AboutKC Expertise I can answer questions related to feline and canine diet including questions regarding ingredients, by-products, nutrients, raw diets, brand named products, etc. I can also answer questions related to pet health, behavior, grooming, and general animal management.
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http://en.allexperts.com/q/Cat-Food-3490/indexExp_83830.htm
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Experience I have done research on the relationship between feline diet and feline diabetes due to my personal experience in dealing with one of my own cats. I am a pet lover and always have numerous cats and dogs. I believe in feeding a high quality and by-product free diet. Diet alone cured my diabetic cat as well as either cured or significantly helped many others.
Education/Credentials Bachelor's Degree in Biological Sciences and years of
experience working as a Veterinary Technician
Expert: KC Date: 4/14/2008 Subject: Your opinion on a particular cat food
Question Hi KC,
I have read many of your responses to other questions and would like your opinion on two food related issues we are having with our kitty, Morty. We adopted Morty from a shelter last August, he was turned into the shelter by a Good Samaritan who found him on the streets of NY as a stray. Perhaps Morty knows what hunger is and now he seems to want to eat all the time.
Our first issue to address was that Morty had diarrhea for the first 6 months we had him. I tried a variety of foods, our vet gave him a cortisone shot (didn't help for long) and finally after trying a brand called "Natural Balance" Duck and Green Pea formula - within 36 hours his diarrhea stopped for good. 4 months later and we are still celebrating at the litter pan on a daily basis!
I would like your opinion of Natural Balance and have cut and pasted their nutritional information below for you. I know it is not one of the brands that you consistently recommend, but I want to know what you think of it from a nutritional perspective.
NATURAL BALANCE
Important Information:
Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Diets Green Pea & Duck Formula for Cats is a proven formula for cats with allergies based on our unique single source protein and single source carbohydrate blend.
Some cats may be highly sensitive to commonly used proteins, carbohydrates and food additives in their diet. Allergic reactions can lead to irritable bowel, upset stomach, and a number of skin problems. Natural Balance Green Pea & Duck Formula was created for cats with these food allergies. Along with our Duck & Green Pea Canned Formula, cats with allergies can now have a complete allergen-free diet
Reasons you should be feeding your cat Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Diets Green Pea & Duck Formula:
* Green Peas: A premium quality carbohydrate, rich in potassium and a highly digestible energy source
* Fresh Duck: A premium quality protein source not commonly used in pet foods
* Taurine Fortified Natural Balance adds additional taurine to help in maintaining normal heart function and retinal structure (good vision)
* Canola Oil Low in saturated fat and high in monounsaturated fat. Excellent Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acid profile
* Flaxseed An excellent source of Omega 3 fatty acids
Guaranteed Analysis %:
Moisture, Max 78
Crude Protein, Min. 9
Crude Fat, Min. 6
Crude Fiber, Max. 1
Taurine, Min. 0.1
Magnesium, Max 0.02
The second issue is that Morty does not seem satisfied with the amount of food we give him. Right after we got him our vet told us to let him free feed -- his philosophy was that he would eventually learn that food was plentiful at our home and start to self regulate. That never happened and Morty gained almost 3 lbs in 2 months. After that I began limiting his food and he has lost about 1/2 pound. Currently I give him a 3 ounces can of Natural Balance in the morning (5 a.m.) another 1.5 ounces around noon, and another 1.5 ounces around 5 p.m. A total of 6 ounces a day. Fortunately I work from home and can do this, but he begs for food a lot. In fact, I pack a brown bag lunch for myself each morning before going to my home office because if Morty hears me in the kitchen he will come and cry and beg for food and ruin my mood. He weighs about 16 pounds and should be about 12. Usually once a day between meals, I will give him 1/2 teaspoon of tuna or a piece of Liv-a-littles (Halo brand) 100% wild salmon protein treats and this seems to quiet him. Do you think I am feeding him enough? I wrote to Natural Balance and they said that in 6 ounces of their food there is 156 calories. I can't be sure if he is truly hungry or if he has food issues or if we got off on the wrong foot with him by free feeding and he came to expect food available around the clock.
Sorry to go on, but Morty is a sweet, sweet boy and we want to do all the right things for him.
Thank you for your time.
Gail
Answer Hi Gail,
First off, it's great to see how much you care about your cat! He's quite fortunate to have been adopted by you and I'm always delighted when asked questions by people who obviously care so much about their cat's health.
You are correct to be concerned about his weight and definitely need to help him shed the pounds, as 16 pounds is definitely obese in cat standards and only increases the possibility of health problems which only worsens with age. Hopefully I'll cover all of your questions in detail...if I happen to miss anything just respond and I'll reply just as fast as I can.
