best food for older cat?

I have three cats. Two females ages 2 and 3. One male age 10. They
are all indoor cats with voracious appetites. I feed them all Science
Diet Light (the amount depends upon their size). I also give them
each a treat of Fancy Feast in the afternoon - 1/2 can between the
three. The younger females also get some Science Diet Oral Care at
bedtime. The male can't chew so I clean his teeth with dental pads.
He has gingivitis which is being watched by the vet.

I volunteer at the MSPCA and have talked to a couple of vets there.
They all said that they like Science Diet and feed it to their pets,
something I know that many of you will disagree with. I asked them,
instead of my own vet because they don't have anything to sell me and
so would be more honest. My vet sells the stuff.

While my male cat has episodes of pancreatitis I am assured it is not
related to the food, since what I give him is low fat which is
important. Otherwise they are very healthy with nice soft and shiny
coats, which I brush often.

My question: should I be feeding the older cat something for mature
cats? He really is a chubby fellow and I'd like to keep his weight
under control. However I'm wondering if he needs the senior food.
What about dry vs. wet? I've always done dry and he never has a
problem with it.

Again, I know that Science Diet won't be everyone's favorite, but I
get it at a huge discount at the shelter. I'm retired with a limited
income and three cats to take care of, and I do. Please keep that in
mind before you suggest I change to anything expensive.

Thanks.

Jane

On Tue, 19 Oct 2010 07:05:51 -0700 (PDT), Jane
wrote:

I have three cats. Two females ages 2 and 3. One male age 10. They
are all indoor cats with voracious appetites. I feed them all Science
Diet Light (the amount depends upon their size). I also give them
each a treat of Fancy Feast in the afternoon - 1/2 can between the
three. The younger females also get some Science Diet Oral Care at
bedtime. The male can't chew so I clean his teeth with dental pads.
He has gingivitis which is being watched by the vet.

I volunteer at the MSPCA and have talked to a couple of vets there.
They all said that they like Science Diet and feed it to their pets,
something I know that many of you will disagree with. I asked them,
instead of my own vet because they don't have anything to sell me and
so would be more honest. My vet sells the stuff.

While my male cat has episodes of pancreatitis I am assured it is not
related to the food, since what I give him is low fat which is
important. Otherwise they are very healthy with nice soft and shiny
coats, which I brush often.

My question: should I be feeding the older cat something for mature
cats? He really is a chubby fellow and I'd like to keep his weight
under control. However I'm wondering if he needs the senior food.
What about dry vs. wet? I've always done dry and he never has a
problem with it.

Again, I know that Science Diet won't be everyone's favorite, but I
get it at a huge discount at the shelter. I'm retired with a limited
income and three cats to take care of, and I do. Please keep that in
mind before you suggest I change to anything expensive.

Thanks.

Jane

I asked my vet this exact question when my cat became a 'senior' cat
some years ago.

She said that as long as the cat is getting a 'premium' cat food, there
is no need, or reason, to buy a 'special' food for 'senior cats'.

She explained that in the past 20 years or so, cat food has increased in
quality significantly, especially among the 'premium' brands.

Aside from keeping your pancreatitis prone cat on a reduced fat diet, I
would feel no need to change to a 'senior cat' food.

THe vet that gave me this information sells a LOT of cat food, so if she
was looking to increase her sales, she certainly didn't. Hence, i tend
to trust what she told me.

I asked the younger vet in the clinic the same question about a year
ago, and I got pretty much exactly the same answer.

While Science Diet may not be the 'best' food on the planet, it far
better than most, and now some 'discount' stores are selling it.

If money is tight, as it is for most people, I see no reason to change
foods.

As an aside: I decided to switch my cat to a 'better' premium food,
about a year ago: Wellness. No corn, no wheat, no meat by products, no
soy. Very expensive.

Slowly over time, it gave my cat diarrhea! I took quite awhile, and at
first it was very occasional, then increased in frequency.

I switched her back to her 'old food', as quickly as I could (about a
week of mixing it) and the diarrhea disappeared, and never returned.

I never figured out WHY the 'better' food gave her diarrhea, but I'm
glad I didn't take her to the vet and had a bunch of expensive tests
run!

Asking what the 'best food' for you cat is really opens a can of worms!
The nut cases will climb out of the cracks in the floor, and abuse you
for feeding your cats Science Diet!

There are people who believe cats should eat NOTHING but raw meat,
NOTHING but canned food, NOTHING but ORGANIC foods, etc. etc. etc.

And, they will stand on their soap box and rail at you endlessly, trying
to convince you that ONLY they (ALL of them, individually) are RIGHT.


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"Jane" wrote

I have three cats. Two females ages 2 and 3. One male age 10.

My question: should I be feeding the older cat something for mature
cats? He really is a chubby fellow and I'd like to keep his weight
under control.

Not really needed.

What about dry vs. wet? I've always done dry and he never has a
problem with it.

Then keep to it.

Again, I know that Science Diet won't be everyone's favorite, but I
get it at a huge discount at the shelter. I'm retired with a limited
income and three cats to take care of, and I do. Please keep that in
mind before you suggest I change to anything expensive.

No problem Jane. See if you see 'Evolve' locally. It was much cheaper than
science diet locally (almost 1/2 the price and no sale involved) and better
overall in ingredients. I mention it only as a decent one that actually
costs less you may want to try. The one I have is a lower calorie sort so
they don't get shorted on volume.

"ingold1234 (Gandalf)" wrote
Jane wrote:

I have three cats. Two females ages 2 and 3. One male age 10. They
are all indoor cats with voracious appetites. I feed them all Science
Diet Light (the amount depends upon their size).

She said that as long as the cat is getting a 'premium' cat food, there
is no need, or reason, to buy a 'special' food for 'senior cats'.

I agree with your vet. All that is needed is to know that it isn't just
high priced for no reason.

Aside from keeping your pancreatitis prone cat on a reduced fat diet, I
would feel no need to change to a 'senior cat' food.

Same here. I see no need for her to change anything. I only 'suggested'
she see if she can find a brand we have here. It's cheaper and actually
better. That doesn't mean she can find it, or that it isn't on a major
markup where she is so more expensive for her. It's just a lead of a
possible.

While Science Diet may not be the 'best' food on the planet, it far
better than most, and now some 'discount' stores are selling it.

It's not bad. I'd call it a 3 on a 6 scale. The 'Evolve' is about 5?

If money is tight, as it is for most people, I see no reason to change
foods.

Exactly.

As an aside: I decided to switch my cat to a 'better' premium food,
about a year ago: Wellness. No corn, no wheat, no meat by products, no
soy. Very expensive.

Slowly over time, it gave my cat diarrhea! I took quite awhile, and at
first it was very occasional, then increased in frequency.

And no fiber (grin). Thats why I think?

Asking what the 'best food' for you cat is really opens a can of worms!
The nut cases will climb out of the cracks in the floor, and abuse you
for feeding your cats Science Diet!

LOL! True!

Wellness just hit my local store. I looked at it for cats and dogs. It
cost more than Blue Wilderness and wasn't as good in ingredient list. I
passed.

On Tue, 19 Oct 2010 18:39:32 -0400, "cshenk" wrote:

"Jane" wrote

I have three cats. Two females ages 2 and 3. One male age 10.

My question: should I be feeding the older cat something for mature
cats? He really is a chubby fellow and I'd like to keep his weight
under control.

Not really needed.

What about dry vs. wet? I've always done dry and he never has a
problem with it.

Then keep to it.

Again, I know that Science Diet won't be everyone's favorite, but I
get it at a huge discount at the shelter. I'm retired with a limited
income and three cats to take care of, and I do. Please keep that in
mind before you suggest I change to anything expensive.

No problem Jane. See if you see 'Evolve' locally. It was much cheaper than
science diet locally (almost 1/2 the price and no sale involved) and better
overall in ingredients. I mention it only as a decent one that actually
costs less you may want to try. The one I have is a lower calorie sort so
they don't get shorted on volume.

I can't remember ever seeing Evolve.

I'm going to look for it, and compare it to what I'm feeding now.

I would like to save some money, but only if it's at least as good as
what I'm feeding my 15 year old cat now.

Since cats only eat one thing for the most part, what you feed them is
SO important.

I won't cut back on quality to save a little on cat food: one trip to
the vet, with no other testing or fees, costs as much as a 20 lb. bag of
REALLY premium food!



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On Oct 19, 6:07*pm, ingold1234[at]yahoo[dot]com (Gandalf) wrote:
On Tue, 19 Oct 2010 07:05:51 -0700 (PDT), Jane



wrote:
I have three cats. *Two females ages 2 and 3. *One male age 10. *They
are all indoor cats with voracious appetites. *I feed them all Science
Diet Light (the amount depends upon their size). *I also give them
each a treat of Fancy Feast in the afternoon - 1/2 can between the
three. *The younger females also get some Science Diet Oral Care at
bedtime. *The male can't chew so I clean his teeth with dental pads.
He has gingivitis which is being watched by the vet.

I volunteer at the MSPCA and have talked to a couple of vets there.
They all said that they like Science Diet and feed it to their pets,
something I know that many of you will disagree with. *I asked them,
instead of my own vet because they don't have anything to sell me and
so would be more honest. *My vet sells the stuff.

While my male cat has episodes of pancreatitis I am assured it is not
related to the food, since what I give him is low fat which is
important. *Otherwise they are very healthy with nice soft and shiny
coats, which I brush often.

My question: *should I be feeding the older cat something for mature
cats? *He really is a chubby fellow and I'd like to keep his weight
under control. *However I'm wondering if he needs the senior food.
What about dry vs. wet? *I've always done dry and he never has a
problem with it.

Again, I know that Science Diet won't be everyone's favorite, but I
get it at a huge discount at the shelter. *I'm retired with a limited
income and three cats to take care of, and I do. *Please keep that in
mind before you suggest I change to anything expensive.

Thanks.

Jane

I asked my vet this exact question when my cat became a 'senior' cat
some years ago.

She said that as long as the cat is getting a 'premium' cat food, there
is no need, or reason, to buy a 'special' food for 'senior cats'.

She explained that in the past 20 years or so, cat food has increased in
quality significantly, especially among the 'premium' brands.

Aside from keeping your pancreatitis prone cat on a reduced fat diet, I
would feel no need to change to a 'senior cat' food.

THe vet that gave me this information sells a LOT of cat food, so if she
was looking to increase her sales, she certainly didn't. Hence, i tend
to trust what she told me.

I asked the younger vet in the clinic the same question about a year
ago, and I got pretty much exactly the same answer.

While Science Diet may not be the 'best' food on the planet, it far
better than most, and now some 'discount' stores are selling it.

If money is tight, as it is for most people, I see no reason to change
foods.

As an aside: I decided to switch my cat to a 'better' premium food,
about a year ago: Wellness. No corn, no wheat, no meat by products, no
soy. Very expensive.

Slowly over time, it gave my cat diarrhea! I took quite awhile, and at
first it was very occasional, then increased in frequency.

I switched her back to her 'old food', as quickly as I could (about a
week of mixing it) and the diarrhea disappeared, and never returned.

I never figured out WHY the 'better' food gave her diarrhea, but I'm
glad I didn't take her to the vet and had a bunch of expensive tests
run!

Asking what the 'best food' for you cat is really opens a can of worms!
The nut cases will climb out of the cracks in the floor, and abuse you
for feeding your cats Science Diet!

There are people who believe cats should eat NOTHING but raw meat,
NOTHING but canned food, NOTHING but ORGANIC foods, etc. etc. etc.

