Dry and wet -- one cat's experience

"Phil P." wrote in message
...

"Kelly Greene" wrote in message
...

"Stan Brown" wrote in message
t...
. I
obeyed, but there was a problem because Milo likes to take a bite or
two, walk away, then come back later. So the food quickly dried out
and became unappealing. There was thus a constant demand for me to
replace uneaten (and expensive) food with fresh.

Don't leave more than a bite or two when you leave in the morning. He'll
be
hungry enough when you get home to eat more at one time. He needs a
feeding
schedule. Soon he'll learn he has to eat everything at one time as cats
do
in nature and not nibble all day long.

Ah- but in nature cats *do* eat all day long:

"Cats typically eat 10 to 20 small meals throughout the day and night.
This
eating pattern probably reflects the evolutionary relationship of cats and
their prey. "

and:

"Stomach



Because cats in the wild evolved to eat small frequent meals, the stomach
is
less important as a storage reservoir compared with the stomach of dogs.
Thus, the stomach of domestic cats is simpler than that of dogs (i.e.,
relatively smaller with a smaller glandular fundus)."



From Cats as Carnivores in Small Animal Clinical Nutrition, 4th ed. p 297.



Don't feel bad- I was a proponent of twice a day feeding for years.


Geeze, when did this change?? The reasons you gave for twice daily feeding
were powerful, too, and had to do with avoiding serious health problems.

"cybercat" wrote in message
...

"Phil P." wrote in message
...

"Kelly Greene" wrote in message
...

"Stan Brown" wrote in message
t...
. I
obeyed, but there was a problem because Milo likes to take a bite or
two, walk away, then come back later. So the food quickly dried out
and became unappealing. There was thus a constant demand for me to
replace uneaten (and expensive) food with fresh.

Don't leave more than a bite or two when you leave in the morning.
He'll
be
hungry enough when you get home to eat more at one time. He needs a
feeding
schedule. Soon he'll learn he has to eat everything at one time as cats
do
in nature and not nibble all day long.

Ah- but in nature cats *do* eat all day long:

"Cats typically eat 10 to 20 small meals throughout the day and night.
This
eating pattern probably reflects the evolutionary relationship of cats
and
their prey. "

and:

"Stomach



Because cats in the wild evolved to eat small frequent meals, the
stomach
is
less important as a storage reservoir compared with the stomach of dogs.
Thus, the stomach of domestic cats is simpler than that of dogs (i.e.,
relatively smaller with a smaller glandular fundus)."



From Cats as Carnivores in Small Animal Clinical Nutrition, 4th ed. p
297.



Don't feel bad- I was a proponent of twice a day feeding for years.


Geeze, when did this change?? The reasons you gave for twice daily feeding
were powerful, too, and had to do with avoiding serious health problems.

I still recommend twice a day feeding for cats that are fed commercial cat
food. My reason for feeding twice a day is to allow enough time between
meals for the cat's natural urine acidity to return and dissolve whatever
struvite may have formed. Cats in the wild don't eat food that contains a
lot of plant material which alkalizes the urine. They eat primarily meat-
which naturally acidifies the urine. So they don't have a struvite problem.

Suddenly, without warning, Stan Brown exclaimed (2/14/2010 10:32 AM):
I do not want to restart the debate on dry versus wet food,(*) but I
thought some might be interested in my experience.

From age 1 (when I adopted him) to 2, Milo ate Purina Indoor, as
recommended by the shelter where he lived for a couple of months.
(The vet was okay with that.)

At his checkup in May 2009 the same vet told me to switch him to wet
food because Purina Indoor had too much carbohydrate for its protein
content. She gave me a list of brands including Wellness and EVO. I
obeyed, but there was a problem because Milo likes to take a bite or
two, walk away, then come back later. So the food quickly dried out
and became unappealing. There was thus a constant demand for me to
replace uneaten (and expensive) food with fresh. If I didn't have to
go to work, I suppose I could have fed him a tablespoon or two
hourly, but sine I do work in the day and sleep at night he's going
to get fed twice a day like most cats.