I think that the Natural Balance brand is a perfectly decent food... in the certified organic formulas, as I have done little research on the non-organic mixes as I try to stick with ones that are only organic and by-product free. I personally prefer combining a great deal of raw with premium foods. I have found that this decreases dental problems and even further helps to maintain a proper weight...and all of the cats who I have seen slowly grow used to eating raw now totally love it. I've also seen some cats with major allergy problems, who even the rabbit-based foods did not help, seem to miraculously be cured from their symptoms by being fed only raw (usually beef, chicken, or rabbit raw (straight raw and not the frozen or canned which is labeled for pets). I've also seen first hand how raw satisfies hunger longer than even premium canned. The higher the protein content of foods, the fuller an animal feels and for longer. ...you add grains (carbs/sugars) and hunger pangs start soon after eating just as occurs in people. Therefore, if he's prone to allergies that affect his digestive tract then I would certainly stick to the food that is working for him. If you'd like to offer raw, do it in small portions at a time and only during regular meal times. Gradually increase the portion sizes if it's not upsetting his stomach. In general, you can feed much larger portions of raw, which will fill them up for quite a while, without worrying about weight gain, as solid raw rarely causes obesity.
I honestly think that your vet was wrong to suggest that you offer him free food during the day/night. Any cat, whether a purebred show cat or a stray who knows what starvation is like, is undoubtedly going to prefer grazing all day to only having two meals a day. It teaches them a very bad habit of constantly snacking and never fully filling up. Eating less often and larger portions at a time is a normal feline diet...the grazing just adds an enormous amount of calories which are never burned off since most domestic cats are so limited in their activity level. I would really recommend sticking to a twice a day feeding schedule...and sticking to it! :-) The worse thing you can possibly do is give him treats when he starts begging...you've only been reinforcing him to beg constantly...as he certainly knows now that when he begs and constantly bugs you that you will ultimately give in...yet, you don't just give in...he gets TUNA! OR, he gets Liv A Littles or SALMON treats! :-) If I did that to my cats...I can't imagine! They'd be begging constantly and would take me down as soon as I entered the kitchen and no doubt annoy me to death. lol I'd say little Morty (I love the name) has you totally wrapped around his little finger and knows that if he continues to beg and doesn't give up he's 100% sure that he's getting TUNA or an equally as wonderful food. The tuna and other treats are just increasing the calories in his diet. ...and sadly, tuna on a daily basis now (for both cats and people) is quite unhealthy due to the high mercury content. It can also contains a lot of sodium which can become a major issue, especially if he's obese, as it can harm the kidneys and cause some problems...as many cats don't consume enough water anyway and then become dehydrated. So...I'd basically discontinue treating during the day. He IS NOT starving...I promise. He's being offered tuna and treats which are far better than any cat food...even raw! He knows what he likes and knows how to get it. Tiki Cat makes all natural formulas of crab, tuna, etc. I never give it daily but occasionally put a dab on a food flavor that mine become tired of and use it to encourage cats to try raw. It's far healthier for them than store bought...if you do get store bought though, be sure to only get the tuna in spring water...as the oil is very bad. Morty will do just fine on a diet of 150 calories or even less. I've fed 1/4 of a 5.5 oz can in the morning and 1/4 can at night to severely obese cats and even after losing weight, they still maintained a little extra baggage. I currently feed all of my cats that same amount...less if I add raw. I have one very tiny cat who maintains a perfect weight of 7 pounds. However, two others who consistantly weigh 12 and are very large...they look fat from a distance yet when you pick them up they are just solid cats...they stay a very healthy weight and are muscular. The weight difference in my cats has a lot to do with age, activity level, and metabolism...so basically no two cats are literally the same. 1/4 can (of a 5.5 oz. can) twice per day might be a good starting point. If he's a large built cat, as you mentioned that his normal weight should still be on the large cat size, you may increase that a bit. However, an entire can a day is way too much. If you are feeding him 6 oz a day then you could literally feed half that. Even if you increase it to 4 oz a day, he should lose weight...only slower. If you really love giving him treats then just be sure to limit yourself in advance and know what you feed...for example, if you knew that at noon he'd get 3 treats...only give 3 no matter what. I personally never routinely give treats because I know that my cats will come to expect it which leads to begging...and feeding them when they beg just reinforces the behavior. So...the treats between meals is totally up to you to decide. It will probably take him 2-4 weeks of not getting treats to give up on the idea. When he never begs and has lost weight, feel free to give treats again...but never let him know when to expect them...and NEVER treat when he's begging.
Oh, and regarding the diarrhea in the past. Are you sure that he has a food allergy? Many with food allergies are sensitive even to tuna and treats...and many also show other symptons such as a dry or dull coat, itching, and red irritated skin. It's not uncommon for stray cats to have bacterial infections and/or parasites which cause diarrhea. I'm assuming that he was wormed and tested for everything, and since it cleared up assume that he is fine now. However, you do see cats continue having diarrhea for months after being wormed...as the natural flora and lining in their digestive tract can take a long time to get back into balance...and even longer if not fed properly. In addition, bacterial infections will do the same thing and many clear up on their own. Of course, there is a good possibility that he has allergy problems but please don't stay worried about that, as it may not be the case.
I hope all this helps! Looking back it seems I made it terribly wordy! Please forgive me!
Best of luck with Morty!
