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The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Original poster

What Cat Food do you buy for your older fur ball prone cat?

34 replies

PavlovtheCat · 28/02/2013 14:46

We are using IAMS or Purina mature, and the cats are not happy on it, they keep throwing it up. We found they did this with normal IAMs etc so moved on to mature, worked for a while but they keep throwing it up.

Also, do you buy bulk? and if so where from? Happy to shop on the internet for it.

OP posts:
thecatneuterer · 28/02/2013 14:52

What makes you think the throwing up is hairball related? Cats do just seem to throw up a lot. A lot a mine, particularly those with no teeth (which is quite a lot of them) like to woolf down the dry food, without chewing it, and then it quite often just comes back up, probably just because they've eaten it too fast and in too big lumps. If this is the reason they throw up then the food brand/type probably isn't going to make too much difference. I incidentally use James Wellbeloved, which I buy in bulk from www.Petsupermarket.co.uk at about £36 for a 10kg bag and free delivery, and I buy 6 at a time normally! That's also the food that the rescue cats at Celia Hammonds are given.

Original poster
PavlovtheCat · 28/02/2013 14:59

because every few little piles of sick include a hairball! Especially over winter as we have had the central heating on and they have been moulting more.

Admittedly the big cat does wolf his food down like he doesn't know when his next meal is going to be Grin so that could be part of the reason for him, but the other cat is a picker so not likely the reason for her.

It's not something they used to do, they are 9 now and have not always been sick.

How do you combat the gulping the foot quickly, have you found a way to deal with that?

They are both well in themselves other than that, one recently went to the vets who said he was in good shape and weight for his age (but it was for a different reason and I complete forgot to mention him being sick!).

OP posts:
Original poster
PavlovtheCat · 28/02/2013 14:59

£36 for 10kg is great value! I am going to take a look at that now, thank you.

OP posts:
Iseeall · 28/02/2013 15:06

Try putting the food down little and often, as you would a kitten. Less food to gulp less to sick up. If it stays down it will be digested before the next little feed.

cozietoesie · 28/02/2013 16:21

Do you groom them? I do that for Seniorboy (who started off not being too keen and now loves it.) I get a humungous amount of hair out and he rarely, if ever, has a furball.

thecatneuterer · 28/02/2013 17:43

No I haven't found a way to combat food gulping. Because I have so many cats (about 18 at the moment I think - not sure though - I need to do another audit :) )I have to have food down all the time so I can't control the intake of particular cats, which is a bugger a I have a couple of very, very fat ones. I know you can buy hairball control food, but I've never bought it and I don't know much about it. So yes, as cozietoesie says, regular grooming could well be the answer.

Original poster
PavlovtheCat · 28/02/2013 19:25

I try to groom them, but, well I am really shite at it, what with work and the little ones and been a bit poorly recently, and they run off half way even when I try. And, never really found a proper grooming glove I/they are happy with that works. I have bought loads over the last year or two!

OP posts:
Original poster
PavlovtheCat · 28/02/2013 19:27

Is wolfing it down something they are more prone to do as they grow older? Not done it up to relatively recently, well, the throwing up part, think the male has always been a wolfing type!

OP posts:
thecatneuterer · 28/02/2013 19:37

Lots of mine love being groomed (with a pincushion type brush thingy), but then others are semi feral so I can't even get near them. I'm not aware that they way they eat changes with age, except that the older ones tend to have lost a lot of teeth, meaning they gobble it down whole, which I don't think helps.

cozietoesie · 28/02/2013 21:14

It's not an overnight fix getting them used to grooming, Pavlov. You have to get them to associate it with love and cuddles - so best to only do it when they're already on a lap or eg with you in bed and make it part of their TLC routine. Just a few strokes a night and leave it at that at first, gradually building up over a month or two.

Original poster
PavlovtheCat · 28/02/2013 22:03

cozietoes tried that, the female pegs it as soon as she sees the brush! I will have to hide it carefully so she can't see it and just do a little. We used to groom them when they were younger but they never got into it, despite us making it all lovely for them (pre children they were our 'babies' so we would sit stroking for hours, the brush came out, gone!)

I will get the kids to help too as the cats seem to tolerate a lot more rough and tumble with the kids (6 and 3) so maybe will let them do it if we can't.

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cozietoesie · 28/02/2013 22:24

Good luck then. Don't try to do their bellies - just keep it at the flanks, back and shoulders.

