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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 25 of 58. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by sb417 on August 21, 2004, at 23:46:07
1) What kind of cat food do you feed your cat? What brand(s) do you buy, and do you buy dry or wet food? For some reason, one of my cats is suddenly turning up her nose at a food she's liked for a long time. I don't know what's the matter. I thought perhaps the bag of food was stale, so I bought another one from another store, and she still won't eat it.
2) How do you go about putting one of your cats on a diet when one is fat and the other is normal weight? They eat each other's food, and it's almost impossible to prevent this since I'm not home much of the time. Some friends have told me not to leave food out all day, but ever since September 11, 2001, I've been worried that if something terrible happens and I can't get home for a few days or can't get home at all, my cats will starve before someone shows up to rescue them. So, for the past few years, I've been leaving huge bowls of food and water available at all times, and one of my cats has become quite rotund. Any advice?
Posted by AuntieMel on August 21, 2004, at 23:59:46
In reply to Questions for cat lovers, posted by sb417 on August 21, 2004, at 23:46:07
I use science diet dry. And I leave it out for them all the time. Lately one of them has been getting too chunky so for the last few months or so I've been getting the diet stuff.
Every few days I'll give them a bit of fancy feast as a treat. Each gets about a half a can.
What kind are you using?
Posted by Ilene on August 22, 2004, at 0:58:08
In reply to Questions for cat lovers, posted by sb417 on August 21, 2004, at 23:46:07
Currently the beasts get Science Diet dry food. Next time I go to Costco I'll probably pick up some Kirkland (their house brand) since it costs about 1/3 as much, and the nutritional analysis is the same.
They get fed at breakfast and dinner, in separate rooms. They weigh about 9 lb. I'm sure they would get rotund, too, if I left the food out.
I don't worry about 9/11 at all. I figure there's no way I can prepare for anything like that
Posted by tabitha on August 22, 2004, at 1:15:58
In reply to Questions for cat lovers, posted by sb417 on August 21, 2004, at 23:46:07
My cat was getting plump, so I started measuring her food. The bag said 1/2 cup per day. She still had a baggy tummy, so I switched to adult healthy weight maintenance brand. Now she looks like a good weight. It's dry food. I read that it's important for the #1 ingredient to be meat rather than grain or meat by-product. Cats don't really digest grain very well, although lots of the commercial dry foods are mostly grain meal.
I only feed her 1x per day. When she was on the fattier food, she'd leave some of it, and often other cats would come in the yard and eat it (and there would be a big ruckus with the cats hissing and growling at each other) Now that she's on the diet food, she finishes it all, and no more invading neighbor cats. She seems to do OK with just one feeding per day.
Posted by KaraS on August 22, 2004, at 2:32:21
In reply to Questions for cat lovers, posted by sb417 on August 21, 2004, at 23:46:07
> 1) What kind of cat food do you feed your cat? What brand(s) do you buy, and do you buy dry or wet food? For some reason, one of my cats is suddenly turning up her nose at a food she's liked for a long time. I don't know what's the matter. I thought perhaps the bag of food was stale, so I bought another one from another store, and she still won't eat it.
>
> 2) How do you go about putting one of your cats on a diet when one is fat and the other is normal weight? They eat each other's food, and it's almost impossible to prevent this since I'm not home much of the time. Some friends have told me not to leave food out all day, but ever since September 11, 2001, I've been worried that if something terrible happens and I can't get home for a few days or can't get home at all, my cats will starve before someone shows up to rescue them. So, for the past few years, I've been leaving huge bowls of food and water available at all times, and one of my cats has become quite rotund. Any advice?
I wish I could figure out how to feed mine separately as well. It's not easy when you have two of them.As for the food, I've been trying different things. I used to feed them Science Diet but it's so expensive and they use animal by-products. I did some research and found the following links. Maybe one of these could help you. My favorite dry food so far is Natural Balance. It's easier to find than some of the others on the list. One of my cats has a fiber responsive disorder and he has been doing better on the Natural Balance than on most of the other things I've tried.
http://cats.about.com/cs/nutrition/tp/premdrycatfood.htm
Here's another link from the same site that talks about ingredients:
http://cats.about.com/cs/catfood/a/comparisonatoz.htm
There's a chat group through that website as well regarding all issues in feline care.
Hope that helps.
Kara
Posted by slinky on August 22, 2004, at 6:25:51
In reply to Re: Questions for cat lovers » sb417, posted by KaraS on August 22, 2004, at 2:32:21
my cat is about 6 years old throughout her life she has rarely eaten a full meal..less than half a tin a day..sometimes no food at all.
She's a little skinny. Vet said she's ok.
I've tried every cat food going..she hates them all..even dry food.
I'd love to find a food she likes..I throw a lot away as she just leaves it there for 2 days.
She doesn't even like the treats.
Or real meat , cooked/uncooked.
Oh but she likes mice but just the heads.
I wish I could find the answer to her taste:(
Posted by Catgirl on August 22, 2004, at 13:27:49
In reply to Questions for cat lovers, posted by sb417 on August 21, 2004, at 23:46:07
> 1) What kind of cat food do you feed your cat? What brand(s) do you buy, and do you buy dry or wet food? For some reason, one of my cats is suddenly turning up her nose at a food she's liked for a long time. I don't know what's the matter. I thought perhaps the bag of food was stale, so I bought another one from another store, and she still won't eat it.
>
> 2) How do you go about putting one of your cats on a diet when one is fat and the other is normal weight? They eat each other's food, and it's almost impossible to prevent this since I'm not home much of the time. Some friends have told me not to leave food out all day, but ever since September 11, 2001, I've been worried that if something terrible happens and I can't get home for a few days or can't get home at all, my cats will starve before someone shows up to rescue them. So, for the past few years, I've been leaving huge bowls of food and water available at all times, and one of my cats has become quite rotund. Any advice?My cat eats dry food, he won't touch the canned stuff (can't say that I blame him).
Just a suggestion, but if your cat stops eating it might be a good idea to consult the vet since loss of apetite can be a sympton of illness.
Posted by KaraS on August 22, 2004, at 14:20:22
In reply to Re: Questions for cat lovers, posted by Catgirl on August 22, 2004, at 13:27:49
> > 1) What kind of cat food do you feed your cat? What brand(s) do you buy, and do you buy dry or wet food? For some reason, one of my cats is suddenly turning up her nose at a food she's liked for a long time. I don't know what's the matter. I thought perhaps the bag of food was stale, so I bought another one from another store, and she still won't eat it.
> >
> > 2) How do you go about putting one of your cats on a diet when one is fat and the other is normal weight? They eat each other's food, and it's almost impossible to prevent this since I'm not home much of the time. Some friends have told me not to leave food out all day, but ever since September 11, 2001, I've been worried that if something terrible happens and I can't get home for a few days or can't get home at all, my cats will starve before someone shows up to rescue them. So, for the past few years, I've been leaving huge bowls of food and water available at all times, and one of my cats has become quite rotund. Any advice?
>
> My cat eats dry food, he won't touch the canned stuff (can't say that I blame him).
> Just a suggestion, but if your cat stops eating it might be a good idea to consult the vet since loss of apetite can be a sympton of illness.
>
>My cats only eat dry food too. My vet told me that's best for them and it keeps their teeth clean so I listened to what he said. Now, however, after talking to others and doing some research I've found that eating only dry food can lead to trouble down the road. (I'll have to get back to you on exactly what it can cause because I'm having a complete block on it.) Anyway, now I haven't been able to get my cats to eat the wet stuff and I'm very concerned about that.
Posted by Catgirl on August 22, 2004, at 15:36:03
In reply to Re: Questions for cat lovers » Catgirl, posted by KaraS on August 22, 2004, at 14:20:22
>
> My cats only eat dry food too. My vet told me that's best for them and it keeps their teeth clean so I listened to what he said. Now, however, after talking to others and doing some research I've found that eating only dry food can lead to trouble down the road. (I'll have to get back to you on exactly what it can cause because I'm having a complete block on it.) Anyway, now I haven't been able to get my cats to eat the wet stuff and I'm very concerned about that.
