#31
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Mia,I don't know why you got in a huff,you already have some very good ideas of good dry food.such as Wellness and Orijen,also Evo,I believe.
My cats eat some dry,not much,mostly for treats. My Chico is not a good canned food eater,eats just a little,he has a little bowl of dried just for him.
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"The cruelest animal is the Human animal" 3 kitties,Rocky(r.i.p my boy),Chico,Vinnie |
#32
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But Mia, you asked for opinions - those that feed dry gave you options, and those that don't believe in dry told you their thoughts on why canned is best.
If someone is against feeding dry food, it is their opinion that there isn't a good dry food Everyone is entitled to make their own choices - to do the research and figure out what works best for them. Sugarcatmom is kind of our resident guru when it comes to cat nutrition - she had done a lot of research before she came to her conclusions as to what to feed her cat. I believe you got your answers for dry food directly, and some options in case you wanted to go another way. I'm not sure what else you're looking for. Anyway, if you are leaving for good, we'd be sorry to see you go, and I hope she continues to do well on the food you're feeding her.
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Taken over by: Jake - grey DSH (Aug '98) Alley - spazzy grey tabby (Aug '07) |
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u try Evo?
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Pastafarians Unite! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8z1buym2xUM Swift Tribe- Chris- Husband, 04/30/77 Cailyn- Daughter, 07/05/99 Jeffrey- Son, 03/24/06 Alex- Son, 03/25/09 Mister- Black LabX, M, 08/06(?) The Shadow Stalker- Gray Tux DSH, M, 04/04 The Mighty Hunter- Black Tux DSH, M, 04/04 Baby Girl- Tabby DMH, F, 12/03(?) Frances- Tortie, DSH, F, 2007(?) |
#34
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I'd be happy to recommend some dry foods for the interim, to help you transition to wet. But I was responding to your determination that dry food should be a permanent part of your cat's diet, which is not something I agree with. I understand your frustration, I've been there. My 2 cats ate dry Science Diet Light for most of their lives and because of that, I now have one with diabetes and one that's dead. It took me about a year to eliminate all the dry from the surviving cat's diet, but when I finally did, he lost 2 pounds, his insulin requirements dropped from 4.5 units twice a day to 1.5 units, and even with diabetes, he's healthier than he's ever been (glossy, dandruff free-coat that hardly sheds, amazing energy for a 15 yr old, and his semi-annual lab results are "fabulous"). Yes, I'm preachy. So what. On other forums I belong to, I see again and again the harm that dry food does to cats, and it makes me cry. Of course people will say "ya, but my mom's/cousin's/friend's cat lived to 22 and all it ate was Cat Chow". And George Burn's lived to 100 smoking 10 cigars a day and drinking whisky, that doesn't mean we all should. There's a big difference between a cat "surviving" and "thriving". Personally, I'd vote for thriving.
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"To close your eyes will not ease another's pain." ~ Chinese Proverb “We must not refuse to see with our eyes what they must endure with their bodies.” ~ Gretchen Wyler |
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Mia, I agree with everyone's comments. Bit, if you want a good kibble to supplement with, I would recommend Orijen.
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#36
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LOL, that was a joke about refusing to do canned. I tried and tried to get people to leave the canned food thing alone and couldn't get them to,,,,,,,, that was one of my attempts at steering the conversation back to topic which is, out of dry foods, which I KNOW are 'not good' in general,,,,,,ah, forget it. I've made myself clear, people just can't see it. I wish this forum was moderated. I WILL TRY TO START OVER, JUST FOR FUN: I AM TRANSITIONING TO CANNED. I HAVE READ ALL THE STUFF, I AM ON A MISSION OVER HERE. I WORK FROM HOME AND GET UP FROM MY DESK 14 TIMES A DAY TO DO THE TRICKS THAT GET HER TO EAT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE OF THE (GRAIN-FREE, PREMIUM!) CANNED FOOD. SHE WILL NOT EAT MORE THAN A CERTAIN AMOUNT AT THIS TIME. FOR NOW, JUST FOR NOW, MIND YOU, I HAVE TO FEED SOME DRY AND I'D LIKE IT TO BE THE BEST A DRY FOOD CAN BE,,,,,, DEFICIENT AS ALL DRY FOODS ARE,,,,,,,, THERE ARE SOME THAT ARE FAR WORSE THAN OTHERS. |
#37
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When I have a premium, recommended food in my hand, my next job is to determine if the specifics of it's ingredients match the needs of my particular cat. That is what I came here to do. Discuss the specifics of this brand for her. I am not as mad as I sound, I am frustrated. If there is to be any amount of dry in her diet at all, I would like it to be the best for her that it can be. It is not helpful to continue to repeat things I already know, have agreed with, and stated I am working on! What is helpful is helping me dissect these dry foods given her age and condition (good, that I know of!) I thank each and every person that has posted to help me in that direction She had geriatric work-ups every year. Whatever the MOST amount of tests that can be done, that is what she gets. I do not remember the specifics right now, but I took the lab reports and researched what they mean,,,,, she is A #1 on every count. What I want is to keep it that way. I come here seeking the fellow pet-lovers who have been at this longer than I. I just think there are a few fanatics who seem to prefer she just eat crappy dry until I get her onto canned, in their quest to convince me of something I already know. It's like saying 'no, I will not discuss whether salad at McDonald's is better for you than french fries. All McDonalds is bad and there is no point to discussing which items are better than others. If you won't agree to stop eating at McDonalds, I will not discuss food with you. |
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*cough* .....ahem, I hate to keep repeating myself, but have you considered supplementing with a grain-free kibble like Orijen?
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#39
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Innova EVO has also been suggested. It's another grain-free kibble (the first) that lots of cats like, but in your case, given your cat's age, I think it's too high in phosphorus for the long-term. However, as a transition food, and in small amounts (it's also very high in calories), it would absolutely be better than most other dry options. As would any of the grain-free ones. If it's just a matter of finding something your cat likes, ask for lots of sample bags when you go to the store. Some others to look for: Nature's Variety Raw Instinct (don't let the name fool you, it's actually kibble). But it's even higher in phosphorus than EVO (but lower in calories). There are a few newer ones like Solid Gold Indigo Moon and Merrick just came out with their B.G. grain-free line. I don't know what the specs are on those. As for getting your kitty to eat more canned, have you tried pulverizing her favourite dry and sprinkling it on top? Love4himies already brought up the tip of powdered freeze-dried treats like Real Food Toppers or Halo Liv-a-Littles. Parmesan cheese works for some cats. Maybe tuna or sardine juice. You might also need to rotate flavours and/or brands of canned more, if you aren't already (for some reason, cats get bored of the same wet flavour much faster than they do dry). What I used to do with my guy was feed him a little less than 1/4 cup of dry (EVO) twice a day at the same time. I would also put some wet down beside it. Usually he'd finish the dry first, and maybe have a few nibbles of wet in between. But I would leave the wet out all day until the next meal. Yes, I threw out a lot. Ever so slowly, I gave him less and less dry. And ever so slowly, he was eating more and more canned. At one point, I was seriously down to 1 teaspoon of dry twice a day. It was a bribe to get him excited about meals, cause boy did he love his kibble. Once he finished those few measly pieces and realized he was still hungry, he'd move on to the wet. It took me a long time to eventually wean him off even those 2 teaspoons, but we've been dry-free for 2 years now (I feel like I'm at an AA meeting). He currently free-feeds on a large variety of canned and raw. Anyway, it was not my intention for this discussion to turn adversarial. I do want to help. It's just that when someone says they must feed their cat kibble (joking aside), I feel compelled to explain why they shouldn't. Good for you for working towards more wet food, that's more than most people even consider. Peace?