So I switched him to dry Wellness (which he hated) and then dry EVO.
He loved the dry EVO -- too much in fact. I fed him what the package
said, but he pretty much inhaled it. Within a few weeks he had
noticeably less energy, preferring just to lie around and ignoring
his toys when I tried to get him to play with them, and he had
visibly gained weight.

So I switched him back to Wellness wet food. He still pretty much
inhaled it, but his energy level increased within a few days, and he
started playing with his toys again. I'm now alternating Wellness
wet with EVO wet, which he eats slower, and his weight seems to be
declining a bit.

This is just one cat, obviously. And as I say, I don't want to
restart the religious discussion(*). But I thought it might be
interesting to others just how much of a difference it made for this
one cat, not just between mass-market dry and high-cost wet, but
between dry and wet of the same high-cost brands.


(*) This is Usenet, so I know how much effect that wish will have.
:-)



My cat's the same - a nibbler, especially with the wet. What I do is
add a teaspoon or two to the half-can of wet she gets twice a day, the
water helps keep the food fresher for longer, and also gives her the
extra hydration she needs to keep cystitis at bay.

Works pretty well, even if there' stuff left over in the morning (yes I
do toss it), it's still damp, not crusty and nasty at the top.

jmc

On Feb 17, 9:13*pm, jmc wrote:
Suddenly, without warning, Stan Brown exclaimed (2/14/2010 10:32 AM):



I do not want to restart the debate on dry versus wet food,(*) but I
thought some might be interested in my experience.

From age 1 (when I adopted him) to 2, Milo ate Purina Indoor, as
recommended by the shelter where he lived for a couple of months.
(The vet was okay with that.)

At his checkup in May 2009 the same vet told me to switch him to wet
food because Purina Indoor had too much carbohydrate for its protein
content. *She gave me a list of brands including Wellness and EVO. *I
obeyed, but there was a problem because Milo likes to take a bite or
two, walk away, then come back later. So the food quickly dried out
and became unappealing. *There was thus a constant demand for me to
replace uneaten (and expensive) food with fresh. If I didn't have to
go to work, I suppose I could have fed him a tablespoon or two
hourly, but sine I do work in the day and sleep at night he's going
to get fed twice a day like most cats.

So I switched him to dry Wellness (which he hated) and then dry EVO. *
He loved the dry EVO -- too much in fact. I fed him what the package
said, but he pretty much inhaled it. *Within a few weeks he had
noticeably less energy, preferring just to lie around and ignoring
his toys when I tried to get him to play with them, and he had
visibly gained weight.

So I switched him back to Wellness wet food. *He still pretty much
inhaled it, but his energy level increased within a few days, and he
started playing with his toys again. *I'm now alternating Wellness
wet with EVO wet, which he eats slower, and his weight seems to be
declining a bit.

This is just one cat, obviously. *And as I say, I don't want to
restart the religious discussion(*). *But I thought it might be
interesting to others just how much of a difference it made for this
one cat, not just between mass-market dry and high-cost wet, but
between dry and wet of the same high-cost brands.

(*) This is Usenet, so I know how much effect that wish will have.
:-)

My cat's the same - a nibbler, especially with the wet. *What I do is
add a teaspoon or two to the half-can of wet she gets twice a day, the
water helps keep the food fresher for longer, and also gives her the
extra hydration she needs to keep cystitis at bay.

Works pretty well, even if there' stuff left over in the morning (yes I
do toss it), it's still damp, not crusty and nasty at the top.

jmc

I have found, thanks to this group, a couple years ago, my cat Maxie,
when I got him, had very dry skin. Really flaky skin, like dandruff. I
know my vet was going to recommend something to treat it but the
subject was passed up for more serious issues at that time.

The frustrating thing is that the vet only recommends dry food! I
really am starting to think this is because they can make more money
on cats if they are on a dry food diet. Here is why:

Ever since my cats have been on wet food, the dry skin issue has been
gone. That one issue alone would convince me to switch to wet food,
but with Maxie there were other urinary issues, too, all of which have
seemingly been resolved. Two years now, no inappropriate elimination
issues, and he is the joy of our lives. Seriously, I love both our
cats for different reasons, but Maxie has so much personality! I have
never regretted bringing him home.