>
Doesn't it seem that you can never really do the right thing sometimes? You think you are doing it right and then they change their minds.
Anyway, don't be too concerned...I had a cat that ate nothing but dry food his whole life and lived to be 15 years old. Not too shabby!
Posted by KaraS on August 22, 2004, at 15:45:33
In reply to Re: Questions for cat lovers, posted by Catgirl on August 22, 2004, at 15:36:03
> >
> > My cats only eat dry food too. My vet told me that's best for them and it keeps their teeth clean so I listened to what he said. Now, however, after talking to others and doing some research I've found that eating only dry food can lead to trouble down the road. (I'll have to get back to you on exactly what it can cause because I'm having a complete block on it.) Anyway, now I haven't been able to get my cats to eat the wet stuff and I'm very concerned about that.
> >
> Doesn't it seem that you can never really do the right thing sometimes? You think you are doing it right and then they change their minds.
> Anyway, don't be too concerned...I had a cat that ate nothing but dry food his whole life and lived to be 15 years old. Not too shabby!
>
>All we can do is try our best, I guess.
-K
Posted by Larry Hoover on August 22, 2004, at 15:57:13
In reply to Re: Questions for cat lovers » Catgirl, posted by KaraS on August 22, 2004, at 14:20:22
> My cats only eat dry food too. My vet told me that's best for them and it keeps their teeth clean so I listened to what he said. Now, however, after talking to others and doing some research I've found that eating only dry food can lead to trouble down the road. (I'll have to get back to you on exactly what it can cause because I'm having a complete block on it.) Anyway, now I haven't been able to get my cats to eat the wet stuff and I'm very concerned about that.
Now that the link is known, it's less likely that dry food will cause it (feedstuffs have been modified), but it used to be related to the incidence of Feline Urological Syndrome (which also goes by a couple of similar names). The problem is that some dry foods have too high an "ash" content, which simply means too many minerals. Cats can't deal with a high magnesium load, and can form crystals of struvite (magnesium ammonium phosphate hexahydrate) in the bladder. Particularly in males, these crystals can block the urethra, and you have a true medical emergency.
Adding a little methionine to the food can acidify the urine, and prevent crystallization. Also, keep the cat's water bowl fresh. Cats don't like stale water, and water should be changed frequently. Hydration is also a preventative for crystals in the bladder.
Lar
Posted by KaraS on August 22, 2004, at 17:07:44
In reply to Re: Questions for cat lovers » KaraS, posted by Larry Hoover on August 22, 2004, at 15:57:13
> > My cats only eat dry food too. My vet told me that's best for them and it keeps their teeth clean so I listened to what he said. Now, however, after talking to others and doing some research I've found that eating only dry food can lead to trouble down the road. (I'll have to get back to you on exactly what it can cause because I'm having a complete block on it.) Anyway, now I haven't been able to get my cats to eat the wet stuff and I'm very concerned about that.
>
> Now that the link is known, it's less likely that dry food will cause it (feedstuffs have been modified), but it used to be related to the incidence of Feline Urological Syndrome (which also goes by a couple of similar names). The problem is that some dry foods have too high an "ash" content, which simply means too many minerals. Cats can't deal with a high magnesium load, and can form crystals of struvite (magnesium ammonium phosphate hexahydrate) in the bladder. Particularly in males, these crystals can block the urethra, and you have a true medical emergency.
>
> Adding a little methionine to the food can acidify the urine, and prevent crystallization. Also, keep the cat's water bowl fresh. Cats don't like stale water, and water should be changed frequently. Hydration is also a preventative for crystals in the bladder.
>
> Lar
>
>Mr. Hoover,
The breadth of your knowledge never ceases to amaze me! Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I am so relieved that I have less to worry about now. The dry foods I give them are low ash, moderate magnesium, additional taurine, over 30% protein, often whole grain, usually rice rather than corn. The raw food diet would probably be best but I don't have the money or the energy for that right now.I change their water twice a day. I used to have one of those flowing water machines. They loved it but it's broken now. One of my cats prefers to drink water off of my hand as it's under the fawcett. (Can you say "spoiled rotten"?) She also likes toothpaste so I have to fight her off everytime I try to brush my teeth.
