Hi All,
I've tried most of the high grade pet foods and have a Tom that has had
bladder stones so I have to stay with really high quality and be careful.
None of my animals will eat the Science diet, were lukewarm about Nutra,
liked Eukanuba but my Tom got bladder stones once (require surgery) and
crystals twice after that on their urinary formula - so that didn't work for
us.
We have been using Nature's Balance (the cranberry one) for several months
now. The dog variety is the only dry dog food my dog is willing to eat.
All three cats seem to like the cranberry dry cat flavor and there have been
no problems. Yet there is only one place I can get this stuff.
Anyone else using this?
Marta
Victor Martinez - 04 Apr 2005 02:49 GMT
> now. The dog variety is the only dry dog food my dog is willing to eat.
Do not feed your cat dog food exclusively. It does not contain taurine,
which is essential for cats.
Wet food is much better than dry food, I'd recommend you start feeding
them mostly wet food, especially for the males. Some of the better
brands out there include Felidae and Innova. Nutro is more widely
available and is also good. Look for foods without grains in the top 3-5
ingredients. Cats are obligate carnivores, they have no need to eat
carbs, why feed them corn? :)

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whayface - 04 Apr 2005 13:08 GMT
>> now. The dog variety is the only dry dog food my dog is willing to eat.
>Do not feed your cat dog food exclusively. It does not contain taurine,
>which is essential for cats.
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
>ingredients. Cats are obligate carnivores, they have no need to eat
>carbs, why feed them corn? :)
I could be wrong bu didn't he say that "The dog variety is the only dry dog food my dog is
willing to eat"?? Unless he misspoke himself he was talking about his DOG that time even
though it is a CAT group.
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Victor Martinez - 04 Apr 2005 14:34 GMT
> I could be wrong bu didn't he say that "The dog variety is the only dry dog food my dog is
> willing to eat"?? Unless he misspoke himself he was talking about his DOG that time even
> though it is a CAT group.
You're right, I seem to be getting more dyslexic with age... :)

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wwwolf - 04 Apr 2005 15:21 GMT
> Hi All,
>
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> crystals twice after that on their urinary formula - so that didn't work for
> us.
Dry pet food is relativily new (since 1950s) and most of it is just grain with
little meat. Cats are obligate carnivores (meaning they MUST have meat). The
absolute best diet you could put your cats and dogs on is the same that many
champion breeders use. This is the B.A.R.F. diet.
Just do a google search for "barf diet" to learn more. It is also far cheaper
than commercial cat food and is WELL suited for senior cats as well. (it livens
them up)
The best gift you can give your pets is your time.
hth
wwwolf
Judy - 05 Apr 2005 04:43 GMT
> Hi All,
>
[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]
>
> Marta
If the brands of food you are describing are "dry" have you thought about
trying to switch him over to canned, or feeding a combination of the two?
Less dry and more canned?
When it comes to the dry portion of my cats diet, she is fed Wellness Lite
and the canned comes from Nutro and Iams.
Judy
Wayfarer - 07 Apr 2005 00:06 GMT
I have three cats and one dog. Nature's Balance makes both cat and dog
food. I only referenced the dog as a way of saying that even picky eater
that he is, he will eat this brand.
Actually, cats are omnivores and typically eat plants in the wild as well as
meat. My feral LOVES cantaloupe!
Shadow Walker - 07 Apr 2005 18:39 GMT
I think the point being made here is that unlike our dog companions cats do
not make taurine and so need more meat or other foods that contain taurine.
Since most everything else really doesn't have taurine in it, it is
healthier for cats to eat more meat. Weather it was the eating more meat
that caused the cats body to evolve without the ability to make taurine or
the fact that they don't make taurine that made them require more meat, will
probably never be known. So most plant material is left undigested and when
you eat something you can not digest you tend to not eat it again because it
hurts.
Just to state no matter how much man thinks he knows something about nature
it will prove him wrong overtime.
Shadow Walker
> I have three cats and one dog. Nature's Balance makes both cat and dog
> food. I only referenced the dog as a way of saying that even picky eater
> that he is, he will eat this brand.
>
> Actually, cats are omnivores and typically eat plants in the wild as well as
> meat. My feral LOVES cantaloupe!