Dry Food For Civvies

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BobsMom

BobsMom

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Does anyone know what the lowest carb dry food is. I would like to start giving a little bit of dry to my two senior cats and a potential adoptive cat and just wanted to know what the best dry food is. Any ideas would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Nancy
 
Nancy, I'm just wondering why you want to start them on dry if they are all comfortably eating wet. As Dr. Lisa says, the worst thing about any dry food is the "dry" in it.
 
I just feel a little bad for them. They are each eating one can of low carb, gluten free ff every 12 hours. I work 40 miles away so coming home to feed them would be impossible. I have automatic feeders, but the wet gets all dried out in it. Again, any ideas will be greatly appreciated.
 
Yeah, I wasn't gonna go to the "evils of dry food" place (although I totally agree ;-) ). I figured you had your reasons. Anyhoo, if you mix the wet food with water to a thick milkshake-like consistency, it won't get so dried out. You can also freeze the mixture in an ice cube tray or even little sandwich bags, then put them into the timed feeder. It'll take awhile to thaw, and not get so dried out. This probably works best if the food is pate style, and I am unfamiliar with FF, so can't give advice if it's chunks in gravy or something....
 
Aww... I get that they need to graze... so if that's the reason, please consider freezing your own wet food pucks. I used a couple tupperware 2 oz cups to do mine, others use icecube trays. Mixing a bit of water in and then freezing... then putting the pucks in a container or baggy in the freezer makes it easy to take out one or two at a time.

I used to put one frozen puck under the fresh breakfast and then Sundance could eat it as it thawed through the day. Many people use that method for their FD and civvie kitties so that they can graze.

Remember though, cats don't need to graze.. they are fine with meals if they get what they need at that time. Unless there is a health issue that dictates that they eat several small meals a day.

If funds are an issue, there are inexpensive low carb foods that are better than dry too. I know it sounds like a lecture of sorts, but really, so many of us ended up here because of dry food, I'd hate to see you switch them back to dry and end up with one or more becoming diabetic or having other issues due to food.

Good luck... if you try the frozen route, let us know how it works out.
 
My guys shunned the thawed hockey pucks. They left it totally uneaten. I was trying to find some way to have the petsitter come only once a day. (Remember, the kittens aren't diabetic.) But they were not amused by my hockey puck tests and decided to starve instead.
 
I add water to the canned food when I use the automatic feeders and it works well. I also add extra small ice packets with the frozen plastic thingie that goes under the food trays. Works like a charm.
 
Please note that while EVO is low carb, it is fairly high in phosphorus, so I don't know if giving that to senior cats would be a good idea ...
 
KarenRamboConan said:
Please note that while EVO is low carb, it is fairly high in phosphorus, so I don't know if giving that to senior cats would be a good idea ...
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Karen - thank you for pointing that out.

Dry food (especially the low carb ones) is:

1) water depleted

2) often very calorie-dense

3) often high in phos levels

This is not a diet that I would want any cat on but especially a senior one. Except maybe for the calorie-dense issue which would not be a bad thing with a skinny, old cat. However, water-depletion and high phos will usually trump that possible 'positive' caloric density of dry food.
 
I tried the frozen pucks, and my cats just licked and licked at the frozen wet food until they ate it all. I'm sure they got brainfreeze from the way they attacked those things. I just ordered a second auto pet feeder online, so hopefull I can put the frozen food in those to keep them from eating it right away.
 
Thanks everyone you advice was taken and very appreciated. I will be using the automatic feeders with frozen wet and I will not be giving my cats dry food ever. Period.
 
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