Original poster
PavlovtheCat · 01/03/2013 14:11

thank you for the tip. I have bought a bag of james wellbeloved from the local petshop to try, see how they get on and if they are ok with it, I will go and buy the 10kg one as it's a bargain! no point buying that much without trying though, or else I will have 10kg of cat food spare!

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thecatneuterer · 01/03/2013 14:23

Good idea Pavlov. And if you end up buying from PetSupermarket can I suggest you do it through EasyFundraising which I've just mentioned on another thread.

It's a way of raising money for charities when you shop online. If you download the toolbar then everytime you go onto a site that is taking part (including Amazon,Asos, Appliances Online, La Redoute, M&S, PetSupermarket and PetsatHome) the toolbar will flash. Then you just click the toolbar and shop as normal, and the site will give a percentage of what you spend to your chosen chairty. I've only been using it for a few months and I've already raised over £20 that way and with no effort or cost to me. Here's the link taking you straight to the Celia Hammond page, but of course you can choose any charity you like (I just hope it's a cat one:))
www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/celiahammond

Sorry for the shameless plug but charities need funds and it seems a shame not to take advantage of what is basically free money!

Original poster
PavlovtheCat · 01/03/2013 14:44

great idea, I have heard about the toolbar for that, just never got around to it, should though, as I do shop in some the place mentioned from time to time.

OP posts:
TheNebulousBoojum · 01/03/2013 14:51

I do smaller portions more frequently, lots of fresh water, daily grooming even though she's short-haired and a little bit of oily fish a couple of times a week.
Seems to have sorted the hairballs and the vomiting.

Original poster
PavlovtheCat · 03/03/2013 16:43

thenebulus my boy cat up to recently refused to drink out of the bowl. I never ever saw him drink from it! He always wants the water from the tap! I have actually noticed him drinking more, he is even drinking from the bowl and the other day caught him drinking from toilet as his bowl was dry, but only filled that morning...could that because he'is being sick so much? He weight is fine, the vet said weight and water consumption is something to keep an eye on as they grow older, due to potential kidney probs...only noticed in last couple of days.

OP posts:
cozietoesie · 03/03/2013 17:04

I know he's on dry food but a whole bowl of water in half a day - and still thirsty - would have me making an appointment with the vet given his age. Have you ever tried them on wet food?

Original poster
PavlovtheCat · 03/03/2013 17:11

cozie I am presuming its both the cats drinking, I am making assumptions it's the boy cat as he is the most vocal one about his water, but always has been! He has only just started drinking so much. Maybe I will take them both for a check up.

Yes we give them wet food once a week.

OP posts:
cozietoesie · 03/03/2013 17:16

I'd have them (but particularly him) to the vet if I were you. Sudden and persistent thirst in an older cat is worth checking out.

Best of luck.

TheNebulousBoojum · 03/03/2013 21:07

I have a cat mate water fountain, she drinks a lot more from it and the filter keeps it fresh.
www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/cats/cat_bowls_feeders/cat_fountains?gclid=CIrfvc654bUCFaHHtAodnSsAVw

But yes, excessive thirst can be kidney problems or diabetes, so worth getting checked out.

toomuch2young · 03/03/2013 21:11

Once you have got your cat checked for other problems and have adjusted your feeding routine, if you are still getting hair balls, try katalax, available over the counter from vets and it contains soft parafin and cod liver oil and other ingredients to prevent the problem. It's probably available online as well.

Original poster
PavlovtheCat · 03/03/2013 21:12

I love those! Ok, buying one! Not sure where it's gonna go but he will so love that!

OP posts:
Original poster
PavlovtheCat · 03/03/2013 21:33

I just spoke to Dh about Boy Cats 's drinking (we do talk, he's been working for several days). He always thinks I over react and I expected his reaction to be'pj don't be silly he's fine' but he said 'hmm, yes I've noticed that, he mostly seems to be in the kitchen hassling for water'. And agreed vet trip is needed. I hope it is something treatable. Diabetes is treatable in cats isn't it? How about kidney problems? Does thyroid probs cause thirst? He is very heavy, I just picked him up, so not lost weight. Gained if anything.

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toomuch2young · 03/03/2013 21:38

Diabetes is the most common in overweight cats that are drinking excessively. It is treatable with both diet and insulin and in many cases cats can become so well maintained they are managed on diet alone.

Kidney disease usually come with weight loss, as does hyperthyroidism. Though not always. A simple pin prick blood test can test for diabetes, and a full bloods to check kidney parameters and t4 bloods which will check for hyperthyroidism.

All conditions can be managed to different extents and the earlier the diagnosis the better the prognosis. Good luck tomorrow for your furry guy.