Stress of obtaining specialist food 😩

[IHS]

My middle cat is on hydrolysed protein biscuits because she has a serious gastrointestinal problem. She won't eat the wet food.It's getting more difficult to obtain though 😢 I ordered some from zooplus, but they sent dog food. Then, I ordered a bag from pet planet, but they haven't despatched it and I'm still chasing. I used to order via pets at home, but they took 10 days to get it to me last time so I gave up on them. eBay sellers send me dog food or nothing at all if I order via them. I'm so fed up.

I've had to buy a bag from the vets just now and I cost me nearly £50 😭 I usually pay about £37, but Christmas is nearly here and I'm terrified I run out. Two weeks I've been trying to get this stuff. It's not sold in any shop. I should have stocked up.

Anyone else have similar problems? Where do you order from?

Have you tried websites like VioVet or PetDrugsOnline?

Not yet. I could try those next.

Which food is it?

Royal Canin Hypoallergenic Dry Cat Food

How much are you buying at a time? It's available on Amazon and VioVet but it's expensive - £55 for a large bag, or £33-ish for a smaller one.

I used to order from Animed, and their prices were good. They are a small company and used to answer the phone and be helpful, too. On the downside, they sometimes took too long to process orders, but I think that was a problem with a new computer system...
I haven't ordered from them in about 18 months because I moved away from the UK, but they are definitely worth looking at.

I usually buy a bag when I have about two weeks of biscuits left. I can't afford to buy a few in as it's so expensive. I need a reliable source.

I only ever buy the 2.5kg bags as the larger ones go stale and she refuses to eat stale bix. Perhaps I need to stick a few bags on the credit card and stockpile a bit.

Zooplus have been great, no issues so I suggest trying them. They always deliver fast

I have a cat on a specialist diet too and the reality is that it is expensive - I shop around each month but I've never paid less than £33 and lately it's been closer to £40 a bag.

I would buy a bigger bag (better value long term) and decant it into an airtight container.

i get James Wellbeloved hypoallergenic for my cats, I think they do one for dogs too. It’s much cheaper and you can normally get discount codes to buy it too.

Will she eat plain poached chicken? My cat isn't big on most commercial wet foods and they don't agree with him but plain chicken is fine. Or a bit of canned tuna in spring water.

In terms of dry food, he has done well with Applaws chicken - it doesn't have grains and fillers, which upsets sensitive tummies. But that kind of no filler, grain free dry food might work, if in a pinch.

She has to be on hydrolysed protein I'm afraid. She can't tolerate anything else.

I buy the giant bags of royal canin. Mine are on the Sensible one because we used to have a cat with stomach issues and it's what the two we have left are used to.

I fill one of those cereal Tupperware containers to feed them day to day and reseal the big bag. I only need to open it once every week or two and it stays fresh. One of the cats wont eat dry food that's been out for more than 12 hours (I find her staring at the half-full bowl like she's starving) so I think she'd tell me if the food went bad.

I so sympathise, OP! My Phoebe's on Royal Canin Anallergenic Dry and it costs a small fortune - at least it's not currently hard to get here in Australia. But at $109 for 4kg (that's the cheapest price), ouch.

Have you tried an independent pet shop?

Mine has ordered things in for me before.