New owner of a diabetic cat and need help for best food!

  • Thread starter Thread starter rbrumbaugh82
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
R

rbrumbaugh82

Hi everyone. I came across this site from Catinfo. I recently just had a cat described as diabetic because his glucose was 281 when I brought him into the vet in the morning on Saturday. He is 12 years old and weighs 21 pounds so he is big I know. I have been trying to find the best cat food for him and for my cats period. I do not know why this has to be so darn hard to do and given that this is a diabetic forum for cats, I am hoping for the right answer. Can anyone please help me pick the right cat food for my babies especially my diabetic cat? I give him insulin shots of 2 units twice a day and just pray I can see him not need insulin shots soon because I hate giving it to him as it tears me up but I don't want anything to happen to him. I keep seeing raw food diets are the best towards what they'd eat in the wild but I don't know what to buy that is complete balance that I can try on my cats since they are very picky now. I have Hills Ideal Balance Mature now along with Blue WIlderness Chicken and a new food called Nutrisca since its a low glycemic food. However, my cats don't seem to eat much of any of it now. With this said, do you think my cat with a glucose of 281 is considered diabetic since I see forums that a reading of like 400 or higher is considered diabetes? What can I feed my picky cats that will be healthy for them and please share how to achieve that because I am stressed out going through so many foods with no results. God bless all and I pray for the right answer!

Ryan
 
Vet stress may raise the glucose from 100 to 180 mg/dL (US measures. Divide by 18 for mmol/L).
Normal is from 40 to 120 mg/dL.

If you are already giving insulin, you must be home testing before changing the food, for safety. Switching to a low carb over the counter canned food may reduce the glucose as much as 100 mg/dL and reduce the insulin dose by as much as 2 units. You won't know if you aren't testing and could give too much insulin, which can be fatal.

I feed Friskies pates that are under 10% calories from carbohydrates. If you read Cat Info, you should have seen that dry food is not recommended. Most dry foods are more than 10% calories from carbohydrates which stress the pancreas, often to the point of failure (diabetes). All dry foods lack moisture which stresses the renal system and may contribute to renal failure and stone formation.

When the glucose is controlled, they will eat less. This is OK. Complete refusal to eat for 2 or more days, however, can trigger a condition called hepatic lipidosis, which is expensive to treat and can be fatal.
 
Here's a good starter list.... these are all good for a diabetic.

Shortcut list



You said you weren't on insulin yet.

If you could find a few foods off this list and start feeding them right away, and keep checking bg.
The diet change might make a difference. There is often a drop of 100 just getting them on the right food.

But if it doesn't, the sooner you start insulin, the better your chances for getting your kitty in remission status ( at least for a while)

I keep a variety of these in the cabinet since mine won't eat the same two in the same day. I have several cans open in the
fridge at all time.


Let us know how it's going.
 
Thanks for the replies so far! For Rhiannon, I just started my cat on insulin as of Saturday the 25th. His glucose at the time was 281 so they automatically assumed he had diabetes. I want to get them off dry cat food and a strict wet cat food only diet by feeding them 2 times a day which I would think would be ideal so that they get all their nutrients. What canned cat foods do you feed your cats because the other person fed their cat or cats friskies pate? I have very finicky and picky cats so I have always avoided the store bought brands of friskies and 9 lives due to the meat-by products in them. Plus many have wheat gluten and so I want to avoid all gluten products too. What do you think?
 
Go back to Cat Info and print out the Food List in the right column on the first page.

Select anything which has less than 10% calories from carbohydrates on the list (The column labeled "C"). Most of the Fancy Feast Classic Pates (see the band around the bottom of the can) will be less than 10% calories from carbohydrates.

And yes, Fancy Feast and Friskies are sold in grocery stores. That doesn't automatically make them bad; it means that the grocery store knows there are cat lovers who would just as soon make 1 trip rather than 2.
 
Welcome to FDMB,

Rhiannon gave you the shortcut to the food list, you want to aim for foods with carbs 10% or less. There is no BEST food, its what is low carb and that your cats will eat. Your on the right road with getting rid of the dry that will make a big differece. 281 is not normal but not HIGH. When my Hidey was diagnosed he was in the 600's. Removing the dry and going with a low carb food may bring his bg down into normal numbers. What kind of consistancy of food do your cats like? If shredded I would say go with Tiki

http://www.chewy.com/cat/tiki-cat-puka- ... t/dp/30113

most are 0% carbs, just make sure not to get one with rice. I used to feed my cats this but my diabetic has had several teeth removed and he has a hard time with shreds.

If pates, there are several. I feed my cats Holistic select
http://www.chewy.com/cat/holistic-selec ... /dp/104487


Two questions.....

1. What kind of insulin are you using?

2. Are you home testing?

two units twice a day with ANY type of insulin is TOO high for that low of a number and can send your cat into hypo. HYPO CAN KILL!
 
If I had a choice, I'd pick the nature's variety instinct grain free.
That's a really good quality food.

I've also used the nature's variety frozen raw.

However, Shadow doesn't agree and will eat it some....but not all the time.

I also like the Holistic brand.
 
I am using Nova something forget the name of it. I just got a home test kit today so will use it tonight to see what his glucose is. I find it crazy given its 281 Saturday morning when I took him in for a glucose checkup and they automatically determined to call him diabetic and then seeing others who had cats that had numbers as high as 600! So I agree I need to do my own testing at home instead of waiting every Tuesday to take him so that they can see what the number is. It was my choice to test it at home myself each day so that I can see where my baby's BD is at especially after I start him with feeding canned cat food of Friskies since others think the Special Diet of Friskies is a good start. Would any of you recommend me to try Friskies Special diet wet food?
 
I have tried also many wet cat foods and my cats just don't gobble it up like I would have thought even with the 3.3oz cans.. I have tried Iams natural, I love and you canned cat food, Newman's cat food, sheba, FF, Soulistic carraggenan free kind and purina beyond. I haven't bought Friskies or 9 lives just because I have thought that kind of food would be junk especially since it starts would by products and always have heard by products of any kind is bad for cats and not nutrient dense also that most wet cat foods contains carrageenan and heard that is bad for cats. Is that true?
 
Q: If by-products is anything not meat, what do you think cats eat when the catch their food?

A: Liver, heart, lungs, cartilage, bone marrow, connective tissue, stomach and stomach contents ... ie by-products, in addition to muscle tissue.
 
Okay for those that have said try Special Diet Friskies chicken bits in gravy how is this food supposed to be good for diabetic cats or any cat in general? I see wheat gluten and soy product in it and that is not good for cats. Makes me wonder as well why it has a good rating when it seems like junk?
 
unless you find it on the food chart , avoid anything with gravy.
Gravy always has higher carbs.....
There are a few labels that will say with sauce.... you just have to go back and refer to the master list.

5% - Friskies Special diet Turkey and Giblets dinner pate is a great one to use.
Dr. Lisa Pierson on catinfo.com tells us ideally to feed poultry.

Carrageenan is a common food additive that is extracted from a red seaweed, Chondrus crispus, which is popularly known as Irish moss. Carrageenan, which has no nutritional value, has been used as a thickener and emulsifier to improve the texture of ice cream, yogurt, cottage cheese, soy milk and other processed foods.

Carrageenan is something most of us want to avoid if we can and it looks like the fad has gotten attention enough that folks
are asking it not to be used any more....
I bet in a few years, it will be less common.
Kinda like soy this and soy that....
soy is bad for cats too.


I just looked up the special diet sliced chicken in gravy and it is 16% carbs. That's too high.
 
So what the heck do I feed my diabetic cat and all my cats in general then because I swore someone told me that Special Diet chicken bits in gravy was good to use in place of a prescription diet.. Doesn't seem like it so what can I feed my finicky cats that is low in carbs and will be great for my diabetic cat too?
 