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"To close your eyes will not ease another's pain." ~ Chinese Proverb “We must not refuse to see with our eyes what they must endure with their bodies.” ~ Gretchen Wyler |
#40
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Right now we are testing Wellness Complete Health: Salmon, Salmon Meal, Whitefish Meal, Rice, Ground Barley, Ground Rice, Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols, a natural source of Vitamin E), Deboned Turkey, NatUral Chicken Flavor, NatUral Fish Flavor, Cranberries, Olive Oil, Chicory Root Extract, Cranberry Extract Powder, Cranberry Fiber, Flaxseed, Potassium Chloride, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Thiamine Mononitrate, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Beta-Carotene, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D-3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin B-12 Supplement), Choline Chloride, Minerals (Zinc Proteinate, Zinc Sulfate, Iron Proteinate, Ferrous Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Manganese Sulfate, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), Yucca Schidigera Extract, Dried Kelp, Glucosamine Hydrochloride, Chondroitin Sulfate, Lactobacillus Plantarum, Enterococcus Faecium, lactobacillus Casei, lactobacillus Acidophilus, Taurine, Rosemary Extract. This is a naturally preserved product. Guaranteed Analysis Crude Protein Not Less Than 36.0% Crude Fat Not Less Than 18.0% Crude Fiber Not More Than 3.0% Moisture Not More Than 11.0% Ash Not More Than 6.5% Magnesium Not More Than 0.098% Vitamin E Not Less Than 300 IU/kg Taurine Not Less Than 0.2% Omega 6 (Linoleic Acid) Not Less Than 3.5% Omega 3 (Linoleic Acid)* Not Less Than 0.45% Total Micro-Organisms* Not Less Than 80,000,000 CFU/lb |
#41
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Many here have testified that it sometimes takes a long time to convert a cat, and imo she should eat the healthiest kibble during that process. As to specifics, my original concern was protein % in the 'Core'. All the grain-free foods mentioned here are concerning to me since phosphorous levels were raised. She is 16, I have to keep that in mind. update: she likes the Core AND the Wellness Complete Health :-) Last edited by Mia101; April 12th, 2008 at 02:00 AM. |
#42
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'Core': Calcium. Not More Than. 1.8%. Phosphorus, Not More Than, 1.45%
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Wellness canned: I'm not able to find the %'s for that. I do see it's in a pop-top can that can result in hyperthyroidism. Last edited by Mia101; April 12th, 2008 at 02:59 AM. |
#43
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You control her food, it is your responsibilty to feed her what is best. If she goes hungry and misses a meal or two it won't hurt her at all. (unless she has liver problems) It didn't Puddles, and like I said, she has some health issues. The hungrier she is, the more will she will be to accept new food. This is no different than controlling a childs food, would you feed them chocolate and chips all the time if they preferred it and refused to eat one meal? Try the freeze dried "Real Food Toppers" sprinkled on her food. You can get it in quality pet food stores. Grocery store brand foods spray acid on their kibble so kitties prefer it, not that it is better for them. Sugarcatmom and Growler are cat food genius's! Take their advice, it may add some years to your cat's life I did, and am so grateful! Good luck! We are here for you to support you through this change.
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Cat maid to: Rose semi feral, a cpietra rescue, female tabby (approx 13 yrs) Jasper RIP (2001-2018) Sweet Pea RIP (2004?-2014) Puddles RIP (1996-2014) Snowball RIP (1991-2005) In a cat's eye, all things belong to cats.-English Proverb “While we are free to choose our actions, we are not free to choose the consequences of our actions.” Stephen R. Covey |
#44
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Here's what I do about the phosphorus issue: there are a few high phosphorus foods (like canned By Nature Organics) that my cat really loves, so I just feed them intermittently. Other times he gets sufficiently low phosphorus, and I add a little extra water (couple teaspoons) to all his food to keep him well hydrated. If your cat is okay with it, I suggest adding water as well (not to the dry, just the canned). That's great. You can mix them or alternate or whatever. I like CORE because it's not as high in phosphorus as most other grain-free ones (338 mg per 100 cal - while EVO is 396mg/100cal and N.V. Instinct is 418mg/100cal). The Complete Health Salmon is even lower with 237mg/100cal, but the compromise there is that the carb content jumps up to 26% of calories. CORE is only 11% of calories. Orijen is somewhere in the middle with 15% carb calories and a little less phosphorus than CORE (don't know the exact value, just their min/max percentage). Quote:
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As for the pop-top/hyperthyroid link, it may not be as cut-and-dried as that. There appear to be many different risk factors for hyper-T, even kitty litter (6X greater risk) and possibly fire retardant dust particles. Here's some reading on the issue: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/en..._uids=15731835 http://www.marvistavet.com/html/thyr...oms_and_d.html Quote:
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"To close your eyes will not ease another's pain." ~ Chinese Proverb “We must not refuse to see with our eyes what they must endure with their bodies.” ~ Gretchen Wyler |
#45
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Mia, there is a food called Organics by Nature. It has no potatoes, grains or veggies in it. If you want to reduce carbs, you can mix this with other canned. I mix it with Sweet Pea's Wellness because she is overweight. If I don't have real meat to mix with her food, I use this, it seems to control her appetite very well. I emailed the company to confirm it is human grade meat used in this product.
