cats. Not Persian short but not as long as a normal cat. I think this may have contributed to the gum disease. One of the most important things to avoid for male cats in order to prevent kidney and urinary tract obstructions is to check the ash content in their food. This is especially true for neutered males. The lower the better on the ash content. Ash content is harder to tell in dry food but if you search the net, you may find it (most dry is higher than wet but good dry low in ash can be found).
 
Just thought I would give an update. Chance is doing really well with the new food now. The only one that she has fought me on since she had a change of heart is the weruva steak frites. When she started starving herself over it a whole day had passed and I could tell she was really hungry so I stuck a couple pieces of dry kibble in the weruva steak frites and she started licking it to try and get the kibble out and she made the most disgusted face. She literally puckered. I thought it was hilarious but I could tell she wasn't just being a brat over this flavor of weruva, she truely did not like it so I gave the rest of the can to the ferals and they loved it. I may try it again with Chance in the future maybe mixing it with another canned food or something.

And then tonight I decided to try the other flavor or weruva brand I had and I was hesitant to open it after the bad results from the previous flavor but I stuck a teaspoon of the new flavor in her bowl and she scarfed it right up. It was called Polynesian barbecue. So yeah she's doing really good and I'm surprised yet ecstatic about her turn around. She's now begging for the wet food even after I give her the dry. She's a good girl.
 
remember this expensive doesnt allways means its good. Try going to a top notch restaurant and pay $100 and get served one a 5 oz stake with 3 veggies.
 
She puckered up, i wish i could have seen that XD

Its great that Chance is doing great! I wish you and Chance the best!
 
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