Conference misery::feline_v1

    Peter, although I'm no expert on the matter, I have recently found
    out that due to the dyes used in many of the "over the counter"
    cat foods and the high content of magnesium and ash, many cats get
    ill when they consume these products.
    
    My own cats just had the problem with the dye content in their favorite
    brand of cat food (Friskies Buffet - dry and canned).  Upon
    recommendation from my Vet, I started all 3 cats on a diet of C/D
    prescription cat food (dry and canned), and they've all been doing
    very well on it.  At first they weren't too crazy about the dry
    food but now my oldest cat (the more finicky one) likes it over
    the canned.  I give them the dry in the morning and canned at night.
    I also have Science Diet Prescription Cat Food (dry).  This is pretty
    much the same as C/D dry. They have not had a problem with vomiting 
    since and also, the litterbox is not as bad as it was when fed 
    commercial food.  
    
    I also changed the brand of litter I used to "Fresh Step" and "Cat's
    Pride".  This has definitely helped in the odor department.  Use
    to use a cheaper brand of litter.  

    I used to use Purina Cat Chow and 9 Lives canned food until Winston
    and Monroe both came down with the FUS within a month of each other.
    Now they all eat Science Diet or Iams in one form or another.  Two
    of them get the c/d, one the feline growth and one the maintenance.
    
    I have also found it to be less expensive in the long run since
    it is more concentrated.  Another plus is that when they use the
    litter box not only is the volume less, but the odor is less too.
    Jo

    My vet has a chart of low-magnesium "commercial" cat foods (actually,
    anything sold is "commercial," but we all know what we mean).  Among
    those that are okay in that department are some of the Friskies
    Buffet (country chicken and gravy, chicken and liver, liver).  Some
    9-Lives are also listed, but they're less reliable.
    
    C/D is okay, and I get dry for our two (they don't like canned).
    Most cat vets can show you equivalent lists, and since _my_ cats
    like variety, I'd rather have several things I can giove them than
    have Merlin figure out how to open the refrigerator (something he's
    fully capable of teaching himself) and get into trouble.
    
    Steve Kallis, Jr.

    my vet also mentioned that the meat (i.e., non-fish, non-organ food)
    Kal-Kan is all right also. Since my cats get a bit constioated on
    the CD, I mix a bit of toasted bran in with thier moist food. Seems
    to have fixed the problem.
    
    Deb

	 Josh and  Becky  have  survived  uneventfully  for  3+ years as
     Purina  cats.  They  get both canned food and Happy Cat semi-moist.
     My  particular vet believes that as long as they get lots of water,
     the regular brands are fine. I mix equal amounts of canned food and
     water  so  I  *know*  that  as long as they're eating, they're also
     getting lots of water.  

	 Our "old  fogey",  Tiger, (r.i.p.) lived almost 20 years on the
     store brands. He never had a problem with FUS.  

    Hi folks--
    
    Anyone have any inputs on the goods/bads of 9 Lives?  My Billie
    eats the liver&chicken, liver&beef almost exclusively;  with an
    occasional foray into liver&tuna, or one of the sliced varieties
    of 9 Lives.  I have tried several times, but just cannot get her
    interested in dry food.  (My callous boyfriend (:^) ) says for me
    to leave just dry out for days on end until she gives in--I'm the
    wimp in this case!)  She rarely drinks water, but I know she gets
    the moisture she needs from the wet food.
    
    Anyone have advice?
    
    Jane

    I agree with your callous boyfriend (;^)) on this one.  It may take
    her a few days to realize that she will only be getting dry food,
    but she will figure it out. 
    
    You can also put a little water into her dry food to make it a little
    moister.  Don't put too much or it will turn into a disgusting soggy
    mess.  After she starts eating the dry food she will probably start
    drinking more water on her own.
    
    Jo

    Ok--
    
    If I try "waiting her out" on the dry food, what's a good one to
    try?  I have tried Purina and Meow Mix in the past.
    Jane

    Unless you are planning to switch her to a premium dry cat food,
    there is probably no reason to switch her at all.  Unless the vet
    recommends it or your wallet does ( big $$$ for canned food).
    
