Canned Cat Food Nutritional Information
Compiled by Janet & Binky
Updated: March 22, 2008
Binky's page | FDMB FAQ | Frugal Feline Diabetes |
Canned Food Information | Dry Food Information | Non-US Foods
Click here for answers to commonly-asked questions about the food tables
Welcome! If you've been referred to this page directly from another site, please check out the
links and information on feline diabetes on Binky's main page.
This page is a non-commercial labor of love that has no connection to any commercial product,
including foods or supplements. I do not endorse any brand of food or supplement. I encourage
potential consumers of any commercial product to search for randomized controlled trials that
demonstrate that a low-carbohydrate diet with the product gives statistically superior results
compared to a low-carbohydrate diet alone in diabetic cats.
CAUTION: These numbers are only as up to date as my information from the manufacturers,
and several manufacturers will no longer give actual values for protein and fat to their
customers. If you must have accurate, up to date, information on a particular food, be sure to
contact the manufacturer and request the actual values.
Food
Janet & Binky's Table of Canned Cat Food Nutritional Information
% kcal from
per 100 kcal
Fiber Phosph Calories
Protein Fat Carbs (g)
(mg)
per can Date
Authority
Blue Buffalo
submitted by
Carolynn and
Fletcher
Chicken
Beef
Turkey &
Giblets
Oceanfish
submitted by
Lisa Pierson,
DVM
Chicken
Hairball Entrée
35
31
59
61
6
8
0.5
0.3
231
249
6 oz
210
200
2/07
2/07
34
45
59
44
7
11
0.3
0.4
222
306
186
186
2/07
2/07
35
58
7
1
227
158
12/05
Chicken
Hairball Lite
Chicken Kitten
Entrée
Savory Salmon
Entrée
Tempting Tuna
Grill
40
44
17
1.1
245
140
12/05
43
56
2
1
201
155
12/05
35
55
10
0.2
451
159
12/05
37
55
8
0.2
353
34
36
54
36
12
28
0.2
0.5
194
237
29
66
5
0.3
164
340
4/06
34
54
12
0.2
184
198
4/06
25
49
27
0.5
167
205
4/06
32
49
19
0.4
240
222
4/06
40
41
19
0.2
248
204
4/06
Eukanuba Prescription:
Fancy Feast Elegant
Medleys
Low pH/S
Low Residue
Maximum
Calorie
Moderate
pH/O
Multi-stage
Renal
Response L/B
Feline
Restricted
Calorie
submitted by
Christine and
Cricket
Shredded Lean
Turkey Fare w/
GrdGrns
Shredded
White Meat
Chicken Fare
w/ GrdGrns
Shredded Wild
Salmon Fare
w/ GrdGrns
Shredded
Yellowfin
Tuna Fare w/
GrdGrns
White Meat
Chicken &
Whipped Egg
Souffle w/
GrdGrns
Wild Salmon
159
12/05
6 oz can
198
4/06
165
4/06
3 oz can
57
34
9
0.1
260
88
12/06
55
35
10
0.2
284
87
12/06
55
36
9
0.2
252
88
12/06
61
28
11
0.2
277
83
12/06
52
53
33
33
15
15
0.2
0.2
432
459
81
79
12/06
12/06
Friskies:
and Whipped
Egg Souffle' w/
GrdGrns
Wild Salmon
Florentine w/
GrdGrns
54
35
Yellowfin
Tuna
Florentine w/
GrdGrns
59
28
Lean Turkey
Florentine w/
GrdGrns
56
33
White Meat
Chicken
Florentine w/
GrdGrns
55
34
submitted by Cheryl & Tux,
all updated by Venita &
Maxwell
Carved
Chicken and
Tuna Dinner in
Gravy (Sauce)
50
39
Carved with
Beef in Gravy
49
35
Chicken and
Tuna Dinner
33
60
Classic
Seafood Entrée 38
56
Country Style
Dinner
30
63
Fine Cuts with
Chicken in
Gravy
57
34
Fine Cuts with
Ocean
Whitefish and
Tuna in Sauce
59
32
Fine Cuts with
Tuna in Sauce
58
33
Flaked with
Tuna and Egg
in Sauce
50
45
Flaked with
53
41
11
0.1
241
74
12/06
13
0.2
279
70
12/06
10
0.1
252
74
12/06
11
0.2
305
73
12/06
5.5 oz can
12
0.2
275
149
2/06
16
0.2
230
139
12/05
6
0.2
267
187
12/05
7
0.2
336
172
12/05
7
0.2
233
187
12/05
9
0.2
169
81
2/06
9
0.2
214
81
2/06
9
0.2
219
82
2/06
5
6
0.4
0.4
279
288
171
172
2/06
12/05
Tuna in Sauce
Kitten Mixed
Grill Formula
Kitten Ocean
Whitefish
Formula
Kitten Turkey
Formula
Liver and
Chicken
Dinner
Mariner's
Catch
Mixed Grill
Ocean
Whitefish and
Tuna Dinner
Poultry Platter
Prime Filets
Chicken and
Tuna Dinner in
Gravy
Prime Filets
Turkey Dinner
in Gravy
Prime Filets
with Beef in
Gravy
Prime Filets
With Chicken
in Gravy
Prime Filets
with Ocean
Whitefish and
Tuna in Sauce
Prime Filets
with Salmon
and Beef in
Sauce
Salmon Dinner
Sea Captain's
Choice
Seared Filets
with Beef and
37
58
5
0.2
282
99 (3 oz
can)
12/05
49
47
4
0.2
558
150 (3 oz) 2/06
36
61
3
0.1
317
172 (3 oz) 2/06
34
59
7
0.2
295
172
12/05
38
34
54
58
7
8
0.2
0.2
392
276
156
172
12/05
12/05
38
33
56
60
6
7
0.2
0.2
295
317
172
187
12/05
12/05
51
31
19
0.2
243
139
12/05
54
33
13
0.2
290
143
2/06
51
34
15
0.2
289
142
2/06
52
32
16
0.2
267
142
2/06
54
33
13
0.2
305
137
2/06
50
34
30
60
19
6
0.2
0.2
281
257
144
187
12/05
12/05
39
55
7
0.2
359
172
12/05
52
37
11
0.2
253
82
2/06
Chicken
Seared Filets
with Salmon
Seared Filets
with Turkey
and Giblets
Senior Ocean
Whitefish and
Rice Dinner in
Sauce
Senior Pacific
Salmon Dinner
in Sauce
Senior Savory
Beef Dinner in
Gravy
Senior Sliced
with Lamb and
Rice in Gravy
Senior Tender
Cuts Chicken
and Tuna
Dinner in
Gravy
Senior Turkey
and Giblets
Dinner in
Gravy
Shredded
Chicken and
Salmon Dinner
in Gravy
Shredded
Turkey and
Cheese Dinner
in Gravy
Sliced Chicken
Dinner in
Gravy
Sliced
Gourmet Grill
Sliced with
Beef in Gravy
Special Diet
Beef and
60
31
10
0.2
214
83
2/06
56
34
10
0.2
170
82
2/06
42
46
12
0.3
456
145
12/05
36
55
9
0.1
281
156
12/05
37
55
9
0.2
317
147
12/05
44
38
17
0.2
220
135
2/06
46
36
18
0.2
254
136
2/06
38
50
11
0.2
302
154
12/05
49
40
12
0.1
268
130
2/06
47
41
12
0.1
252
133
2/06
47
40
13
0.3
273
156
2/06
48
39
13
0.2
243
152
2/06
48
38
14
0.2
240
151
12/05
33
63
4
0.4
209
183
2/06
Healthy Indulgence
Chicken Entrée
Special Diet
Beef and Liver
Entrée
Special Diet
Ocean
Whitefish
Dinner
Special Diet
Sliced Chicken
in Gravy
Dinner
Special Diet
Turkey and
Giblets Dinner
Special Diet
with Salmon
Supreme
Supper
Tender Cuts
Chicken and
Salmon Dinner
in Gravy
Tender Cuts
Turkey and
Liver Dinner in
Gravy
Tender Cuts
with Ocean
Whitefish in
Sauce
Turkey and
Giblets Dinner
submitted by
Debbie and
Autumn
Crab &
Herring
Formula in
Broth
Duck with
Shrimp
Formula in
Creamy Sauce
Salmon &
33
63
4
0.4
208
181
2/06
35
62
3
0.5
280
184
2/06
47
39
14
0.3
151
146
2/06
34
61
5
0.5
165
175
2/06
36
59
5
0.5
186
177
2/06
35
58
7
0.2
325
156
12/05
51
39
9
0.2
283
145
2/06
48
38
14
0.2
248
138
2/06
49
37
14
0.2
275
137
12/05
33
60
7
0.2
260
187
12/05
3 oz pouch
38
53
9
0.9
206
70
1/08
36
39
53
49
11
12
0.7
1
165
291
72
67
1/08
1/08
Chicken
Formula in
Bouillon
Turkey &
Duck Formula
in Gravy
37
54
9
0.7
187
37
51
12
0.2
211
210
3/06
32
58
9
0.3
191
207
3/06
31
48
21
2.4
160
168
3/06
30
45
25
2.1
161
165
3/06
29
46
24
1.1
166
163
3/06
31
45
24
1.1
172
171
3/06
34
44
22
1
165
167
3/06
33
46
22
1.1
179
157
3/06
29
45
26
1.1
171
162
3/06
29
34
51
33
20
33
1.1
2.8
165
188
178
138
3/06
3/06
31
52
17
0.6
172
165
3/06
33
51
16
0.6
176
165
3/06
28
32
51
51
22
16
0.4
0.6
161
174
175
170
3/06
3/06
Hills "Science":
Feline Growth
Liver &
Chicken
Recipe
Feline Growth
Ocean Fish in
Sauce
Hairball
Control Adult
Chicken Entrée
Hairball
Control Adult
Seafood Entrée
Savory Salmon
(Adult)
Gourmet Beef
(Adult)
Liver and
Chicken
(Adult)
Savory
Seafood
(Adult)
Gourmet
Turkey (Adult)
Turkey &
Giblets (Adult)
Light Adult
Savory Cuts
Beef in Gravy
Savory Cuts
Chicken in
Gravy
Savory
Chicken Entrée
(Adult)
Savory Cuts
73
1/08
5.5 oz can
Ocean Fish
Gourmet Beef
(Senior)
Gourmet
Turkey
(Senior)
Chicken
Dinner in
Gravy (Senior)
Savory
Chicken Entrée
(Senior)
32
46
22
1.2
166
162
3/06
29
41
29
1.2
156
160
3/06
33
48
19
1
166
150
3/06
32
46
22
0.9
161
168
3/06
33
34
54
44
13
22
0.1
0.8
199
113
180
164
3/06
3/06
34
43
22
0.7
154
166
3/06
34
28
28
29
22
44
56
39
47
49
22
16
32
24
29
0.9
1
0.7
0.4
0.5
124
158
123
159
75
158
197
165
161
200
3/06
3/06
3/06
3/06
3/06
22
25
46
35
38
51
46
41
56
25
27
29
14
9
37
0.7
0.4
1.5
0.1
5.3
84
139
169
204
180
183
176
156
213
116
3/06
3/06
3/06
3/06
3/06
41
29
36
24
58
38
34
13
26
4.8
0.3
2.4
196
98
156
114
215
146
3/06
3/06
3/06
37
38
25
2.9
183
127
3/06
36
28
40
37
25
34
0.6
0.4
127
155
187
169
6 oz can
3/06
3/06
35
52
13
219
4/06
Hills Prescription:
A/D
C/D
C/D with
chicken
C/D with
seafood
D/D Venison
G/D
I/D
K/D
K/D with
chicken
L/D
M/D
P/D
R/D
R/D with liver
and chicken
S/D
W/D
W/D with
Minced
Chicken
X/D with
chicken
Z/D
Iams:
Chicken &
Salmon
formula
Merrick
Natura/Innova:
9-Lives:
submitted by
Jessica and
Sylvester
Cowboy
Cookout
52
42
5
1
203
Grammy's Pot
Pie
49
42
8
1.1
236
New England
Boil
44
46
10
1.2
388
California Roll 35
49
16
1.3
206
Ocean Breeze
42
50
8
1.5
420
Southern
Delight
40
55
4
1.4
328
Surf N Turf
49
47
3
1.5
228
Thanksgiving
Day Dinner
40
48
12
1.5
202
Turducken
38
52
9
1.4
217
submitted by
Patricia &
Rhamu(GA)
EVO
37
60
3
0.4
440
EVO 95% Beef 29
70
2
0.1
171
EVO 95%
Chicken &
Turkey
29
71
0
0.1
237
EVO 95%
Duck
26
70
4
0.1
252
EVO 95%
Venison
31
68
2
0.1
146
Chicken &
Brown Rice
33
53
14
1
303
Venison &
Brown Rice
39
47
15
1.1
341
Fish & Brown
Rice
39
47
14
1.1
368
Salmon &
Sweet Potato
34
55
11
0.4
380
submitted by Sally & Blue Eyes, Erimess & Sammy,
Jeanene and Chase, Sandy & Hobbes
Chicken &
Beef Dinner
38
58
4
0.4
347
Chicken &
Cheese
Banquet
43
33
23
0.4
278
5.5 oz
154
7/07
159
7/07
133
182
122
7/07
7/07
7/07
157
157
7/07
7/07
170
165
7/07
7/07
5.5 oz can
217
2/06
209
9/07
209
9/07
215
9/07
237
9/07
182
4/07
176
4/07
192
4/07
204
4/07
5.5 oz can
162
147
1/06
1/06
Flaked Tuna in
Sauce
Flaked Tuna
with Cheese
Bits
Flaked Tuna
with Egg Bits
Ground
Chicken &
Seafood
Dinner
Ground
Chicken &
Tuna Dinner
Ground
Chicken
Dinner
Ground Liver
& Bacon
Dinner
Ground
Seafood Platter
Ground Super
Supper
Ground Turkey
& Giblet
Dinner
Ground Turkey
Dinner
Ocean
Whitefish &
Tuna Dinner
Ocean
Whitefish
Dinner
Prime Entrée
w/ Real
Salmon
Prime Entrée
w/ Tuna &
Shrimp
Prime Grill w/
Beef
Prime Grill w/
Chicken,
69
29
2
0.2
234
147
1/06
64
28
8
0.2
222
140
1/06
64
28
8
0.2
222
140
1/06
40
56
4
0.5
373
154
1/06
39
57
4
0.4
351
161
1/06
39
57
4
0.4
364
159
1/06
35
60
6
0.3
302
176
1/06
38
56
5
0.4
340
161
1/06
38
56
5
0.4
352
159
1/06
45
49
6
0.3
389
156
1/06
41
54
5
0.3
359
154
1/06
47
47
5
0.4
420
145
1/06
47
48
5
0.4
441
145
1/06
37
57
5
0.3
353
159
1/06
42
51
7
0.3
401
167
1/06
40
55
6
0.4
333
159
1/06
36
53
10
0.4
317
158
1/06
Nutro:
Lamb, & Rice
Dinner
Shredded w/
Real Chicken
& Beef
45
34
21
0.5
450
Shredded w/
Real Chicken
in Gravy
45
36
20
0.5
476
Shredded w/
Real Turkey in
Gravy
46
36
18
0.4
494
Tender
Carvings with
Real Chicken
& Salmon in
Gravy
41
34
25
0.4
514
Tender
Carvings with
Real Ocean
Whitefish &
Tuna in Gravy
43
31
25
0.4
473
Tender
Carvings with
Real Salmon
and Crab in
Gravy
43
31
25
0.4
485
Tender Diced
with Real
Chicken &
Beef in Gravy
42
34
24
0.3
484
Tender Nibbles
with Real
Chicken &
Liver in Gravy
41
35
24
0.4
504
Tender Slices
w/ Real Beef in
Gravy
45
31
24
0.4
447
Tender Slices
w/ Real
Chicken
41
35
24
0.4
498
Tender Slices
w/ Real Veal in
Gravy
46
29
25
0.4
489
Pouch information submitted by Debbie & Quato,
Deb & Jingles, Martha & Alley Cat
119
1/06
122
1/06
117
1/06
119
1/06
119
1/06
119
1/06
119
1/06
157
1/06
115
1/06
122
1/06
115
1/06
3 oz can
Precise Pet
Royal Canin
MCGC
California
Chicken
Supreme
37
53
9
MCGC Lamb
& Turkey
Cutlets
36
56
8
NCCC Adult
Chicken &
Liver
36
56
8
MCGC
Chicken &
Lamb Formula
34
55
11
MCGC Veal
Pate
31
62
7
NCCC Adult
Chicken &
Turkey Platter
32
56
11
submitted by Dr. Lisa
Drapela and Karen & Smokey
F. Growth
Turkey
35
59
6
F. Foundation
Chicken
30
64
6
F. Foundation
Turkey
32
60
8
F. Foundation
Ocean Fish
39
53
8
F. Foundation
Mixed Grill
29
63
8
F. Foundation
Beef
32
61
7
F. Foundation
Simmered
Seafare
38
54
8
F. Foundation
Triple Delight
30
64
6
F. Foundation
Deluxe Medley 28
63
9
F. Senior
29
60
11
Precise Plus
Feline Adult
39
56
5
from RC
website and
0.2
193
88
7/05
0.1
235
90
7/05
0.4
280
91
7/05
0.5
323
92
7/05
0.2
244
105
7/05
0.3
264
96
7/05
5.5 oz can
0.25
223
185
4/06
0.27
202
195
4/06
0.24
200
189
4/06
0.42
281
154
4/06
0.24
212
203
4/06
0.28
233
189
4/06
0.36
335
153
4/06
0.28
187
199
4/06
0.21
0.31
207
236
203
185
4/06
4/06
0.34
222
171
4/06
5.8 oz can
Sophisticat
Lisa & Sgerli
Calorie Control
CC-38 canned
44
48
8
0.6
Calorie Control
CC-High Fiber 28
44
28
1.9
Control
Formula
30
61
10
0.2
Development
31
56
13
0.1
Dissolution
40
47
14
0.1
Green Peas &
Lamb
32
57
11
0.4
Green Peas &
Rabbit
33
49
18
0.2
Green Peas &
Venison
33
54
12
0.2
Mature
23
60
17
0.6
Modified
(renal)
22
71
8
0.1
Recovery RS
37
57
6
0.7
Renal LP 21
pouch
22
66
11
0.2
Urinary SO 30
27
69
4
0.5
submitted by Kellie & the Kitties Four,
Steph & Cuddles, Sandy & Hobbes
Beef And Liver 38
61
1
0.2
Beef Stew
47
49
4
0.4
Chicken
Dinner
33
55
13
0.3
Country Style
34
65
1
0.2
Elegant Entrée
40
54
6
0.3
Flaked With
Tuna
46
40
14
0.5
Flaked With
Tuna And Egg
46
38
16
0.3
Liver &
Chicken
36
63
1
0.3
Mariner's
Catch
39
61
0
0.2
Mixed Grill
37
63
0
0.2
Prime Entrée
Pouch
33
55
11
0.2
Salmon Dinner 35
62
3
0.2
Sea Captain's
37
55
8
0.3
323
130
5/06
197
164
5/06
202
243
227
229
222
157
5/06
5/06
5/06
152
212
5/06
298
200
3/08
228
185
209
5/06
492/14 oz 5/06
115
163
256
172
5/06
10/07
103
251
126/3 oz
200
5/06
5/06
294
336
5.5 oz can
197
1/06
87/3oz 8/05
285
361
316
154
195
183
8/05
1/06
1/06
297
160
1/06
337
158
1/06
384
191
8/05
338
363
182
202
8/05
8/05
265
255
421
206
190
170
8/05
1/06
8/05
Sophisticat Adult
Supreme
Choice
Seafood Entree
Sliced Beef
Dinner In
Gravy
Sliced Chicken
And Salmon In
Gravy
Sliced Chicken
Dinner In
Gravy
Sliced Ocean
Whitefish In
Gravy
Sliced Tuna
Dinner In
Sauce
Special Diet
Beef And
Chicken
Special Diet
Ocean
Whitefish
Dinner
Special Diet
Salmon Dinner
Special Diet
Sliced Chicken
And Gravy
Special Diet
Turkey And
Giblets Dinner
Turkey And
Giblets Dinner
Turkey And
Liver In Gravy
Whitefish/Tuna
submitted by
Sandy &
Hobbes
Flaked
Chicken And
Tuna Dinner
Flaked Tuna
35
61
4
0.3
250
183
8/05
37
45
18
0.6
367
138
1/06
37
47
16
0.2
349
148
1/06
33
55
13
0.3
285
154
1/06
35
50
15
0.2
378
161
1/06
35
54
10
0.3
340
163
1/06
29
64
7
0.2
229
189
8/05
36
57
8
0.3
333
181
1/06
31
60
9
0.2
284
189
1/06
44
39
17
0.4
400
142
8/05
31
63
6
0.2
239
204
1/06
37
62
0
0.1
298
183
1/06
35
43
49
50
16
6
0.3
0.2
301
304
171
170
1/06
3 oz can
44
51
46
44
10
5
0.3
0.3
295
319
98
97
1/06
1/06
Dinner
Sliced Duck
Dinner With
Wild Rice
Sliced Ocean
Fish Dinner
Sliced Salmon
And Chicken
Dinner
Sliced Turkey
Dinner
Supreme Beef
And Chicken
Dinner
Supreme Beef
Dinner
Supreme
Chopped Grill
Supreme Fish
And Shrimp
Supreme
Flaked Salmon
And Ocean
Whitefish
Dinner
Supreme
Flaked Trout
Dinner
Supreme
Gourmet
Chicken
Dinner
Supreme Liver
And Chicken
Dinner
Supreme
Ocean
Whitefish And
Tuna Dinner
Supreme
Salmon Dinner
Supreme
Seafood
Dinner
Supreme
38
53
8
0.2
272
100
1/06
43
41
16
0.4
350
87
1/06
39
51
10
0.4
296
94
1/06
42
48
10
0.3
295
87
1/06
40
57
3
0.3
301
98
1/06
47
49
4
0.4
336
87
1/06
44
56
1
0.3
323
94
1/06
47
53
0
0.3
269
97
1/06
40
50
10
0.2
254
100
1/06
44
49
6
0.3
336
109
1/06
38
59
3
0.3
302
105
1/06
36
59
5
0.2
288
108
1/06
49
50
2
0.3
435
92
1/06
39
56
5
0.4
247
102
1/06
60
44
39
43
1
13
0.4
0.3
424
338
75
88
1/06
1/06
Sliced Beef
And Giblet
Supreme
Sliced Beef
Dinner
Supreme
Sliced Chicken
Cacciatore
Supreme
Sliced Chicken
Hearts And
Liver Dinner
Supreme
Sliced Yellow
Fin Tuna In
Wild Rice
Supreme
Turkey And
Giblets
submitted by
Sandy &
Sophisticat Pouches
Hobbes
Beef And
Gravy
Chicken And
Wild Rice In
Gravy
Chicken
Dinner And
Gravy
Mixed Grill In
Gravy
Ocean
Whitefish With
Tuna In Sauce
Tuna And
Sauce
Turkey And
Giblets
Turkey And
Giblets In
Gravy
submitted by
Sandy &
Special Kitty (Walmart) Hobbes
36
48
16
0.4
260
83
1/06
41
46
13
0.4
294
89
1/06
44
48
8
0.2
356
95
1/06
45
44
12
0.4
325
89
1/06
41
55
4
0.3
288
103
1/06
3 oz pouch
48
50
2
0.2
392
85
1/06
42
48
10
0.5
312
80
1/06
43
57
0
0.3
303
87
1/06
47
51
2
0.2
265
88
1/06
52
45
2
0.3
322
75
1/06
48
50
2
0.2
365
86
1/06
44
56
0
0.2
388
87
1/06
44
56
0
0.2
388
87
1/06
5.5 oz can
Beef & Liver
Banquet
Chicken &
Tuna Banquet
Chicken &
Tuna Dinner
Mixed Grill
Ocean
Whitefish
Prime Entree
Salmon Dinner
Sliced Beef in
Gravy
Sliced Chicken
Banquet
Sliced Turkey
Super Supper
Tuna Banquet
Turkey &
Giblets
submitted by
Debbie &
Special Kitty (Walmart) Greta
Chicken
Dinner
Chicken Hearts
& Livers
Cod, Sole &
Shrimp
Flaked Tuna
Liver &
Chicken Entree
Mini Shreds
Turkey Entree
Mini Shreds
Tuna &
Chicken
Mini Shreds
w/Tuna
Ocean
Whitefish &
Tuna
Salmon Dinner
Seafood
34
56
10
0.7
476
167
1/06
38
59
3
0.5
387
161
1/06
39
39
58
56
3
4
0.4
0.5
355
319
158
167
1/06
1/06
38
34
37
57
62
59
4
4
4
0.5
0.4
0.4
333
270
327
164
179
167
1/06
1/06
1/06
45
34
22
0.4
396
118.56
1/06
44
42
38
36
36
33
58
56
21
25
4
7
0.4
0.4
0.5
0.6
294
262
332
406
144
125
164
162
1/06
1/06
1/06
1/06
34
62
4
0.4
299
172
1/06
3 oz can
39
59
3
0.4
359
90
5/06
45
36
19
0.3
333
80
5/06
54
49
43
42
3
8
0.4
0.3
509
242
80
88
5/06
5/06
43
51
6
0.3
304
87
5/06
50
34
17
0.4
389
64
5/06
51
34
15
0.4
347
64
5/06
50
34
16
0.4
389
64
5/06
51
45
48
46
51
49
3
4
3
0.3
0.3
0.2
420
358
385
83
86
86
5/06
5/06
5/06
Trader Joe's
Triumph pouches
Wellness:
Sliced Beef
Entree
44
32
24
0.3
290
Sliced Turkey
45
34
20
0.3
321
Tuna & Shrimp
Entree
73
26
1
0.4
225
Turkey &
Giblets Dinner
39
58
3
0.3
379
Treat -Chicken &
Cheese
23
34
43
0.3
374
Treat -Chicken &
Turkey
23
35
42
0.3
380
Treat -Hairball
Treatment
19
11
70
0.5
202
submitted by Lynette & Meow
Meow, Lauren & Coolidge
Tuna for cats
72
26
2
submitted by
Lisa and
Merlyn
Turkey Giblets
in Gravy
44
56
0
0.2
388
Tuna in Gravy
43
50
7
0.2
365
Mixed grill in
Gravy
47
51
2
0.2
265
Chicken
Dinner
43
57
0
0.3
303
Beef in Gravy
48
50
2
0.2
392
submitted by Marjorie & Pinto, Lynette & Meow
Meow, Jenny &Mrs Hippy, Isabelle & Leo, Lisa
DVM
Beef &
Chicken
31
65
4
0.2
226
Chicken
30
66
4
0.2
219
Chicken &
Herring
34
60
6
0.2
303
Chicken &
Lobster
29
61
11
0.2
264
Kitten (3 oz
can)
28
67
5
0.2
216
Salmon &
Trout
27
65
8
0.2
248
80
77
5/06
5/06
87
5/06
97
5/06
3.6/each
5/06
3.2/each
5/06
2.5/each
5/06
5.5 oz can
169
7/06
3 oz
87
81
3/05
3/05
88
3/05
87
85
3/05
3/05
5.5 oz can
193
220
5/06
5/06
189
5/06
195
5/06
121/3oz
5/06
208
5/06
Whiskas:
Sardines,
Shrimp & Crab
Turkey
Turkey &
Salmon
submitted by
Sandy &
Hobbes
Chicken &
Tuna Dinner
Chicken
Dinner
Choice Cuts in
Sauce with
Beef &
Chicken
Choice Cuts in
Sauce with
Chicken &
Liver
Choice Cuts in
Sauce with
Lamb &
Poultry
Choice Cuts in
Sauce with
Turkey &
Giblets
Savory Pate
Ground
Chicken
Savory Pate
Ground
Chicken &
Tuna
Savory Pate
Ground Kitty's
Stew
Savory Pate
Ground Liver
& Beef
Savory Pate
Ground
Mealtime
Savory Pate
34
31
50
65
16
4
0.3
0.2
293
200
163
218
5/06
5/06
37
58
5
0.2
299
181
5/06
5.5 oz can
43
53
4
0.2
237
165
1/06
43
53
4
0.2
237
165
1/06
44
41
15
0.3
364
115
1/06
44
41
15
0.3
401
115
1/06
44
41
15
0.3
583
115
1/06
44
41
15
0.3
583
115
1/06
30
60
10
0.3
341
165
1/06
30
60
10
0.3
341
165
1/06
30
60
10
0.3
341
148
1/06
30
60
10
0.3
341
165
1/06
30
30
60
60
10
10
0.3
0.3
341
341
165
165
1/06
1/06
Ground Turkey
& Giblets
Savory Pate
Ground with
Bits O' Beef
Savory Pate
Ground with
Lamb & Rice
Savory Pate
Ground with
Veal
Seafood in
Sauce with
Catfish
Seafood in
Sauce with
Trout
Seafood in
Sauce with
Tuna
Seafood Kitty
Chowder
Seafood
Seaside Supper
Seafood with
Salmon
Tender
Morsels in
Gravy Savory
Bites w/Beef
Tender
Morsels in
Gravy Savory
Bites
w/Chicken
Tender
Morsels in
Gravy Savory
Bites w/Turkey
30
60
10
0.3
341
165
1/06
30
60
10
0.3
341
165
1/06
30
60
10
0.3
341
165
1/06
47
38
15
0.1
428
120
1/06
47
38
15
0.1
428
120
1/06
47
38
15
0.1
428
120
1/06
42
51
8
2.2
?
150
1/06
42
51
8
2.2
?
150
1/06
42
51
8
2.2
?
150
1/06
44
40
16
1.6
625
106
1/06
44
40
16
1.6
625
106
1/06
44
40
16
1.6
625
106
1/06
26
64
10
0.3
419
180/100g 3/06
29
32
65
60
6
8
0.5
0.4
466
205
170/100g 3/06
188/5.5 oz 5/07
Other:
Artemis
Chicken
Artemis
Turkey
Felidae Cat &
Kitten
Felidae
Chicken &
Rice
Instinctive
Choice
Pet Promise
Chicken
Pet Promise
Ocean Fish
Pet Promise
Wild Salmon
31
57
12
0.6
172
188/5.5 oz 5/07
36
64
0
0.2
242
40
58
2
0
327
172/5.5 oz 2/05
47
51
2
0
363
156/5.5 oz 2/05
47
50
3
0
376
172/5.5 oz 2/05
30
57
12
140/ 100 g 4/06
37
51
12
130/ 100 g 4/06
33
55
12
141/ 100 g 4/06
34
54
12
144/ 100 g 4/06
43
53
4
0.1
380
111 / 100 g 6/06
61
36
3
1.7
401
90 / 100 g 2007
55
43
1
1.8
345
93 / 100 g 2007
36
59
4
0.4
149
38 / oz
5/06
34
62
5
0.4
145
36 / oz
5/06
34
63
3
0.4
177
45 / oz
5/06
28
66
6
0
116/3 oz
4/07
Raw food:
Country Pet
Lamb &
Vegetable
(dog)
Country Pet
Chicken (dog)
Country Pet
Fish and
Chicken (cat)
Country Pet
Venison (dog)
Feline's Pride
Chicken
Feline's Pride
Turkey
Feline's Pride
Cornish Hen
Nature's
Variety Beef
Nature's
Variety
Chicken &
Turkey
Nature's
Variety Lamb
Northwest
Naturals
Dry Cat Food Nutritional Information
4/07
Compiled by Janet & Binky
Updated: February 2, 2008
Click here for answers to commonly-asked questions about the food tables
Welcome! If you've been referred to this page directly from another site, please check out the
information on feline diabetes on Binky's main page.
CAUTION: These numbers are only as up to date as my information from the manufacturers,
and several manufacturers will no longer give actual values for protein and fat to their
customers. If you must have accurate, up to date, information on a particular food, be sure to
contact the manufacturer and request the actual values.
Janet & Binky's Table of Dry Cat Food Nutritional Information
Food
% calories from per 100 kcal
Fiber Phosph
Protein Fat Carbs (g) (mg)
Eukanuba:
Adult Chicken & Rice
30
45 25
Adult Hairball Relief
30
45 25
Adult Salmon & Rice
30
45 25
Kitten Chicken & Rice
Formula
31
47 22
Lamb & Rice Formula for
Cats
29
46 25
Mature Care
33
39 28
Weight Control Formula
for Cats
30
31 39
Eukanuba Prescription:
Low pH/S
31
38 32
0.5
229
Low Residue
32
31 38
0.4
234
Moderate pH/O
30
38 32
0.5
234
Multi-stage Renal
23
48 29
0.5
120
Optimum Weight Control
37
29 34
0.5
276
Restricted Calorie
34
23 43
0.6
267
Iams:
Active Maturity Cat
31
34 35
Hairball Care
28
46 26
Indoor Hairball Care
31
34 35
Indoor Weight & Hairball
Care
31
29 40
Calories
per cup
573
473
534
570
570
484
331
441
369
451
535
357
271
383
442
364
303
Kitten Food
Lamb & Rice Formula for
Cats
Multi-Cat with Chicken
Multi-Cat with Chicken &
Salmon
Ocean Fish & Rice
Formula
Original Formula Cat
Food
Weight Control
Hills "Science":
Advanced Protection
Adult
Advanced Protection
Senior
Adult Chicken & Rice
Adult Lamb & Rice
Adult Ocean Fish & Rice
Adult Original
Hairball Control Adult
Hairball Control Light
Adult
Hairball Control Senior
7+
Indoor Cat Adult
Kitten Original
Light Adult
Nature's Best Chicken
Nature's Best Fish
Nature's Best Kitten/ Fish
Oral Care Adult
Senior 7+ Original
Sensitive Skin Adult
Sensitive Stomach Adult
Hills Prescription:
C/D
D/D Duck & Green Pea
D/D Rabbit & Green Pea
30
47
23
468
28
34
45
41
27
25
461
333
34
41
25
364
28
46
26
460
28
28
46
29
26
43
433
346
29
40
31
0.2
178
481
29
26
26
27
26
29
37
46
44
44
45
46
34
28
30
29
29
26
0.5
0.2
0.2
0.3
0.2
2
171
169
163
164
167
167
391
495
496
488
493
339
37
23
40
2.3
209
283
30
37
29
37
28
28
32
29
28
28
28
42
23
50
23
43
43
47
45
40
43
43
28
40
21
41
30
29
20
26
32
29
28
2
2.3
0.4
1.8
0.2
0.2
0.3
1.8
0.5
0.2
0.2
175
209
243
211
171
181
246
180
164
168
168
326
281
510
316
420
414
419
337
386
400
406
30
26
27
35
47
45
36
26
28
0.2
1.2
1.2
182
169
175
309
466
460
D/D Venison & Green Pea
G/D
I/D
K/D
L/D
M/D
P/D
R/D
S/D (short-term use
only!!!)
T/D
W/D
X/D
Z/D
26
28
33
22
25
43
29
40
46
38
41
43
45
44
53
25
28
34
26
35
30
13
18
35
1.2
0.3
0.3
0.2
0.4
1.3
0.3
4.2
176
127
211
110
155
178
213
257
470
297
483
477
505
480
542
263
26
30
39
29
34
49
39
24
34
36
24
30
37
37
30
0.1
1.9
2.2
0.2
0.4
167
203
220
161
148
521
265
281
288
396
Max Kitten
Max Cat Adult
Max Cat Lite
Natural Choice Kitten
Natural Choice Cat Adult
Natural Choice Hairball
Mgmt.
Senior Max Cat
30
31
36
30
29
44
41
27
38
37
25
29
37
31
34
0.3
0.3
1.8
0.4
0.2
278
246
296
267
193
503
420
329
397
378
30
28
35
29
35
43
0.7
0.2
286
231
367
380
Anergen Dry
Geriatrx Dry
Nurture Dry
Uretic Dry
Vitality Dry
Cat Treats
submitted by Patricia &
Rhamu
Innova Cat & Kitten
Innova Reduced Fat
Innova Senior
California Natural
Chicken & Brown Rice
Healthwise Cat
25
30
32
28
32
30
30
41
47
49
40
45
46
29
22
23
28
25
0.4
0.5
0.7
0.4
0.6
0.6
366
211
181
174
189
281
343
430
452
470
433
384 per 100g
32
33
39
45
25
30
23
42
31
0.6
1.6
2.3
268
281
345
537
398
396
35
27
39
43
26
31
1
0.8
217
229
393
513
Nutro:
Wysong:
Natura:
Purina
Tender
Vittles
Healthwise Kitten
29
46 25
0.7
234
Innova EVO Cat & Kitten
44
47 8
0.2
396
mostly from Heska Patent 6,203,825; prescription values
from Linda & Friday
Purina DM (CNM-DM)
50
37 13
0.3
373
Purina NF
27
28 45
0.3
104
Purina OM
40
21 39
2.4
346
Purina UR
32
26 42
0.4
221
Urinary Tract Health
Formula
29
36 35
0.3
245
Cat Chow
34
29 37
0.4
Kitten Chow
37
30 32
0.5
Cat Chow Mature
37
23 40
0.5
O.N.E. Chicken & Rice Cats
30
33 37
0.4
O.N.E. Chicken & Rice Kittens
32
37 31
0.3
ProPlan Growth
29
44 27
0.3
ProPlan Adult
30
36 34
0.4
ProPlan Hairball
35
37 27
1.2
326
ProPlan Lite
36
23 41
0.7
ProPlan Turkey & Barley
31
39 30
0.6
submitted by Shirley, Pico & Fuzz
Tender Vittles Beef
39
Tender Vittles Chicken
38
Tender Vittles Country
37
Tender Vittles Gourmet
38
Tender Vittles Seafood
37
Tender Vittles Tuna
40
548
612
592
398
326
366
433
394
32
32
34
32
33
30
29
30
29
30
29
30
0.5
0.5
0.5
0.5
0.5
0.5
586
603
601
622
593
601
30
32
38
38
32
30
0.4
0.5
228
264
404
376
30
38
31
0.3
291
410
31
35
45
24
25
41
0.3
2.5
253
282
420
312
Authority
Adult Chicken Meal &
Rice
Adult Lamb Meal & Rice
Adult Whitefish Meal &
Rice
Kitten Chicken Meal &
Rice
Lite Chicken Meal & Rice
Senior Chicken Meal &
Rice
31
submitted by Cathy, Sonny and
Eagle Pack Spike GA
Adult
26
Hairball
28
Holistic Select
28
Kitten
28
Less Active
28
Royal Canin Veterinary
Calorie Control 38 High
Protein
45
Calorie Control 29 High
Fiber
36
Control Formula
29
Dental DD 27
28
Diabetic DS 44
46
Growth DD 34
31
Green Peas & Lamb
33
Green Peas & Venison
32
HiFactor
35
Hypoallergenic HP 23
23
Modified (renal)
21
Neutered Young Adult
37
Neutered Young Male
41
Neutered Mature
27
Neutral
27
Renal LP 21
20
Sensitivity RD 30 (Rice &
Duck)
32
Treats
28
Urinary SO 30
30
Weight
42
submitted by Kathy &
IVD
Chauncy
Development
28
Mature
26
Neutral
27
Lamb & Potato
30
27
42
0.7
238
344
44
45
45
46
30
30
27
26
26
42
0.6
1.2
0.6
0.5
0.7
156
180
217
182
179
396
349
387
422
351
24
31
1.5
397
230
27
34
35
29
44
31
33
29
44
44
26
26
35
27
45
37
36
36
24
26
37
36
36
33
34
37
33
39
46
35
4.3
0.6
1.4
1.4
0.7
0.5
0.5
1.3
1.2
0.3
2.1
2.1
0.9
0.9
0.8
248
162
209
245
268
410
383
224
182
111
319
322
168
258
115
251
365
326
239
393
233
239
254
343
432
265
289
309
357
395
32
14
40
23
36
58
30
35
1.1
0.5
0.8
1.5
344
391
216
355
258
1.41 /piece
302
260
47
35
27
32
25
40
46
38
0.3
0.6
0.9
0.8
242
164
261
238
389
351
317
346
9-Lives
Venison & Potato
26
Rabbit & Potato
30
Duck & Potato
30
Peas & Rabbit
32
submitted by Erimess & Sammy
Beef, Liver & Turkey
32
Chicken & Salmon
32
Plus Care Tuna & Egg
34
Chicken
Soup
for the
Pet-Lover's
Soul
submitted by Carol and Freddie
Kitten
31
Adult
28
Light
35
Blue
Buffalo
submitted by Lisa Pierson, DVM
Chicken & Brown Rice
Adult
32
Chicken & Brown Rice
Lite
28
Hairball
34
submitted by Dr. Lisa Drapela and
Precise Pet Karen & Smokey
F. Growth
30
F. Foundation dry
28
F. Natural Fish Flavor
formula dry
29
F. Senior dry
28
F. Light
30
Precise Plus Feline Adult
dry
30
Precise Plus Feline
Hairball
32
Wellness
Core
47
Chicken
33
Salmon
33
Kitten Health
33
25
30
30
31
49
39
39
37
0.6
0.7
0.7
1.8
202
228
228
221
340
344
344
288
29
30
26
39
38
40
0.5
0.5
0.6
296
268
377
306
310
292
49
44
28
20
28
37
0.9
0.8
2.3
305
232
309
373
367
302
41
28
0.7
264
542
24
39
48
27
1.5
2.1
276
225
468
502
40
38
30
34
0.53
0.54
222
218
485
478
45
26
25
27
46
45
0.52
0.54
1.83
218
226
279
499
442
366
47
23
0.55
242
511
46
22
1.5
262
462
42
41
41
41
11
26
26
26
0.6
0.3
0.3
0.3
338
264
237
308
Feline Dietary Solutions
Indoor Health
32
31
25
31
43
38
0.9
1.1
215
222
28
32
29
46
41
23
26
27
48
0.7
0.7
1.5
223
266
278
378
457
383
35
31
38
45
27
24
204
500
32
37
31
221
460
31
23
46
164
336
30
41
28
0.2
31
31
29
34
38
29
31
29
30
41
46
45
27
31
46
48
38
39
28
23
26
38
32
25
21
34
31
0.2
0.4
0.9
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.6
0.8
218
45
30
49
42
7
28
0.7
418
29
46
25
0.6
232
36
24
30
21
33
25
48
24
43
39
39
28
46
36
28
2.5
0.5
2.0
1.0
0.5
314
168
215
79
252
Other:
Bench & Field Holistic
Natural Feline
Blue Buffalo Adult Food
Blue Buffalo Lite Food
California Natural Cat
Food (est.)
Drs Foster & Smith Kitten
Drs Foster & Smith
Chicken
Drs Foster & Smith
Chicken Lite
Fancy Feast Chicken &
Turkey
Fancy Feast Ocean Fish &
Salmon
Felidae
Flint River Ranch
Friskies Dry Blend
Friskies Kitten Formula
High Hopes Adult Cat
High Hopes Kitten Food
High Hopes Senior Cat
Natural Balance
Nature's Variety Raw
Instinct
Pinnacle Feline
PMI Exclusive Chicken &
Rice
PMI Exclusive Chicken &
Rice Light
Sensible Choice Senior
Techni-Cal Adult Lite
Waltham Renal Support
Waltham S/O
207
240
206
370
543
393
336
356
385
400
342
553
491
500
417
374
Feeding Your Cat: Know the Basics of Feline Nutrition
Lisa A. Pierson, DVM
www.catinfo.org
This article can be viewed at catinfo.org. The online version contains helpful links and pictures.
Diet is the brick and mortar of health. This web page lays out some often-ignored principles of
feline nutrition
and explains why cats have a better chance at optimal health if they are fed a quality canned
food diet instead of
dry kibble. Putting a little thought into what you feed your cat(s) can pay big dividends over their
lifetime and
very possibly help them avoid serious, painful, and costly illnesses. An increasing number of
American
Veterinary Medical Association members, including board-certified veterinary internists, are now
strongly
recommending the feeding of canned food instead of dry kibble.
The three key negative issues associated with dry food are:
1) type of protein - too high in plant-based versus animal-based proteins
2) carbohydrate load is too high
3) water content is too low
Topics
But my cat is "fine" on dry food!
The importance of animal proteins, versus plant proteins
Problems with carbohydrates in dry cat foods
Cats need water with their food - This is one of the most important sections in this handout.
Reading a pet food ingredient label
Common medical problems associated with dry food
The safety of dry food
Tips for Transitioning - Getting dry food addicts to eat canned food
Home prepared raw - or semi-cooked - diets
Some final thoughts/What I feed to my own cats
My Cat is Doing Just "Fine" on Dry Food!
Every living creature is “fine” until outward signs of a disease process are exhibited. That may
sound like a very
obvious and basic statement but if you think about it……
Every cat on the Feline Diabetes Message Board was “fine” until their owners started to
recognize the signs of
diabetes.
Every cat with a blocked urinary tract was “fine” until they started to strain to urinate and either
died from a
ruptured bladder or had to be rushed to the hospital for emergency catheterization.
Every cat with an inflammed bladder (cystitis) was “fine” until they ended up in pain, passing
blood in their urine,
and missing their litter box.
Every cat was ‘fine’ until the feeding of species-inappropriate, hyperallergenic ingredients
caught up with him
and he started to show signs of food intolerance/IBD (inflammatory bowel disease).
1
Every cat was "fine" until that kidney or bladder stone got big enough to cause clinical signs.
Every cancer patient was “fine” until their tumor grew large enough or spread far enough so that
clinical signs
were observed by the patient.
The point is that diseases 'brew' long before being noticed by the living being.
This is why the statement “but my cat is healthy/fine on dry food” means very little to me
because I believe in
preventative nutrition - not locking the barn door after the horse is gone. I don’t want to end up
saying
“oops……I guess he is not so fine now!!" when a patient presents to me with a medical problem
that could have
been avoided if he would have been feed a species-appropriate diet to begin with.
Of course, in order to be on board with the 'preventative nutrition' argument, a person has to
understand the fact
that carbohydrates wreak havoc on some cats' blood sugar/insulin balance, that a urinary tract
system is much
healthier with an appropriate amount of water flowing through it, that cats inherently have a low
thirst drive and
need water *with* their food, and finally, that cats are designed to get their protein from meat –
not plants.
Cats Need Animal-Based Protein
Cats are obligate (strict) carnivores and are very different from dogs in their nutritional needs.
What does it
mean to be an ‘obligate carnivore’? It means that your cat was built by Mother Nature to get her
nutritional
needs met by the consumption of a large amount of animal-based proteins (meat/organs) and
derives much
less nutritional support from plant-based proteins (grains/vegetables). It means that cats lack
specific
metabolic (enzymatic) pathways and cannot utilize plant proteins as efficiently as animal
proteins.
It is very important to understand that not all proteins are created equal.
Proteins derived from animal tissues have a complete amino acid profile. (Amino acids are the
building blocks
of proteins. Think of them as pieces of a puzzle.) Plant-based proteins do not contain the full
compliment
(puzzle pieces) of the critical amino acids required by an obligate carnivore. The quality and
composition of a
protein (are all of the puzzle pieces present?) is also referred to as its biological value.
Humans and dogs can take the pieces of the puzzle in the plant protein and, from those, make
the missing
pieces. Cats cannot do this. This is why humans and dogs can live on a vegetarian diet but cats
cannot. (Note
that I do not recommend vegetarian diets for dogs.)
Taurine is one of the most important amino acids that is present in meat but is missing from
plants. Taurine
deficiency will cause blindness and heart problems in cats.
The protein in dry food, which is often heavily plant-based, is not equal in quality to the
protein in
canned food, which is meat-based. The protein in dry food, therefore, earns a lower biological
value score.
Because plant proteins are cheaper than meat proteins, pet food companies will have a higher
profit margin
when using corn, wheat, soy, rice, etc.
Veterinary nutritionists and pet food company representatives will argue that they are smart
enough to know
*exactly* what is missing from a plant in terms of nutrient forms and amounts - nutrients that
would otherwise be
in a meat-based diet. They will then claim that these missing elements are added to their diets
to make it
complete and balanced to sustain life in an obligate carnivore.
The problem with this way of thinking is that Man is just not that smart and has made fatal errors
in the past
when trying to guess how to compensate for such a drastic deviation from nature. Not all that
long ago
(1980s) cats were going blind and dying from heart problems due to Man's arrogance. It was
discovered in the
late 1980s that cats are exquisitely sensitive to taurine deficiency and our cats were paying
dearly for Man
straying so far from nature in order to increase the profit margin of the pet food manufacturers.
There are several situations that can lead to a diet being deficient in taurine but one of them is
using a diet that
relies heavily on plants as its source of protein. Instead of lowering their profit margin and going
back to nature
by adding more meat to the diets, the pet food companies simple started supplementing their
diets with taurine.
This is all well and good - for this particular problem - but how do we know that Man is not
blindly going along
unaware of another critical nutrient that is missing from a plant-based diet? Why is Man so
arrogant that he
thinks he can stray so far from what a cat is designed by nature to eat?
2
Let's also ask ourselves the following question: How many cats become ill or die from these
speciesinappropriate
diets yet the patient's diet is never even questioned as a possible cause of the illness or death?
We cannot answer that question definitively but I have no doubt that the answer would be
"many".
Do cats survive on these supplemented plant-based diets? Yes, many of them do.
Do cats thrive on these diets? No, they do not.
Please pay special attention to the words *survive* versus *thrive* as there is a very big
difference between the
two states of health.
Another important issue with regard to the protein contained in a dry food is that it has been
cooked at very high
temperatures for a long period of time. The extensive cooking required to dry the product
decreases the
biological value of the protein sources.
Harsh cooking also destroys other nutrients. Man then has to guess which nutrients – in what
form and
amounts – were destroyed by this cooking process and then try to add them back into the diet.
Given that Man will never be as ‘smart’ as nature – he will never know every detail of a cat’s
normal prey - it is
obvious that there is a risk when arrogance and greed cause humans to stray so far from a cat’s
natural diet.
With regard to the overall protein amounts contained in a food, do not be confused by the listing
of the protein
percentages in dry food compared to canned food. At first glance, it might appear that the dry
food has a higher
amount of protein than the canned food—but this is not true on a dry matter basis which is the
accurate way to
compare the two foods. Most canned foods, when figured on a dry matter basis, have more
protein than dry
food. And remember, even if this was not the case, the percentage numbers do not tell the
whole story. It is the
protein’s biological value that is critical.
We Are Feeding Cats Too Many Carbohydrates
In their natural setting, cats—whose unique biology makes them true carnivores--would not
consume the high
level of carbohydrates (grains) that are in the dry foods that we routinely feed them. You would
never see a wild
cat chasing down a herd of biscuits running across the plains of Africa or dehydrating her
mouse and topping it
off with corn meal gluten souffle.
In the wild, your cat would be eating a high protein, high-moisture content, meat-based diet, with
a moderate
level of fat and with only approximately 3-5 percent of her diet consisting of calories from
carbohydrates.
The average dry food contains 35-50 percent carbohydrate calories. Some of the cheaper dry
foods contain
even higher levels.
This is NOT the diet that Mother Nature intended for your cat to eat.
A high quality canned food, on the other hand, contains approximately 3-5 percent carbohydrate
calories.
Please note that not all canned foods are suitably low in carbohydrates. For instance, most of
the Hill's Science
Diet (over-the-counter) and the Hill's Prescription diets are very high in carbohydrates and are
not foods that I
would choose to feed.
Cats have a physiological decrease in the ability to utilize carbohydrates due to the lack of
specific enzymatic
pathways that are present in other mammals, and the lack a salivary enzyme called amylase.
Cats have no
dietary need for carbohydrates and, more worrisome is the fact that a diet that is high in
carbohydrates
can be detrimental to their health as I explain below.
With this in mind, it is as illogical to feed a carnivore a steady diet of meat-flavored cereals as it
would be to feed
meat to a vegetarian like a horse or a cow, right? So why are we continuing to feed our
carnivores like
herbivores? Why are we feeding such a species-inappropriate diet? The answers are simple.
Grains are
cheap. Dry food is convenient. Affordability and convenience sells.
However, is a carbohydrate-laden, plant-based, water-depleted dry food the best diet for our
cats? Absolutely
not.
Obligate carnivores are designed to eat meat – not grains - and they need to consume water
with their food as
explained below.
3
Cats Need Plenty of Water With Their Food
This is a very important section because it emphasizes why even the low-carb, grain-free
dry foods are
not optimal food sources for your cat.
Please see the Feline Urinary Tract Health page at catinfo.org to see how sweet Opie suffered
tremendously
and came close to losing his life after becoming blocked and almost rupturing his bladder.
Keep in mind that the cheapest canned food is better than any dry food on the market.
Water is an extremely important nutrient that contributes to overall health in every living
creature. Couple this
with the fact that cats do not have a very strong thirst drive when compared to other
species and you will
understand why it is critical for them to ingest a water-rich diet. The cat's lack of a strong thirst
drive leads to
low-level, chronic dehydration when dry food makes up the bulk of their diet.
Cats are designed to obtain most of their water with their diet since their normal prey contains
approximately 70
- 75 percent water. Dry foods only contain 7-10 percent water whereas canned foods contain
approximately 78
percent water. Canned foods therefore more closely approximate the natural diet of the cat and
are better
suited to meet the cat’s water needs.
I hear the reader saying “….but I see my cat drinking water frequently so he must be getting
enough!”
A cat consuming a predominantly dry-food diet does drink more water than a cat consuming a
canned food diet,
but in the end, when water from all sources is added together (what’s in their diet plus what they
drink), the cat
on dry food consumes approximately half the amount of water compared with a cat
eating canned
foods. This is a crucial point when one considers how common kidney and bladder
problems are in the
cat.
Please keep in mind that when your cat starts eating a more appropriately hydrated diet of
canned food, his
urine output will increase significantly – often doubling – which is a very good thing for bladder
health. Think of
canned food as ‘hosing out’ your cat’s bladder several times/day. Given this increase in urine
output, litter
boxes need to be scooped more frequently or more boxes need to be added to the home.
Please see
The Litter Box From Your Cat’s Point of View webpage at catinfo.org for reasons why I strongly
feel that
clumping litter is the only sanitary choice of litter to use for cats. Non-clumping litters do not
allow you to
remove all of the urine and are not sanitary litters.
Learn How To Read a Pet Food Ingredient Label
This is where it gets tough. The current labeling system for pet foods is seriously lacking in
usable
information. The "guaranteed analysis" numbers that you find on a can of food only provide a
wide range of
the levels of water, protein, fat, etc. that are contained in the food. You can get a rough idea of
what is in the
food but, ideally, it should be mandatory to put the more accurate 'as fed' values on the can.
However, I do
not see this happening anytime soon. This would be more along the lines of the information that
we find on
our own packaged foods.
Looking at the list of ingredients also gives an incomplete picture of what is actually in the
food in terms of
amount of each ingredient. Without knowing the actual amount of each ingredient, we have no
idea of the
impact of the ingredient on the nutritional profile of the food. For instance, when we see a high
carbohydrate
ingredient like rice on the label, we know that this food item has no business being in cat food
but how do we
really know the quantity of rice that is in the food? Is it present in a small amount or a large
amount? This is
why it is important to not just consider the list of ingredients but to also look at the
composition
(calories from protein/fat/carbohydrate) of the food. Information about the composition of
various
commercial foods can be found at binkyspage.tripod.com/canfood.html.
A good example of the above issue is a food like canned Wellness. At first glance, this food may
be
dismissed as inappropriate for a carnivore because it contains several high carbohydrate
ingredients in the
form of fruits and vegetables. However, in reality, the low carbohydrate level (3-5%) tells us that
the amount
of fruits and vegetables is very low.
If a food that you are feeding is not included on the above list, you can contact the company and
ask for the
breakdown of their foods in terms of the calories that come from protein, the calories that come
from fat, and
the calories that come from carbohydrates. Optimally, your cat's diet should not derive more
than 10
per cent of its calories from carbohydrates.
4
The words “natural” or “premium” or “holistic” or "veterinarian recommended" are not
necessarily indicative of
high quality. Also, if you are thinking about feeding any 'breed-specific' food, please see this
blog entry at
catnutrition.org for some straight-forward comments about the utterly absurd claims that these
companies
make regarding these diets. A Siamese is no different from Persian or a Maine Coon - or an
'alley cat' - when
considering optimal dietary composition. No matter the breed, the cat is still an obligate
carnivore.
The phrase “Indoor Only” is simply a marketing gimmick. Cats did not stop being obligate
carnivores when
Man put a roof over their heads. These ‘Indoor Only’ foods are always in the dry form and are
very high in
carbohydrates.
Contrary to what is often believed, many, if not all, of the so-called prescription diets sold in
veterinary
hospitals are not formulated for optimal health of a carnivore. Many of these products contain
corn, wheat,
and soy which have no logical place in your cat's diet and these diets are often very high in
carbohydrates.
Many of them also contain by-products as the main - and often only - source of protein.
By-products are not necessarily low quality protein sources. In fact, they can be extremely
nutritious.
However, there is more variability when quality is being considered when compared to muscle
meat. Byproducts
are also cheaper than muscle meat so one would think that as much as the prescription diets
cost,
these companies could use a higher quality protein source.
That said, I would much rather see someone feed a diet of canned by-products than any dry
food as long as
the canned food is low in carbohydrates.
Please note that Hill’s – the maker of Hill's Prescription foods – continues to use extremely
questionable
preservatives such as BHA, BHT and ethoxyquin in many of their products. Other companies
have
abandoned the practice of using these chemicals as preservatives – opting for more natural and
safer
methods.
Unfortunately, most veterinarians are very poorly educated in the area of nutrition. This field of
study is not
heavily emphasized in veterinary school. Also, if you consider the fact that many of the people
teaching this
subject in our veterinary schools, and advising general practitioners, have a monetary tie to the
pet food
industry, you will see a potential conflict of interest.
This leads to general practitioners often basing their dietary recommendations on information
obtained
directly or indirectly from the pet food industry – an industry that does not always have your
cat’s best interest
in mind when formulating their products. In most instances, you will be paying far more money
than you
should be for the low quality, species-inappropriate ingredients that many of these prescription
products
contain.
It is also important to note that most of these prescription diets have no clinical studies
behind them
to support their use in treating the various diseases that they target.
I would love to see veterinarians break out of the prescription diet ‘box’ and consider the use of
higher quality,
lower cost, over-the-counter diets.
Look for a muscle meat (preferably, not an organ meat like liver) as the first ingredient. A
muscle meat will be
listed as “chicken,” or “turkey,” etc., not “chicken by-products” or “chicken by-product meal,” or
“chicken broth”
or "liver". “Chicken meal” is technically a muscle meat but the term “meal” denotes that it has
been rendered
(cooked for a long time at very high temperatures) and may be lower in quality than meat that
has not been
as heavily processed. A "meal" product is more commonly found in dry foods. By-products can
include feet,
intestines, feathers, egg shells, etc. and can be less nutritious than meat.
Grains should be absent but, unfortunately, grains are cheap so they are included in many
commercial cat
foods. Think 'profit margin'. Grains are cheaper than meat. If grains are present, they should be
minimal in
amount. This is where checking out the carbohydrate content comes into play. It is ideal to feed
a grain-free
diet. Corn, wheat and soy are thought to be common allergens (as is yeast) and the
carbohydrate fraction of
these grains (especially grain flours) will also cause a rise in blood sugar in many cats. Soy
contains
phytoestrogens and also negatively influences the thyroid gland. Given how common
hyperthyroidism is in
the cat, soy has no business being in cat food. Unfortunately, soy is a common ingredient used
by pet food
manufacturers.
More information regarding food choices can be found on the Commercial Canned Food page
at catinfo.org.
5
Common Feline Health Problems and Their Ties to Diet
There is a very strong and extremely logical connection between the way that we are currently
feeding our
obligate carnivores and many of the life-threatening diseases that afflict them.
Diabetes: Diabetes is a very serious – and difficult to manage – disease that is not
uncommon in cats. We
do not know all of the causes of this complex disease but what we do know is that many
diabetic cats cease
needing insulin or have their insulin needs significantly decrease once their dietary carbohydrate
level is
decreased to a more species-inappropriate level than that found in many commercial foods.
Given this fact, and given what we know about how the cat processes carbohydrates, it is not a
stretch to
say that high carbohydrate diets could very well be a significant factor in causing diabetes in
some cats.
In addition to the issue of carbohydrates and how they affect the blood sugar level of some cats,
dry food is
very calorie dense, is very palatable, and is usually free-fed which often leads to obesity.
Fat cells produce a substance that makes the other cells in the body resistant to insulin. This
promotes the
diabetic state.
It is very important to understand the impact that a low carbohydrate diet has on the
insulin needs
of a diabetic cat.
If you have decided to start feeding your diabetic cat a low carbohydrate diet, please
review the
Feline Diabetes page at catinfo.org before you change the diet. Be sure to review the
STOP sign
section on that webpage.
Please be aware that many veterinarians underestimate the favorable impact that a low
carbohydrate diet has on the insulin needs of the patient and they do not lower the
insulin dose
enough. If the insulin is not lowered accordingly, an overdose of insulin will occur which
can be
life-threatening. I strongly suggest that all caretakers of diabetic cats home-test to
monitor blood
glucose levels using a standard glucometer as a matter of routine, but careful monitoring
is
especially important when implementing a diet change.
Many veterinarians prescribe expensive diets such as Purina DM (Diabetes Management) and
Science Diet
m/d but you can do much better for your cat (and your pocketbook) by feeding other more
nutritious - and
lower carbohydrate - canned foods such as Merrick, Wellness, Nature's Variety, EVO, etc. You
should aim
for a diet that derives less than 10% of its calories from carbohydrates.
If the above mentioned diets are out of your price range or your cat does not like them, then pick
another
diet from Binky’s chart that is below 10% of calories from carbohydrates.
Kidney Disease (CKD - formerly called "CRF"): Chronic kidney disease is probably the
leading cause of
mortality in the cat. It is troubling to think about the role that chronic dehydration may play in
causing and
exacerbating feline kidney disease. And remember, cats are chronically dehydrated - especially
CKD cats when they are on a diet of predominantly dry food. The prescription dry 'renal diets' such as
Hill’s
Prescription k/d - which is commonly prescribed by veterinarians - contain only a small amount
of moisture
(~10% versus 78% for canned food) leaving your cat in a less than optimal state of water
balance.
I must say that I find it truly amazing when I hear about the very large numbers of cats receiving
subcutaneous fluids while being maintained on a diet of dry food. This is an extremely illogical
and
unhealthy practice and every attempt should be made to get these cats on a diet that contains
an
appropriate moisture content.
Please also note the following list of the first four ingredients of Hill’s Prescription dry k/d while
bearing in
mind that your cat is a carnivore. This is a diet that would never find its way into a food
bowl owned by
any cat in my care. The first three ingredients contain no animal-based proteins making it an
extremely low
quality, inappropriate diet for any cat. There really are much healthier diets available for cats
with kidney
disease than dry k/d.
Brewers rice, corn gluten meal, pork fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric
acid), chicken byproduct
meal
The purpose of this prescription diet is to restrict protein which, unfortunately, it certainly does.
However,
please understand that there are no studies showing that restricting protein to this level
will prevent
further deterioration of kidney function.
6
k/d restricts protein to the point that some cats - those that are not consuming enough of the diet
to provide
for their protein calorie needs - will catabolize (use for fuel) their own muscle mass which results
in muscle
wasting and weight loss. This internal breakdown of the cat’s own muscle mass will cause an
increase in
creatinine which needs to be cleared by the kidneys. The rise in creatinine, and muscle wasting,
can lead to
an often-erroneous conclusion that the patient’s CKD is worsening.
Of course, the same deterioration can occur in any cat that is not consuming enough protein,
but the level of
protein in this diet is not only at an extremely low level, it is in an incomplete form for a
carnivore. Note
that it is made up mainly of plant proteins – not meat proteins.
Cystitis (bladder inflammation), Bladder/Kidney Stones/Crystals, Urethral Blockage:
Please see the Feline Urinary Tract Health webpage at catinfo.org for more detailed information
on urinary
tract issues, including the story and pictures of “Opie”. The first paragraph on that webpage
reads:
If I could have the reader take away just one word from this discussion, it would be
"water". If your
cat is on a properly hydrated diet of 100% canned food - and no dry food - you stand a
very good
chance of never needing to read this webpage.
Note that I said “water”, not “crystals”, or “urine pH”, or “prescription diets” which are low quality
diets used to
manipulate urine pH. This is because if humans would just feed cats a properly hydrated, meatbased diet
to begin with, urinary crystals and pH would, in almost all cases, become non-issues.
Please keep in mind that a cat has a very low thirst drive and is designed to get water with
their food.
It has been shown that a cat on canned food consumes double the amount of water when
compared to a
cat eating dry food when all sources of water (food and water bowl) are considered. People who
feed dry
food to their cats often say “but my cat drinks a lot of water” but, in reality, their cat consumes
roughly half
the amount of water that a cat on canned food consumes.
The urinary tract system of any living creature needs water flowing through it to maintain
optimal
health. For the cat, this means they should be eating canned food, not dry food. Think of
canned
food as flushing out your cat’s bladder several times each day.
In addition to feeding a water-depleted diet and focusing too heavily on pH and urine crystals,
another very
serious mistake that Man makes with regard to urinary tract disease in the cat is the rampant
misuse/abuse
of antibiotics. Antibiotics are prescribed on a daily basis in many veterinary practices without
considering
the fact that infections are not a common cause of urinary tract disease in cats. This
frequent abuse of
antibiotics not only wreaks havoc on the cat’s body, but also promotes bacterial resistance to
the antibiotics.
The most common cases that receive needless antibiotics involve patients with cystitis. Cystitis
refers to
inflammation (with or without infection) of the bladder wall. We do not fully understand all of the
causes of
this painful disease but we do know that it is strongly linked to stress and the water content of
the diet.
Again, it is very common for a cat to have cystitis without an infection. This is known as
“sterile
cystitis”. In fact, most cases of cystitis are sterile. In other words, they are not the result of an
infection
and should not be placed on antibiotics. This is a very important concept to understand if we
are ever
going to stop abusing antibiotics for feline urinary tract issues.
Many people – including veterinarians - erroneously use the term “UTI” (urinary tract infection)
to label what
is usually sterile cystitis but, in most cases, the “I” should stand for “inflammation”, not
“infection”. Cats with
sterile cystitis are often given needless antibiotics when, in fact, they are crying out for pain
medication, as
discussed below. Keep in mind that blood in the urine does not necessarily mean that an
infection is
present. Blood is often present at a site of inflammation but is not specific for infection.
Important statistics: Only ~1-2% of cats with cystitis that are under 10 years of age have a
urinary tract
infection. This means that ~98% of these patients do not need antibiotics. The patients in this
age group
rarely have infections because they produce very concentrated urine (Urine Specific Gravity
greater than
1.035) and bacteria do not grow well in concentrated urine.
In cystitis patients over 10 years of age, infections are more common (~20-30% versus ~1-2%)
but that still
does not mean that older cats with cystitis should automatically be put on antibiotics. Note that
70+% of
these patients have sterile cystitis. The reason that an older cat is more prone to urinary tract
infections is
because kidney disease is more common in this age group and if the patient does have kidney
insufficiency,
they will have a more dilute urine which is not as hostile to bacterial growth.
7
Diabetes and hyperthyroidism are also more common in cats over 10 years of age and both
disease render
the patient more prone to urinary tract infections.
So how do we determine if the patient has an infection or not? And if they do have an infection,
how do we
know which is the best antibiotic to use?
A culture & sensitivity lab test (C & S) identifies the bacteria (if present) and tells the veterinarian
which
antibiotic is appropriate. This test is run in an outside laboratory and takes ~3 days to get final
results. The
urine for a C & S needs to be obtained by way of cystocentesis which involves using a syringe
and needle to
obtain urine directly from the bladder. This is not a painful procedure for the cat and this method
is the only
way to obtain a sample for accurate information in order to properly treat with antibiotics. One
problem,
however, is that a sample may be difficult to obtain without waiting a few hours since cats with
cystitis
urinate frequently and often do not have enough urine in their bladder to get a good sample.
To get around this problem, some veterinarians will give the patient a dose of subcutaneous
(just under the
skin) fluids. The cat is then put into a cage without a litter box. Within a couple of hours, the
bladder is
usually full enough to obtain a urine sample via cystocentesis. This usually only takes 2-3 hours
–
sometimes even less time.
To repeat: ~98% of cats under the age of 10 years, and 70%-80% of cats over 10 years of age,
that present
with clinical signs of cystitis, do not have an infection.
A culture and sensitivity (C & S) lab test should be run on all (or at least those with dilute urine
or diabetes)
patients with cystitis to prove that an infection does – or does not – exist. We have to stop
treating all
cases of cystitis with antibiotics without supporting evidence of an infection!
As stated above, we know that stress plays a critical role in causing inflammation of the feline
bladder.
Therefore, an understanding of the vicious cycle involving pain and stress is crucial to the
management of
this disease.
Cystitis is very painful. Pain => stress and stress => cystitis. Consequently, it is very
important to
address pain management in cystitis patients. Buprinex is a good choice for a pain medication.
This is
superior to Torbugesic which has been used for pain management in the cat in the past.
(Burprinex is a
prescription medication that you must get from your veterinarian.) Unfortunately, many
veterinarians
overlook pain medication as a very important part of the treatment of this common feline
problem.
Cystitis often leads a cat to start urinating outside of the litter box due to an association of the
litter box with
their pain. This is called a “litter box aversion”. Therefore, in addition to pain medication being
an
important part of the treatment, it is also vital for the cleanliness of the home to do whatever we
can to avoid
a litter box aversion. And, of course, it is only humane to treat any animal’s pain.
Cystitis will often recur in these patients but on a good note, many cats will have their clinical
signs quickly
(within a few of days) resolve, especially if their pain is immediately addressed with Buprinex.
Another
subset of cats will spontaneously go into remission without any treatment at all.
With regard to the overuse of antibiotics in these patients, it has often been said, jokingly, that a
cat with
cystitis will often stop exhibiting clinical signs within seven days with antibiotics and in one week
without
antibiotics.
Unfortunately, when people don’t understand that many of these patients experience
spontaneous remission
on their own with no treatment, antibiotics get the credit when they had nothing to do with the
patient’s
improvement. When this happens, the abuse of antibiotics continues.
In summary, stress/pain management and water content of the diet are the most important
issues when
considering the prevention and treatment of cystitis. That said, even cats that are fed a 100
percent
canned food diet may experience bouts of cystitis but far less commonly than dry food-fed cats.
This is a
very frustrating disease to deal with and one that the veterinary community does not have all the
answers
for. The water content of the diet is easy to control – feed canned food with added water as
noted below.
The stress issue is another matter and is not always easy to address since cats can be very
sensitive and
are often 'silent' in their stress.
Leaving cystitis and moving on to crystals: It is very important to note that crystals are not the
same thing
as stones. Crystals are often a normal finding in a cat's urine and it is not necessarily
appropriate to put
the cat on a "special urinary tract" formula when these are found in the urine.
8
I see too much clinical significance placed on the identification of crystals in the urine, in
general, but the
situation is made worse when it is assumed that the crystals are ‘real’ without regard to how the
urine
sample was handled. It is very important to understand that crystals will often form once
outside of the
body within a very short (30-60 minutes) period of time. If the veterinarian does not examine
the urine
right away and either sends it to an outside laboratory or uses a free-catch sample that the
owner brought
from home, an erroneous diagnosis of crystals may be made. This is called a "false positive"
report and
results in unnecessary worry on the part of the owner and often leads to the cat being placed on
an
inappropriate, low quality diet.
What role does diet play with respect to crystals?
When a cat is on a diet of water-depleted dry food, they produce a more highly concentrated
urine (higher
urine specific gravity - USG) and they produce a lower volume of urine (often half of what a cat
on canned
food produces) which means that a higher concentration of crystals will be present in the
urine. This
increases the chance of these crystals forming life-threatening stones. It is also thought that the
highly
concentrated urine may be very irritating to the bladder wall in some cats, predisposing them to
painful
cystitis.
Adding 1-2 TBS of water (plain or flavored – such as tuna water, clam juice, chicken or beef
broth) per meal
of canned food is very beneficial, as is using water fountains. Make your own tuna water by
taking one can
of tuna and mixing the contents into 3 cups of water. Mash it around and let it sit for ~20
minutes. Pour the
water into covered ice cube trays. Freeze to prolong the freshness. Use covered trays to keep
the water
tasting and smelling fresh.
If you are still worrying about crystals, consider this analogy:
If leaves keep falling on your driveway (which is a normal situation) and you don’t regularly hose
down or
sweep your driveway, those leaves will build up and cause a problem. If you picture crystals as
the leaves in
this analogy, it is easy to see how canned food does a much better job of ‘hosing down/flushing’
your cat’s
bladder than dry food does.
To repeat, crystals are not an abnormal finding in cat urine. However, they can become a
problem if
Man continues to insist on feeding the cat a water-depleted diet. Stones, or a large amount
of crystals,
can cause a fatal rupture of the bladder by blocking the outflow of urine. (See Opie’s story at
catinfo.org Feline Urinary Tract Health.)
Any cat that is repeatedly entering the litter box but not voiding any urine is in need of
IMMEDIATE
medical attention! This is one reason why it is so important to use a clumping litter. Clumping
litter allows
you to see just how much, if any, urine is being voided. Is the urine ball the size of a raisin? A
grape? A golf
ball? A plum? A tennis ball? Non-clumping litters are not sanitary since it is impossible to
remove all of the
urine several times/day (see The Litter Box at catinfo.org) and they do not allow you to quantify
the amount
of urine being passed.
Urine pH is often considered when discussing urinary tract crystals but we really need to stop
focusing on
pH. Again, a proper amount of water in the diet is the important issue here - not urine pH.
The one exception to this would involve the temporary (1-2 months) use of a prescription
acidifying diet
such as Hill’s canned (not dry) s/d - with added water - for struvite stones or a large amount of
struvite
crystals - especially in a male cat since their long, narrow urethral puts them at greater risk for a
lifethreatening
blockage. This diet is not to be used for long-term feeding!
It also must be understood that if the cat has calcium oxylate stones or crystals, this diet will
make matters
worse for the patient since calcium oxylate forms in acidic environments. The patient should be
re-checked
with xrays or ultrasound within 3-4 weeks after starting the diet in order to monitor progress, or
lack of
progress, in dissolution of the stones/crystals.
Other than as stated above, I do not use the prescription diets or any over-the-counter ‘Urinary
Tract Health’
diets. Many of these often-prescribed feline lower urinary tract diets are formulated to make the
urine acidic
but it is thought that these low magnesium, acidifying diets may actually exacerbate painful
cystitis. Also,
these acidifying diets often end up promoting calcium oxylate stone formation and can also lead
to
hypokalemia (low potassium in the blood) which can cause or exacerbate kidney disease.
It is also important to note - for those people still stuck on worrying about the urine pH - that
there are many
factors which determine the pH of urine and only one of them is diet.
9
With regard to dry food and urinary tract health, aside from the lack of water in this type of diet,
there is also
a correlation between the consumption of a high carbohydrate diet (most dry foods are very high
in
carbohydrates) and the formation of struvite crystals because carbohydrate-based diets
promote an alkaline
urine.
Veterinarians often prescribe Hill’s Prescription dry c/d and x/d for urinary tract problems but
again, these
diets are only ten percent water and contain a high level of species-inappropriate ingredients
and
questionable preservatives. They are also very high in carbohydrates with dry c/d containing 42
percent of
its weight as carbohydrates. Please note the first few ingredients in dry c/d while remembering
that your cat
is a carnivore. This is certainly not a diet that I would recommend for any cat.
Brewers rice, chicken by-product meal, corn gluten meal, pork fat (preserved with mixed
tocopherols and
citric acid), chicken liver flavor, taurine, preserved with BHT and BHA
Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD): IBD can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and/or constipation
in the cat. IBD
can also present with weight loss as the only clinical sign. There are many unanswered
questions with
respect to this disease process, but it seems logical to start to “treat” a gastrointestinal problem
in the cat
with a species-appropriate diet.
Too often these cats are treated with a high level of steroids and a prescription grain-laden, dry
food diet. I
feel very strongly that this common therapeutic regimen needs to be abandoned. There are an
impressive
number of anecdotal reports of cats that were terribly ill with IBD exhibiting dramatic
improvement when all
dry food was removed from their diet
Taking it even one step further, there are many reports of cats with IBD that improved
tremendously on
a balanced, grainless, raw-meat or lightly-cooked meat diet. See catnutrition.org for more
information on
IBD and diet. Also, see the Making Cat Food page at catinfo.org for a balanced recipe that has
helped many
IBD cats.
Steroids – long-term or temporary - are necessary in some cases but we need to focus more
heavily on
feeding these patients an appropriate diet rather than relying solely on immunosuppressive
medications.
Obesity: Obesity is an extremely common and very serious health problem in cats. For
instance,
overweight cats are four times more likely to develop diabetes than cats that are at an optimal
weight. Obese
cats are more prone to orthopedic problems and often cannot clean themselves properly.
Obligate
carnivores are designed to meet their energy needs with a high protein, moderate fat diet with
little to no
carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are minimally used for energy and those that are not used are
converted to
and stored as fat. The so-called “light” diets that are on the market have targeted the fat content
as the
nutrient to be decreased. The choice is then to raise either the protein or carbohydrate content,
or both.
Since protein (meat) is more expensive than carbohydrates (grains), pet food
manufacturers raise
the carbohydrate levels in these foods making them very species-inappropriate and
unhealthy.
An optimal weight loss diet should be high in protein (over 40% of calories), moderate in fat
(under 50% of
calories), and low in carbohydrates (under 10% of calories). See the Merrick line of foods for
examples of
this profile.
Many cats on the commercial “light” or “less active” diets either do not lose weight or do lose
weight but also
lose muscle mass along with the loss of fat. This is not our goal. The goal is to lose fat while
maintaining
muscle mass.
In several studies, cats fed a high protein/low carbohydrate diet lost weight but
maintained their lean
body mass in comparison to cats fed a high carbohydrate/low fat diet.
Many caretakers feed very small amounts of these ‘light’ diets hoping that their cat will lose
weight.
However, feeding a small amount of a diet that is inappropriate for the species is not the
answer! The
caretaker often ends up with either a crabby, overweight cat or a thinner cat that may have lost
too much
muscle mass.
See Molly’s and Bennie’s story of weight loss at Feline Obesity - catinfo.org - to read about how
these sweet
cats went from inactive obese cats that could barely walk or clean themselves to healthier,
happier felines.
Molly’s veterinarian had prescribed Hill's Prescription dry r/d for her and instructed her caretaker
to feed
Molly only very small portions - and to put a shock collar on her to keep her away from her
housemates'
food. This is obviously not sound - or humane - obesity management advice. Hill's Prescription
r/d is a poor
10
quality, low fat/high carbohydrate diet that contains 33 percent carbohydrates and the following less than
optimal – ingredients including a high level of fiber which a feline intestinal tract is not designed
to process:
Chicken by-product meal, corn meal, powdered cellulose 18.5% (a source of fiber), corn
gluten meal,
chicken liver flavor, vegetable oil, taurine, L-carnitine, preserved with BHT, BHA and
ethoxyquin
There are much healthier – and less expensive - ways to address feline obesity.
Hepatic Lipidosis (Fatty Liver Disease): This is the most common metabolic liver disease
of cats. Cats
that go longer than 48 hours without eating, for any reason, are in danger of developing this
serious, and
often fatal, disease. Even though thin cats can end up with hepatic lipidosis, overweight cats are
much
more prone to experiencing this disease. Feeding a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet helps
keep cats at
an optimal, healthy body weight and, in turn, makes them less likely to end up with fatty liver
disease.
Dental Disease: Long-standing claims that cats have less dental disease when they are fed
dry food versus
canned food are grossly overrated, inaccurate, and are not supported by recent studies. This
frequently
stated (among veterinarians and lay people) myth continues to harm cats by perpetuating the
idea that their
food bowls need to be filled up with an unhealthy diet in order to keep their teeth clean. The idea
that dry
food promotes dental health makes about as much sense as the idea that crunchy cookies
would promote
dental health in a human.
First, dry food is hard, but brittle, and merely shatters with little to no abrasive effect on the
teeth. Second, a
cat's jaws and teeth are designed for shearing and tearing meat - not biting down on dry kibble.
Third, many
cats swallow the majority of their dry food whole.
There are many factors – known and unknown - that contribute to dental disease in the cat such
as genetics,
viruses, diet, and the fact that cats do not brush their teeth like humans do. There remain many
unanswered
questions concerning the fact that cats often suffer from poor dental health but one very obvious
answer lies
in the fact that Man feeds the cat a diet that does not even come close to what they would
eat in their
natural state.
When cats consume their prey in the wild, they are tearing at flesh, hide, bones, tendons, and
ligaments.
This is a far cry from the consistency of dry or canned food.
Neither dry kibble nor canned food comes close to mimicking a cat’s normal diet of mice, birds,
rabbits, etc.
Given what a cat does eat in nature, it makes much more sense to be feeding part of the diet in
the form of
large chunks of meat (as large as you can get your cat to chew on) or gizzards (tough and
fibrous) which a
cat’s teeth are designed to chew. Raw meat is ‘tougher’ to chew than cooked meat so I prefer to
use raw –
or parboiled - meat to promote dental health. (See Making Cat Food - Dental Health at
catinfo.org.)
Notice the phrase “part of the diet” in the above sentence. It is very important to understand that
plain meat
(ie - without bones or another source of calcium) is very unbalanced since there is minimal
calcium in
meat. Remember that when a cat eats his normal prey, he is consuming the bones along with
the meat.
When fed as a supplement to most commercial canned foods, it is safe to feed ~15% of the
daily calories in
the form of plain meat. For example, if a cat is eating 6 ounces of canned food per day, you
could feed him
5 ounces of canned food plus 1 ounce of chunked muscle meat per day.
When people ask me “how often should my cats be fed chunks of meat?”, I reply “how often do
you brush
your own teeth?”
And speaking of brushing teeth, this is, by far, the best way to promote your cat's dental
health. Google
‘Cornell brushing your cat’s teeth’ for a great instructional video.
Please pay close attention to the statement in the video regarding a thorough dental
exam by your
veterinarian before starting a brushing program. Many cats have very painful mouths but
show no
outward signs of this pain. If you try to brush your cat's teeth in the face of a painful mouth, all
you will end
up with is a cat that is scared - along with developing a strong aversion to toothbrushes. If this
aversion
occurs, you may never get him to accept toothbrushing once you have addressed the painful
mouth with
your vet.
Please understand that I am not saying that canned food is necessarily better for teeth than dry
food. For
optimal dental health, a cat should not be eating either canned or dry food since neither food
type promotes
healthy teeth but we have to work with what is practical in a typical home setting and feeding a
cat a 'whole
carcass prey' diet is not terribly practical - even if it would be great for their teeth. The
compromise is to at
11
least give them some muscle meat to chew on and to stop fooling ourselves into thinking
that dry food
promotes dental health in our cats.
Feline Asthma/Allergic Airway Disease: Many cats have had their respiratory symptoms
(coughing/
difficulty breathing) subside considerably, or disappear completely, once they were placed on a
grain-free
canned food diet, or a meat-based home-prepared diet. Some of these struggling cats may
have been
simply reacting to the grain proteins found in high levels in dry food or they may have been
reacting to
storage mites or cockroach antigens that are present in dry foods.
Sadly, many cats exhibiting debilitating lung disease are simply put on an immunosuppressive
dose of
steroids - while still being fed an inappropriate diet. While steroids are necessary in many
cases of
airway disease, they are not addressing the root of the problem which can, in many cases, be
an allergy to
proteins in the form of species-inappropriate grains, and insect antigens. Steroids can cause
diabetes in
cats and also render them vulnerable to infections from viruses, bacteria, and fungal agents so it
is very
important to make sure you have ruled out diet as a cause of the cat's respiratory symptoms.
The Safety of Dry Food
Dry food is far from a clean, safe, and pathogen-free source of food for your cat. Please see
Making Cat Food at
catinfo.org which details just a few of the many pet food recalls that have been initiated due to
contamination of
commercial pet food with deadly chemicals, bacteria (salmonella, etc.), fungal mycotoxins, and
storage mites.
The issue of rancid fats in dry food is also discussed on that webpage.
Transitioning Dry Food Addicts to Canned Food
Note: There is a separate PDF file for the Tips for Transitioning which can be found at
catinfo.org. It is 7 pages
long.
Keep in mind that the best time to implement a diet change is when the cat is healthy. Trying to
get an ill cat to
embrace a new type of food can be problematic and a cat that is not feeling well may even
develop a food
aversion if they associate the new food with their discomfort.
Sick cats are often not consuming enough calories as it is so if your cat has a decreased
appetite due to illness,
this is not the time to push a diet change with too much intensity.
For patients with urinary tract problems, it is extremely important for them to increase their water
intake.
However, because cystitis (inflammation of the bladder wall) is thought to be linked to stress –
and implementing
a diet change can be stressful - we need to be mindful of this and go slowly.
While you are working on getting your cat to eat canned food, you can increase their water
intake by using
flavored waters such as tuna water, beef or chicken broth, clam juice, lactose-free cat milk, etc.
You can make
you own tuna water by adding 3 cups of water to a can of tuna. Mash it up and let it sit for ~15
minutes then
pour the water into covered (to help maintain freshness) ice cube trays. 3 cups of water will fill
two 16-cube
trays. The ice cube trays can be used for other flavored liquids as well.
Prior to using, heat the ice cubes to ‘mouse body’ temperature and then add 1-2 TBS per meal
of canned food in
addition to putting some in a bowl as a separate drink of water.
Please understand that I am not saying that you should refrain from introducing canned food
into a sick cat’s
world - because they may even surprise you by favoring canned over dry - but go forward with
the above
comments in mind while making sure that your cat is consuming enough calories.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There are few things in life more frustrating than dealing with a finicky cat. The members of this
species can be
incredibly ‘set in their ways’ when it comes to their dietary preferences. Cats, like children, often
resist what is
best for them. The two most frequent comments that I hear from people when trying to convince
them to feed
their cats a healthier diet are "my cat won't eat canned food" and "but my cat really likes his dry
food." Children
really like potato chips and ice cream but that certainly does not mean those food items
constitute optimal
nutrition.
12
The transition process often involves much more than just plunking down a new food
item. Time,
patience, and tricks are often required.
One reason that cats like dry food so much is because the pet food companies do not play fair
when
manufacturing this sub-optimal food source. They coat the kibble with extremely enticing animal
digest sprays
which are very pleasing to a cat - making a poor quality diet very desirable to the target animal.
In addition to the aforementioned coating of dry food with animal digests, another issue is one of
a crunchy
texture which is very different from canned food. Cats are very resistant to such a drastic
change in the texture
of their food.
If you are convinced that getting your cat off of dry food is the way to go, read on for some tips
on how to
accomplish this.
The key is to do it slowly and with patience and incorporate various tricks for the stubborn
cats. The most
important issue is actually making the change, not how fast you accomplish it. I must say
that my cats
tested every ounce of patience I had over a 3 + month period of time during their transition from
dry to canned
food. They had been on dry food their entire lives and did not recognize canned food as food.
My cats ranged
in age from 2 years to 10 years at the time of the transition.
The single biggest mistake I see people make time and again is to say that their cat "won't
touch" the new food
and then panic and fill up the bowl with dry food. In many cases, it is simply not that easy to get
cats off of dry
food. (See Molly's story at catinfo.org – Feline Obesity page - for a look at one very stubborn
cat.)
There are two categories of cats - those that will eat canned food and those that will be
extremely resistant to
eating anything other than dry food. If your cat falls into the first category, lucky you. These cats
will take to it
with the attitude of “finally – an appropriate diet for my species.” In this case, if your cat has
been on all dry
food, or only receives canned food as an occasional 'treat', start by feeding canned food in
increasing amounts.
Gradually decrease the dry, taking about a week to fully switch the cat over to 100 percent
canned food.
Some cats may experience softer stools during the transition. I do not worry if this happens
and tend to 'ride it
out'. If diarrhea results from the diet change you will either need to experiment with different
canned foods or
slow the transition down and do it over a period of several weeks.
The average cat should eat 4-6 ounces of canned food per day split between 2-3 meals but
this is just a
general guideline. When determining how much you should be feeding your cat once
transitioned to canned
food, keep it simple. Too fat? Feed less. Too thin? Feed more.
Now....for the stubborn cats......
If you are unlucky like I was, and your cat does not recognize the fact that he is a carnivore and
would live a
healthier life if eating canned food, (or a home-prepared diet) then you will have some work to
do. Some cats
that have been on dry food for their entire life will be quite resistant to the diet change and may
take several
weeks or longer to make the transition to a healthier diet.
For 'resistant-to-change' cats, you will need to use the normal sensation of hunger to help
with the transition.
For this reason, it is very important to stop free-feeding dry food. This is the first, and very
critical, step. You
need to establish set mealtimes. They are not going to try anything new if their bowl of junk
food is in
front of them 24/7.
Cats do not need food available at all times. It really is okay for them to experience a hunger
pain! That said, it
was very hard for me to listen to my cats begging for food even though I was strong in my
conviction that I was
heading them in the best direction for optimal health. It truly was a stressful time for me and
them. Actually, I
think it was harder on me! This is where many people fail and just give in and fill up the dry food
bowl. There
were a few times when I had to call my 'sponsor' and was instructed to "just leave the house if
you can't take
looking into those eyes!" I left the house. Those pitiful little cries of "I have not had food for two
WHOLE hours!"
were hard to take. But, lo and behold, they were just fine when I returned. Not one cat had died
from hunger.
On the other hand, do not attempt to withhold food for long periods of time (greater than 24
hours) with the
hope that your cat will choose the new food. You need to ‘convince’ them that a high quality
canned food really
is good for them, rather than to try starving them into it - which does not work anyway. Allowing
a cat to go
without food - especially an overweight cat - for a long period of time (greater than 48 hours)
can be quite
dangerous and may result in hepatic lipidosis (fatty liver disease).
13
Hepatic lipidosis can also develop when a cat consumes 50% or less of his daily caloric
requirements
over a period of many days. The definition of "many" varies from cat-to-cat. For this reason it
is important to
understand that you need to have some idea of the calories from canned food combined with
the calories from
dry food that your cat is consuming on a daily basis while you are implementing the transition to
canned food. I
have never seen a cat develop hepatic lipidosis when consuming at least 15 calories per pound
per day. This
number is figured on lean body weight, not fat weight.
If your cat weighs 18 pounds but really should weigh 12 pounds, please make sure that he is
consuming at least
~180 calories per day. (12 pounds lean body mass X 15 calories/pound/day = ~180
calories/day)
If you have a small female cat that should only weigh 9 pounds, please make sure that she is
consuming at
least 135 calories per day.
Canned foods never list the calorie content on the can but many dry foods do list this
information on the bag. A
rough guideline for the calorie content of most canned foods that are 78% moisture is ~30
calories/ounce but
can range from 20 to 40 calories/ounce as shown by the chart located at
binkyspage.tripod.com/canfood.html.
Most cats will lose some weight during the transition to canned food. Given that a very high
percentage of cats
are overweight to begin with, this is a favorable result of the diet change - as long as they do
not lose too
much weight too fast! A cat should never lose more than 1-2% of his body weight per week preferably closer
to 1%.
I highly suggest that all cat caregivers weigh their cats periodically. This will help ensure a safe
transition to a
healthier diet and, in general, weight loss is often the first sign of ill health for any reason. I
make it a point to
weigh my cats at least twice yearly.
The Health-O-Meter HDC100-01 baby scale weighs to the nearest 1/2 ounce and has a 'hold'
button on it that
helps obtain an accurate weight even for a cat that is moving around a bit.
All of my cats lost weight during the three months that it took to switch them to canned but none
of them became
too thin. They slimmed down to a nice lean body weight – losing fat while maintaining their
muscle mass. They
also became much more active.
If your cat is overweight, please see the Feline Obesity page at www.catinfo.org.
Resign yourself to the fact that you will be very frustrated at times and you will be wasting
canned food as they
turn up their nose at it. Also, you may want to immediately switch your cat to a dry food that has
fewer calories
from carbohydrates than most dry foods. There are three grain-free/low carbohydrate dry foods
currently on the
market: Natura/Innova's EVO, Wellness CORE, and Nature's Variety Instinct.
These low-carb dry foods are very high in fat and therefore are very calorie dense. These foods
must be
portion-controlled otherwise your cat may end up gaining weight. Note that dry Innova EVO
has 612 calories
per cup according to the information on the bag. One quarter of a cup contains 153 calories so
be very careful
to pay attention to how much of these high calorie dry foods you feed.
The caloric needs of an average cat can range between 150 - 250 calories/day depending on
their lean body
weight and activity level.
The low-carb dry foods are also very high in phosphorus. This is especially detrimental for cats
with
compromised kidney function.
And, of course, these low-carb dry foods are water-depleted just like all dry foods are and are
cooked at very
high temperatures in order to dry them out.
I do not recommend these dry foods for long-term feeding for all of the reasons stated above.
Please use them
only as transition diets.
Be sure to stay away from any "light" varieties since those types of foods are very high in
carbohydrates.
Here are some various tricks for the stubborn ones.
Keep in mind that different tricks work on different cats:
14
If your cat has been eating dry food on a free-choice basis, take up the food and establish
a schedule of
two - three times per day feedings. I really do prefer just twice-daily feedings when trying to
transition
them. A normal, healthy hunger response after 12 hours goes a long way to convince them to
try something
new.
Once the cat has transitioned to canned food, I prefer to either free-feed them (if they are not
too fat) or to
put out a meal three times per day. Small cats in the wild eat 8-10 small meals per day. I do not
worry about
leaving canned food out for up to 12 hours at a time. Keep in mind that a lion is not going to eat
his entire
prey immediately.
If you want to take the transition very slowly, you can feed the amount that your cat normally
consumes in a
24 hour period - split up into two feedings to get him used to meal feeding. Many people,
however, are
unsure as to how much their free-fed cat really eats so I would start off by figuring out the
calories that your
cat needs to maintain his weight if he does not need to lose any weight.
