[crazy4cats]

It was GO HAWKS! I used those symbol dealies and they disappeared. Or… There are Patriot fans deleting my posts. Lol!

[Bobby dog]

I don’t know if the Patriot fans are around right now to blame them. lol I have a Dell Venue and I can post symbols at the beginning of a post on the forum side not the end, weird. If I try to post one at the end the whole entry disappears. So I just stick to the old fashioned colon and parenthesis on the forum side no matter what computer I am on now. How frustrating is it when your post disappears? 😉

[Kimi_forever]

Hi,

i have a cat who has been having patches of hair fall out, i am not sure what is causing it, they are like circles of hair that just arent there anymore. all the patches are of circular shape. we are taking her to the vet soon, but i had a concern. My last akita had a similar condition, i’m not sure if it’s caused by the same thing or not yet but it looks very similar. my concern is when we took our akita to the vet for this they put her on various medications such as anti-biotics and other things none of which did anything, we had to take my akita to several vets until one of them suggested standard process dermal care. as soon as we started putting the standard process dermal on her kibble the patches of hair my akita was missing grew back and it’s the only thing that helped her recover. i went to standard process’s website to see if they had dermal care for cats and they only make it for canine’s to my dismay. I was wondering if anyone knew of any holistic food type supplements similar to standard process that might be effective for dermal care that i might be able to suggest to our vet when i see him because he is not a holistic vet, just an average run of the mill vet is all i can find around my city…i just dont want to put my cat on all sorts of medications for no reason, and was hoping their might be some other way to handle this like we did for my dog.
thanks…

[Akari_32]

Hi, Kimi! What are you feeding now? And is it dry or canned? Canned or raw are the best when it comes to feeding cats. Cats do not have a high thirst drive, which can lead to sever cronic dehydration while on dry foods. And not enough water can lead to all kinds of health problems, such as the ones you are seeing. Most health problems, especially in cats, can be fixed with a simple change of diet, under the direction of a vet. So, yes, go see your vet, but express that you would like to not do all the crazy meds if it’s not absolutely necessary (I have to remind my vet of this quite often lol).

[Kimi_forever]

Yes they have been on kibble all their life. actually they are my mom and sisters cats, but i try and have some input on them too. They used to be fed purina one, and i made them get off that and told them about merrick because it wasnt so expensive. Now we have just recently (this is the first bag) put them on orijen because i expressed that imo it was worth the money over merrick or wellness core we were trying. I recently have read some of the info on catinfo.org and they said the same thing. The only problem is finding decent canned food not chalked up with carrageenan and other stuff is absurdly expensive, i’ve been pricing it for what it would cost for 3 adult 10lb cats and it’s not pretty. the vet on catinfo.org seems to have a method of making homemade meals that while still more expensive then orijen seems more practical, i think we are going to try her method since she has laid it out so clearly how to prepare source and supplement a cat’s diet in a way that economical and practical to do. I got some samples of Honest Kitchen for them to try, because as my pricing went it was a lot cheaper then canned food and still obviously had moisture from the added water, but they just looked at me like i was crazy for giving them THK. Maybe i should contact the vet from catinfo.org and talk to her and see what she thinks. I like the vet we are seeing okay, he has done wonders for my grandmothers old german shepherd whenever he had problems, but i wasnt thrilled when he suggested putting this cat on Hill’s prescription diet for her being over weight, but i know he had good intentions….We are in the process of trying to transition them off kibble but we will probably have to buy at least one more large bag before we get anything setup for a homemade diet :-\

[Akari_32]

I feed my 13 lb cat higher quality foods like Wellness and Halo, for about $20 a month. He does get some junkies foods like Friskies Special Diet and such to help keep cost down, but it is possible to feed good foods on a budget. Keep a look out for coupons and sales, and stock up when you find a good deal.

