Dry Cat Food - Update to Best Cat Food for Our CatsDry cat food was not an option for the cats at our house for a long time. Many of our cats had problems with it. There was lots of vomiting, loose runny stools, dry coats, and a general malaise with our cats when they were eating dry food. So we transitioned them to an all natural, raw meat (BARF) homemade cat food . Health improved dramatically. Our cats rarely vomited, their stools were nice and firm, they had shiny coats, bright eyes, and their energy level increased tremendously! We were very happy! But some of our cats were not. 
Several of our cats are 'nibblers'. While they would eat at mealtime, they were not eating enough to maintain their weight. We tried feeding them more frequently but then all of our cats would try to eat the food causing some to over-eat. Our 'nibbler' cats are timid by nature and are easily pushed out by the more 'piggy' cats at mealtime. We tried isolating them for extra meals but then they refused to eat and seemed to act like they were being punished. So they weren't eating enough at mealtimes and trying to feed them extra food wasn't working. We puzzled over what to do. The final straw was when Buddy wasn't getting his lysine because, for some reason, he stopped eating the baby food we would mix it in. We tried putting tuna juice on it, salmon oil, anything we could think of, but still, he wouldn't take it. We had a sample of some dry cat food so we figured 'what the heck', and put a few pieces on top of Buddy's lysine baby food. Boy, did he eat it up! We put the rest of the sample on a plate and several of the cats devoured it up in seconds. After a lengthy discussion, we decided to search for some quality dry food that our cats could tolerate without the problems we had before. Maybe, if there was dry food out that they liked, our nibblers would eat better. (We'd worry about others over-eating later, if we had too!) 
We began looking for a dry food that was high in protein made from a variety of fresh protein sources and DID NOT contain corn, wheat, soy, or artificial colors or flavors. These ingredients seemed to be a trigger for digestive problems in our cats. We immediately eliminated all of the dry foods found at supermarkets and discount stores as most of them listed corn as the first or second ingredient. We finally chose a few different dry cat foods that we found at PetSmart We then starting searching the few small pet stores in our area but they had very little choice of dry cat foods. So, we hit the internet and continued our search. We tried several different types of quality dry foods without success. We found a quality dry cat food that had everything we wanted and nothing we didn't want - and the cats loved it! Initially, we had had no digestive problems; no vomiting, no diarrhea, none of the usual problems we experienced with dry cat food in the past. It was called Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul Adult Cat Dry Food Formula. The problem was that we had a hard time getting enough of the food and several times we ran out. We also noted that some of our new arrivals had trouble digesting the food and vomiting and diarrhea began to occur. Also, the food itself looked different than when we first started using it. The manufacturer swore that they had not changed the formula but we were not so sure. So, the search for a quality dry food began again! Then, we discovered what seems to be the best dry food for our cats. It is called Blue Buffalo Wilderness Cat Food We use both the Wilderness and Basics formulas. Our cats love this food, even new arrivals, and there is very little problem with vomiting or diarrhea. The primary ingredient is real meat and it contains no wheat, corn or soy products. And we are able to keep it in stock so we never run out! Though a bit pricey, it is worth the cost to us because all of our cats love the food and are very healthy even though they are eating dry food. 
We swore we'd never let our cats eat dry cat food again but we decided the Blue Buffalo food was an exception worth making. Our nibblers are happy and putting on weight. They are even eating better at mealtimes. Even the kittens are nibbling on it and have had no problems.We feel slightly guilty about going back on our word and giving our cats dry cat food. Our cats health and happiness are very important to us. We couldn't allow the 'nibblers' to continue not eating enough food and we couldn't let the 'piggy' ones eat several times a day and get over-weight. Both situations were unhealthy. We set out several bowls of dry cat food in several locations and let everyone free feed. We initially worried that the big eaters would start gorging on the dry food and we would then start to have problems with over-eating. But this didn't happen. They nibble on the dry but after almost 6 months, not one of the 'piggy' eaters have gained weight inappropriately (we weigh them every 3 months) and the under-weight 'nibblers' are finally putting on weight like they should. And none of them seem to have anything more than intermittent digestive issues which is normal in a House Full of Cats! And it seems like all of the cats are eating the homemade cat food and canned cat foods better too! And regarding Buddy, he has not refused to eat his lysine laced baby food once since we started putting a few pieces of the Blue Buffalo dry cat food on top! So, all things considered, we will deal with our guilt over allowing our cats dry cat food even though it is not the best food to feed them, continue giving them their healthy homemade cat food, keep monitoring how everyone is eating and eliminating, and let them enjoy their dry cat food nibbles.
|