Again, most cats only need 150-250 calories/day. The dry food bag should tell you how many
calories are in
a cup of food but if it does not, you can check to see if it is listed on the dry food chart at
binkyspage.tripod.com/dryfood.html
Leave the food down for 20 minutes, and then remove any uneaten portion. Repeat in 8-12
hours
depending on if you are feeding 2 or 3 times per day. During the first few days of transitioning to
a set
schedule, you can offer canned food during the dry food meals, or in-between meals. The
stubborn ones,
however, will not touch it. Do not despair - all cats will eventually eat canned food if their
caregiver is
determined, methodical, and patient enough. Once your cat is on a schedule you will notice that
he is more
enthusiastic about food during his proper mealtimes and will be much more inclined to try
something new.
Once you have established scheduled mealtimes, you will most likely need to start feeding a
bit less at each
mealtime in order to get the normal sensation of hunger to work in your favor. Again, we are
trying to use
the normal sensation of hunger to help us out. We are not trying to starve the cat into the
diet
change.
Once your cat is on a schedule of meal-feeding instead of free-feeding, try feeding a meal of
canned food
only. If he will not eat it - and the very stubborn ones won't - try not to get frustrated - and do not
put down
dry food. Try some of the other tips listed below. If he still will not eat the canned food, let him
get a bit
hungrier. Offer the canned again in a couple of hours. Try a different brand/flavor or a different
'trick'. Once
it has been ~18 hours since he has eaten anything, give him just a small amount (~1/4 of a cup
- or less if it
is EVO) of his dry food – keeping track of his daily calorie intake.
Remember to be patient.
Exercising your cat with a tassel toy before feeding can also help stimulate his appetite.
Instead of putting the dry food portion in his bowl, turn it into a game. Throw the dry food, one
or two pieces
at a time across the room so that he has to run back and forth and ‘hunt’ for it. This trick worked
great for my
obesity project, Bennie. Bennie went from 30 lbs to 18 lbs once on portion-controlled canned
food. I used 25
pieces/day of EVO for him to run after which was about 25 calories. EVO is very calorie-dense
so 25 pieces
of most dry foods will not contain this many calories.
Playing the ‘toss the dry food portion’ game will help your cat burn off calories and should
stimulate his
appetite so that he may be more inclined to try canned food. It is also a great way to interact
with your cat
which helps to relieve the stress/boredom that many indoor cats experience.
Cats' noses are much more sensitive than ours are. They can smell the dry food in the
cupboards. I suggest
either putting it in the refrigerator or putting it in a tightly sealed container. If they can smell it,
they will hold
out for it. Some people recommend getting it out of your house completely, but this is not
possible when you
are dealing with a very stubborn cat that needs a bit of time and patience to make the transition
happen.
The following worked for my cats: Sprinkle a very small amount of tuna – or any other
favorite treat (some
cats do not like fish and would prefer cooked chicken) - on the top of the canned food and then
once they are
eating this, start pressing it into the top of the new food. (The “light” tuna is better than the fancy
white tuna
because it has a stronger smell. Or, Trader Joe’s makes a Cat Tuna that is very stinky.) Be
careful to
decrease the amount of fish as soon as possible. Health problems can occur with a
predominantly fishbased
diet. Plus, you do not want to create a situation where your cat will only eat very fishy foods.
15
Make sure that any refrigerated canned food is warmed up a bit. Cats prefer their food at
'mouse body
temperature'.
Try offering some cooked (or raw – whole meats, rinsed well or parboiled) chicken or meat
baby food. One
of the goals is to get your cat used to eating food that does not crunch. He needs to get used to
a different
texture. Also, chicken is a great source of protein to point him in the proper direction toward a
high protein,
low carbohydrate diet. If he eats the chicken, he may head right into eating canned food. Then
again....he
may not.
Try sprinkling some parmesan cheese on the canned food. Most cats love parmesan cheese
and this trick
has been very successful for me.
Try a product called FortiFlora. This product can be obtained from your veterinarian or
online. Most cats
love FortiFlora and this has recently become my favorite trick. This is a probiotic made by
Purina but you
are not going to use it for its probiotic properties. You are just going to use it as a flavor
enhancer. The
base ingredient in FortiFlora is animal digest - the very substance that makes dry food so
very
enticing to cats. The directions say to use 1 package/day - and you can use this much if you
want to - but
this amount is not usually necessary. You may only need ~1/4 of a package - or less - with part
mixed into
the food and part sprinkled on top of the food just as you would use salt and pepper on your
own food.
There are numerous freeze dried meat treats on the market that you can also sprinkle on top
of the canned
food. Halo's Liv A Littles is a popular choice.
Speaking of texture, a common question is "can I just soak the dry food in water?" I hedge
more than just a
bit at this question. Dry food often has a high bacterial content. Mold is also often found in dry
food. There
have been many deaths of dogs and cats secondary to eating mold mycotoxins, vomitoxins and
aflatoxins
which often contaminate the grains found in dry food. If you want to try the trick of wetting down
the dry food
to alter the texture, please leave it out for only 20-30 minutes then discard it. Bacteria and mold
thrive in
moisture.
Try dipping some dry food pieces in the juice from the canned food. Some cats may refuse to
eat it if the dry
food even touches the canned food. But if he will eat it with a bit of canned juice on it, try the
'chip and dip'
trick. Scoop up a tiny bit of canned food onto the piece of dry food. Put them on a separate
plate from his
small portion of dry food. Some cats will eat their small portion of dry and then go investigate the
dry food
with a tiny bit of canned on it.
Going one step further, try adding a few small pieces of the canned food to the small portion
of dry food.
Your cat may pick around the canned food but will get used to the smell - and texture - even if
he does not
eat any pieces of the new food.
Crush some dry food and sprinkle it on the top of the canned food.
If you do not think it will upset your cat, try gently rubbing a bit of canned food or juice on the
cat's gums This
may get him interested in the taste and texture of the new food - but do it gently. You do not
want to make
this a stressful situation and create a food aversion. (This trick is commonly used to get justweaned kittens
used to eating canned food.)
If you do not think it will upset your cat, use your finger to put a tiny bit of canned food or juice
on his paw for
him to lick off. This has not worked for me in the two cats I have tried it on but it is another idea.
Make sure
you do it without stressing your cat. Again, you do not want to create a food aversion.
If you have a multiple cat household, some cats like to eat alone in a less stressful
environment, so you may
need to take these cats into a separate, quiet room to think about the error of their ways - their
carbohydrate/
dry food addiction. Once in a quiet setting, away from the other cats, two of my cats would eat
canned food/
tuna ‘meatballs’ by hand. Not from a bowl, mind you, but only from my hand. I’m not sure who
was being
trained. They did eventually start eating from a bowl after a few hand feedings.
Try various brands and flavors of canned foods. Try Friskies, 9-Lives, Fancy Feast, etc. Many
cats love the
foods that are all by-products and turn up their noses at the ‘higher end’ foods like Wellness,
etc. You can
worry about feeding a higher quality canned food later and you can always mix different types of
food
together. The initial goal is just to get your cat used to eating canned food and not dry kibble.
And
remember what I said above. I would much rather see cats eating Friskies or 9-Lives canned
food than any
dry food.
16
Syringe-feeding is also another option but has to be done with finesse and patience so as to
avoid a food
aversion. If you choose to syringe-feed, your goal is not to feed him a full meal. Sometimes just
syringing a
1-2 cc's can 'jump-start' your cat’s into eating the canned food - maybe not the first time but it
will at least get
him to taste the new food and experience a foreign texture. The best way to syringe-feed is to
kneel on the
floor with your cat between your legs so he is facing the same way as you are. Then, using a
small (1cc/TB)
syringe, slip it in the side of his mouth and give about 1/2 cc at a time. He may spit it out but you
are just
trying to get him used to the taste and texture, not stress him.
Few canned foods will make it through the tip of a syringe but human meat baby food works well
for this
trick. You can also water it down a bit if you need to.
If you want to use canned cat food instead of baby food, you will need to cut the end off of the
syringe so
that the opening is as big as the barrel. Make sure that the tip is smooth. If you do not want to
cut the tip of
the syringe off, you will need to puree a pate (versus chunks) type of food. I puree Wellness for
this. I run it
through the blender with a small amount of water (~3-4 tablespoons/5.5 ounce can). Then I
strain it to
remove anything big enough to clog the small tip of the syringe. Wellness is also a balanced diet
- unlike
human baby food.
Even though human baby food is not a balanced diet for long-term use, it is a great tool that can
be used to
help transition a cat to a texture that he is not used to.
I did have to take drastic measures for a foster cat named Molly. She was dangerously obese
(20 lbs -
double what she should have weighed) and would not eat canned food even after two weeks of
syringefeeding
her. She needed to go in for a dental so while she was under general anesthesia, I put in a
feeding
tube that went directly to her stomach. This took the stress off of both of us. After two weeks of
feeding her
via the tube she started licking the canned food from my fingers then suddenly decided it was
time to eat it.
That was a few years ago and she is now a playful, animated cat. Before the weight loss of 7
lbs, she could
barely walk, could not clean herself, and was quite possibly headed for diabetes.
Don't give up. One of my barn cats ate dry food for the first 12 years of her life. She would
never touch the
canned food that the other cats ate. Then, one day, she found her 'inner carnivore' and started
eating
canned food out of the blue! I was shocked. That was 4 years ago and she has been on a 100%
canned
food diet since she made the switch.
These are just a few tricks that you can try. Different tricks work on different cats. The key is to
be patient.
Remember, it took me three months to get my cats on 100% canned food. Most cats,
however, will not
take this long.
Home-Prepared Diets
If you are considering making your own cat food, please be aware that many people go down
this path without
doing their homework and end up feeding their cats dangerously unbalanced diets.
Please see Making Cat Food at catinfo.org if you would like more information about making cat
food. For the
past 7.5 years, I have been feeding my cats only food that I make for them myself and I could
not be happier
with their health.
People are often overwhelmed or intimidated by the idea of making their cat's food but, in
reality, it's quite simple
- as long as you follow a balanced recipe. I make cat food once every 1-2 months and freeze
it. Making your
own cat food doesn't mean slaving in the kitchen every day--trust me, if it did, I wouldn't be
doing it.
One common mistake people make when feeding a home-prepared diet is thinking that a cat
can live on meat
alone - without bones as a source of calcium, organ meat as a source of important nutrients, or
added taurine,
etc. While meat must be the primary component of a feline diet, there is not enough calcium in
meat (without
the bones) to ensure that a safe calcium-to-phosphorus ratio is achieved. Always remember
that calcium is
not an optional “supplement,” but is a very critical component of the diet. Meat is also
deficient in other
vital nutrients so, again, make sure that you follow a balanced recipe from a reputable source.
17
Some Final Thoughts
If you have made it to this point in this article, you must really care about feeding your cat a
healthy diet and are
open to new ideas regarding their nutritional needs. This paper has outlined what constitutes
optimal nutrition
for an obligate carnivore in a home environment.
The most common complaint that I hear from people is that their cat will NOT eat canned food
and will ONLY eat
dry food. My cats fell into this category which was not surprising since they had been on a 100
percent dry food
diet their entire lives and ranged in age from 2 -10 years at the time of the transition to a
healthier diet. It took
me several months to convince them that they are carnivores and need meat – and not in a
dry, overly
processed form that also includes far too many carbohydrates and too little water. It was a little
rough, at times,
since two of my cats get very crabby with their housemates when they are hungry. These boys
were
occasionally taken into a separate room during the transition period and fed some dry food
because I do not like
unrest in my home.
Surprisingly, one of my most stubborn dry food addicts is now happily eating a home-prepared
raw or parboiled
meat/bones/organs diet that he actually likes better than the canned food. To be very honest, it
does my heart
good to see my little carnivores gnawing on meat – eating a diet that was meant for their
species.
I no longer feed any dry food and can't imagine ever feeding my cats this type of diet again.
Cats do not need,
or benefit from, any dry food in their diet. They also do not need access to food 24 hours a day.
Many people who are at work all day worry that their cat will suffer without access to food
continuously.
However, I routinely leave canned food out for up to 12 hours at a time for my foster cats and
kittens and there
have been no problems with this practice over the past 15 years. Keep in mind that a cat's
gastrointestinal tract
is much different from ours.
If you are worried about leaving canned food out, you can always leave part of the food out at a
normal (‘mouse
body’) temperature and part of it frozen. The frozen portion will thaw within a few hours and will
add some time
to the freshness of the food. This is also a great trick if you need to be gone for 24 hours or if
you can’t find a
pet sitter that can come to your home every 12 hours when you go on vacation. There is never
any reason to
revert back to sitting out a bowl of dry food since cats should be checked on – including
having their litter
box(es) cleaned – at least once every 24 hours anyway. (Normally litter boxes should be
cleaned at least twicedaily
so if they are only going to be cleaned once-daily, you should consider adding another box or
two….keeping mind that once there are more than 3-4 ‘items’ in a box, it is dirty and needs to be
scooped in
order to be fair to your cat(s).)
Everyone's lives are different and there are several ways to successfully feed your cat high
quality nutrition.
The goal of this paper is to arm you with knowledge about the special dietary needs of your cat
so you can
make an informed decision on how and what to feed while striking a balance that works for both
of you.
Lisa A. Pierson, DVM
DrPierson@catinfo.org
Updated: August, 2010
Information on this site is for general informational purposes only and is provided without warranty or guarantee of any kind. This site is not
intended to replace
professional advice from your own veterinarian and nothing on this site is intended as a medical diagnosis or treatment. Any questions about
your animal's health
should be directed to your veterinarian.