Right now, I’m switching mone to raw and am finding it be much more economical than even mid grade canned food. For example, on canned he eats 9-10 oz a day. On raw, he eats just 6 oz, and you actually want cheaper meats because of their fat and taurine contents, so you can get away with chicken thighs and quarters and pork and hearts. Might be something to look into 😉

[Kimi_forever]

One time our local petco had cans of instinct and wellness for like .15-50cents a can and we stocked up on a bunch only to bring it home and the cats not eat it and us have to give it away…ill have to try and find ways to get some decent cans for cheaper, i was pricing what it would cost to feed weruva, and that would be like 70$ a cat for a 24 day period :-0….20 dollars a month sounds amazing, thats about what it costs to feed them orijen kibble, i dont know where i could find cans of wellness or halo around where i live for that price or online…But basically what you said in your second paragraph seems to be the only solution…

from that catinfo.org site they give a recipe for feeding like you said about 5-6oz a day instead of 10oz a day in canned and using antibiotic free chicken thighs as the source of protein. Only thing is it’s a mixture of homecooked and raw that the vet on that site recommends but her estimated costs after supplements and all and her practical suggestions of locating cheap meat (from whole foods) make it seem very practical. I also like that unlike the canned foods which almost always have something extra in them that i dont want that we have complete control over every ingredient in the food….It makes me jealous that i want to be able to provide this for my dog too. But feeding an 85lb dog raw and a 10lb cat are two different things, that’d be 1.7-2.5lbs for my dog and i do not not know where i can get the organ meat and bones i need for my dog ill have to stick to Orijen for my dog for now. but i found this guide on the internet and it also looks easy to follow so i might make the full transition for both animals at some point http://puppybutt.weebly.com/uploads/7/6/9/2/7692088/beginners_guide_to_prey_model_raw_rv.4.1.pdf …

[Akari_32]

My guy doesn’t like the Wellness Complete Health cans (though he will eat them if I put enough water in them and thin them out some). He does like the purple Cubed/Sliced/Minced ones, and the Duo’s, however. And he LOVES Halo. Impulse and Vigor are his favorites. Right now, Halo has $2 off any can of Vigor (cat and dog) and PetCo sells them for $1.99 each, so all you pay is tax on each can 🙂 Coupons are the best bet at feeding canned.

Definitely check out raw. I do raw a couple times a week for the cat right now, but once I get my canned supply down, I’ll be doing it more often. 🙂

[crazy4cats]

Hi Akari-
Are the Halo coupons on their site? My cats will actually eat the Spot’s Stew Pate canned. It’s too expensive to buy regularly, so coupons would be great!

[Akari_32]

Yes. Just for Vigor right now, though.

http://www.halopets.com/coupons/images/2015/2d-vigor-can-printable.pdf

[theBCnut]

Hi Kimi
Has your vet checked for ringworm?

[Bobby dog]

Hello cat people:
I have had a crazy schedule lately and I have been meaning to post my cats’ review of the Pure Balance kibble and wet foods, so here we go.

My Wal-Mart only stocked the GF Turkey, GF Turkey & Chic in sauce, and GF Salmon tubs. They had two kibbles, chic & brown rice or salmon. There might be more kibble recipes, my Wal-Mart doesn’t always stock everything.

I try to stay away from larger fish so the salmon was out. I bought the other two recipes at 94 cents each. Most of my cats did not like the GF Turkey, it’s a firm pate’ style food. All the cats, especially the finicky ones, loved the GF Chic & Turkey in sauce. It did not have much sauce and when you scoop it onto a plate it pretty much holds its form. My cats never liked this style of food, but they loved this one. I am definitely adding the GF Chic & Turkey in sauce to their rotation.

The Chic & Brown Rice kibble was 3.5 lbs/$7.78 & 7 lbs/$14.92 and they all loved it. It’s very small in size; if you have fed Fromm’s Four Star kibbles it is that size smushed flat. Fromm’s is small and round, smaller than Wellness Core kibbles. It’s higher in carbs than I like and is similar ingredient wise to Purina Beyond kibbles. I will throw it into the rotation here and there since they refuse to give up kibble. So there you have it, two paws up for two out of three! 😉

aquariangt: If you happen to read this you might want to give the GF Chic & Turkey in sauce a try. I think it’s your kitty that likes the minced/chunk style wet foods.

