Cat feeding advice

[MaggieD]

I have three cats. One of them doesn't pee in the litter box. He uses puppy pads. He does use the litter box to poop. SAVE ME!!! At least two of them a few times a week throw up their dry food... a high end pet store product. One is for sure the one who doesn't pee in the box. They also get one can of medium priced cat food, the small tin. Once a week, they get a tin of tuna in water. That usually lasts the three of them two days.

So I thought I'd try to make cat food for them. Anyone else do that? Any suggestions? I've got a recipe that calls for chicken stock, chicken, rice, egg, and olive oil. Thought I'd add a carrot. Says grind it all up after cooking.

Any thoughts?

The vet has examined the cat who doesn't use the litter box and says there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with him. I have four litter boxes for the here of them. Clean them every day. And change them once a week.

 

[TheGoverness]

I have three cats. One of them doesn't pee in the litter box. He uses puppy pads. He does use the litter box to poop. SAVE ME!!! At least two of them a few times a week throw up their dry food... a high end pet store product. One is for sure the one who doesn't pee in the box. They also get one can of medium priced cat food, the small tin. Once a week, they get a tin of tuna in water. That usually lasts the three of them two days.

So I thought I'd try to make cat food for them. Anyone else do that? Any suggestions? I've got a recipe that calls for chicken stock, chicken, rice, egg, and olive oil. Thought I'd add a carrot. Says grind it all up after cooking.

Any thoughts?

The vet has examined the cat who doesn't use the litter box and says there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with him. I have four litter boxes for the here of them. Clean them every day. And change them once a week.

I wish I could help you, Mags. Unfortunately, I don't know anything about cats.

 

[Lord Tammerlain]

Do you leave the dry food out so they can eat all they want?

If so, that might be the reason they puke.

Regurgitation
Regurgitation, or expelling swallowed food through the mouth, can occur if your cat really loves a new food or competes with other pets in your home at mealtime.Here’s what happens: a cat eats so fast that she swallows food without chewing and ingests a lot of air, too. Large pieces of food and air in the stomach will likely come back up. If your cat throws up a whole kibble shortly after eating, regurgitation is likely to blame.
What to do
If you suspect your cat is eating too fast and regurgitating, take these steps to reduce the risk.
Feed smaller meals more often until you notice a slow down in eating speed.
Rather than using a deep dish, place the cat food on a wide, flat surface, like a cookie sheet. This spreads out the kibbles and forces your cat to take more time eating. It also prevents big mouthfuls of food

Know Why Your Cat Throws Up After Eating | Hill's Pet


But the homemade cat food seems good

 

[countryboy]

I have three cats. One of them doesn't pee in the litter box. He uses puppy pads. He does use the litter box to poop. SAVE ME!!! At least two of them a few times a week throw up their dry food... a high end pet store product. One is for sure the one who doesn't pee in the box. They also get one can of medium priced cat food, the small tin. Once a week, they get a tin of tuna in water. That usually lasts the three of them two days.

So I thought I'd try to make cat food for them. Anyone else do that? Any suggestions? I've got a recipe that calls for chicken stock, chicken, rice, egg, and olive oil. Thought I'd add a carrot. Says grind it all up after cooking.

Any thoughts?

The vet has examined the cat who doesn't use the litter box and says there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with him. I have four litter boxes for the here of them. Clean them every day. And change them once a week.

I'll show this to my wife, she's the Crazy Cat Lady. Maybe she'll have some sage advice for you.

Also, just because the dry food you use is "high end", doesn't mean it won't disagree with your animal. Just my opinion of course. Maybe experiment with different high end foods.

 

[MovingPictures]

I have three cats. One of them doesn't pee in the litter box. He uses puppy pads. He does use the litter box to poop. SAVE ME!!! At least two of them a few times a week throw up their dry food... a high end pet store product. One is for sure the one who doesn't pee in the box. They also get one can of medium priced cat food, the small tin. Once a week, they get a tin of tuna in water. That usually lasts the three of them two days.

So I thought I'd try to make cat food for them. Anyone else do that? Any suggestions? I've got a recipe that calls for chicken stock, chicken, rice, egg, and olive oil. Thought I'd add a carrot. Says grind it all up after cooking.

Any thoughts?

The vet has examined the cat who doesn't use the litter box and says there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with him. I have four litter boxes for the here of them. Clean them every day. And change them once a week.