Interestingly, my cats only get as much as they will eat in one
sitting, two times a day. I constantly watch them for weight issues,
and sadly, I cannot get them to a weight where they seem "slim". They
are both still a bit on the over weight side. I don't know, they play
constantly with one another, and one is six and the other is seven now
at least. They have lots of energy... but I would never say they were
especially "slim".

In any case, I do know that they are happier and healthier on wet
food. Nothing has been more clear to me in my life.

"Kelly Greene" wrote in message
...

"Phil P." wrote in message
...

"Kelly Greene" wrote in message
...

"Stan Brown" wrote in message
t...
. I
obeyed, but there was a problem because Milo likes to take a bite or
two, walk away, then come back later. So the food quickly dried out
and became unappealing. There was thus a constant demand for me to
replace uneaten (and expensive) food with fresh.

Don't leave more than a bite or two when you leave in the morning.
He'll
be
hungry enough when you get home to eat more at one time. He needs a
feeding
schedule. Soon he'll learn he has to eat everything at one time as cats
do
in nature and not nibble all day long.

Ah- but in nature cats *do* eat all day long:

Ah, - but they do NOT eat all day long.


Okey dokey...

Suddenly, without warning, Max exclaimed (2/17/2010 11:33 PM):
On Feb 17, 9:13 pm, jmc wrote:
Suddenly, without warning, Stan Brown exclaimed (2/14/2010 10:32 AM):



I do not want to restart the debate on dry versus wet food,(*) but I
thought some might be interested in my experience.
From age 1 (when I adopted him) to 2, Milo ate Purina Indoor, as
recommended by the shelter where he lived for a couple of months.
(The vet was okay with that.)
At his checkup in May 2009 the same vet told me to switch him to wet
food because Purina Indoor had too much carbohydrate for its protein
content. She gave me a list of brands including Wellness and EVO. I
obeyed, but there was a problem because Milo likes to take a bite or
two, walk away, then come back later. So the food quickly dried out
and became unappealing. There was thus a constant demand for me to
replace uneaten (and expensive) food with fresh. If I didn't have to
go to work, I suppose I could have fed him a tablespoon or two
hourly, but sine I do work in the day and sleep at night he's going
to get fed twice a day like most cats.
So I switched him to dry Wellness (which he hated) and then dry EVO.
He loved the dry EVO -- too much in fact. I fed him what the package
said, but he pretty much inhaled it. Within a few weeks he had
noticeably less energy, preferring just to lie around and ignoring
his toys when I tried to get him to play with them, and he had
visibly gained weight.
So I switched him back to Wellness wet food. He still pretty much
inhaled it, but his energy level increased within a few days, and he
started playing with his toys again. I'm now alternating Wellness
wet with EVO wet, which he eats slower, and his weight seems to be
declining a bit.
This is just one cat, obviously. And as I say, I don't want to
restart the religious discussion(*). But I thought it might be
interesting to others just how much of a difference it made for this
one cat, not just between mass-market dry and high-cost wet, but
between dry and wet of the same high-cost brands.
(*) This is Usenet, so I know how much effect that wish will have.
:-)
My cat's the same - a nibbler, especially with the wet. What I do is
add a teaspoon or two to the half-can of wet she gets twice a day, the
water helps keep the food fresher for longer, and also gives her the
extra hydration she needs to keep cystitis at bay.

Works pretty well, even if there' stuff left over in the morning (yes I
do toss it), it's still damp, not crusty and nasty at the top.

jmc

I have found, thanks to this group, a couple years ago, my cat Maxie,
when I got him, had very dry skin. Really flaky skin, like dandruff. I
know my vet was going to recommend something to treat it but the
subject was passed up for more serious issues at that time.

The frustrating thing is that the vet only recommends dry food! I
really am starting to think this is because they can make more money
on cats if they are on a dry food diet. Here is why:

Ever since my cats have been on wet food, the dry skin issue has been
gone. That one issue alone would convince me to switch to wet food,
but with Maxie there were other urinary issues, too, all of which have
seemingly been resolved. Two years now, no inappropriate elimination
issues, and he is the joy of our lives. Seriously, I love both our
cats for different reasons, but Maxie has so much personality! I have
never regretted bringing him home.

