Conference misery::feline_v1

    I think you mean Iams cat food.
                               
    It's mostly available at pet stores or pet supply/grain stores.
    

    Terry.
    

    Perhaps you mean IAMS?
    
    This is usually available in pet supply stores, *not* regular
    food stores/groceries.
    
    Try calling around to see who carries it, or let us know where
    you are located, and perhaps one of us will suggest someplace
    nearby!
    
    Good luck,
    	       Penelope

    
    THANKS FOR THE HELP. IT LOOKS LIKE I SHOULD BE LOOKING FOR IAMS.
    
    I AM WORKING IN MAYNARD AND LIVE IN CLINTON. IF ANYONE KNOWS ANY
    LOCATIONS NEAR-BY THAT SELL IT, LET ME KNOW.
    
    
    *** I CERTAINLY HOPE SASHA EATS THIS FOOD AFTER ALL THIS!!! ***
    
    THANKS AGAIN
    
    JANET
    

    My cat, Zildjian, (half siamese) was loosing weight.  Turned out
    to be a tapeworm.  The vet said they can not test for tapeworm,
    you have to find them in their stools to know the cat has them.
    Cats can only get tapeworms from fleas - so if your cat has not
    had fleas then she can't have a tapeworm.   I found one in her stool
    (thank god) one day - she must have had it for a good year because
    she hadn't had fleas for over a year.  I felt so bad.  But the vet
    said that no test would show a tapeworm, and they do not like to
    give the medicine to the cat unless they know for sure they have
    tapeworm.
    
    After she was cured, I started feeding her tunafish, and now she
    loves this.  It put weight on her, too.  I buy the cheap stuff.
     She goes crazy when she knows she is getting that.  I feed her
    two cans a week.
    
    anna
    

    You can find Iams at Ericksons Grain Mill on Route 127 going out
    of Maynard.  
    
    I feed it to all my cats and they love it.  
    
    purrs
    cin
    
    

    I think that Cin meant Route 27, not 127. Comming out of Maynard,
    into Acton, it is on the right, right before the bridge.
    
    Incidently, they have real good prices there.
    
    Deb

	fyi -- Cats can also get Tapeworm from ingesting infested prey.

					-Caroline

    I have an 8-year old Siamese named Sasha! She, too, likes Iams!
    Also, maybe supplementing her meals with baby food (strained or
    junior Beef or Chicken - Gerber) may start her eating again.
    You can also purchase Iams at most Cat Shows, but Erikson's
    is where I shopped between shows.
    
    E. T. + 11
            

    Or maybe extra nummies, like sliced turkey breast and shrimps. 
    (I guess this is why  my little tubbies don't have this problem.)
    

    	If you happen to be viewing foliage and are on 110-111 in the
    Harvard area, stop in at the kennel just north of Carlsons (after
    you cross Rt. 2).  It's just before Old Mill Road.  There's big
    IMAS signs hanging from the garage, the house, etc.  - Chris

                Speaking of Iams, I saw an ad on TV for it this
        evening!! It was on channel 4 in Boston during the 5:30 news.
        Has anyone else seen any ads for it?? No mention was made of
        where to get it though.
                
                /s/     Bob

    In general, any pet store that carries foos will have carry Iams or
    Science Diet. In particular, I know that the following stores carry
    it:
    
    		Debby 's Pet Land  (chain store; Newton, Nashua,
				    Framingham/Natick(?), Dedham, etc)
    		Boston Pet (Cambridge, Waltham)
    		Breeder's Pride	(chain store; Arlington, Sudbury, etc.)
    		Belmont Pet
    		Erickson's 	(Rt. 27 in Acton)
    Deb

    Yes, I saw the ad.  It features a fellow named Bob Steele who has
    been a DJ on the Hartford radiostation WTIC for about a million
    years (literally).  He is somewhat world renound for his uncanny
    way of telling jokes badly.  I remember him being one of my pet
    peeves when I was in grammar school in good old Hartford (and I'm
    an old lady now!).
    
    Marion

    The ad says you can call 1-800-BEST CAT (in Mass.) to get a
    free sample.
    
    Paula
    

    Re .13
    
         I apologize but I just can't let this go by.  What better
    representative could a pet food company have than someone responsible
    for pet peeves.
    
    ...Okay...  I'm really leaving... --> whoosh!

        Our cats suck that stuff right down.  As has already been pointed
        out, almost all pet food stores carry Iams.  You've already
        got several pointers.  Also, check your telephone Yellow Pages,
        e.g., try PET FOOD or whatever.  A lot of the places that carry
        Iams also have samples.
        