Give them canned food once a day, and a little bit of dry food to snack on. Cats are very pick eaters, but they prefer food to be fresh as possible, so if they are constantly surrounded by food they become defiant - in my experience. Get them in a routine where they know when to expect the food, and realize each opportunity is one of only two to eat that day.

Also realize that cats are territorial, so they become stressed when living in close quarters with lots of other cats, and it can cause them to do these kinds of things. They can/will get along, and even love each other, but they need spaces that they feel are exclusive to them, which helps their stress levels.

 

[MaggieD]

Do you leave the dry food out so they can eat all they want?

If so, that might be the reason they puke. Know Why Your Cat Throws Up After Eating | Hill's Pet

Great link. Really good information. There's also an ad on it about higher end cat food in cans. I think I'm going to gradually stop the dried food and transition them to commercial first. Maybe get some unsalted chicken broth and add it to encourage them to take in more water.

Thank you very much.

 

[MaggieD]

Give them canned food once a day, and a little bit of dry food to snack on. Cats are very pick eaters, but they prefer food to be fresh as possible, so if they are constantly surrounded by food they become defiant - in my experience. Get them in a routine where they know when to expect the food, and realize each opportunity is one of only two to eat that day.

Also realize that cats are territorial, so they become stressed when living in close quarters with lots of other cats, and it can cause them to do these kinds of things. They can/will get along, and even love each other, but they need spaces that they feel are exclusive to them, which helps their stress levels.

More great advice. So are you saying you give them, maybe, an hour to eat and pick it up? And maybe instead of feeding them in the can, I should put it in three separate bowls...

 

[Lord Tammerlain]

Great link. Really good information. There's also an ad on it about higher end cat food in cans. I think I'm going to gradually stop the dried food and transition them to commercial first. Maybe get some unsalted chicken broth and add it to encourage them to take in more water.

Thank you very much.

What my mother did was give dry cat food in the morning and mix one quarter of canned with dry for the afternoon feeding. Her cats really really loved the afternoon feeding

 

[PirateMk1]

I have three cats. One of them doesn't pee in the litter box. He uses puppy pads. He does use the litter box to poop. SAVE ME!!! At least two of them a few times a week throw up their dry food... a high end pet store product. One is for sure the one who doesn't pee in the box. They also get one can of medium priced cat food, the small tin. Once a week, they get a tin of tuna in water. That usually lasts the three of them two days.

So I thought I'd try to make cat food for them. Anyone else do that? Any suggestions? I've got a recipe that calls for chicken stock, chicken, rice, egg, and olive oil. Thought I'd add a carrot. Says grind it all up after cooking.

Any thoughts?

The vet has examined the cat who doesn't use the litter box and says there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with him. I have four litter boxes for the here of them. Clean them every day. And change them once a week.

Sounds like they might be over feeding. At least the ones throwing up the dry food. To check to be sure, swap the dry food with a different one. If they keep throwing up the food then cut back on the food. Also put it out at a certain time then put it away at a certain time if they are exclusively indoor animals. Only feed what they will eat in that time without throwing it up. My cats are mousers so they are outside a quite a bit so in the winter I will keep more food out and cut back in the summer. I keep out plenty of fresh water and minimal amounts of cheap kibble all the time. The cats supplement the kibble by hunting, and begging for scraps. Yes cats beg, or at least make an attempt at it.

 

[Lutherf]

I have three cats. One of them doesn't pee in the litter box. He uses puppy pads. He does use the litter box to poop. SAVE ME!!! At least two of them a few times a week throw up their dry food... a high end pet store product. One is for sure the one who doesn't pee in the box. They also get one can of medium priced cat food, the small tin. Once a week, they get a tin of tuna in water. That usually lasts the three of them two days.

So I thought I'd try to make cat food for them. Anyone else do that? Any suggestions? I've got a recipe that calls for chicken stock, chicken, rice, egg, and olive oil. Thought I'd add a carrot. Says grind it all up after cooking.

Any thoughts?

The vet has examined the cat who doesn't use the litter box and says there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with him. I have four litter boxes for the here of them. Clean them every day. And change them once a week.

You're overdoing it. If I remember correctly, you're in the Chicago area. If so, you should have easy access to pigeons, rats and whatever happens to be swimming around in the Des Plaines river. Cats love that kind of thing and will be forever grateful for your hunting it down for them.

 

[JamesBY]

All wet cat food is better than the best cat food. Period. Forever. Amen. Put some hot water on the wet food, and it will make a gravy that will drive them crazy.

Change immediately.