    There are alot of people who raise their cats on Purina Cat Chow
    and never have a problem.  I am not one of them.  I recommend trying
    her out on Science Diet Feline Maintenance.  You can purchase it
    from your vet (may cost more this way), a pet store, at a cat show
    and at most feed stores (this and the cat show are the least expensive
    places to buy it.)
                                                                 
    The stuff may seem more expensive than cat chow and such but actually
    it is not.  It is more concentrated nutrition and therefore they
    do not need to eat as much.  And not as much passes through the
    body as waste (for you to scoop, if you know what I mean 8^) ).
    
    I have also used Iams, and Tami Ami and my cats like all of them.
    I feed them the dry food once a day and supplement it with either
    a spoonful of canned food, or a spoonful of baby food meat, or a
    raw egg yolk about 3 times a week.
    
    Jo

    Vets may not be the most expensive source.  My vet sells KMR,
    for example, for less than half what the stores sell it for.
    Those markups at the stores must be huge (certainly seemed to
    be the case for the cages too!)
    
    	P

    Where do you live?  If you live in the Mass. area there is a 
    grain/pet store in Acton (south of 111&2 on 27) called Ericksons
    that has science diet dry at a pretty resonable price.  Don't let
    the price fool you - cat will not need to eat the same volume of
    food to get the same nutrition.  20 lbs lasts a long time for me
    and I have two 12-15 pound maine coon kitties!
    
    Sally

    re: .6
    
    My cat lived for 18 years on 9 Lives "Tuna & Chicken", "Tuna & Liver"
    and "Tuna".  She was "super finicky" and would go for days and days
    without eating if we tried feeding her dry or another other
    brand/flavor.
    
    She was a very large cat (weighing between 20-25 lbs.) throughout
    her life, so for her evening meal we would feed her boiled chicken
    or poached fish, etc.
    
    She "never" got sick her entire life.  Except for having her teeth
    cleaned, the vet never had to touch her -- of course, she was an
    indoor cat and was our only "baby".
    
    She was frisky and full of life up until a few months ago when old
    age finally crept in.  When I'm able to get another cat, I'm going
    to do the same thing -- feed the cat what it likes!
    
    Mom in mourning.
    
    PC
    

    Re .13:
    
    I feel sorry for your recent loss.  However, if your next cat's
    an altered male, I wouldn't feed him exactly "what he likes"; they
    _like_ tuna, but it's _very_ bad for them.
    
    Steve Kallis, Jr.

    re: 14
    
    Now I'm curious!  I've never had a male cat (yet!) - what does tuna
    do to them??
    
    I didn't mean to imply I fed my cat "only" tuna products -- she
    got a lot of variety via "home-cooked" meals -- but my vet never
    mentioned anything about tuna.  
    
    I know that males tend to have a stronger litter box "smell" and
    would assume that tuna could aggravate that.
    
    The reason I ask is that I'm new to this notesfile and have started
    perusing as I am starting to consider replacing my Sapphire kitty.
    
    Thanks for any info of food/males!
    
    

    What's different about males? In a male cat, the urinary tract becomes
    much smaller just before it reaches the penis. It is at this point
    that any crystals in the urine get trapped and cause blockage. Females
    generate just as many crystals from any given food as males but
    their tract is fairly large all the way out, they pass crystals
    easily. An operation to correct this involves making the male into
    a female, sort of. Choice of food is quite important and there have
    been many discussions on this notesfile about it, I have used C/D
    dry or Science Diet ever since I lost a male tiger 8 years ago
    to cystitis (sp?) and have found it to be cheaper in the long run
    as my two Main Coons eat much less of it. Besides, I like what I
    read in the list of ingrediants of the C/D compared to commercial.

    Thanks for the good info.  If I decide to get a male cat this time
    around I'll be forewarned and hopefully will live as long as my
    other cats did (Fluffy 20 years, Sapphire 18 years).
    
    Thanks again.
    

    I asked my vet for a food recommendation for my 8 week old
    kitten. (she was abandoned, and being the softy that I am,
    I took her home).
    
    He recommended either Purina or 9-lives, canned.  He does
    not recommend dry foods.  Jaspy likes the Purina better,
    only because it's easier for her to eat now (most of the
    9-lives is chunky, and she still has trouble with that)
    The vet recommends mixing it with about 1/3 water...she
    gobbles it up and always asks for more !
    She seems to prefer the meat/beef varieties over tuna or
    fish... Must be finicky, it's the first cat I've seen
    turn up their nose to tuna.
    

    I give my cat 9-Lives canned food and alternate with Little Friskies
    dry.  She loves both.