[crazy4cats]

Hey, thanks for the review, BDog. I didn’t try any of the flavors in sauce. But, I tried all four of the pate flavors and they really didn’t like any of them. They usually do prefer pates, but if it only has a small amount of sauce, I’ll give it a try.

I have so much kibble right now and I’m not feeding much of it anymore. I’ll have to hold off on the new kibble. But, it definitely looks promising.

Glad you checked in!

[Bobby dog]

Hey guys:
Has anyone fed Weruva’s Cat’s in the Kitchen? If you have are they pates’, shredded, or chunks? I was checking out the chicken recipes.

[shawn a]

does anybody know if 4health grain free indoor cat formula is made by diamond

[Bobby dog]

Hi Shawn A:
The last info I had was it was made by Ainsworth. Unless someone else has more current info I would contact Ainsworth for confirmation because my info is over a year old.

http://www.ainsworthpets.com/

[shawn a]

what are some descent budget friendly wet food

[Bobby dog]

Hi Shawn:
What’s your budget? Where do you shop, on-line, brick & mortar, or both? Are you opposed to any brands?

I feed quite an array do to very finicky kitties that like what they like. So I can provide you with my list that consists of grocery store to higher priced brands. I keep carbs low for UTI health and mostly feed grain & fish free, but to keep them eating consistently I throw in grain inclusive as well as foods containing smaller species fish.

Other cat lovers will be by with their fav’s too!!

[Bobby dog]

Shawn:
Were you asking about 4Health kibble or canned cat food?

[shawn a]

like to stay around 1 dollar or less at stores like tractor supply, petsmart,Petco,walmart

[shawn a]

the dry food

[Bobby dog]

Shawn:
At Wal-Mart check out Purina Beyond and Pure Balance. They just rolled the Pure Balance cat food out so they may not have all recipes in stock. It’s 94 cents/3.5 oz. tub. I haven’t contacted anyone to confirm manufacturers, but Ainsworth manufactures the PB dog kibble and Simmons the PB canned dog food. I am assuming it would be the same for the cat food, but you never know.
http://www.walmart.com/search/?query=pure%20balance%20cat%20food&typeahead=pure%20balance%20cat%20food

4Health at TSC; the canned is manufactured by Simmons, GF kibble Ainsworth, grain inclusive kibble Diamond. As I wrote in my previous post, check with Ainsworth to confirm if they still manufacture the GF kibble.
http://www.ainsworthpets.com/

I am rusty on Petsmart and Petco budget friendly brands. I order over the Internet from both stores; I haven’t stepped into one of their stores for many years. Petsmart has their house brands Authority and Simply Nourish that are budget friendly for dog food, check out those brands.

Other budget friendly canned I feed; all are pates’:
Friskies – Poultry Platter, Special Diet Turkey & Giblets, and Special Diet Beef & Chicken.
Fancy Feast – Classic Tender Liver & Chicken and Classic Turkey & Giblets
Sheba – all pates’ that don’t have fish listed in the name of the recipe
Purina One – Classic Turkey, Chicken, or Beef recipes
Pro Plan Finesse – Chicken & Liver or you might find it under it’s new name True Nature Natural Chicken & Liver entree’ classic

For all things cat related check out these sites:

Feeding Your Cat: Know the Basics of Feline Nutrition

Home

http://www.naturalcatcareblog.com/
http://www.felinecrf.org/
The last site has info on a specific feline health condition. I reference this website for food recommendations.

[aquariangt]

@Bobbydog – I’ve fed cat’s in the kitchen. I THINK it was chunky (Shinku hated it of course) but it ma have been shredded, definitely not pate

Shawn A-
Petco has Soulistic which is made by Weruva

Check out BFF also made by weruva, though it all contains tuna. my cat doesn’t eat anything, and she really likes the BFF so I just use it with non fish dry food

I also like Earthborns cans, they come in cases of 24 instead of 12, but the price is good.

Simply Nourish is well priced for what it is, but my cat won’t eat any of them, but they have both pate and shredded, and some casseroles that she pecked at so she may get it again sometime.

Wellness isn’t bad and is often on sale, can get that at PetSmart, PetCo, and most boutiques and online.

I mostly use Tiki and Earthborn, though Tiki can get pricey. Precise isn’t too bad and I use a few of theirs from time to time.

[Akari_32]

If you don’t mind coupons and working a little for a good deal, Wellness can be a very cheap brand to feed. They put out $1 any one can coupon every month in an email (sign up at Wellnesspetfood .com), and PetSmart has it on sale almost constantly.

I also do Friskies Special Diet (the two Bobby Dog posted above– they’re on sale this weekend at PetSmart!), Halo (they always have coupons on their website), Natures Variety when it’s on sale/clearance, and anything else I can get my hands on with coupons lol

[Bobby dog]

Aquariangt:
Thanks for the Cats in the Kitchen info! I am going to buy a few cans to try even though it’s not pate’. You never know, they might like it and it’s on sale this month. Did you see my original post on Pure Balance cat foods on page 61? They have a Chicken & Turkey that is diced and not allot of sauce that my finicky of finickiest kitty just loves; she’s still eating it. My cats don’t like anything but pate’s most times and if I remember correctly your kitty likes that type of food. It’s worth a shot anyway. I probably described it better in my other post. lol

I always forget about Soulistic cat food.

Natures Variety has a coupon each month too if you sign up with their e-mail notifications.

[Akari_32]

Bobby Dog, why didn’t I think of that?? I’m always signing up for promotional emails LOL I’ll have to go register lol

So I thought I’d update you guys on a cat litter I bought. Thank god I didn’t pay much for it ($2 for both jugs, I believe) because I HATE it! It’s Cats Pride Light and Fresh. It smells like a box of dryer sheets, and it’s dusty as crap. Not to mention it does nothing to cover up poop smells, so not my whole room smells like flowery cat poop, and just scooped the box two nights ago (I usually scoop it every 1-2 days, but I’m just too tired to deal with it, plus it’s in the 30’s tonight and I don’t want to drag a bag of cat mess out to the garbage can lol). It also does not clump well at all, despite the labels “strong clumping” claims. I do not recommend this cat litter at all. The other Cats Pride litters are fine, but this Light and Fresh is just worthless. I’m glad I only got two jugs of it. I suppose this is the reason I use Tidy Cats LOL

Oh! And I’ve used Soulistic, and the cat seemed ok it with. It’s a weird, shredded food, packed in hard, congealed oils. It’s suprisingly solid, and took a fair amount of stabbing with a spoon to soften it up.

[Bobby dog]

4Health is rolling out a GF canned cat food. Price is 69 cents/5.5 oz. I just hope my TSC carries it, they never carry things I want. 🙁
http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/4health-grain-free-turkey–giblet-dinner-cat-food-55-oz
http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/4health-grain-free-chicken–whitefish-dinner-cat-food-55-oz

They also rolled out a few GF canned dog foods, but the GA is (if the website is correct) 9% protein and 9% fat, yikes.
http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/4health-grain-free-beef–chicken-dinner-cat-food-132-oz
http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/4health-grain-free-chicken-dog-food-132-oz

Akari:
Oh, poor baby… temperatures in the 30’s, lol!!!!!!!!

Thanks for the review, I am just never happy when I stray from the two I use. I never think about cat litter until I try something new and I have the same issues you just had. Those issues are huge with me.

I like the Soulistic chicken recipes and get it when it’s on sale and Petco has their free shipping deals; you can’t beat that deal. I just keep forgetting about it when they come up! I find it so hard to believe that you have not signed up for NV e-mails!!!! Well I am glad I can help you a little, just a little, with your couponing skills!!!!! 😉

[jakes mom]

OK, first thing Akari, my temp this am is -3 (not counting wind chill) so I agree with Bobby dog, poor baby lol I’m going to Fla sunday to visit family so 30’s will seem like a heat wave to me.
Also had a litter review for you all since you brought it up. I just tried the A&H Clump and Seal in the black box. Love it! No dust and clumps really well. It does have a slight scent to it but it’s not overwhelming. I paid $13.99 for 28# at BJ’s.

[Akari_32]

Listen! At this point, it’s too late for winter weather, my brains already ready for warm, spring weather LOL Anything below 60 is just not right LOL But you can come over! Party at my house! 😀

I do like Arm and Hammer, as well, both lines, other than how powdery it is and the smell (smells are a no-no in my house, especially flowery ones. Gives us headaches). The black box ones are so expensive here, though. $13 for a small box at the grocery store! AND I’m pretty sure they’re less than 10 lbs. They have a new light weight one, so keep an eye out for coupons, and sales!

[aquariangt]

Bobby dog, good call. I’ll try out the ps tubs this week.

And we’ve been pushing mid 60s out here too, weird weather this year but good for the dogs.

I don’t usually stray from worlds best for cat litter

[crazy4cats]

Akari-
I’m sorry to report that we are having record breaking warm weather. We have been up over 60 degrees the last few days. It is very unusual. Everything is confused. The frogs are croaking, the birds are singing, and flowers are trying to bloom already. Crazy! Our mountain ski resorts are sure suffering though.

Anyway, stopped at Del’s and there was no grain free canned yet. Just as well, I didn’t have my readers and wouldn’t be able to read the labels anyway! Picked up some canned cat food and litter. BDog, I think you told me that you like their house brand litter. I’m going to give it a shot. I also got some fresh cedar chips for the dogs’ kennel. They smell great in our warm spring weather!

[Akari_32]

It’s been anywhere from the 30s to the 80s the last week and half. It’s really weird! Yesterday was super hot, and today was chilly, windy and rain brought in a cold front. We were supposed to go fishing Wednesday night after I got off work, but is looking like we will have near-artic temperatures! So much for that lol I’m totally jealous of your 60 degree wheather lol

[Akari_32]

The cat got in a bit of a predicament this morning…. LOL

http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx294/Akari53/6E6AFD03-85A9-4B23-A67E-7C659C1101E0_zps9zd4hscy.jpg

Still can’t figure out how he got it looped around his tail *rolls eyes*

[Bobby dog]

Akari: Poor kitty…

C4C: Yes the Paws & Claws scoopable, but not the multi-cat scoopable. My favorite of theirs only has two ingredients listed.

[Akari_32]

He deserved it LOL That’s what he gets for playing in the blinds strings! He managed to get it around his neck (loosely), under his front leg, around his tail… My only guess is that he pulled it down from on top of the blinds and was rolling around with it lol

While we’re on the topic, anyone ever try PetCo litter? It’s pretty cheap, and I’ve heard its decent….

[Bobby dog]

No, never tried it.

[crazy4cats]

Akari-

Poor kitty is right! Playing with strings is a natural instinct for cats. One of my cats got caught up in the strings on the blinds right above my bed. She struggled to get loose and ended up falling right on my face. I woke up to a cat scrambling to get off my face. I ended up with a small scratch and a black eye. It was really fun explaining that injury to my coworkers, friends and family. LOL!

But, seriously, cats have had accidental deaths hanging themselves on those dumb strings. You’ll have to do something with them. Especially since they are right by his cat tree.

[Akari_32]

They’re usually rolled up on top of the blinds, like this:

http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx294/Akari53/BCC2EDEC-180E-4F3F-B861-4BE4B23553C5_zps4lajc6j1.jpg

http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx294/Akari53/DC4ED10D-F0BF-4584-86F3-A79E0E06536B_zpslubwz0t6.jpg

Some times he gets naughty when he’s on the top of the tree, grabs hold of the blinds, and knocks the strings down. Then he just *has* to play with them! He’s locked up in my room when I’m not home, because he’s clearly a still naughty little brat LOL

[crazy4cats]

Ahhh, I see. Yes, that is too much of a temptation. I’ve locked my naughty cats in a bedroom before and they ruin the carpet underneath the door trying to “dig” out. We just can’t have nice things at our house! LOL!