Friskies pates are low cost & low carb, except Mixed Grill which is about 11% calories from carbohydrates.

Go to Cat Info and look at the food list. It includes the percent of calories from protein, fat, and carbohydrates, plus phosphorus levels. Please print it out for reference. Or download it to a smart phone if you have one. Anything less than 10% calories from carbohydrates is fine.

Unless you have a cat with renal insufficiency or a tendancy towards kidney/bladder stones, you don't really need the Special Diet. And you want the pates. Any time you see the word "gravy", think carbohydrate until proven otherwise.
 
Hi rbrumbaugh, welcome. Figuring out the best cat food has been an ongoing journey for my cat who has been diagnosed w/ diabetes, asthma, and a history of bladder stones...so not one size fits all but the general rule of thumb w/ the low carbs still apply. You have to take other guidelines into consideration, like phosphorus levels for chronic kidney disease or bladder stones/crystals like others have said or linked you to.

It seems like commercial raw would be the way to go given the concerns with other ingredients and ensuring that your cat has a complete diet. My cat has been on raw Feline's Pride chicken for the past 2 weeks or so and actually loves it. It addresses all the nutrients needed so I don't have to worry about adding something else myself - I'm not ready to make homemade raw and don't know if I'll ever be! He prefers the raw over the boring, high protein, low carb Fancy Feast Turkey & Giblets but it is the canned Fancy Feast Classic Pate that helped put my cat into remission.

If I had to choose between something that doesn't have an immediate impact/unknown correlation vs. something that did (wet food, high protein, low carbs <10%, low phosphorous <250), I would pick the immediate impact "low hanging fruit" that is very concrete, immediate, and attainable, then work through trial and error and then start taking other ingredients into consideration (I don't consider meat by-products as a poor ingredient but I do w/ fish).

In the past I've been very eager to quickly get cases of whatever food I thought my cat would be good on, but I've wasted away a lot of money going that route rather than taking it one step at a time. It may cost more in time, patience, dollars per unit in the short term, but it will save you a lot more in the long run. I learned the hard way! I still have 2 cases of prescription wet food and another case of non-rx wet food to remind me of the dollars and time I've wasted...I'm donating most of this to the local shelter but even that adds onto time/resources.
 
Thanks Tyler for the nice reply. I may have to check into Feline's Pride as I did save it to my history as I got the site from Catinfo.org. I am like you I don't want to make my own homemade raw cat food and have to worry about not mixing in all the required nutrients my diabetic and nondiabetic cats need. I'd rather just buy a raw food that already has all the required nutrients mixed in so that I can just scoop it out of the container and be good to go. I also just started FF classic varieties and also Sheba. Haven't heard many talk about Sheba but they seem like FF. I just want to feed my cats a moisture rich diet that has all the nutrients they need on a low carb setting and high in protein just like what they would eat if they were running in the wild.
 
First welcome to the FDMB family

And I can so relate to what to feed the entire family. You see I have 16 cats, yes 16! Three of which are diabetic (I adopted them that way and so far two are in remission) Everyone after much trial and error decided to agree on Friskies Pate, 9-lives pate and even a few flavors of Special Kitty Pate style. I like yourself would prefer they ate a higher quality of food, but they vetoed that suggestion. They will eat raw, but only if I make it, I think I have offered every food known to man and at least some of the tribe will turn their noses up at it, so while it isn't the best in human standards, they will eat what I now feed them. No food is great is the cat won't eat it.

It also sounds like your vet started you on Novolin N, which is actually a lousy insulin for cats, great for humans and dogs but a lousy (although cheap) insulin for a feline because of their high metabolic rate. N hits very hard at onset, drops them very quickly and is gone in about 6-8 hours leaving kitty without coverage for half of the cycle until the next shot is due. This sets them up for a roller coaster ride of highs and lows and it is very hard but not impossible to get them into remission with or even to get them regulated. It can be done but it requires a lot of testing at home and usually shooting every 8 hours rather than every 12. If you can get your vet to switch insulin your better choices would be Lantus, Levemir (my favorite) or Prozinc as they are gentler and have a much longer duration.

Mel and The Fur Gang
 
If you are looking to feed dry food, try Wysong Epigen. It worked for me and my guy was OTJ in around 10 days of eating it. That and his initial number was 600.
 
Hi rbrumbaugh,
Welcome to the forum. Like you, I'm pretty new to this. I completely understand your stress, and wanting to do right by your kitty. ~hugs~ As I figured out today, testing is crucial!

See here: viewtopic.php?f=28&t=127580

And this is my original thread-you'll see I had some of the same concerns and questions that you have.
viewtopic.php?f=28&t=127242

From having dogs and using dogfoodadvisory.com I was under the impression that a good quality food couldn't be bought at a grocery store. Also, I knew raw feeding was best, but didn't feel I was going to be good enough at it to do it properly.

When my cat was diagnosed, his number was 555. And we were prescribed 2 units, twice a day. The very first time we successfully tested him (I gave him a shot in the morning, and he was tested later that night), he tested at 195. Being at the vet can really cause their number to go up.

What I figured out today is-being both high and low are bad, but being high is safer. This morning if I hadn't tested him (he was at 38) I probably would have killed him with that dose of insulin.

We've decided to lower his insulin amount down to 1.5 units twice a day. I think he'll do better at 1, but I'm worried it's too drastic of a change for now...so we'll take it slow.

There is a TON of information on this site. LOTS of resources. It can kind of run together once you start reading, and it may cause you to have questions. There's nothing wrong with that-in fact- it's awesome. It'll help you ask better questions.

The way that you figure outwhat the percentage of carbs are in a food is by doing this math:
100-(protein+fat+moisture+ash)
Click to expand...
I'd start with that, and then go with a food you're comfortable with...and that your cat likes. And then, when you're ready-looking at that list of foods that is provided. Every cat is different, every situation is different and sometimes you can't do "the best". You can only do what you can do, and you shouldn't be faulted for that.

I really want to reiterate what has already been said about dosing and feeding a different food. I thought I was doing both slow enough, and this morning I found out I was wrong (we'd moved our cats completely off of the dry food). Based on the calculations given on this board, my vet prescribed too much insulin at each dose. You really have to be careful to find a balance that works for you. If I were in your shoes...and as a side note, I have no business telling you what to do, I'm not a vet or a professional, and I really don't have that much knowledge about all of this, as I'm sure you can tell...I'd switch my cat to canned food and keep monitoring his levels...before giving any more insulin. I've read that changing food can lower it by up to 100. Doing that, plus removing the stress of your vet...might put your kitty at normal/acceptable numbers. It should also be noted that from what I understand it is not a good idea to just stop the insulin altogether. You've got to wean them off to do it safely...so again, find your balance.

Also, if you have other cats, you may want to switch their diet now to canned food...so that in the long run you can hopefully avoid them becoming diabetic.

Best of luck to you!
 
This is crazy that you have a cat with a reading well above my cat's 281 glucose and yet he is getting 2 units twice a day. Would feel like thats too much but with novalin N maybe not?
 
Remember ECID (each cat is different)
I could keep my Triggy under 150 with 8 units Levemir and 4 units of N twice daily.
I have a hard time getting my MurrFee under 300 and he is on 18 units of Levemir twice daily.
I can generally keep my Patches under 300 with 1 1/2 units Lantus twice daily.


rbrumbaugh82 said:
This is crazy that you have a cat with a reading well above my cat's 281 glucose and yet he is getting 2 units twice a day. Would feel like thats too much but with novalin N maybe not?
Click to expand...
 
True every cat is different. I mean my cat seems perky and sleeps like cats do so I'm guessing the insulin isn't too low. I am just starting on the wet canned cat food diet and getting rid of all dry cat food from my cats. I know its going to be tough and I'm going to feel like they aren't eating enough. Like on the Fancy Feast cans, it says cats 16 pounds and greater need to eat 4-5 cans a day and my obese cat does not come close to that and none of my cats eat what they suggest to feed your cat. Should I be worried that they aren't eating all the wet food at one setting and they graze the food throughout the day? I haven't tried them on the friskies pate yet but will try later. Just not sure what is the best canned cat food budget wise that are made for very finicky and picky cats?
 
Again, I'm new to this...but in the dog world the way it's explained is-With a better quality of food your animal will eat less...they'll be able to keep more of the food in their system, rather than flushing it out because there isn't enough good stuff in it. (that's why cats/dogs that are fed raw have smaller poops-there are less filler; their bodies are using more of what they eat)

Friskies in my area can be found for about $0.45 a can. They're 5.5 ounce cans, and the recommended feeding amount is 3/4 - 1 ounce per pound. (this means my cat should be getting 2 cans a day) There are a couple caveats: 1) you should be feeding to your cat's ideal weight vs. their current weight. In your case it may mean lessening the amount...in my case (my cat is underweight) it means upping it. 2) This is a general recommendation....you know your cat best, and as has been stated many times, each cat is different....s/he may need more or less food. You'll know based on the look and feel of your cat. If s/he starts getting porky-lower it...if you start feeling spine/ribs, clavicle, shoulder blades, etc-up it.

In general cats prefer to graze throughout the day instead of having set feeding times. If you can set it up for them to have multiple small meals-that's awesome. But, if you're like me, and work a full time job, two times a day works best with my schedule. A benefit to set meal times vs. free feeding is that you can monitor how much your cat is actually eating (are they fed separately?)...whereas, if you have multiple cats and you're free feeding, you don't know who is eating what, when.
 
Jamielvsaustin said:
...

The way that you figure outwhat the percentage of carbs are in a food is by doing this math:
100-(protein+fat+moisture+ash)
Click to expand...
...
Click to expand...

That gives you percent weight, not percent calories, from carbohydrates. The number we go by is percent calories from carbohydrates whould be under 10%.
 
Okay so I go Saturday morning to the vet so they can check my boy's glucose to see if the dosage is fine. I am trying to do hometesting from a glucose meter and test strips I got from Kroger's. I tried drawing blood from my cats ear and I can't get it to work or get enough blood. I tried the same thing on his paw. I got the lancer in correctly because I wouldn't have drawn blood if I didn't. I turned the setting up a bit but still can't get enough blood. When I did get blood into the strip and the system was calculating it it gave me a error 2 message. So I got frustrated and gave up. I know the glucose testing thing they had at the vet all I saw them do was put the meter at his ear and drew blood easily onto it. Maybe I got the wrong testing meter?
 
It just takes some practice and patience. The best thing I found is to test on myself first, that way I can SEE how much blood is required. USUALLY when you get an error message its because theres not enough blood, also if your cat is squirmy you can get the blood with a clean fingernail to dip the test strip in.

Are you warming the ear, it can help a lot. Best thing to do when testing is make sure to have all your testing supplies ready and have extra test strips on hand just in case.

My routine with Hidey is to gather my supplies, have the test strip partially in the meter but not enough to turn it on, get Hidey his treats out (usually when I do this he comes running, if not I go get him) I sit down Indian style on the floor but with enough room for him to sit on the floor between my legs. I put a couple pieces of freeze dried chicken on my leg, warm his ear for a sec and when he starts eating I place the strip fully in,apply a dab of neosporin, and prick his ear.

Another method I used was to (this sounds cruel) test him when he was sleeping. Usually he sleeps on the back of my couch and his ears will already be warm. Id place a few treats in front of him and he'd start eating before he knew what happened I was done.
 