If the get an intestinal inflection, they will most likely die because their uretha is so tiny that it will collapse from infection or disease from bad food.

Anyone who tells you the kitties have had no trouble with the dry food, they are leaving out "yet".

 

[MaggieD]

You're overdoing it. If I remember correctly, you're in the Chicago area. If so, you should have easy access to pigeons, rats and whatever happens to be swimming around in the Des Plaines river. Cats love that kind of thing and will be forever grateful for your hunting it down for them.

**** THAT idea!! :lamo

 

[MaggieD]

All wet cat food is better than the best cat food. Period. Forever. Amen. Put some hot water on the wet food, and it will make a gravy that will drive them crazy.

Change immediately.

If the get an intestinal inflection, they will most likely die because their uretha is so tiny that it will collapse from infection or disease from bad food.

Anyone who tells you the kitties have had no trouble with the dry food, they are leaving out "yet".

My instinct was telling me that. It's all about the money (the pet food industry). I think I'll do exactly that. Twice a day. Add some unsalted broth and forget the dry food. I'd love to get Shorty Pants back to using the litter box. Using a little bit from each of the posts.

Thanks again to all.

 

[MovingPictures]

More great advice. So are you saying you give them, maybe, an hour to eat and pick it up? And maybe instead of feeding them in the can, I should put it in three separate bowls...

Exactly.

Get the bowls in different colors, so each cat will attribute a particular bowl to themselves. Feed them in different parts of the house if possible in order to prevent a cat that might be a bully from taking another cats food. Keep the litter boxes separate too. Cats tend to not like other cats using the same boxes they are using - which might be causing the male to want to pee on pads instead.

Over time they'll each draw their own lines of who gets what, and they'll get along better.

 

[Slingshot Bob]

I have three adopted ferals, two females (fixed and shots) They all live outdoors and one female was vomiting, but I think it stopped. I wonder if her shots had any part to play. Here is a pic of the little tom behind the wheel of my bike. Crappy pic, I toted my laptop outside to photo it.Here is one female

 

[SmokeAndMirrors]

I have three cats. One of them doesn't pee in the litter box. He uses puppy pads. He does use the litter box to poop. SAVE ME!!! At least two of them a few times a week throw up their dry food... a high end pet store product. One is for sure the one who doesn't pee in the box. They also get one can of medium priced cat food, the small tin. Once a week, they get a tin of tuna in water. That usually lasts the three of them two days.

So I thought I'd try to make cat food for them. Anyone else do that? Any suggestions? I've got a recipe that calls for chicken stock, chicken, rice, egg, and olive oil. Thought I'd add a carrot. Says grind it all up after cooking.

Any thoughts?

The vet has examined the cat who doesn't use the litter box and says there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with him. I have four litter boxes for the here of them. Clean them every day. And change them once a week.

Hmm... there's a lot going on here.

How long ago did the peeing outside the box start? How old is the cat? Is he declawed?

The main reason for litter box avoidance is associating the box with pain. It is possible he is having a urinary issue that is causing pain when he pees -- this is common in males, and more so in cats with a dry diet. Have the vet test him for urine crystals. If declawed, this could be from the memory of the post-surgical pain (litter is grainy and could hurt when rubbing against hurt-y paws).

The recipe you've given won't be complete for a cat, though I'm sure it's a delicious treat. They need the whole animal: meat, bone, and organs. They also need it uncooked; cooking burns off some of the nutrients, especially in the organ meat. If they don't get enough nutrient-dense organ meat, they can rapidly become deficient. Taurine deficiency is the biggest danger, and can cause blindness and heart issues. There is also no need for plant matter.

Home making a complete cat diet takes a LOT of research. They are very different from us, and their bodies can't make some of the nutrients that humans and dogs can (like taurine), so the balance of their diet is important. They don't have as much room for error as we omniverous creatures do.

The surest way to safely ensure their diet is complete is to get commercial diet, either traditional wet food, or commercial-made raw food (don't cook it!). Not as expensive as it sounds.

If you are committed to home-making their diet, don't rush yourself. Make sure you really research their nutritional needs and get comfortable, well, handling dead animal parts. You can spend that time transitioning them with a commercial diet; cats are famous for being stubborn about diet changes, even if it's better for them. It may take time to convince them.

But it is definitely a good idea to get them on some sort of moisture-dense diet, especially if they are getting older. Cats struggle to process starch (all dry foods have a lot of it, even the best). And because cats are dry-weather creatures, they don't have a strong thirst drive. In their cat-brains, they expect to get almost all the water they need from just their food, so they often don't drink enough water to stay optimally hydrated while eating primarily dry food.