And, they will stand on their soap box and rail at you endlessly, trying
to convince you that ONLY they (ALL of them, individually) are RIGHT.

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Thanks for your thoughtful answer. I actually talked to the vet
yesterday and she pretty much said the same thing to me. Since it's a
low fat food, which is what he needs for the pancreatitis, she said to
just continue with it. Besides, they really have no clue what causes
this condition in cats.

As for the "food nuts", you are so right. I've posted before and
thought they would come and haul me away to kitty court.

On Oct 19, 6:39*pm, "cshenk" wrote:
"Jane" wrote

I have three cats. *Two females ages 2 and 3. *One male age 10.
My question: *should I be feeding the older cat something for mature
cats? *He really is a chubby fellow and I'd like to keep his weight
under control.

Not really needed.

What about dry vs. wet? *I've always done dry and he never has a
problem with it.

Then keep to it.

Again, I know that Science Diet won't be everyone's favorite, but I
get it at a huge discount at the shelter. *I'm retired with a limited
income and three cats to take care of, and I do. *Please keep that in
mind before you suggest I change to anything expensive.

No problem Jane. *See if you see 'Evolve' locally. *It was much cheaper than
science diet locally (almost 1/2 the price and no sale involved) and better
overall in ingredients. *I mention it only as a decent one that actually
costs less you may want to try. *The one I have is a lower calorie sort so
they don't get shorted on volume.

Don't think I've ever since Evolve, but I'll look for it.

Is it dry or wet?

On Oct 19, 6:07*pm, ingold1234[at]yahoo[dot]com (Gandalf) wrote:
On Tue, 19 Oct 2010 07:05:51 -0700 (PDT), Jane



wrote:
I have three cats. *Two females ages 2 and 3. *One male age 10. *They
are all indoor cats with voracious appetites. *I feed them all Science
Diet Light (the amount depends upon their size). *I also give them
each a treat of Fancy Feast in the afternoon - 1/2 can between the
three. *The younger females also get some Science Diet Oral Care at
bedtime. *The male can't chew so I clean his teeth with dental pads.
He has gingivitis which is being watched by the vet.

I volunteer at the MSPCA and have talked to a couple of vets there.
They all said that they like Science Diet and feed it to their pets,
something I know that many of you will disagree with. *I asked them,
instead of my own vet because they don't have anything to sell me and
so would be more honest. *My vet sells the stuff.

While my male cat has episodes of pancreatitis I am assured it is not
related to the food, since what I give him is low fat which is
important. *Otherwise they are very healthy with nice soft and shiny
coats, which I brush often.

My question: *should I be feeding the older cat something for mature
cats? *He really is a chubby fellow and I'd like to keep his weight
under control. *However I'm wondering if he needs the senior food.
What about dry vs. wet? *I've always done dry and he never has a
problem with it.

Again, I know that Science Diet won't be everyone's favorite, but I
get it at a huge discount at the shelter. *I'm retired with a limited
income and three cats to take care of, and I do. *Please keep that in
mind before you suggest I change to anything expensive.

Thanks.

Jane

I asked my vet this exact question when my cat became a 'senior' cat
some years ago.

She said that as long as the cat is getting a 'premium' cat food, there
is no need, or reason, to buy a 'special' food for 'senior cats'.

She explained that in the past 20 years or so, cat food has increased in
quality significantly, especially among the 'premium' brands.

Aside from keeping your pancreatitis prone cat on a reduced fat diet, I
would feel no need to change to a 'senior cat' food.

THe vet that gave me this information sells a LOT of cat food, so if she
was looking to increase her sales, she certainly didn't. Hence, i tend
to trust what she told me.

I asked the younger vet in the clinic the same question about a year
ago, and I got pretty much exactly the same answer.

While Science Diet may not be the 'best' food on the planet, it far
better than most, and now some 'discount' stores are selling it.

If money is tight, as it is for most people, I see no reason to change
foods.