Here's another cat question:
How safe do you think the anti-flea meds Revolution, Frontline and Advantage are for them? My two little darlings are in-door cats yet they periodically manage to get infected with ear mites. I have done a lot of reading on this and have frequently run across the suggestion of giving them one of these flea treatments for one or two months (to cover the full 3-6 week life cycle of the mites - depending on what article I read) to kill the mites that are on their bodies outside of their ears. I would still need to treat the ears themselves of course which leads to another question. I've used tresaderm in the past but am now out of it. I've been reading that olive oil with vitamin E can do the job by smothering the mites. It's just so hard to clean their ears though and I worry about all the crud left behind. Do you think it's imperative that I bring them to the vet's office?P.S. Do you have cat(s)?
Posted by Larry Hoover on August 22, 2004, at 18:38:31
In reply to Re: Questions for cat lovers » Larry Hoover, posted by KaraS on August 22, 2004, at 17:07:44
> Mr. Hoover,
> The breadth of your knowledge never ceases to amaze me!The heighth, too! ;-)
> Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
You're welcome. You're welcome. You're welcome.
> I am so relieved that I have less to worry about now. The dry foods I give them are low ash, moderate magnesium, additional taurine, over 30% protein, often whole grain, usually rice rather than corn. The raw food diet would probably be best but I don't have the money or the energy for that right now.
Sounds like you have everything under control already.
> I change their water twice a day. I used to have one of those flowing water machines. They loved it but it's broken now. One of my cats prefers to drink water off of my hand as it's under the fawcett. (Can you say "spoiled rotten"?)
They like fresh water, eh?
> She also likes toothpaste so I have to fight her off everytime I try to brush my teeth.
Ummm, I don't even want to try and figure out how you know these things about your cat.
> Here's another cat question:
> How safe do you think the anti-flea meds Revolution, Frontline and Advantage are for them? My two little darlings are in-door cats yet they periodically manage to get infected with ear mites. I have done a lot of reading on this and have frequently run across the suggestion of giving them one of these flea treatments for one or two months (to cover the full 3-6 week life cycle of the mites - depending on what article I read) to kill the mites that are on their bodies outside of their ears.The only one of these that is sure to kill mites is Revolution. Frontline will, but that's an off-label use. From what I've read, Revolution is safest for cats.
> I would still need to treat the ears themselves of course which leads to another question. I've used tresaderm in the past but am now out of it. I've been reading that olive oil with vitamin E can do the job by smothering the mites.
Yes.
> It's just so hard to clean their ears though and I worry about all the crud left behind.
Once the mites stop making it (when the Revolution kicks in), you'll get it all.
> Do you think it's imperative that I bring them to the vet's office?
Can't get Revolution any other way, can you?
> P.S. Do you have cat(s)?
Used to.
Lar
Posted by Ilene on August 22, 2004, at 20:10:11
In reply to Re: Questions for cat lovers » KaraS, posted by Larry Hoover on August 22, 2004, at 18:38:31
You can order it from the Pet Shed
Posted by KaraS on August 22, 2004, at 20:51:48
In reply to Re: Questions for cat lovers » KaraS, posted by Larry Hoover on August 22, 2004, at 18:38:31
> > Mr. Hoover,
> > The breadth of your knowledge never ceases to amaze me!
>
> The heighth, too! ;-)
>
> > Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
>
> You're welcome. You're welcome. You're welcome.
>
> > I am so relieved that I have less to worry about now. The dry foods I give them are low ash, moderate magnesium, additional taurine, over 30% protein, often whole grain, usually rice rather than corn. The raw food diet would probably be best but I don't have the money or the energy for that right now.
>
> Sounds like you have everything under control already.
>Perhaps but I didn't think so earlier because I wasn't feeding them wet food. My mind is at ease on that now though.
