healthy food for fussy cats

Ok, now that we're back in the US, I'd been hoping that the greater
variety of wet cat foods would mean there'd be more varieties of healthy
foods for Meep to eat.

Instead, it seems to be providing more varieties of healthy foods for
Meep to turn her nose up at.

Any suggestions as to healthy foods that a fussy, older, cystitis-prone
kitty will accept? So far, she still prefers Fancy Feast, which while
not horrible, probably isn't the best choice. I have access to just
about any brand out there, with PetSmart, Petco, Wegmans and a variety
of grocery stores hereabouts.

Thanks for any help.

Maybe I should just use a syringe and give her her food like I'd give a
horse worming meds

YES! I'm KIDDING!

jmc

"jmc" wrote

Instead, it seems to be providing more varieties of healthy foods for Meep
to turn her nose up at.

Snicker, I feel your pain at times! Mine wont eat 9-lives often.

Many here post that 'wellness' is a good one to try. I dont see it locally
at the stores so havent tried it.

"cshenk" wrote in message
...
"jmc" wrote

Instead, it seems to be providing more varieties of healthy foods for
Meep to turn her nose up at.

Snicker, I feel your pain at times! Mine wont eat 9-lives often.

Many here post that 'wellness' is a good one to try. I dont see it
locally at the stores so havent tried it.

I could only get it locally at one high end pet store. (Not a store that
actually sells pets, I hasten to add, but stuff FOR pets.) I switched
because it was inconvenient to get there, and I would periodically find
myself out of food and forced to buy an emergency bag of Purina One at the
supermarket. (The supermarket also carries Eukanuba, but it made my older
dog throw up.)

*If* you can get it, I would recommend it. It claims to be made from
human-grade ingredients. (The dog food, anyway.) Mine loved the kibble, and
did well on it. I have no experience with their cat food, wet or dry.

On Sat, 12 Jul 2008 23:10:55 -0400, jmc
wrote:

Ok, now that we're back in the US, I'd been hoping that the greater
variety of wet cat foods would mean there'd be more varieties of healthy
foods for Meep to eat.

Instead, it seems to be providing more varieties of healthy foods for
Meep to turn her nose up at.

Any suggestions as to healthy foods that a fussy, older, cystitis-prone
kitty will accept? So far, she still prefers Fancy Feast, which while
not horrible, probably isn't the best choice. I have access to just
about any brand out there, with PetSmart, Petco, Wegmans and a variety
of grocery stores hereabouts.

Thanks for any help.

Maybe I should just use a syringe and give her her food like I'd give a
horse worming meds

YES! I'm KIDDING!

jmc


The only food that my picky cats will eat is Pro Plan Salmon and Rice,
which comes in 3 and 6 oz sizes. It also comes in a dry format. I try
lots of others but Espy licks a bit of it and walks away. Nipsy also
isn't found of anything else. Marlo will eat anything but mostly gets
PPSR just to make my life easier. She seems to like it.

Suddenly, without warning, Janet exclaimed (7/13/2008 9:40 PM):
"cshenk" wrote in message
...
"jmc" wrote

Instead, it seems to be providing more varieties of healthy foods for
Meep to turn her nose up at.
Snicker, I feel your pain at times! Mine wont eat 9-lives often.

Many here post that 'wellness' is a good one to try. I dont see it
locally at the stores so havent tried it.

I could only get it locally at one high end pet store. (Not a store that
actually sells pets, I hasten to add, but stuff FOR pets.) I switched
because it was inconvenient to get there, and I would periodically find
myself out of food and forced to buy an emergency bag of Purina One at the
supermarket. (The supermarket also carries Eukanuba, but it made my older
dog throw up.)

*If* you can get it, I would recommend it. It claims to be made from
human-grade ingredients. (The dog food, anyway.) Mine loved the kibble, and
did well on it. I have no experience with their cat food, wet or dry.


Found some Wellness at the Petco, and will try that. They don't seem to
have any "with giblets or liver" flavors - that's what Meep prefers, she
likes innards g.

jmc

jmc wrote:
Found some Wellness at the Petco, and will try that. They don't seem to
have any "with giblets or liver" flavors - that's what Meep prefers, she
likes innards g.

jmc

Hi.

Mingy (w/ history of struvite crystals and blockages) really likes
Evanger's organic braised chicken dinner, Wellness chicken,
Wellness Turkey, Triumph's low-magnesium chicken, and Royal
Canin's urinary so (if your baby still has issues). I sometimes
mix in a bit of Wysong's liver au jus.

--
Jean B.

Jean B. wrote:

Hi.

