Good food for kitty, without spending a fortune.

[CVPeg]

OK, so poor kitty has been down the totem pole on the list after hot house OTTB, and hot house Irish Wolfhound - both requiring expensive extra stuff - training, free hay & supplements; doggie needs certain non-allergenic foods, ground turkey, supps, etc. Have found the balance for those two, now need to address Mr Ricky Kitty.

Kitty was fine on free Purina indoor dry cat food, and some Friskies canned pate every morning as the big treat. But this year at age 5, he has more hair balls, and funky poops, and is more likely than previously to intentionally go outside the box.

I previously had a rescue Siamese that I gave up on who was crapping/spraying everywhere because of something mental, not physical. Tried the plug-in Feliway, and all that did was make him worse when I forgot to replace it once. Had to adopt that cat out again after $1000s in ruined furniture…:no:

This kitty I believe is only missing the box when things don’t feel quite right. Plus everyone has seemed to be a bit off with this heat wave. Kitty also prefers a certain litter, and has gotten more and more picky about how long anything can be left in the litter box.

Other than not seeing regular, consistent litter box remnants, this kitty is fun, happy, zooms around the house, very affectionate, etc. He also can be a good mouser, but don’t believe he has captured any since winter.

I have also stopped allowing him brief visits outdoors when grass eating made him lose lunch/have diarrhea = going anywhere besides in the box. :no:

Suggestions for food that is fine for an indoor cat, will keep them regular, help with hairballs, but doesn’t cost a fortune? I tried switching to the Tractor Supply 4 Health Indoor and he hates it. Would rather starve himself than eat it, even though I’ve tried to force him to use that over the Purina indoor dry, which he loves. Any suggestions, that don’t cost a fortune and seem to be attractive. This kitty also very finicky. :rolleyes: Perhaps a different canned in the morning? Thanks!

[Louise]

CVPeg, I’m going to ask the obvious question – have you had him to the vet to check for a bladder infection? That aside, I’ve got my cats on Orijen right now, for their evening meal, and Core canned for the morning meals and they inhale both of them. I like the way they’re made. The only problem is that both are quite expensive, though, you don’t have to feed much of either.

I switched from Earthborn Holistic dry because, while the cats ate it without problem (and I have a couple of very picky eaters), I didn’t like the way their coats were looking. Lots of people here seem to like Taste of the Wild. Maybe that?

[CVPeg]

Yes, when he was losing lunch/diarrhea this spring, I took him to the vet. At that time she thought those issues were related to eating grass outside or from other things picked up there. His exam didn’t suggest kidney issues. Keeping him inside definitely improved things.

But this summer, the amount of wet litter has been inconsistent - with lots of wet litter, and then not so much again. And stools regular, then again not so much. I’ve thought this due to the heat. Don’t have AC in this house, although the downstairs is usually cool, but his food is in my kitchen which is upstairs, safe from the dog. Provide plenty of water. Thinking it’s the heat that has had him perhaps not eating so much, then going back to normal. Or, hmmm…duh - maybe I should try to find a spot for his food downstairs when it’s hot…!

Overall he still acts pretty happy. I may look at some of the canned alternatives - at least I can try those a can at a time, rather than a full bag! I can pick up some TOTW at the local Tractor Supply. See Petco has canned Core. Do they sell individual cans, or only by the case?

[Knight_s_Journey]

Cats aren’t designed to eat free choice or dry food - cats are desert animals designed to get nearly all of their moisture from their food. You cat is likely dehydrated and suffering from health issues from extended dehydration (sounds like kidney problems).

While a raw diet is best, canned food is better than dry. Try gradually switching him to two wet meals a day starting with wetting down his kibble and then transition him to two meals of high quality canned food (read and compare the ingredients there should be no grains and almost 100% meat).

[Louise]

I don’t know about Petco, but Petsmart has Core by the can, and they usually have a case or two sitting around that you can pick up. If they do like it, and you want to start buying by the case, Chewy.com has it the cheapest I’ve found - $1.67 per can. I was paying $1.70 at Petsmart, but they have upped it to $1.99, so I’m ordering from Chewy the next time around.

[danceronice]

If you’re going to TSC, don’t bother with TOTW. 4Health Grain Free (in dry and canned) is cheaper and just as good. My cats eat a lot less and the skinny ones keep weight while fatso is not quite as pudgy (and since I switched their dry brand, he hasn’t had any recurrences of UTIs or crystals.)

[ThoroughbredFancy]

I’ve found Merrick’s Before Grain or Purrfect Bistro to have affordable dry and wet food. They’re grain free and have good quality ingredients.

[dani0303]

My picky kitty is thriving on Natural Balance, both wet and dry. It’s expensive but not too much so.

[onyx98]

For wet, try Dave’s pet food. It’s almost identical to the regular grain free wellness, and is a lot less expensive. It’s not always easy to find in stores, but I get it online. It also comes in 13 oz cans, which makes it much more cost effective than the smaller cans.

[SarahandSam]

Mine do not generally like plain canned food, so I’ve been switching to pouch shredded stuff; the Wellness pouches are about $1.29 per pouch and have also tried Soulistic at $1 a pouch. I like the Wellness best but the Soulistic is cheaper, so they might be sticking with that for a while. With two UTI-prone cats but also a small fortune in meds for various animals, I’m really just looking for a) no fish, b) decent ingredients, and c) lots of liquid.

[CVPeg]

Thanks for all these suggestions. A smorgasbord awaits! Just hope he’ll eat one or two…

[Alagirl]

I hope the suggestions work.
I would not get ‘indoor’ formulations for the kibble. At least the ones I looked at were less than impressive, ingredient wise.
Cats did not care for the TSC food, kibble or canned. The kibble was eaten eventually, but the canned was an absolute no-go…also the fancy stuff with the big cat on the label.

I feed Purina naturals and friskies meaty bits, goes over well, does not break the bank.
Friskies, shredded, filets or bits, never pate…
It’s hot, I ahve cut down to one feeding a day it seems, when in the afternoon the remnants of the can remain, I skip dinner for them.

I add a little bit of water to stretch the gravy.

[Jorjor]

Wet food is the best thing you can feed a cat(second to whole raw food or course). Higher protien, lower in carbs, and high in moisture.

Friskies pate is actually a decent choice, and any other canned food with little to no plant-ingredients. Avoid gravy flavors as these tend to be very carb heavy and often contain gluten.

[CVPeg]

So, haven’t been to the store yet, but have been feeding wet 2x a day now. Ricky Kitty thanks you all.

[Hippolyta]

Hard to believe, but original version of Fancy Feast, of all things, is actually not a bad cat food. It is high protein & low carb, often rec’d for cats with kidney dz,diabetes or bowel issues, esp when $$$ foods aren’t an option.

[CVPeg]

Just wanted to report back, that now that he’s fed canned 2x a day, things are much better for Ricky Kitty. Poops look more regular, he used to dive into the Purina Indoor, but leaving that alone more often now, and even “considering” the TS 4Health kibble.

I never realized they’d necessarily be dehydrated. He has a bowl continually watched & filled with fresh water by his food dishes. Plus I’ve caught him occasionally hanging over one or more of the toilets (no, I do not keep a cleaner hanging inside them, and flush several times after cleaning).

Of course it has cooled down considerably as well from the June/July heat waves, but I’ll provide wet/canned 2x a day from now on. Still plan on incorporating some brand suggestions during the next pet food trip. :yes: