you you tube video about not giving cat just dry food re: struvite crystals + HAIR MATS..

[bitofcheese]

was really schocked. i know cat owners have differing views as to what to give a cat (wet and or dried) but have never been told/read before that it is dangerous to give cat dry only. freaked me out seeing this video. my cat seems to love just dried, ignores wet when i put it in a bowl (appart from tuna) although now feel guilty all the same that she doesn't eat wet. your views please. also, whilst here, my cat, as it turns out to my surprise, has some nasty matted areas hidden at the front under her maine (maine coon) and under top layer of fur near her bottom. have tried to comb out/cut but giving up and am about to book a 'hair dresser' for her - anyone have nightmare with long haired cats. i groom her regularly and can't believe that under her coat were some areas i have obviously been totally missing....what a crap cat owner i feel..:(

Good quality studies have shown that as long as there is always free access to water being a male neutered overweight middle aged cat is a much greater risk than dried food for struvite crystals. All the blocked cats I see fall into this category and all of them are at least 1 Kg overweight.

I have never seen a blocked female cat.

I have only just reintroduced dried food to my boys after my 8 year old was having trouble with UTI's and was found borderline for crystals 7 years ago.
The vet told me this was caused by the dry as it has a high protein content. He told me to, either stop all together or to buy prescription food. I chose to stop.
It was always given along with wet food and water, Now i only give it once in a while for a bit of variety
My mums female also has problems with going for a wee sometimes so she stops giving dry for a while and it seems to work avoiding any further discomfort.

Re The matting, Dont feel bad!
My Ragdoll (RIP) had really long hair, and he wouldn't let me brush him for love nor money. Used to end up really matted, down both sides, back of his legs and on his chest i had to book him in to the vets every March to get the mats removed under a general anesthetic, he didn't have much left by the time they were finished!!

My 8 year old cat is semi long haired and doesn't mind the brush but still gets slight matting on his hind legs.

I have a short haired cat who is 11 and doesn't groom so well now, He loves to be brushed and yet still has matting on his flank.

My 2 year old is also semi long haired and we haven't had any problems so far, but his coat hasn't fully grown yet so am expecting problems later on.

It happens and really you are not to blame. It cant always be avoided!

The trick is to get the undercoat out as this is what causes the matts and the best brush for this i have found is the furminator, expensive but worth every penny. It gets right into the undercoat to remove any dead hair.
It leaves hair silky smoothe afterwards

thanks lone. i have re-introduced half a pouch of wet in the morning now and the other half in the evening, just to be safe - the comments i read on youtube made me feel really guilty that i wasn't doing this even though i used to and she barely touched it :)

hi meowmi - wow! you have many a cat! i already have a furminator, they are great plus she tolerates it quite well. we groom her every other day give or take but there are areas hard to do ie where her matting is, under the top layer of fur at the lower end of her back/to the sides by her botty. i have done my homework and found a cat grooming place that seems really good close to where we live. this should be interesting..........bit worried about how she will be, she isn't completely docile. they do nail clipping and ear checking too so like having an mot although ain't cheap but good idea for a few times a year. we rescued her about 9 months ago.

My male neutered cat ended up at the emergency vet when he became blocked.
I give him 80/20 ratio wet to dry.he is also on a squirt of Furinaid every day to maintain good bladder health.
if you must feed dry, there are diets out there, but I believe that if you get your cat on a wet diet, it wont be needed.
Some good wet canned foods are on Zooplus.co.uk, namely Animonda Carny and Smilla.