Mingy (w/ history of struvite crystals and blockages) really likes
Evanger's organic braised chicken dinner, Wellness chicken, Wellness
Turkey, Triumph's low-magnesium chicken, and Royal Canin's urinary so
(if your baby still has issues). I sometimes mix in a bit of Wysong's
liver au jus.


How long did you leave Mingy on prescription food before you tried her
on these other foods? My Levi has a recent history of struvite crystals
is on Hills C/D (was on Hills S/D for a long while) and I'm looking for
a healthier alternative.

Lynne wrote:
Jean B. wrote:

Hi.

Mingy (w/ history of struvite crystals and blockages) really likes
Evanger's organic braised chicken dinner, Wellness chicken, Wellness
Turkey, Triumph's low-magnesium chicken, and Royal Canin's urinary so
(if your baby still has issues). I sometimes mix in a bit of Wysong's
liver au jus.


How long did you leave Mingy on prescription food before you tried her
on these other foods? My Levi has a recent history of struvite crystals
is on Hills C/D (was on Hills S/D for a long while) and I'm looking for
a healthier alternative.

I was pretty diligent after blockage number one. I think, though,
reading here, that it's frequently a matter of how mu7ch liquid a
cat takes in--and that is aided by the cat's eating canned food.
Unfortunately, Mingy prefers kibbles, although I have found the
aforementioned foods that he will at least lick at a bit.

Last time I feared Mingy was blocked, the vet seemed to indicate
that his eating half prescription food was a decent goal, so I try
to do that with his kibbles. And he does love the Royal Canin SO
and the Triumph, which are in his rotation all the time too.

Complicating factors (here, anyway), a

Mingy did not urinate frequently. (Now he sprays--ugh--but from
the urine retention standpoint...)

Mingy is a very anxious cat, and I have read that can be
correlated with struvite crystals....

--
Jean B.

Suddenly, without warning, Jean B. exclaimed (7/16/2008 3:33 PM):

Unfortunately, Mingy prefers kibbles, although I have found the
aforementioned foods that he will at least lick at a bit.

Last time I feared Mingy was blocked, the vet seemed to indicate that
his eating half prescription food was a decent goal, so I try to do that
with his kibbles. And he does love the Royal Canin SO and the Triumph,
which are in his rotation all the time too.

Complicating factors (here, anyway), a

Mingy did not urinate frequently. (Now he sprays--ugh--but from the
urine retention standpoint...)

Mingy is a very anxious cat, and I have read that can be correlated with
struvite crystals....


Sounds like Meep. I had her eating 100% canned for a while but started
feeding her some dry because dry is so much easier to deal with when
traveling, and it was a good bet she'd get no canned while in the
airlines' care. Now I am trying to get her back on canned again, but
not much luck.

Meep is also a very anxious cat, that didn't drink much water for most
of her life. I now feed her "stew" rather than straight canned - a
small can gets a tablespoon or two of water - and this has helped a lot.
Now she drinks plenty, not just the liquid from her food but also from
her gravity waterer. Now instead of getting near-blockages, she just
gets the "I gotta pee even if there's nothing there" attacks, which,
while I'd prefer no attacks at all, is better than the alternative.

If you haven't, you might try a Drinkwell fountain. Some cats love
them. Had one for a while till the motor seized (high mineral water,
even filtered), but she wasn't using it much so I haven't replaced the
motor yet.

jmc

Jean B. wrote:

I was pretty diligent after blockage number one. I think, though,
reading here, that it's frequently a matter of how mu7ch liquid a cat
takes in--and that is aided by the cat's eating canned food.
Unfortunately, Mingy prefers kibbles, although I have found the
aforementioned foods that he will at least lick at a bit.

Last time I feared Mingy was blocked, the vet seemed to indicate that
his eating half prescription food was a decent goal, so I try to do that
with his kibbles. And he does love the Royal Canin SO and the Triumph,
which are in his rotation all the time too.

Complicating factors (here, anyway), a

Mingy did not urinate frequently. (Now he sprays--ugh--but from the
urine retention standpoint...)

Mingy is a very anxious cat, and I have read that can be correlated with
struvite crystals....

Levi can be a very anxious cat, too, and I am certain it was stress that
brought about the conditions which led to crystals. He was also eating
a mixture of dry and wet food at that time. He will never have dry
again, though, and I am looking for the best long term wet food for him
(and my other cat) to eat. I don't know if my other cat will accept
rotating food, though, he's very finicky. He loves this Hill's stuff
though, he doesn't leave a spec in the bowl. I've never seen him enjoy
meals quite this much!

By the way, Jean, my finicky cat (Rudy) used to prefer dry. It was all
he ever had for the first years of his life. It took me a good long
while to get him switched over, but obviously he has accepted it. It is
definitely better for all cats in the long run to eat wet food. Perhaps
you should try with again with Mingy?