Hope this helps!

 

[Slingshot Bob]

All wet cat food is better than the best cat food. Period. Forever. Amen. Put some hot water on the wet food, and it will make a gravy that will drive them crazy.

Change immediately.

If the get an intestinal inflection, they will most likely die because their uretha is so tiny that it will collapse from infection or disease from bad food.

Anyone who tells you the kitties have had no trouble with the dry food, they are leaving out "yet".

My friend has 6 feral cats that have been just fine for 6 years on it.

 

[MaggieD]

Hmm... there's a lot going on here.

How long ago did the peeing outside the box start? How old is the cat? Is he declawed?

The main reason for litter box avoidance is associating the box with pain. It is possible he is having a urinary issue that is causing pain when he pees -- this is common in males, and more so in cats with a dry diet. Have the vet test him for urine crystals. If declawed, this could be from the memory of the post-surgical pain (litter is grainy and could hurt when rubbing against hurt-y paws).

The recipe you've given won't be complete for a cat, though I'm sure it's a delicious treat. They need the whole animal: meat, bone, and organs. They also need it uncooked; cooking burns off some of the nutrients, especially in the organ meat. If they don't get enough nutrient-dense organ meat, they can rapidly become deficient. Taurine deficiency is the biggest danger, and can cause blindness and heart issues. There is also no need for plant matter.

Home making a complete cat diet takes a LOT of research. They are very different from us, and their bodies can't make some of the nutrients that humans and dogs can (like taurine), so the balance of their diet is important. They don't have as much room for error as we omniverous creatures do.

The surest way to safely ensure their diet is complete is to get commercial diet, either traditional wet food, or commercial-made raw food (don't cook it!). Not as expensive as it sounds.

If you are committed to home-making their diet, don't rush yourself. Make sure you really research their nutritional needs and get comfortable, well, handling dead animal parts. You can spend that time transitioning them with a commercial diet; cats are famous for being stubborn about diet changes, even if it's better for them. It may take time to convince them.

But it is definitely a good idea to get them on some sort of moisture-dense diet, especially if they are getting older. Cats struggle to process starch (all dry foods have a lot of it, even the best). And because cats are dry-weather creatures, they don't have a strong thirst drive. In their cat-brains, they expect to get almost all the water they need from just their food, so they often don't drink enough water to stay optimally hydrated while eating primarily dry food.

Hope this helps!

It does help. Thank you so much. Shorty is probably about eight or nine years old. They were all strays we took in. Not declawed. All neutered. He's been doing that about a year. He is a wild-ass. The only time I can pet him/get near him is when I'm lying in bed. He comes up every night for five or ten minutes of petting. Very skittish. I had also read that they are often dehydrated. Probably the water they drink is just slightly more than they need to effectively process the dry food they eat. Not good for kidneys and bladders.

If I buy a high end canned cat food, natural, from the pet store, would I feed them each the equivalent of one of the little tins a day? I'm going to supplement it with an unsalted chicken broth to make it like a stew.

What do you and others think about quantity?

 

[Moot]

I have a 17 year old female cat that had irritable bowel syndrome because I was feeding her wrong...but of course, the vet would never tell you that. She's much better now that I put her on a diet of quality wet cat food. My cat eats about one and half to two cans a day. She usually only throws up when she's got furballs...so I try to brush her more often and/or get her groomed.

What you don't want is cat food with grains...or Carrageenan in it. Also, you should only feed cats seafood occasionally...not everyday. A fresh bowl of water by the food dish is better than the toilet. That way you can gauge how much water they're drinking.

I always wondered why if cats eat mice that they don't they make cat food out of mice and rats....instead of things they would never catch in the wild..IE: beef, kangaroo, rabbit, duck, tunafish, etc. Chicken is probably the closet thing they would naturally eat in the wild.

 

[<alt>doxygen]

I have three cats. One of them doesn't pee in the litter box. He uses puppy pads. He does use the litter box to poop. SAVE ME!!! At least two of them a few times a week throw up their dry food... a high end pet store product. One is for sure the one who doesn't pee in the box. They also get one can of medium priced cat food, the small tin. Once a week, they get a tin of tuna in water. That usually lasts the three of them two days.

So I thought I'd try to make cat food for them. Anyone else do that? Any suggestions? I've got a recipe that calls for chicken stock, chicken, rice, egg, and olive oil. Thought I'd add a carrot. Says grind it all up after cooking.