> > I change their water twice a day. I used to have one of those flowing water machines. They loved it but it's broken now. One of my cats prefers to drink water off of my hand as it's under the fawcett. (Can you say "spoiled rotten"?)
>
> They like fresh water, eh?
>
> > She also likes toothpaste so I have to fight her off everytime I try to brush my teeth.
>
> Ummm, I don't even want to try and figure out how you know these things about your cat.
>She tries to eat the toothpaste off of my toothbrush or lick it when it dribbles down my hand while I'm brushing. (It's not rocket science.)
> > Here's another cat question:
> > How safe do you think the anti-flea meds Revolution, Frontline and Advantage are for them? My two little darlings are in-door cats yet they periodically manage to get infected with ear mites. I have done a lot of reading on this and have frequently run across the suggestion of giving them one of these flea treatments for one or two months (to cover the full 3-6 week life cycle of the mites - depending on what article I read) to kill the mites that are on their bodies outside of their ears.
>
> The only one of these that is sure to kill mites is Revolution. Frontline will, but that's an off-label use. From what I've read, Revolution is safest for cats.
So you would have no qualms about giving it to a cat of yours?> > I would still need to treat the ears themselves of course which leads to another question. I've used tresaderm in the past but am now out of it. I've been reading that olive oil with vitamin E can do the job by smothering the mites.
>
> Yes.
>
> > It's just so hard to clean their ears though and I worry about all the crud left behind.
>
> Once the mites stop making it (when the Revolution kicks in), you'll get it all.
>
> > Do you think it's imperative that I bring them to the vet's office?
>
> Can't get Revolution any other way, can you?I think I can actually. I know I can get the other two at an animal feed and supply place in the Valley.
> > P.S. Do you have cat(s)?
>
> Used to.
>
> Lar
Posted by KaraS on August 22, 2004, at 20:53:54
In reply to Revolution for cats, posted by Ilene on August 22, 2004, at 20:10:11
> You can order it from the Pet Shed
>
> http://www.petshed.com/
Thanks!!! Have you ordered from them before?
Posted by Ilene on August 22, 2004, at 20:59:28
In reply to Re: Revolution for cats » Ilene, posted by KaraS on August 22, 2004, at 20:53:54
> > You can order it from the Pet Shed
> >
> > http://www.petshed.com/
>
>
> Thanks!!! Have you ordered from them before?Yes, twice. Comes all the way from Australia. (I suppose that's silly if you live in Australia, but I live in the US.)
One of my cats got a fungus infection (like yeast or thrush) in his ears. I had to chase him around the house with a tube of goo. He didn't like it much. Strangely, he loves having his ears cleaned out with a q-tip.
Posted by AuntieMel on August 22, 2004, at 21:02:44
In reply to Re: Questions for cat lovers » Larry Hoover, posted by KaraS on August 22, 2004, at 17:07:44
I used to have problems with the crystals growing, but not since I switched to science diet in '80 or '81.
My cats are on revolution now. The completely indoor ones and the ones that are allowed to go outside. Before it came out we used advantage. No fleas in the house since we started advantage and that's pretty amazing since we have about 9 months of summer a year.
Posted by Larry Hoover on August 22, 2004, at 21:24:42
In reply to Re: Questions for cat lovers » Larry Hoover, posted by KaraS on August 22, 2004, at 20:51:48
> > > She also likes toothpaste so I have to fight her off everytime I try to brush my teeth.
> >
> > Ummm, I don't even want to try and figure out how you know these things about your cat.
> >
>
> She tries to eat the toothpaste off of my toothbrush or lick it when it dribbles down my hand while I'm brushing. (It's not rocket science.)What do you brush with? Tuna? Eh?
Posted by Larry Hoover on August 22, 2004, at 21:26:42
In reply to Re: Questions for cat lovers » Larry Hoover, posted by KaraS on August 22, 2004, at 20:51:48
> > The only one of these that is sure to kill mites is Revolution. Frontline will, but that's an off-label use. From what I've read, Revolution is safest for cats.
