Need Help With Cat Food

[bonobo]

I was at JJ market a few weeks ago, and while just window-shopping, a small male cat in a shop chose me.  I tried to walk away, but 20 minutes later, I had to return to get him.

I tried several Thai cat foods, and the dry one he seems to like the most is Me-O.  However, two Thais have since told me that this food is horrible and leads to health problems in cats, particularly kidney problems.  Of course, the English writing on the bag says it is formulated to combat kidney problems...

I would appreciate any advice from people who have cats or just know the real story concerning Thai cat foods.

[whistleblower]

I have a beautiful persian and it gets whiskas dry food and tuna. Tuna isnt supposed to be good for cats but mine has eaten it for about 5 years with no problems.

[Crypt36]

Cats are designed by nature to eat raw meat and bones and only that. Now dry food is primarily made of grains which are just bad for cats, bad for kidneys and causes all kind of problems. Try to think of it like macdonalds okay they want to make a profit and are allowed to put pretty much anyting on that sack of catfood and their last concern is the health of your cat. Cans of Tuna fish are also bad, they contain to much salt and other conservatives. The wet food is a little better but still not the best to feed your cat.

If you want a really healthy cat you feed them raw meat, organs and bones. NEVER cook the meat or the bones. They need it raw.

Raw food cats forum

http://www.rawfedcats.org/

http://www.rawfed.com/myths/index.html

http://rawfed.com/myths/cats.html

[Nienke]

Recently a vet confirmed that what the two Thai people told the OP. He said the same about brands like Whiskas and Friskies.

Besides that cats are obligate carnivores and their digestive system, therefore, is not designed to process grains and the like and the dry food is full of preservatives and artificial yukkie stuff, cats fed on dry food tend to not drink enough which then can result in bladder and kidney problems.

[Rimmer]

The major manufacturers have pretty much sorted out the problems with dry cat foods now, Me Ow is probably the best of them, look at the chemical make of it it vs other brands on the outside of the packet.

Having said that DO NOT feed you cat on dry food alone. A cat gets it's water intake mostly from it's food, dry food has little water thus leading to feline lower urinary tract infections. What dry food manufacturers are saying is that a diet high in protein will not cause the cat to get struvites, this is true but a cat needs water so

If you feed cat on dry food only then you MUST give him at least 5ml of water two times a day with a syringe orally to be safe as well as always having water down for him.

We have 9 cats, they eat boiled rice mixed with canned fish food and Me Ow cat biscuits on top. Costs nothing. Twice a week they all have cooked pork ribs for them to chew on which cleans their teeth.

They also catch and kill any stray rodents that are foolish enough to want to come inside our walls.

Our cats get water from the rice, two cats that do not eat rice have water orally and a high protein chicken diet with Me Ow.

[Rimmer]

I have a beautiful persian and it gets whiskas dry food and tuna. Tuna isnt supposed to be good for cats but mine has eaten it for about 5 years with no problems.

Beautiful cat

I would be a little worried about the Tuna mercury connection though.

[lioness]

I don't buy any prepared cat food for my cats. I buy small fish from the market, 3 for 10 Baht, mince it all up and they love it, usually mix it with a bit of leftover rice. 3 times a week I add a raw egg. It costs me roughly 15 Baht a day to feed my 7 cats they are all happy and healthy with nice shiny fur.

They get biscuits in the mornings, but they prefer the dog biscuits to the cat ones.

[Mousehound]

I have just spoken to "She who must be obeyed" about this. She is a cat nut and a registered and serious breeder of Abysinian cats. Spends a lot of time researching and we even get a few calls from the vet on cat problems. (Note we are in Australia at the moment - regular Thailand visitors).

We don't feed raw food often but the cats have the following:

Whiskas Advance (NB not ordinary Whiskas)

These are also good - all are "Pro" type foods

Iams

HillsScience Diet

Proplan

Royal Canin

These may be hard or impossible to get in Thailand and may be expensive - alyhough a little goes a long waywith the better foods.

We don't feed raw beef (I wouldn't have thought this was likely in Thailand anyhow) as there is some sort of nasty bug cats can get from it (I forgot the name). Raw chicken is supposed to be good (with bones) but our animals are far to aristoCATic to eat such food.

As noted on earlier post tuna is not good for cats. I secretly feed one cat cheese, as it goes nuts over the stuff.

[ozsamurai]

You are going to find as many opinions on feeding pets as pets themselves, great campaign are waged to get you to buy things YOU think is good for pets. The fact is that most cats know what is good for them and what is not, and unlike us and McDonald's they choose not to eat it, unless given no choice. Have a look at the raw diets and you will see why most people end up going for a can of Whiskers instead of gourmet cooking for their moggie.

My advise, provide a range of dry and wet foods for your cat to try (they come in small cans) see what it takes to, research that brand. Simulate it if you wish to add or remove any particular element, supplement their diet with essentials, taurine etc..

It will all go well if you just put a little homework in & ignore the over zealous fanatics, there are lots!

Oz

[cognos]

sometimes when one of my students (Joey) asks what I had for lunch..I reply.."cat food"..he always chuckles over that one. signed: special needs teacher with extremely lame sense of humour

[cognos]

perhaps try real fish, as it's cheap enough from the local fishmonger ..my cat ran away when I was a kid, and haven't had one since

[Crypt36]

The major manufacturers have pretty much sorted out the problems with dry cat foods now, Me Ow is probably the best of them, look at the chemical make of it it vs other brands on the outside of the packet.

Having said that DO NOT feed you cat on dry food alone. A cat gets it's water intake mostly from it's food, dry food has little water thus leading to feline lower urinary tract infections. What dry food manufacturers are saying is that a diet high in protein will not cause the cat to get struvites, this is true but a cat needs water so

If you feed cat on dry food only then you MUST give him at least 5ml of water two times a day with a syringe orally to be safe as well as always having water down for him.

We have 9 cats, they eat boiled rice mixed with canned fish food and Me Ow cat biscuits on top. Costs nothing. Twice a week they all have cooked pork ribs for them to chew on which cleans their teeth.

They also catch and kill any stray rodents that are foolish enough to want to come inside our walls.

Our cats get water from the rice, two cats that do not eat rice have water orally and a high protein chicken diet with Me Ow.

You shouldn't feed rice and biscuits to cats. They might eat it but you should not. Cooked bones can splinter and in the worst case kill your cat and raw bones do not splinter. And cooking the meat terminates most of the nutritional value for cats.

[Crypt36]

Quail is my cats favourite food, he never passes on this!!! It's also the most healthy food he can get, meat, bones and organs, all he needs! Remember to feed them raw!!!

40thb for 2 and you can find them at almost any thai market.

My 14 weeks old kitten needs 1 every day. I feed this to him twice a weak. And yes he eats the head and feet as well.

Edited November 30, 2009 by Crypt36

[zachary]

My cats LOVE those really expensive gourmet cat food things, I forget the name of it though, sorry, (they have them in every Tesco/Lotus/Carrefour/BigC/etc)

I swear I think they put like crack in that food cuz my 2 cats love that food SO much