As an aside: I decided to switch my cat to a 'better' premium food,
about a year ago: Wellness. No corn, no wheat, no meat by products, no
soy. Very expensive.

Slowly over time, it gave my cat diarrhea! I took quite awhile, and at
first it was very occasional, then increased in frequency.

I switched her back to her 'old food', as quickly as I could (about a
week of mixing it) and the diarrhea disappeared, and never returned.

I never figured out WHY the 'better' food gave her diarrhea, but I'm
glad I didn't take her to the vet and had a bunch of expensive tests
run!

Asking what the 'best food' for you cat is really opens a can of worms!
The nut cases will climb out of the cracks in the floor, and abuse you
for feeding your cats Science Diet!

There are people who believe cats should eat NOTHING but raw meat,
NOTHING but canned food, NOTHING but ORGANIC foods, etc. etc. etc.

And, they will stand on their soap box and rail at you endlessly, trying
to convince you that ONLY they (ALL of them, individually) are RIGHT.

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One more question - do you use dry or wet food?

On Oct 19, 8:39*pm, ingold1234[at]yahoo[dot]com (Gandalf) wrote:
On Tue, 19 Oct 2010 18:39:32 -0400, "cshenk" wrote:
"Jane" wrote

I have three cats. *Two females ages 2 and 3. *One male age 10.

My question: *should I be feeding the older cat something for mature
cats? *He really is a chubby fellow and I'd like to keep his weight
under control.

Not really needed.

What about dry vs. wet? *I've always done dry and he never has a
problem with it.

Then keep to it.

Again, I know that Science Diet won't be everyone's favorite, but I
get it at a huge discount at the shelter. *I'm retired with a limited
income and three cats to take care of, and I do. *Please keep that in
mind before you suggest I change to anything expensive.

No problem Jane. *See if you see 'Evolve' locally. *It was much cheaper than
science diet locally (almost 1/2 the price and no sale involved) and better
overall in ingredients. *I mention it only as a decent one that actually
costs less you may want to try. *The one I have is a lower calorie sort so
they don't get shorted on volume.

I can't remember ever seeing Evolve.

I'm going to look for it, and compare it to what I'm feeding now.

I would like to save some money, but only if it's at least as good as
what I'm feeding my 15 year old cat now.

Since cats only eat one thing for the most part, what you feed them is
SO important.

I won't cut back on quality to save a little on cat food: one trip to
the vet, with no other testing or fees, costs as much as a 20 lb. bag of
REALLY premium food!

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BTW - what brand are you using for your 15 year old cat? Is it
Science Diet?

I hope I won't be considered a "food nut," but I do have some strong
opinions on food. Just to let you know for background information, I
too have an older cat (12), who got a UTI at age 1.5, bladder crystals
and surgery at age 3, was overweight at age 4, and had pancreatitis
when he was 8. I've fed "light" and prescription dry food, and had
nothing but problems and weight gain.

First of all, you don't need to feed a senior type diet. As long as
it's a high-quality food, that's all you need. Secondly, I'm skeptical
of the low-fat diet for pancreatitis. I've read a lot on the subject,
and the majority of cases in cats are idiopathic. And, unfortunately,
when a dry food takes out fat, they add carbohydrates, which are even
worse for cats.

You should read this great article about feline nutrition: http://www.catinfo.org/

I understand that you are on a fixed income. However, it would be
healthier for all of your cats to be on at least a partially canned/
wet diet, but especially your 15 year old. There are now lots of
brands of grain-free wet food available. I like Innova Evo, Nature's
Variety, and Wellness (grain free varieties), but if you do your
homework you will find other brands. Some stores offer case discounts
or punch cards for savings--but you have to ask first.

In my experience, I have had much fewer health problems when feeding
canned food. Our oldest has not had any more UTIs or bladder crystals.
Also, canned will help with his weight problems. Tucker lost 6 pounds
(slowly) on Wellness and has kept the weight off (which is better for
his joints, preventing diabetes, etc.).

Sorry to be so long. Email me if you have further questions.