I have always had a cat or two in my house since childhood. When my girlfriend and I moved into our own apartments, we added cans of cat food in addition to their dry stuff... "dinner", if you will. Up until then I only fed them hard food and kept the bowl full. My question is this: recently, I was given a shopping bag full of different dry cat foods from someone who got rid of her cats. I fed the cats these new dry foods and noticed they ate more; as in, they must have liked it more. Now I do mix it up with my cats with their dinnertime half-a-can of wet cat food- it's different everyday- but up until then I have always been feeding my cats the same hard food all the time. Should I try different hard foods for my cats? On one hand, it's readily available food. But on the other, they may like the change of flavor, as I imagine any mammal would. Should I experiment with my cats or cater to their desires and provide a new type of hard cat food every morning? Or am I thinking about this too much? Considering that to them, I am their owner... the owner of an intelligent form of life, I feel a responsibility. So do you think mixing it up more for the cats' sake is worth it?
All I can recommend for kitty food is to find something healthy for them, and that can be hard, because most foods - including the fancy sounding ones like Science Diet - include corn and other grains, which aren't really good for cats. I've got mine on a corn & grain-free dry food.
Dry foods are the best and will not make them fat. Purina is one of the healthy ones. It also cleans their teeth when they eat dry food.
Another problem with the canned stuff (or so it seems) is that the litter box fills up a bit quicker. My GF likes to dump a whole can of wet food in the cat's bowl at a time. Myself, just half a can every now and then. I do like to feed our cat a bit of tuna or some other real meat on occasion. The cat certainly enjoys it as well, made evident by the happy dance performed as I prepare her (the cat) meal.
Yes, but do I have a responsibility to feed the cats different dry foods or just stick to the plain old for them?
Spot on . I mix it -- dry , wet , dry/wet mix . However difficult , most animals thrive on routine , including feeding times and types of food . In this area they are not substitute friends or family . They are Pets , can't speak , and are thick as two planks . Having said that , I would kill to look after my Lord Benny . So stupid he walks with me like a dog if I let him but has not learned to **** his leg .
Instead of buying the usual 15 lb. bag of dry, I will experiment with 3-4 different flavors and see the results.
If they like the dry food they already have, I see no reason to change it. But on the other hand, if they become so used to one food, they may become ill when fed another sort of food, so I would try and mix it up a little. They should have some wet food at night, just a little bit, and the dry food to graze on during the day, but only a small amount or they will gorge it and be sick. Try giving them the newer dry food a couple times a week, and the other times stick with the regular dry food you give them. Make sure you take note of what the dry food actually contains, for example eggs, as some cats (like mine) was allergic to eggs. And do post us a pic of these moggies for us! What breed are they?
This is incorrect as far as male cats go, male cats need soft/canned food from time to time to keep crystals from building up in their urinary track which can kill them if not gotten to quick enough, i know this because it happened to one of my male cats and my vet wanted to wring my neck for not giving him more canned food. Now this doesnt happen to every male cat but do you really want to take the chance of it happening to one of your loved family members and also adding a sizable vet bill to your monthly bills.
One has stripes like a tiger and the other is black and white. Got the first cat in Florida and brought him here and the other cat was born a block away and they were trying to get rid of it. Happy to have both of them.
Just dry food would be too boring to them. I doubt they get all the nutrition they need. Cat also like variety too. You may want to give your cats some can tuna, salmon, occasionally you may want to mix with some rice too. Good, not battered fish filet are great, my cats favourite is tilapia, they are good for the health of cat, smooth their fur and good for their eyes, it's more natural to them and they love it. I normally mircowave 2 minutes, then cut it up for them. No salt, no seasoning. Just plain. Sometime when I want to indulge them, I would cut up some rotisserie chicken too. They really love it. Then, in-between, my cats also have temptations for snack, but I would normally make them do tricks first, like shake hand, sit down, hi five...etc. My cats can do tricks like dogs!
Well I bought new dry cat food and when I gave it to them, they devoured it. And an hour later when it was their dinnertime they weren't even around to "remind me" it's their dinnertime! I had to call them to give them wet food.
You love your cats. What better way to show your love for them than giving them some variety? Give them a kiss and a pat on the head for me.....
My cats are highly trained- not to do tricks for treats but to act like a domestic cat does. I don't make them do unnatural things for rewards, I allow them to be cats in a house. And they know it and like it- good luck finding warmth and comfort and food on the hard streets- and both my cats have histories. So when the door is open for those two seconds, they don't jump up and run out 'cause it's good here. Giving them new hard food has decreased their demand for wet food. And they barely eat it, full from the new hard food.
I noticed that he writes some of your Posts when you are feeling lazy . Explains the occasional catty side of you .))
