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After reading some of the posts that have raised concerns about dry cat food, especially mainstream brands like Purina, I decided that it was time for a change.
So, I went to the pet food store and bought some Blue Buffalo Wilderness. I've been mixing it in with my cat's previous dry (Pro Plan Select) and everything is going fine. Actually, I am quite pleased with the change, as is my cat: this morning, she started getting frisky with a sand pile
My questions are the following: my cat used to free feed. Do you think that she can still free feed with the new brand? She is in no danger of obesity, mind you, but just in case there's something I should know, I'd appreciate any and all advice.
Secondly, while at the store, I (obviously) considered getting some wet food. I've given it to my cat before but she always just ate a few bites and left the rest in the bowl (I usually gave her half a can or even less). I always fed her ash-less wet food. When I was growing up, I always remember my mother telling me that the ash in wet cat food had a tendency to cause urinary problems, especially in male cats (I have no idea how my mother knew this). However, either kitty didn't like it or I didn't transition her properly I can't remember the brand of that particular wet food but while looking at ingredients of canned wet at the pet store, I saw that both Wellness and Blue Buffalo--the brands I want to try--contain ash.
So, I guess my second question is: should ash content really be a concern? Would it really be so bad to just keep my kit on the BBWilderness dry?
There are more concerns with your cat being fed dry food that lead to UTI, and other issues than being fed wet food. It is a transition regardless. I would visit www.catinfo.org for more information. Dr. Pierson has a link to some sites where they rate the canned foods to give you a better idea of what may be a good choice and what would not. I am not a big fan of free feeding unless you have one of the automatic feeders that you can program to dispense food throughout the day.
There are more concerns with your cat being fed dry food that lead to UTI, and other issues than being fed wet food. It is a transition regardless. I would visit www.catinfo.org for more information. Dr. Pierson has a link to some sites where they rate the canned foods to give you a better idea of what may be a good choice and what would not. I am not a big fan of free feeding unless you have one of the automatic feeders that you can program to dispense food throughout the day.
I didn't even know those existed, thank you so much for mentioning them. Why would dry food lead to UT probs?
Starla, I have, at last count, 9 kidney compromised cats in this house, all from a poor genetic background, with the exception of one. I was clueless about dry food and how inappropriate it is to feed felines. In fact, my own vet at the time (she no longer is my vet) prescribed dry Royal Canine SO food to my Karma, who actually blocked at the age of 2, from feeding him DRY food. This vet kept up the cycle of me feeding the wrong food, until someone, (not here) literally took my head off for feeding dry food. I guess I needed my head taken off, because I was so darn confident that my vet knew right.
Well, long story short. I went home after my head landed on a grocery store floor, and immediately emptied out 40 pound bags of food in the garbage. I was that convinced. My cats went cold turkey. I looked at my one cat who had blocked, and I mean really looked. He looked pathetic. No shine to his coat. No energy. Listless and he looked so sad. Towards the end before I threw the bags out, he would come to his dish, dragging his fanny, as though saying, do I have to eat this crap?
I widened up and fast. I have too many here with health problems to feed an obligate carnivore any more dry food. Please, Starla, believe me, when I say what I say here, and I ask you to switch to a quality canned food. I would even go far as to encourage you to research how to feed raw food, but that is for later. This cat food journey is just that, and it comes in stages. You are at stage one, I hope.
The above website is written by Dr. Lisa Pierson DVM.
I've already read Dr. Pierson's website. I like what she says about the lack of moisture in dry food. However, I'm really looking for info regarding ash in wet food. If anyone has any info re: ash in wet food, that really is my biggest question.
Starla, I have, at last count, 9 kidney compromised cats in this house, all from a poor genetic background, with the exception of one. I was clueless about dry food and how inappropriate it is to feed felines. In fact, my own vet at the time (she no longer is my vet) prescribed dry Royal Canine SO food to my Karma, who actually blocked at the age of 2, from feeding him DRY food. This vet kept up the cycle of me feeding the wrong food, until someone, (not here) literally took my head off for feeding dry food. I guess I needed my head taken off, because I was so darn confident that my vet knew right.
Well, long story short. I went home after my head landed on a grocery store floor, and immediately emptied out 40 pound bags of food in the garbage. I was that convinced. My cats went cold turkey. I looked at my one cat who had blocked, and I mean really looked. He looked pathetic. No shine to his coat. No energy. Listless and he looked so sad. Towards the end before I threw the bags out, he would come to his dish, dragging his fanny, as though saying, do I have to eat this crap?
I widened up and fast. I have too many here with health problems to feed an obligate carnivore any more dry food. Please, Starla, believe me, when I say what I say here, and I ask you to switch to a quality canned food. I would even go far as to encourage you to research how to feed raw food, but that is for later. This cat food journey is just that, and it comes in stages. You are at stage one, I hope.
I was wondering when you were going to respond
You don't need to convince me; that really isn't what this thread is about b/c there are already a lot of threads re: the evils of dry food. I am already convinced, which is why I'm trying to transition.
My biggest question is about ash content in wet food. That's really what I'm wondering if anyone has any experience with. I like that the wet contains taurine but the ash... I just don't like it. And Blue Buffalo and Wellness both contain ash. Those would be the brands that I would buy but I don't like the fact that they contain ash.
I know you had problems with dry but do you really think that my kit wouldn't be okay on Blue Buffalo dry? It's such a high quality food, I wonder if she might be okay on just that, although I am more apt to agree with Dr. Peirson about the lack of moisture in all dry foods, regardless of how high quality they are.
What wet food do you feed your kits? Why do you feed it? Does it contain ash? Do you know of a high quality food that doesn't contain ash? Why do so many wet foods contain ash?
I am not able to answer all your questions about ash, and I don't know why exactly some wet food contain more of it then others. I think all wet food have ash in it. I think. I do believe, if I am not wrong, that the higher the ash content, the harder that food is on the kidneys. I think there are some other posters here who know more then I do, and I hope they respond to your questions.
I am not able to answer all your questions about ash, and I don't know why exactly some wet food contain more of it then others. I think all wet food have ash in it. I think. I do believe, if I am not wrong, that the higher the ash content, the harder that food is on the kidneys. I think there are some other posters here who know more then I do, and I hope they respond to your questions.
Thanks so much for responding; it's always nice to hear from you My main concern in feeding wet is, in fact, the ash. Not that I am averse to transitioning from dry, just want to make sure that I do it right.
I don't see ash in the ingredients, but I see it in the "Guaranteed Analysis" of the brands I do feed. Someone want to help UNconfuse me?
Last edited by Lola4; 02-21-2011 at 11:07 AM..
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I can't remember the brand of that particular wet food but while looking at ingredients of canned wet at the pet store, I saw that both Wellness and Blue Buffalo--the brands I want to try--contain ash.