Any thoughts?

The vet has examined the cat who doesn't use the litter box and says there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with him. I have four litter boxes for the here of them. Clean them every day. And change them once a week.

Maggie, I can tell you what worked for us. Been down all of those roads and then some because my wife came equipped with kitties.

Peeing in the wrong places: Physical problem or stress? Physical problem? Treat that. You probably need to get blood work done and a urinary exam to find out if a physical problem exists.

Stress or other mental issues? Ask your vet for Prozac. We have one cat left, and as long as he has that and Tramadol for his arthritis pain (he's almost 17) and he does fine. Anyone who tells me that Prozac is no better than a placebo - I have proof to the contrary.


Barf? We had to put one cat on a gluten free diet (wet food or dry), and that totally stopped the barfing. We tried everything else before we found that, and nothing worked. 1/4 a Pepcid sometimes helps.

Wet food is better if they'll eat it and it doesn't cause problems, especially for male cats (dry potentially causes urinary tract issues).

Good Luck!
eace

 

[JamesBY]

My instinct was telling me that. It's all about the money (the pet food industry). I think I'll do exactly that. Twice a day. Add some unsalted broth and forget the dry food. I'd love to get Shorty Pants back to using the litter box. Using a little bit from each of the posts. Thanks again to all.

The health of the kitties have improved dramatically, their energy is back, and they have shed unwanted fat, all in four months. We are pleased, they are happy.

 

[JamesBY]

My friend has 6 feral cats that have been just fine for 6 years on it.

So far, and I am glad for that. Feral cats are hard to account for. The dry food must be an addition to what they are killing in the beyond. We fed ferals that way, and they kept our southern yards and near woods clear of snakes and vermin, etc., and they learned to hide from hawks. The owls were almost impossible to figure out for them, so they slunk along wood lines and hedges.

 

[SmokeAndMirrors]

It does help. Thank you so much. Shorty is probably about eight or nine years old. They were all strays we took in. Not declawed. All neutered. He's been doing that about a year. He is a wild-ass. The only time I can pet him/get near him is when I'm lying in bed. He comes up every night for five or ten minutes of petting. Very skittish. I had also read that they are often dehydrated. Probably the water they drink is just slightly more than they need to effectively process the dry food they eat. Not good for kidneys and bladders.

If I buy a high end canned cat food, natural, from the pet store, would I feed them each the equivalent of one of the little tins a day? I'm going to supplement it with an unsalted chicken broth to make it like a stew.

What do you and others think about quantity?

Ah, ok. Given that he is only avoiding the box to pee, not doing "marking" behavior, and this is relatively recent, definitely look at the urine crystals possibility.

It really depends on the cat's activity and their size, just like peoples. Most cat foods will have a guide and a calorie count. However, an adult cat will usually need at least 2 of the little cans a day (or one of the larger ones that's the size of a tuna can).

Both the cats I've had have been small females, but Pearl ate a lot more... because Pia is lazy as hell. Of course, a bigger cat would also need to eat more.

At 8.5 pounds and very lazy, I feed Pia about 2 cans a day. But my highly active Pearl cat could go through 3 or 4 cans, even maintaining the same weight, around 9 pounds. She was the sort of cat who bounced off the ceiling for most of her life, so she burned a lot more calories.

Look at a calorie guide for their activity level and ideal weight, and go from there. If any of them are quite overweight, however, you might want to taper down quite slowly, as they shouldn't lose weight too quickly. If this is a concern with any of your cats, you probably want to ask your vet about a safe diet plan.

Other people's suggestion to start out with getting them on a schedule is good (especially if you eventually do go raw and can't just let it sit there and go bad!). Also, change slowly. Rapid diet changes are both likely to be rejected, and may also cause an upset tummy. Add a little bit of the new food to their dry, and see how they go. Maybe also try adding the broth to it, so if they like that, when you switch to wet, it won't be so unfamiliar.

 

[<alt>doxygen]

My friend has 6 feral cats that have been just fine for 6 years on it.

My sister lives on a big spread and they have a mix of feral and domesticated cats they feed. I don't think she's ever fed any but abandoned kittens wet food. I think they hunt for that wet stuff, lol.

 

[Slingshot Bob]

My sister lives on a big spread and they have a mix of feral and domesticated cats they feed. I don't think she's ever fed any but abandoned kittens wet food. I think they hunt for that wet stuff, lol.

Mine eat a lot of lizards.