        Tom

    JUST A SHORT UPDATE. I DID FIND IAMS @ ERICKSONS IN ACTON AND THEY
    DO HAVE SAMPLE BOXES, FORTUNATELY. WHEN I WAS THERE I GOT THE SAMPLE
    BOX AND AN 8 LB BAG @ $10.50 TO SAVE ME A RETURN TRIP WHEN SASHA
    LOVED THE SAMPLE. WELL, YOU GUESSED IT, SHE DIDN'T LIKE IT. EVEN
    WHEN I LEFT IT OUT AS THE ONLY FOOD, SHE WOULDN'T EAT IT.
    
    SHE IS EATING THE CANNED FOOD THOUGH AND IS PUTIING ON SOME WEIGHT
    SO I AM NOT AS CONCERNED AS I WAS. I DID PICK UP A SAMPLE OF ANOTHER
    TYPE OF HIGH NUTRITION FOOD THAT IS BY PURINA WHEN I RETURNED THE
    UNOPENED 8 LB BAG OF IAMS. SO, NOW WE'LL TRY THAT. BTW: ERIKSONS WAS 
    VERY ACCOMEDATING AND DID NOT ESTIATE TO REFUND MY MONEY FOR THE IAMS.
    
     OH YES, I WAS AT SPAGS THE OTHER DAY AND NOTICED THAT THEY ARE
    ALSO CARRYING IAMS. IT WAS $9.99 FOR THE 8 LBS SO IT'S JUST A LITTLE
    LESS EXPENSIVE THERE.
    
    JANET

    Not all cats will eat Iams (or Science Diet or ProPlan or Tamiami),
    but most of the major low ash foods have sampler boxes (or at least
    milk carton size ones that are only a dolar or so). Pick up one
    of another brand and keep trying until you find something that
    kitty likes.
    
    Deb

    Let's keep this a secret from the manufacturer...lest we
    "kill the golden goose."
    
    IAMS sample size is usually priced LESS PER OUNCE than the larger
    cartons.  So I often buy 1/2 dozen of the little ones.
    
    [I just *hate* it when this is done, especially with things like
    detergent, where the larger container is called "Economy" but
    actually costs more per ounce than the "Regular" !]
    
    	Penelope

    Gee...my local store gives away the sample size of IAMS.  Now, that's
    a bargain!!
    
    Speaking of bargains, I picked up a couple rebate coupons for the
    4, 8 or 20 lb. bags.  You get $2.00 back from IAMS when you mail
    in the coupon, the weight circle, and the coupon.  It didn't say
    "only 1 rebate per household", so and is good until Dec 31, so check
    your stores for the coupons!
    
    Honey has been eating IAMS exclusively for the past few years, mainly
    because he turns his nose up at everything else.  I brought home
    a sample box of Purina ProPlan, and amazingly enough, both he and
    Chauncey prefer it to the IAMS.  In fact, the ProPlan was gone this
    morning, while the IAMS remained untouched.  Maybe I'll give them
    the new stuff for a bit of a change...
    
    Mary

    A lot of notes about this IAMS cat food!  My cat is now on the Science
    C/D diet for prevention of urinary problems.  Is the IAMS or ProPlan
    food similar for such problems?  I want to maintain the dietary
    requirements, but would like to provide some variety.  (Although I
    don't know why I should bother -- the cat will eat absolutely anything
    at any time, and doesn't seem to mind the monotony!) 

    Re .21:
    
    >don't know why I should bother -- the cat will eat absolutely anything
    >at any time, and doesn't seem to mind the monotony!)
    
    Lucky you!  My two are not only finicky, but they don't always like
    the same food.
    
    Steve Kallis, Jr. 
    

    >.21
    
    I'd also like to know if feeding IAMS or ProPlan to my 3 cats as
    a variety food would be okay as I presently have them all on Hill's
    C/D dry and canned food?
    

    Well, C/D is lower ash than any of the other lower ash foods, including
    Hill's commercial version (Science Diet). My vet reccomends against
    using a different dry food for Argus (since he is the one with the
    FUS problem), but since Gus won't eat canned C/D, he reccommends
    a very limited number of commercial canned foods (from Friskies
    Buffet, KalKan and Nine Lives always meat and
    poultry, no fish or organ meat)
        
    Deb

    Hill's S/D vs. C/D
    
    I seem to recall my vet telling me that the C/D has some
    acidifying element to it that S/D doesn't have.  For a lot
    of FUS cats, you not only have to ensure a low ash diet,
    but you have to effect their urine ph levels as well, since
    they tend to be alkaline.  It's this alkaline environment
    that promotes crystallization and bacterial growth.  As far
    as I know, C/D is the only food that has an acidifying affect
    on the urine ph.
    
    Donna

    Correction to my previous reply:
    
    I didn't mean to say S/D (this is Hills Stone Diet),  I meant
    Hill's Science Diet.  Sorry for the confusion.
    
    Donna