>
> So you would have no qualms about giving it to a cat of yours?I'd have qualms about medicating anything or anybody, but it's better than mites and fleas and ticks, no doubt.
Lar
Posted by KaraS on August 22, 2004, at 21:49:02
In reply to Re: Revolution for cats, posted by Ilene on August 22, 2004, at 20:59:28
> > > You can order it from the Pet Shed
> > >
> > > http://www.petshed.com/
> >
> >
> > Thanks!!! Have you ordered from them before?
>
> Yes, twice. Comes all the way from Australia. (I suppose that's silly if you live in Australia, but I live in the US.)That is silly but we often don't have a lot of choice. (I just looked on the web site of that place in the Valley and they have Program, Frontline and Advantage but no Revolution. Major Bummer!) I'm really going to need the link you gave me.
>
> One of my cats got a fungus infection (like yeast or thrush) in his ears. I had to chase him around the house with a tube of goo. He didn't like it much. Strangely, he loves having his ears cleaned out with a q-tip.That is strange. My cats are terrified of the q-tips or of me going near their ears at all. (Can't say as I blame them!)
Have you tried any of those new milk products for cats? They're lactose free plus they usually have added omegas and taurine. I think I might try some so that my cats get more fluids.
-K
Posted by KaraS on August 22, 2004, at 21:55:18
In reply to Re: Questions for cat lovers, posted by Larry Hoover on August 22, 2004, at 21:24:42
> > > > She also likes toothpaste so I have to fight her off everytime I try to brush my teeth.
> > >
> > > Ummm, I don't even want to try and figure out how you know these things about your cat.
> > >
> >
> > She tries to eat the toothpaste off of my toothbrush or lick it when it dribbles down my hand while I'm brushing. (It's not rocket science.)
>
> What do you brush with? Tuna? Eh?oops, I'M BUSTED!!
It's so funny. Everytime I start to wash up (esp. if I use the electric toothbrush because she can always hear it) she races into the bathroom to get at that toothpaste.
Posted by KaraS on August 22, 2004, at 22:00:34
In reply to Re: Questions for cat lovers » KaraS, posted by AuntieMel on August 22, 2004, at 21:02:44
> I used to have problems with the crystals growing, but not since I switched to science diet in '80 or '81.
>
> My cats are on revolution now. The completely indoor ones and the ones that are allowed to go outside. Before it came out we used advantage. No fleas in the house since we started advantage and that's pretty amazing since we have about 9 months of summer a year.Good to know. It sounds like you have many, many cats. Where do you live? (If you don't want to say, that's fine. I just think it's so fascinating communicating like this with people all over the country and the world.)
I worry about the by-products in Science Diet though. I've read that cats can get mad cow disease. I'm a worry wart, though, as you can probably tell.
-K
Posted by KaraS on August 22, 2004, at 22:02:23
In reply to Re: Questions for cat lovers » KaraS, posted by Larry Hoover on August 22, 2004, at 21:26:42
Larry,
What's your opinion on clumping cat litter (with sodium bentonite)? I use corn litter to be on the safe side but I'm probably worrying for nothing.
-K
Posted by Ilene on August 22, 2004, at 22:13:53
In reply to Re: Revolution for cats » Ilene, posted by KaraS on August 22, 2004, at 21:49:02
> That is strange. My cats are terrified of the q-tips or of me going near their ears at all. (Can't say as I blame them!)
>They usually like their heads scratched, so if you have the cat in your lap you can sometimes grab an ear and do whatever you have to do without the cat seeing you. I think part of it is seeing you coming at them.
> Have you tried any of those new milk products for cats? They're lactose free plus they usually have added omegas and taurine. I think I might try some so that my cats get more fluids.
>These products have completely escaped me. My previous cats lived to the age of 16 and 17, respectively, on good ol' Costco cat food, so I don't think they were malnourished. The vet said they always looked very healthy. I'm a minimalist when it comes to special foods or supplements, although if someone came out with canned whole rodent or sparrow I might buy it, as being more natural.
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