80 pouches in 8 days. Is there a better way?

[NinkasiNinjaPaws]

Prior to lockdown we started getting visits from a new boy. As cats do, he decided my youngest was his human and after months of his squirting antics he had the little operation and officially unpacked his luggage. This has brought the feline head count to 4. New boy is a long leggy muscular young cat with an appetite to match our very middle aged old boy who given half a chance behaves like a waste disposal unit. The other two are as and when with food. We've alway bought packs of 40 pouches from either Costco, bookers, or the supermarkets when they have them and we're going through two of these in 8 days. Is there honestly a more economical (short of getting rid of cats) way to do this? With cans half the glaring will turn their noses up if its been in the fridge and cans only seem to be in one flavour bulk buying wise. I'm wondering if it's going to be more economical (possibly nutritionally better?) to roast cheap chickens for them and pad out with rice or something? Ideas appreciated.

I don't get why people do this. Somewhere there is a heartbroken family worried sick about their cat

Fuckers should have neutered it and looked after it then shouldn't they?

Chances are it was a stray and the OP has done the right thing by looking after it.

And people who didn't understand her post should have paid more attention in Eng. Lit., particularly to the weeks on metaphor.

You use tins. Pouches are twice the price for half the food. And terrible plastic waste.

So you have four cats, however you came by them. They are going through ten pouches every day between them, or 2.5 each (under the recommended amount btw) - at 100g per pouch that is 250g food per day per cat. At £3.50 per kg, so £3.50 per day, or £1,277 a year.

Tins. 24 pack of 400g, 6 of each flavour from pets at home. 2.5 tins per day at £1.04 per kg, £1.04 per day, or £380 a year.

Don’t refrigerate them, just cover.

Homemade cat food needs careful prep- it must have taurine in which isn't straightforward. There are raw feeding groups that help if you go down that route.

What about dry cat food with a little wet food on top?

Mine are on raw meat tubs along with dry food. The tubs are great for multiple cats, can just use one a day.

We use one tin can between our 3 (one 18yo and 2 small 2yo) or dry food in cardboard boxes. All recycled and much cheaper than pouches.

I don't think male cats are supposed to eat dry food, it leads to urinary obstructions.

Tins. Split one tine between them. I get supermarket own brand, and the pack of 12 has 4 flavours. if they are iffy try tins with gravy or tins with jelly etc until you find one they like.

I have never understood the attraction of pouches. Expensive, and not environmentally friendly

I hope you had the cat checked for a microchip, OP.

I agree with PP, one tin between four cats shouldn't result in a tin in the fridge. Just give them a quarter each. You can't just do the chicken and rice thing- there are various elements to a cat's diet that wouldn't be met with this. You can make raw cat food yourself- give it a Google- but you need to include offal and ground bones and things like that.

Himself witters about the ecological impact of all the pouches, but in all honesty I don't know how you'd get around that short of making your own cat food.

Either:
a) buy tinned and recycle the tins or
b) buy kibble in paper bags and recycle the bags.

I have 2 cats. We buy butchers classic from pets at home. There's often a deal on and we can get 48 tins for about £23.

They share a tin a day across two meals. As well as dry food when ever they ask for it.

I have 3 bowls of water out for them. One in the kitchen away from the food and two bowls outside (they seem to prefer the rain water).

Occasionally they get cat milk.

They also eat dreamies and some teeth friendly treats.

Tins much better for the environment as it's really complicated to recycle the pouches.

I found a website about making cat food but it's quite complicated as you need to include some ground up bones as well as organs and meat.

Sometimes if a cat doesn't like the food, if you warm it up a little it smells better and then they'll eat it.

Oh and I think I read that jelly was better for teeth than gravy. Just FYI.

What's the best kibble? In terms of a match between good for cats but isn't too expensive?

Wet food is 80% moisture and just not cost effective at all. Buy a big bag of dry kibble. Perhaps not their favourite but is nutritionally complete and much cheaper

@YetAnotherSpartacus

I don't get why people do this. Somewhere there is a heartbroken family worried sick about their cat

Fuckers should have neutered it and looked after it then shouldn't they?

Chances are it was a stray and the OP has done the right thing by looking after it.

And people who didn't understand her post should have paid more attention in Eng. Lit., particularly to the weeks on metaphor.

Agree with this.

I understood the OP.
It is unlikely that a vet would operate on a cat without checking for a chip first. He is better off than he would be if he was left to wander. If someone is missing their pet they should put posters up, notify vets, social media, and get him neutered and chipped. Otherwise he needs to be where he is now, where he is looked after.

We have 2 cats, and they go through a Tescos tin (we also just lid it and feed later, although they don't mind the fridge), and a couple hundred grams of minced beef (with bone meal) a day. Pouches would bankrupt us! (they get them as a treat sometimes, like cat pate and dreamies - but they're very easy going so far)

How do you/your cats feel about a bit of raw food diet? 3 quid of mince covers 3 days when supplemented with the tins, and the cats really enjoy it.

@TreestumpsAndTrampolines could you tell me/us more about the raw food and bonemeal diet please?

What are the benefits?
What are the negatives?

You use tins. Pouches are twice the price for half the food. And terrible plastic waste.

That's fine if your cat will eat anything that comes in a tin, mine won't! It's James Wellbeloved or nothing for him. While I feel guilty about the plastic there's not a lot I can do.

I have yet to find a cat that really likes Butchers unless they are starving (stray). I thought it was the tin that put them off, but they like the little tins of shredded chicken etc and Gourmet tins so must be the Butchers, although other larger tins didn't work either. I decant it rather than leave it in the tin and they still aren't keen.

I would try different brands of tins and try and find one they find acceptable, although ive noticed a lot of places dont sell tins anymore.

Between 4 cats, you dont need to fridge it. Thats quarter of a tin each and then they can have dried food for the other meal

mine will tolerate asda tiger cat food in tins. Waitrose tins and sometimes the aldi chicken one (not the salmon)
None of the others unfortunately and ive tried quite a few.

Stop stealing cats? That’d bring the cost down...

Theft of cats is fair game apparently, if they're not neutered.

Ours are still under 1, and growing, so we use this:

www.amazon.co.uk/AniForte-Meat-Bone-Meal-500g/dp/B06XKM3R2X/ref=sr_1_15?dchild=1&keywords=bone+meal&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1594823458&sr=8-15

Mixed in the recommended amount in with 5-10% fat minced beef, which has been frozen for at least 48 hours to kill off eggs etc. This is what the lady we got them from fed all her cats, like us with the occasional tin.

Ours seem to be thriving on it - not had any tummy upsets ever, beautiful coats, growing well but not getting fat, healthy amount of wee (despite not drinking water!)

Christ Almighty what's with the outbreak of twattishness on this thread?

It was an unneutered, unchipped (that would have been checked when he was neutered) male. There are literally millions of stray and feral cats in the UK and the vast, vast majority are unneutered males. This is either because they are thrown out when they start to spray or, more likely, they go chasing females, often over huge distances, and then can't find their way home. The chances of that cat having a home are very, very remote. The chances of that cat have a caring and responsible home are zero, as then it would have been chipped and neutered.

Anyway, OP, I have many times the number of cats you do and they all get fed Butcher's Classic cans and James Wellbeloved dry (which I buy in huge sacks). Would they prefer pouches? Absolutely. Do they eat the canned food? Yes they do.

Ihopeyourcakeisshit anyone who lets an unneutered cat out to roam should not have pets. Also, it may well have been a stray looking for a home - should the OP have told him to piss off just in case he had an irresponsible owner who was looking for him? Unneutered, no microchip = fair game.