It does take awhile for their ears to learn to bleed. But here are some various tips to make it easier. First take the cap off the lancing device so you can see where you are poking. I still to this day don't use it like it is intended to be used I use it only as a handle for the lancet and poke free hand. If you poke free hand go in at a 45 degree angle just like you are trying to remove a splinter from someone's finger...don't stab, slide. If you want to use it as it was made to be used, try the clear cap instead of the solid one.

Massage or gentle push up towards the poked spot that will help the blood rise. Also putting a thin coat of neosoprin or vaselin on the ear will help the blood bead up and not be lost in the fur.

Warm up the ear by either using a rice sock,( a thin cotton sock with the toe filled with uncooked white rice and nuked for about 15 seconds, check for temp by placing on either your wrist of side of neck). Rubbing, or even blowing your warm breath on it. Cold ears don't bleed as well as warm ones.

Bigger gauge of lancet, the smaller the number the bigger the hole they make, when just starting out try using 28 gauge lancets, usually they are listed on the box as ones for alternative testing sites if the box doesn't tell you the gauge.

If you get blood but kitty is squirmy, scrape the blood onto a clean fingernail and test from there.

and always, always remember the treats for kitty. 3 strikes and you're out, if after 3 attempts you don't get blood, hand over the treat, release the cat and try again later. Afterall he did his part by letting you try, not his fault it didn't work this time. lol Plus the more tense and uptight and frustrated you get the more tense, uptight and frustrated he is going to get. Better to end it on a up note than have him scared of the process.

I know it doesn't seem like it now, but one day you will be able to wake up, roll over, test your kitty and roll right back over and go to sleep. And he will start looking forward to being tested. My Maxwell is about to celebrate 4 years in remission and he still comes on the fly when he hears the meter turn on. And is adopted sister and brother that are also diabetic do the same. Autumn even reminds me when I'm late to test.

Mel and The Fur Gang
 
I got a question. I gave my boy his insulin shot this morning and I'm seeing the shaved sides on him must be fading because I grab and pinch his skin in that area before giving his shot and he seems to flinch after I start to inject the insulin into him. Does the needle have to be all the way into his skin or just a little? I know this morning when I injected it into him I pulled back as my vet instructed to check for blood and I didn't see any. However, after I finish injecting the insulin into him he squirmed right at the last minute and when I checked the needle there was a little bloody bubble at the tip of the lancet. Will he be okay if for some reason I did inject the insulin into him that may have had a little blood with it? Like I said, it was hard to tell until the very last minute. :(
 
Sometimes you might nick a capillary , and that does seem to make them flinch.

Lantus can sting a little. I know my girl was very sensitive to it.

It's a subcutaneous shot so you do want to get it under the skin. That's why forming a tent helps.
another thing that can help it to pay attention to where the bevel is. The bevel must be up or else the sharpest end does not go in first and it can be painful.
 
Thanks for the tip Rhiannon! I guess now i will keep doing that and hopefully the switch to wet food will get his BG back to normal range and stay that way and hopefully just hopefully he can be weaned off of insulin. I guess the next hard part is finding the best wet cat food to feed. I bought a bunch of cans of Fancy Feast Classic varieties since I was told it is high in protein and low in carbs. It does have the by products in it and a few other uncomfortable ingredients. I tried them on so many but they don't crave such as Soulistic, wellness, blue and Nature's Variety. So do any of you have any very picky and finicky cats who turn their noses on most foods but maybe have finally found a wet cat food that works? If you have cats like that and finally have found the right wet cat food that they eat please with all do respect share with me what you feed them so that I can try it also that is high in protein, moderate in fats and low in carbs such as what they would eat in prey?
 
The best thing I have found that my cats LOVED was the Tiki brand. Some specialty pet stores carry it, but I bought mine at chewy.com I found it the cheapest there. I only stopped eating it because Hidey is missing 5 teeth (including his upper canines) so every time he tried to eat it he'd end up picking the pieces up long ways and he'd start to gag himself :sad: so I had to make the switch to pate style. Until then Hidey would NEVER touch pates.

check out their website they also have their ingredients listed on there:

http://petropics.com/

They have a store locator on there, maybe theres one near you. Unfortunately there wasnt near me but Im glad I just ordered it anyways.....chewy takes full refunds back even if its just because your cat doesnt like it.