Interestingly, my cats only get as much as they will eat in one
sitting, two times a day. I constantly watch them for weight issues,
and sadly, I cannot get them to a weight where they seem "slim". They
are both still a bit on the over weight side. I don't know, they play
constantly with one another, and one is six and the other is seven now
at least. They have lots of energy... but I would never say they were
especially "slim".

In any case, I do know that they are happier and healthier on wet
food. Nothing has been more clear to me in my life.

My experience exactly. I had to get Meep off of *all* dry food - except
for her treats - to finally get the cystitis attacks to stop. She was
also dandruffy on dry, which cleared up on wet. When she isn't a
walking tesla coil (poor thing is terribly staticky), her coat is very
soft and shiny now.

I've had vets recommend wet food, mostly for the teeth. My cat gets her
6 greenies a day for that.

jmc

"Phil P." wrote in message
...

"Kelly Greene" wrote in message
...

"Phil P." wrote in message
...

"Kelly Greene" wrote in message
...

"Stan Brown" wrote in message
t...
. I
obeyed, but there was a problem because Milo likes to take a bite or
two, walk away, then come back later. So the food quickly dried out
and became unappealing. There was thus a constant demand for me to
replace uneaten (and expensive) food with fresh.

Don't leave more than a bite or two when you leave in the morning.
He'll
be
hungry enough when you get home to eat more at one time. He needs a
feeding
schedule. Soon he'll learn he has to eat everything at one time as
cats
do
in nature and not nibble all day long.

Ah- but in nature cats *do* eat all day long:

Ah, - but they do NOT eat all day long.


Okey dokey...

"Judith Latham" wrote
This is something that I'm having thoughts about with Sootie. At the RSPCA
home she had been fed dry food.

Because it is generally cheaper, and therefore apt to be donated. That is
why my kitten came to us accustomed to dry food.

On Thu, 18 Feb 2010 17:10:16 -0500, "cybercat"
wrote:


"Phil P." wrote in message
m...

"Kelly Greene" wrote in message
...

"Phil P." wrote in message
...

"Kelly Greene" wrote in message
...

"Stan Brown" wrote in message
t...
. I
obeyed, but there was a problem because Milo likes to take a bite or
two, walk away, then come back later. So the food quickly dried out
and became unappealing. There was thus a constant demand for me to
replace uneaten (and expensive) food with fresh.

Don't leave more than a bite or two when you leave in the morning.
He'll
be
hungry enough when you get home to eat more at one time. He needs a
feeding
schedule. Soon he'll learn he has to eat everything at one time as
cats
do
in nature and not nibble all day long.

Ah- but in nature cats *do* eat all day long:

Ah, - but they do NOT eat all day long.


Okey dokey...





From my small and unscientific sample, I have two cats that will
simply feed until they explode, another that eats a fair amount and
then walks away, and one that eats a small amount, walks away, comes
back a few minutes later for an encore, and then likes to nibble
during the day.

My efforts are, therefore, to get the nibbler to eat as much at
mealtime as possible. I follow him around with the bowl and put it in
front of him for a few minutes. Then it all goes away because I can't
leave it around.

My hope is that someday someone will invent a feeding device that is
keyed to each cat so I can put in whatever is appropriate for that cat
and it will open only for him/her.

"cybercat" wrote in message
...

"Phil P." wrote in message
...

"Kelly Greene" wrote in message
...

"Phil P." wrote in message
...

"Kelly Greene" wrote in message
...

"Stan Brown" wrote in message
t...
. I
obeyed, but there was a problem because Milo likes to take a bite
or
two, walk away, then come back later. So the food quickly dried
out
and became unappealing. There was thus a constant demand for me
to
replace uneaten (and expensive) food with fresh.

Don't leave more than a bite or two when you leave in the morning.
He'll
be
hungry enough when you get home to eat more at one time. He needs a
feeding
schedule. Soon he'll learn he has to eat everything at one time as
cats
do
in nature and not nibble all day long.

Ah- but in nature cats *do* eat all day long:

Ah, - but they do NOT eat all day long.


Okey dokey...





lol! It would've been an endless debate- and like trying to nail jello to
the ceiling.