Feeding cats

[minesatea]

Hello
What’s the best for feeding cats? We are currently giving dry in the morning then wet in the evening. Is this enough?
They are nearly 5 months old. Not neutered yet as advised they need to be 2kg and not that weight yet.
Photo attached!

Thanks

Firstly of course they can be neutered. They should be done at 4 months regardless of weight (unless they are severely underweight for their size). Our vets neuter at 1kg. So go to another vet if you can find one.

Whether or not it's enough food depends probably on how fat/thin they seem. They should be offered as much food as they want when they're still growing. What sort of dry are you feeding?

Thanks will check with another vet. Giving them dry whiskas

You should change the dry food to something better. Whiskas is at best at bit crap, with lots of additives and not much nutritional value, and at worse could kill your cats.

Cheap dry food (Whiskas, Go Cat etc) has been linked to urinary crystals and blocked bladders in male cats, and this is something that kills. It's something to do with higher magnesium levels in cheap dry food.

So go for something of at least the quality of Purina One, or maybe James Wellbeloved, Arden Grange - basically it's the price that flags the quality so it's very easy to know what to avoid.

I didn’t know that thanks. Will change the dry food. Any recommendations for the wet one

The wet ones don't really matter that much. They don't have the same problems. Whatever they like I'm sure is fine.

Mine just gets dry food in a bowl, topped up whenever he runs out.

Arden Grange is good, and well priced. I've 6 cats, they all like it - they have the chicken and potato grain free kibble. They have that available to them all the time, and also get a wet pouch or 4 between them as a treat every day.

I mainly only give mine dry, I use whiskas and go cat and even Tesco’s one and have never had any trouble with them, I am only buying ones that are readily Available at the shops as I’m not traipsing all over for special food, never had any problems with them.

@PumpkinKlNG

I mainly only give mine dry, I use whiskas and go cat and even Tesco’s one and have never had any trouble with them, I am only buying ones that are readily Available at the shops as I’m not traipsing all over for special food, never had any problems with them.

Are they male or female? If they are male then you really are risking their lives. Of course not every male cat fed on a diet of just cheap dry food will get a blocked bladder, just as not everyone who smokes 40 a day will end up with lung cancer, but the link and the risk is there none the less.

A blocked bladder will cost a lot more (assuming he survives) than a few extra pounds on a decent food would cost you over his lifetime. And supermarkets also sell some decent food.

fair enough it’s a female cat

Oh FFS, you are not killing your bloody cat by giving it Whiskss!

@Mybalconyiscracking

Oh FFS, you are not killing your bloody cat by giving it Whiskss!

There have been quite a lot of studies done on the link between cheap dry food and urinary crystals in male cats. It is apparently to do with the higher magnesium levels in cheap dry food. Blocked bladders kill cats. Cheap dry food is a risk factor for male cats.

Our clinic gets at least two blocked bladders through our doors every day. It's horrible. Many die before they get to us. Some die anyway. Anything an owner can do to reduce that risk is worth doing.

Is Harrington's crap ?

@whatagloriousthingtobe

Is Harrington's crap ?

I actually don't know the answer to that. It's reasonably cheap but the packaging looks a bit more upmarket:) It's something I've wondered myself. There is a probably a way to compare magnesium content. I haven't done that.

Mine has two Felix sachets each day. She has wet food because she doesn't drink water. I can't remember how old she is, but probably elderly.

My cats like the Royal Canine dried food. They do various types. I think this is a mid range dried food. I pay around £18 for a 2 kg bag.

Is Harrington's crap ?

My cat thinks it is.

@urbanbuddha

Is Harrington's crap ?

My cat thinks it is.

Actually mine do too. I've occasionally been given it and it doesn't go down well.

I think Iams dry cat food is reasonable quality and just bought some in Morrisons at £8 for a 2kg that normally costs £11.

*2kg bag

I feed natures menu wet, mine did eat some dry but he only has one tooth now! I try and feed the best quality grain free I can
He's previously had a blood clot blocking his bladder and then got triaditis which he was SO unwell with so I'm really cautious with food
I figure as close to natures food as possible so lots of meat stuff and he gets some raw (turkey mince or Purrform) and the odd bit of roast chicken!

Also better quality food = a nicer litter tray usually! I took a rescue cat in and my god the stench no idea what they had been feeding him but after a few days it was much much better
My cat kept going in the room and looking at his litter tray and doing a face of "ew"

We get purizon dry from zooplus. Cat loves it and sack last ages as good quality high meat content which he grazes on. Wet we have natures menu or lily's kitchen.
My cat was castrated at 15 weeks old and no issues.

Get them fixed now! My tiny rescue cat was pregnant at 4.5 months when I adopted her...

Feed a mix of high quality dry food (eg Science Diet or Iams) plus any wet food they like.

Exclusive dry diet can lead to kidney problems in later life.