Weruva is another good one I found they like.
 
BJM said:
Jamielvsaustin said:
...

The way that you figure outwhat the percentage of carbs are in a food is by doing this math:
100-(protein+fat+moisture+ash)
Click to expand...
...
Click to expand...

That gives you percent weight, not percent calories, from carbohydrates. The number we go by is percent calories from carbohydrates whould be under 10%.
Click to expand...


I don't know what you mean by this. I didn't indicate calories or weight...I just shared the information that had been shared with me. How do you determine percent calories then?

ETA: Additionally, the food chart says this is how it should be done: http://www.catinfo.org/docs/FoodChartPublic9-22-12.pdf
Unfortunately, this macronutrient
is not actually measured in a lab. Instead, it is calculated by
subtraction. In other words, we add up the moisture + protein +
fat + fber + ash and subtract that value from 100% leaving us with
the carbohydrate fraction. However, any error in those Big Five
values will result in an error (usually an overage) in the
carbohydrate value. Stated another way: The carb values noted
below are probably higher than they actually are. Even a value of
10% carbs could actually be closer to 0% carbs. Therefore, stick
with the directive to stay below 10% carbohydrates but do NOT
get caught up in whether a diet says 10%...or 5%....or 0%. Take
it one step further and read the label. For example, if you do not
see any grains, peas, potatoes, “starch,” or vegetables on the label,
even if it is listed as 10% carbs, chances are that it is much lower.
Keep in mind that liver does have some carbohydrates since it is
the organ that stores sugar for the body. That said, I DO want liver
in the product since it is a wonderful source of nutrients and it is
far better to get our vitamins and minerals from **whole foods**
rather than from a bottle containing vitamins that were synthesized
in a laboratory.
Click to expand...
 
In the wild your cat would be eating meat by products a cat wastes nothing in its prey except maybe the chirp or the squeak. So not sure what the hang up there is.

But yes, I have 16 cats and some are very picky. What mine all like is Friskies Pate, every last one of them. And I ran through the every wet food know to man before trying them on Friskies, up until then some would and some won't eat it. Now they also love Fancy Feast, but while I love them all there is no way I'm opening that many 3oz cans to feed 16 cats, just not happening here. You can lead a cat to a food dish but you can't make him eat. If they don't like it, then they don't like it.

What I did find helpful was buying only 2 of a variety of flavors, and brands, because I found that if I found something they loved one day, they would turn up their noses at it the next time I served it. Also that while my cats all happily ate the same flavor of dry for a number of years, when it came to wet I better serve a different flavor at least daily. So here we now rotate about 4-5 flavors every week. The current menu here is Turkey and Giblets, Poultry Platter, Ocean Whitefish & Tuna, Country-style dinner, Supreme Supper, Chicken and Tuna, and on rare occasions Mixed Grill as it is a little higher in carbs than I like, for my one still on insulin.

Mel and The Fur Gang
 
The numbers on the can reflect percentages of weight.
To get calories from each of protein, fat, and carbohydrate, you multiply the grams of each by the respective calories per gram for each, total, then calculate percent of total.
Like this:
Part 1:
Grams of protein * 3.5 calories per gram = protein calories
Grams of fat * 8.5 calories per gram = fat calories
Grams of carbohydrate * 3.5 calories per gram = carbohydrate calories
Part 2:
Protein calories + fat calories + carbohydrate calories = Total Calories
Part 3:
Protein calories / Total Calories * 100 = % calories from protein
Fat calories / Total Calories * 100 = % calories from fat
Carbohydrate calories / Total Calories * 100 = % calories from carbohydrate
 