http://www.bynaturepetfoods.com/prod...ccannedcat.php
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Cat maid to: Rose semi feral, a cpietra rescue, female tabby (approx 13 yrs) Jasper RIP (2001-2018) Sweet Pea RIP (2004?-2014) Puddles RIP (1996-2014) Snowball RIP (1991-2005) In a cat's eye, all things belong to cats.-English Proverb “While we are free to choose our actions, we are not free to choose the consequences of our actions.” Stephen R. Covey |
#46
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I agree, and I tried this - she will go three days without eating if she's refusing a food - I don't think I should take it further. I hardly think Wellness Complete Health kibble and 'Core' is comparable to feeding my child chips and candy. |
#47
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Thank you. I like this food, she doesn't. It's one of the many failed trials. She has taken to Wellness canned (but it's got a pop top!), the Complete Health, and the Core. We're making progress ;-) Sugarcatmom, thank you soooooooooo much, this is exactly the type of information I was seeking. The older kidneys not functioning as well, even if there are no lab tests to show it yet, is one of my huge concerns. I'm dedicated to ridding her of too many carbs, but I don't want to trade one evil for another. I need a jumping off place to narrow the field of what to study and research, and you've helped greatly! Last edited by Mia101; April 12th, 2008 at 06:43 PM. |
#48
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Oh I feel your pain and frustration! I agree 3 days is long. How about mixing half her old food and half of the food you would like to change her to?
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Cat maid to: Rose semi feral, a cpietra rescue, female tabby (approx 13 yrs) Jasper RIP (2001-2018) Sweet Pea RIP (2004?-2014) Puddles RIP (1996-2014) Snowball RIP (1991-2005) In a cat's eye, all things belong to cats.-English Proverb “While we are free to choose our actions, we are not free to choose the consequences of our actions.” Stephen R. Covey |
#49
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She picks what she wants and leaves the rest. She is a master at this. For two months, she consistently left the food she didn't like at the bottom of every single bowl. I fed it to the 'possums. I hope cat food is good for them. |
#50
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The pop-top can issue can be easily circumvented - once you open the can the lining is exposed to air which is what the concern is *the lining is the suspected cause* instead of leaving it in the can & putting the rest in the fridge, take it out & put it in either a glass dish covered w/plastic wrap or in a resealable plastic container such as Ziploc singles (I use these for Duffy's raw food). Here is my thread re: can lining & HyperT - which btw Duffy has been through & is cured but hers had nothing to do w/can linings, hers was a result of the deaths of my other cat, my dog & moving all within a 3 year time span - there are many many potential causes of HyperT. If you are concerned about Kidney Failure my thread here has a ton of info & links that may interest you. btw what is your cat's name?
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Avoid biting when a simple growl will do The Spirit Lives As Long As Someone Who Lives Remembers You - Navaho Saying |
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Mia, sounds like your kitty is the exact same as Puddles!!!! Oh I feel for you, girl!
Puddles doesn't like the Organics either, even if I mix a bit with her Wellness, well you know, she smells the slightest different smell in her food and she won't touch it. If I sprinkle some "Real Food Toppers" on it, I can fool her. She is not the one I am most concerned about carbs though, it is Sweet Pea, she is overweight due to ME not cutting back enough on her feedings as she was slowly weaning her kittens. She gained weight very quickly, but is now slowly loosing it. Mixing Organics (50%) with her Wellness helps control her appetite I find.
