Cat food

Dogs, Cats, Fish, Parrots, Horses, ALL Domestic Pets
Bluefinch
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Cat food

Post by Bluefinch »

I would like to get away from feeding my two with tins or sachets of the regular cat food.

What do you feed your cats on? I used to feed fresh meat but the younger one is not keen. Just wondering about a better quality cat food and which brand to get.
Gwenoakes
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Re: Cat food

Post by Gwenoakes »

I would feed anything without cereal in and wet food only if that is possible.

The best is obviously the raw though in my honest opinion.
Bluefinch
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Re: Cat food

Post by Bluefinch »

Thanks Gwen. That is what I feel. Poppy the youngest is only 8 months old and doesn't quite know what to do with raw food apart from batting it around the kitchen floor although she doesn't have any trouble with mice! Think I will try her on chicken again tomorrow.
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kitla
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Re: Cat food

Post by kitla »

I had alot of problems finding a good food for my old dog that had health issues. I did lots of research & ended up with Country Hunter, they do tinned, pouches or raw nuggets (frozen) for dogs and cats. My Toffee is loads healthier since she's been on it, she has tinned in the morning & raw in the evening. I dont have a cat but I guess the cat version is good too.
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wendy
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Re: Cat food

Post by wendy »

Chicken can be quite bland. Have you a animal food delivery service.
I no longer have cats, but I get pheasant, venison, rabbit as well as all the usual.
My last cat loved tripe
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Richard
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Re: Cat food

Post by Richard »

My Grandmother, we're talking 1950's here, used to feed her and everybody elses cat who visited Baked White Fish in milk ! Probably way out of order but they all lived to good ages.

Big Ron used to like a bit of Chicken, but I never made it a regular thing.

There are lots of variations of cat food available, but most come at a high cost.

Maybe it's an idea to google what people fed cats on before it all went commercial?

I'm no expert, the above posts far more informative than mine!

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Mo
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Re: Cat food

Post by Mo »

Well I'd always poo-poo'd the idea that milk wasn't good for cats (good marketing ploy to sell special milk for cats) until we had to keep our cat in after a vet visit. Don't usually give him much milk, but as he was sorry for himself and asked every time I went to the fridge..... Results obvious in the litter tray what would normally be hidden outside.
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lancashire lass
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Re: Cat food

Post by lancashire lass »

I found this article on line about cats and cat care from 1940s - 1960s. Strange diet back then:

Dinner might be fresh cooked meat with potatoes and boiled greens or carrots with milk pudding for dessert. Supper was the same as breakfast, possibly with the addition of meat or fish. The usual meats were stewed shin, rabbit, liver, tripe or lights (lungs; remarkably low in nutritional value) or the owner could boil a sheep's head, rabbit's head or cods’ heads until the flesh fell off the bone. These would be served with broken dog biscuits, hard-baked bread crusts or home-made cat bread (see below). A cat which had lost its appetite could be perked up by a raw chicken's head complete with feathers or a fresh-killed sparrow, served feathers and all.


This sounds like the start of the commercial cat food:

During the First World War, the Cats Protection League magazine "The Cat" carried meal suggestions, for example bread soaked in milk with a gravy of yeast extract. The excess milk was poured off to be used in a later meal. Gravy was made from a small quantity of yeast extract (e.g. Marmite) and a teaspoon or two of "gravy" was poured over the milk-soaked bread. The editor of "The Cat" recommended making a good solid pudding as a substitute for meat. The pudding comprised table scraps such as bread, potatoes, vegetables and cheese, all moistened with Marmite gravy, mashed together and baked in a pie-dish for about an hour. When cold, this set into a firm slab and could be sliced and cubed to provide several days' food.
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Re: Cat food

Post by Cheshire Chick »

Hi - We have 3 cats and they all eat sachets of cat food. Our eldest is 9 years old and he has to have a special diet (Royal Canin Biscuits from the vet). 3 Years ago he got blocked up and could not go to the toilet for a wee. The cause of this apparently was dried cat biscuits. He therefore has his specialised biscuits (which he has to be on for life) and we also give a bit of wet food so that it is not too boring for him. The wet food is usually Whiskers 7+. It's ironic that biscuits caused this blockage in the first place and his specialised biscuits stop him blocking up!! Our middle cat is 6 years old and she just seems to love cat biscuits. The only cat food she will have is "Gourmet". She is a tiny cat and only eats very small meals. We have only had our 3rd cat for 3 weeks (he was a stray at my husbands works), but he will eat Morrisons Own brand - but is also getting a taste for Lucy's Gourmet!! If I'm not careful I will have 3 of them asking for Gourmet and it is the most expensive one and I am not sure how good it is for them. My first 2 cats will turn their nose up at any raw meat and are not even keen on cooked chicken. I suppose it's all down to what they like - in my experience they can get very fussy!!
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wendy
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Re: Cat food

Post by wendy »

Although the diet for during the war is strange. It must have been difficult feeding animals, as humans was bad enough.

I was a child in the 40,50's before there were such things as 'dog' and 'cat' food.
They ate cheap version of ours, the dog always having what we left, as well veggies included. It was strange that my parents never had fussy cats or dogs.

I have never given any of my animals 'dried' food they have always had raw meat.
I haven't had fussy eaters either
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lancashire lass
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Re: Cat food

Post by lancashire lass »

wendy wrote:It was strange that my parents never had fussy cats or dogs.


I can't vouch for cats, but I have noticed that if dogs see you eat the same food as them, they'll usually eat it
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Richard
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Re: Cat food

Post by Richard »

Dogs are better than Vacuum Cleaners !!!

Cats.........well, what is there to say :-D :-D :-D

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Mo
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Re: Cat food

Post by Mo »

Dogs are thieving vultures

Cats are above all that...
........get off the table!
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Meanqueen
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Re: Cat food

Post by Meanqueen »

My three cats have their own feeding stations and they don't steal from each other. They are all fussy, and I am expected to dish up the right food for each of them.

My oldie boy Bugsy has lived for 20 years on pouches and dried, plus treats of tuna fish, and cooked chicken. Young lady Mayze will only eat dried, plus a bit of cooked chicken. Young lady Heidi has dried and small Sheba pouches.

Sorry, I can't help you with any raw recommendations.

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Re: Cat food

Post by Bluefinch »

Thank you everyone for your comments. I have tried them on raw chicken, Poppy the youngest not keen. The next day I tried cooked chicken which she ate eventually after I had put it on the ground! Somehow she didn't like it in her bowl! I know that cats can get very fussy which is why I ring the changes as often as possible with the tins/sachets etc.

Several years ago I fed Pip, the older cat, and her mum on raw meat which they both ate. It was in fact cheaper than the sachets and of course wasn't 50% water and whatever else is in sachets/tins etc.

I will persevere with the raw food from time to time. I know they like fish but then that isn't cheap. They also have biscuits in the afternoon.
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