How to feed non-diabetic cat?

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equine99

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As I recently posted, my dear sweet Snowflake had to be put to sleep on Friday. I'm completely heartbroken, but I still have her non-diabetic sister to take care of, and have to pull myself together.

Ever since Snowflake was diagnosed as diabetic, I completely switched both of their food, almost entirely over to the fancy feast classics, because they were free feeders, and that was really the only way to be sure Snowflake would have safe food.

Now that Snowflake is gone, I'm trying to evaluate what I feed her sister, Midnight. Midnight is almost 15 and a half, and completely healthy (as far as I know--she's a healthy weight and still runs around like a little maniac). Like Snowflake, she had been fed dry her whole life up to Snowflake's diagnosis (and had been fine on it). I would never go back to all dry, knowing what I now know, but I have thought about re-incorporating some dry since she loves it so much--was thinking about the Wysong starch free brand, and mixing it into her wet.

She also looooves the ff gravy varieties. I know they're higher in carbs, so I only had them around as an in case of emergency food for Snowflake, but whenever I did give it to Snowflake, I'd also give some to Midnight, and she'd go nuts. Are those okay to feed on a regular basis, since she is completely healthy? Do the ff classics pose any other health risks where they're worth it for diabetic kitties, but there are better choices out there for non-diabetic cats?

Any input is appreciated!
 
I think food is probably one of the biggest issues most of us face..... it boils down to this: Feed the best food you can afford that your cat will eat. You can use the food chart from catinfo.org to do some comparisons.

Some of us do feed some small amount of dry, probably for many reasons.... not sure I'd do it just based on my cat liking it so much tho, since it can, and in a cat that old, probably would contribute to health issues in the not too far future. (I keep young again zero carb down for the times when I can't be right 'on time' with meals... they don't "love" it the way they did the old dry food, so they eat very little... if they were eating a lot, I would find another option)
 
Even if she's totally healthy, I think I'd still stick with the lower carb wets. Dry has other problems other than it's carb value such as being harder on the kidneys. Maybe give her a little of the "gravy" varieties as a treat now and then?
 
I suggest that you treat all cats in your family as if they were diabetic. Continue feeding the low carb wet food. Since Midnight is not actually diabetic, it's ok to allow her a gravy food on a limited basis. If this were my cat, no more than once a week.

Feeding a cat a diabetic type diet will actually help to keep the cat healthier and hopefully prevent the cat from ever getting diabetes. But if the cat does, at least the diet is already being done and removing one can of gravy food is easy to do.

Besides, you probably have lots of low carb food on hand anyway. No reason to waste it.
 
Go with the same thing you fed your diabetic.

You may want to select lower phosphorus levels, too, since you did feed dry for so long and that can be a setup for renal disease ... which doesn't show any abnormalities until a substantial number of nephrons are damaged. (Watch the litterbox - a tell tale sign is increased urination.)
 
These are all the low carb and low phosphorus foods from Dr. Lisa Pierson's list.

Shortcut shopping list <250 phosphorus. Adapted from Rhiannon & Shadow’s shortcut list
all values are from Dr. Pierson's updated list, September 2012

carbs in % . . last number is phosphorus (CKD, CRF cats need under 250 phosphorus)

5% - Friskies Special diet Beef and Liver entree 241
5% - Friskies Special diet Turkey and Giblets dinner pate 189
5% - Friskies Special diet Beef and Chicken Entree pate 242
7% - Friskies Special Diet with Salmon 228

3% Weruva Paw Lickin' chicken 196
9% Weruva Green Eggs & chicken 230
4% Weruva On the Cat Wok 163
5% Weruva Steak Frites 118
7% Weruva MidEast Feast 202

Weruva Cats in the Kitchen canned food
3% La Isla Bonita 166
8% Funk in the Trunk 250
4% Fowl Ball 180
8% Lamb Burger-ini 236
2% Chicken Frick 'A Zee 174
8% The Double Dip 248

5% - Merrick Cowboy cookout 202
8% - Merrick Grammy's pot pie 237
3% - Merrick Surf n Turf 229
9% -Merrick Turducken 219

1% - Merrick Before Grain cat 96% beef – 163
2% - Merrick Before Grain cat 96% turkey – 178

5% - Wellness Kitten 216
4% - Wellness chicken 219
4% - Wellness turkey 201
4% - Wellness Beef and chicken 226
6% - Wellness beef & salmon 207


8% - Wellness Core chicken/turkey/chicken liver 215
5% - Wellness Core Beef , Venison & Lamb 171

3% - Nature's Variety Instinct Grain free Beef – 248
1% - Nature's Variety Instinct Grain free Duck 191

2% - Natura Evo 95% chicken and turkey 155
4% - Natura Evo 95% beef – 234

2% Hounds & Gatos chicken 241
9% Hounds & Gatos Beef 250
3% Hounds & Gatos Lamb/chicken/salmon 225
3% Hounds & Gatos Lamb & Duck Liver 244

8% -Holistic Select chicken & lamb 222

3% Soulistic Polynesian Picnic 239
4% Soulistic Celestial Feast 250
7% Soulistic Upstream Dream 234
8% Soulistic Nautical Nirvana 228

9% Max Cat Chicken Supreme 173
8% Max Cat with savory duck 197
8% Max Cat with Savory Venison 214

8% Avoderm Chicken Chunks/gravy 234
2% Avoderm Tuna % chicken w/ veggies 241

9% Halo Succulent Salmon 227

1% Eukanuba adult Entree with gourmet chicken 239
8% Eukanuba adult Entree with Lamb and Rice 230
3% Eukanuba adult Entree with Pacific Salmon 241

7% Evolve -chicken 214
6% Evolve turkey 244

0% Natural Balance O'Fischally Scampi 244

5% Pinnacle Chicken and Ocean fish 175
5% Pinnacle Chicken and Tuna 221
4% Pinnacle Ocean Fish 231

3% Authority Chicken 238
7% Authority Turkey & Giblets 222
8% Authority Beef 249


BFF (Best Feline Friends ) also made by Weruva
BFF 2% Tuna and Chicken 234
BFF 2% Tuna and Salmon soulmates 236
BFF 2% Tuna and Shrimp Sweethearts 236
BFF 2% Tuna and Bonito Be Mine 240
BFF 2% Tuna & Tilapia Twosome 240
BFF 5% Tuna & Pumpkin Valentine 243
BFF 2% Tuna & Chicken Chuckles 234

8% Dr Fosters and Smiths Chicken 204

2% ZiwiPeak Lamb 224
Click to expand...
 
Thanks for all of the advice and for posting that list of foods. Looks like all of the fancy feast classics I've been feeding are on the high side of phosphorus... Thankfully petco takes returns!
 
Remember - make slow food changes so as not to upset the GI tract and wind up with vomiting, diarrhea, or food refusals. Switching about 20% - 25% per day seems to work fairly well.
 
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