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Cat maid to: Rose semi feral, a cpietra rescue, female tabby (approx 13 yrs) Jasper RIP (2001-2018) Sweet Pea RIP (2004?-2014) Puddles RIP (1996-2014) Snowball RIP (1991-2005) In a cat's eye, all things belong to cats.-English Proverb “While we are free to choose our actions, we are not free to choose the consequences of our actions.” Stephen R. Covey |
#52
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Lov4himies,
I think that might make good use of the Sheba, I will try that when it's a wet food I'm trying to entice,,,,,,,, but I'm telling you, she is good. She can separate what she wants from the rest. If it is buried, she will simply forego it. Stubborn little thing. I have requested coupons and samples from all the best cat food companies. I'm headed for another rampage where I line them up and go at each one, taking notes as to how she reacts. I need some options other than the Wellness canned, as I'm sure she will tire of it. I may have the dry settled for now. It will take a while to get rid of the mix of Nutro, Welnness CH, and Core, ever decreasing the amount of Nutro. Especially only a handful at a time if she continues to eat as much canned as she is this week. Then I will be back analyzing the mix of *whatever* it all is, on all these different factors raised. I wonder if the cat has any idea how much I lover her, lol! The dog feels left out. Guess I'll have to upgrade her Canidae when I've got the cat settled ;-). Thanks everyone! Sorry I got so huffy |
#53
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You may be right, Mia, I mixed Fancy Feast with Puddle's Wellness. Puddles will only eat pate type food, I found she loves the Fromms, ch_duck_tuna and ch_duck_salmon so I mix a bit with her Wellness. She used to be a Fancy Feast addict and used to mix her Wellness with that before I discovered Fromms. If she eats Fancy Feast now, she vomits.
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Cat maid to: Rose semi feral, a cpietra rescue, female tabby (approx 13 yrs) Jasper RIP (2001-2018) Sweet Pea RIP (2004?-2014) Puddles RIP (1996-2014) Snowball RIP (1991-2005) In a cat's eye, all things belong to cats.-English Proverb “While we are free to choose our actions, we are not free to choose the consequences of our actions.” Stephen R. Covey |
#54
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The same here,mine were on Fancy Feast for years and loved it,but then I slowly started trying all kinds of food for my 3,they too will eat only pate-type,no slices or chunks.
The last tries were Eagle Pack,which they tired of in a week and now I feed them Wellness grain free,so far so good
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"The cruelest animal is the Human animal" 3 kitties,Rocky(r.i.p my boy),Chico,Vinnie |
#55
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I would love to put my cat Mishou on like an all natural diet or something along that lines, but shes so picky - I dont know how her last owner didnt catch on that was wasnt really eatting the food they were giving her (i kno because they game me some when I got her, no wonder she was skin and bones) I got her checked out her health is fine, shes just finnicky
Ive spent so much to just find food she will actually eat...and Ive got her on Iams original that seems to do the trick for her...she wont even eat treats or canned food...what kinda cat doesnt eat treats...but im gonna try plain cooked chiken as a treat and see how it works... |
#56
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I hope you switch from Iams! Iams is a great start - more meat, etc. But you're paying a premium price for a non-premium food. It's much better than the other stuff in the grocery store, but not good enough for what they charge. I had a hell of a time getting mine to switch (16 years of Iams!), but I think I've done it now. After a while many acclimate their taste buds to appreciate better foods, and will start rejecting junk food, as one poster above mentioned. I take away her dry food when I go to bed, and offer only canned when she wakes up hungry - this is how I got her to start eating some. |
#57
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Last edited by zarhad; April 13th, 2008 at 09:27 PM. |
#58
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What's funny (ironic, not ha-ha) is she used to want wet and only wet. That was when we were told it wasn't good for their teeth. So she got used to it only 1-2 times per week as a treat. I think she is coming back around now to the wet way of eating.
And yeah, zarhad, you are definitely not the only one. In fact I think most cats are this way. Dogs are so easy to change foods. It's a nightmare with some cats, but it can be done eventually! I think this is dry food #6 that she finally took to. And canned food # 187, lol, that's not a lot is it?
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Executive Assistant to the wonder-dog and super-cat :-) |
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Things are going so well! She's up to half a can of Wellness per day - only a handful of dry at night, and I feel OK about the dry mix, it will be even better when the nutro is phased out.
Whoopie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It just takes patience and persistence
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Executive Assistant to the wonder-dog and super-cat :-) |
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Mia,that's great
I just started mine on Wellness a couple of weeks ago and they eat it with gusto. Yesterday I bought 2 weeks worth of cans for 3 cats,all the different "no grain"varieties,a little pricey,but better than throwing food in the garbage
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"The cruelest animal is the Human animal" 3 kitties,Rocky(r.i.p my boy),Chico,Vinnie |
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