[Akari_32]

He’s really good in my bedroom. I guess because he sees it as his space (it’s 100% dog free, via a low baby gate) so he’s happy to just chill in there, and not cause trouble. Though he does get a bit rowdy sometimes and pounces the side of the goldfish tank trying to get my 10 inch fantail, Bruce (as in Bruce Wayne!), to play with him LOL the goldfish looks at him like he’s nuts XD

[crazy4cats]

Akari-
Glad to hear he behaves in your room. I hope You don’t find Bruce missing one of these days. So far my cats have not snagged any of my fish. But every once in a while, I catch them on top of the tank.

BDog-
The multicat formula has two ingredients, clay and baking soda. I opened it and there is no fragrance and not real dusty either. Fingers crossed that it clumps well also. And most of all that the cats will continue using their boxes. Then we may have a winner!

[Akari_32]

He’s very good with the fish. Doesn’t care about them at all. I have three other tanks, and he doesn’t bother them. He targets the goldfish tank because he has a small cat tree right next to it, so it’s easy his excited moods to carry over to the wiggly goldfish when he jumps up into his spot lol Here’s a pic of the tank. This is a 3ft long tank. You can see how big Bruce is lol

http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx294/Akari53/41A96D97-2DF5-4CCC-81F5-0A630C5980DE_zpsdvpt8knu.jpg

[Bobby dog]

Akari: Beautiful fish!!!!

C4C: Good deal I hope it works for you. It’s a great price.

[Akari_32]

Thanks 😀 I love my little fatties lol

[crazy4cats]

Yes, they are beautiful! I think I have mentioned that fancy Goldies are my favorite! I had a 50 gallon tank with some beauties. They all got sick and died and I’m still in mourning. I have a beautiful angel right now though that would be painful to lose also. I only have one 20 gallon tank these days. Thanks for sharing.

[Akari_32]

Thank you! It sucks loosing goldfish, doesn’t it? They are such funny little guys, each with their own personalities. The tanks I have set up right now are a 50 gallon oscar tank with the nastiest little momma’s boy ever (LOL), a 29 gallon planted community, the 40 gallon goldfish tank (once it warms back up, some of them will be back out into the pond) and a 6 gallon betta tank. I’ll have to post pics of them all! After my 29 and 50 gallons get some attention lol I’ve been fighting terrible algae in the oscar tank, and the plecos have torn up some plants in the 29 gallon, the naughty brats!

I woke up to Ginger barking like she was going to eat someone when mom was taking her out, and now I can’t go back to sleep, and I’ve decided to plan out a coupon trip, and I’ve got coupons sprawled out all over my bed. Well, the cat thinks he needs to get up here and mess them all up! Little turd…. at least he messed up the pile of ones I don’t plan on using… LOL

[Bobby dog]

Akari: I love goldfish too. I used to buy feeder goldfish to save them, lol. I had a ten gallon tank of them. I thought goldfish didn’t mind it being cold outside. I also used to always have betta’s too. Don’t have any tanks now, maybe I’ll dig them out of storage. They are soothing to watch.

C4C: Alright, I read the ingredients on my paws and claws litter and it just has clay listed. I got it confused, the multi-cat has two ingredients, the 25 lbs. bags I buy just one ingredient. I started buying the 25 lbs. bags because I got tired of lugging the 40 lbs. boxes downstairs; it’s the same price per pound at my TSC anyway.

[crazy4cats]

Yep, 40lbs is heavy! But the handles on the box make it a little easier. Much better than the 40lb bag at Costco. I Usually try to have two. One for each up and down stairs. I just started putting a little bit in at a time in their boxes as not to upset anyone. Del’s is right off the freeway on my way home from work so it won’t be too bad to add it to my pet supply loop that keeps growing. Yikes!

[theBCnut]

I used to have beautiful Japanese Koi in my pond until the great blue heron found them. Now I have beautiful waterlillies in my pond and no fish. I think I’ll add shubunkin next. It doesn’t hurt as much when your $4 fish gets eaten.

[crazy4cats]

I like shubunkins too! I’ve had those also. I think they are typically white splashed with very bright shiny colors, aren’t they? You could throw them in with your dolphins!

• This reply was modified 9 years, 10 months ago by crazy4cats.

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