Cat food and continuation of diabetic cat

I just wanted to have a laugh here because I don't see it being a valid point. I had a lady on one of the cats forum that I am on with Facebook tell me that she has fed Friskies dry cat food to her cats for over 35 years and have not had to take a single one to the vet for any sickness except when they needed their shots. How am I supposed to believe that garbage? If you look at the ingredients there isn't anything healthy in it except maybe for bone meal. lol I just find it hard to believe she would be telling me the truth or why she would lie to me about feeding them it for such a long time without health problems especially coming from a cat site and when I'm asking a serious question on what to feed my cats that is healthy. It sucks because my cats are used to dry food but I know that I want to feed them the lowest carb cat food possible and high in protein and I don't know of any dry that is except for one new kind called Nutrisca. What do you all think?
 
As to the ladies comment: You never know, some people I think just end up lucky they haven't ended up with health issues and some simply do not want to see the health issues. My mother in law is one of them.....different animal but she has 4 dogs, all have been feed garbage dry food, insane amount of treats never goes to the vet and only had shots when she first got them years ago. She insists they are healthy, only need shots once in their life, and that no name flea treatment work fine. Her husband passed and we had to move her near us about 3 years ago, since then Ive noticed her dgs toe nails are too long to cut, one of them is missing a bunch of teeth, another was over weight and I had to rush her to the er vet because she was vomiting and bloody diarrhea ( dont remember the specific issue) but mainly it was due to being over weight and poor care. another I had to take to the vet because she had severe arthritis and coudnt barely walk, and had to put them on better NAME BRAND flea treatment because her house, herself, and her dogs were covered in fleas....the dogs were missing patches of fur. I just wanted to scream!!!!!! anyways enough of my rant lol

As to the dry food.....If you MUST have dry food their is young again zero carb (5% carbs), stella & chewys freeze dried (1% carbs I THINK) Evo cat & kitten (12% carbs) and I've heard Wysung Epigen 90 (not sure on the carbs but its supposed to be low)

I feed my cats the young again zero carb, my cats love it but I also LOVE the customer service. The only downfall is you can only buy it online and it is a bit pricey. Key things to think about though is that its healthier so they eat less of it but they also guarantee their food and if your cat doesnt like it you can return it. If you send them an email they will send you a free sample. I tried my cats on EVO and it didnt sit well on their tummies, but every cat is different and some on here use it and love it. I only feed my cats 1 TBS each everyday, just so they can have their crunchies lol ( I know I need to stop though :cry: ) but for the time being until you can transition to a wet food one of those dry foods would at least be better.
 
Thanks for the reply Soap but if I knew your name I would call you by that instead. :) So I have never tried Young Again but have read about it. Is this a great food choice for diabetic cat or cats or just cats in general who need a diet close to what they eat in the wild? I know my inside cats miss dry food or the crunchy feeling and I just want to mix things around because they are still getting their wet food for moisture. If the Young Again cat food is good for diabetic cats then I will give it a try since I've never tried it before and I just want to feed my very very picky cats something nutritious and healthy!
 
Its for cats without health issues and low enough in carbs to give to diabetics. Like I said my cats love it, but I really like the great customer service as well. Just make sure to get the zero carb (still 5% carbs but at least its below 10%) I feed it to Hidey (my diabetic) and my other 2 non-diabetic cats

https://www.youngagainpetfood.com/10bro ... Code=92125

they have it in 4, 8, and 25 lb bags.

you can also try coupon code to save 25%: NoBadCat


At least it would be an option till you can convince them to eat wet food lol.

oh, and my names Samantha sorry lol
 
Nice to meet you Samantha. Well my cats are addicted to dry food and I do feed them Fancy Feast for the moisture content and I see them drink water too. I would think by feeding one of the best dry foods that mimics what they would eat in the wild along with feeding them wet food for moisture then it would be fine especially if both wet and dry foods are low in carbs for my diabetic cat or any of my cats. My cats are picky eaters for some reason now so I hope they will chow down on this food so I know they are eating enough.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top