Iams Iams Iams. We have two cats. One is a total tramp, will eat anything, including feathers which she digs out of the mattress. The other is a snooty fecker who refuses to eat the crappy ham we buy them as a treat if it is fridge cold. Both will happily eat Iams. It’s a little pricey but well worth it considering we used to have at least three varieties of cat food on the go. I get it in Dunnes and they always empty the bowl.
As for dry V wet food; it’s the difference between a good steak and a big mac. We gave snooty cat wet food once and he took it to his litter tray and buried it! When we got tramp cat she had been fed on wet food and she farted like nobodies business. Our cats get boiled turkey thigh meat and crappy ham as a treat. Tramp cat also likes an egg yolk any time I’m making scrambled eggs or an omlette (I only eat one egg yolk now instead of two). Her coat would nearly make me reconsider wearing fur.
As for the litter, get crystals. Again, it’s a bit more expensive, but you change it less often. The two cats use the same tray thank God, and it only needs changing once a week.
My cat doesn’t like moist food. In fact, she does expensive dried food called Eagle Pack. We tried her on IAMS for a while, then heard some horror stories (sorry previous commenter!) about it’s preparation. We then moved on to another dried food Orijen, which we thankfully only used for a very short while…next time we went to the vet to pick up some we were told it was withdrawn due to the irradiation they did to import it into Australia, and the fact it was crippling and killing cats. Glad we found out, then!
So, Eagle Pack it is. I’ve already sourced a supplier for when we move back to NI. I know she’s spoiled rotten. Good dried food is perfectly ok as long at your cat has plenty of fresh water.
Mind you, she prefers hummous & pesto to chicken and tuna. She’s an odd one (says the crazy cat lady)! As long as you don’t let them have chocolate or grapes, both of which can be fatal. And I second the crystals – much easier.
Crystals eh..has anyone heard of cat litter that you throw in to the compost bin once you have flushed the sh*t down the loo? I live in the country and would save having to bring it to the dump with my other general waste.
Claire, I could never figure out why my cat would sometimes eat ham and other times not – fridge cold ham – Christ cats are fussy..fussy pussy.
Never really occurred to me before but the fridge thing makes sense now that I think about it… I suppose the odd time that our cats actually catch their own meat (i.e. slow birds and mice) it generally comes slightly warm!
I was feeding some strays last year and thought I’d look for info about feeding cats online. I quickly realised that the internet is full of crazy cat people who say things like ‘milk will give your cat bad dreams!!!’.
Also, I once saw a man throw a minor tantrum in my local Centra because they didn’t have enough choice on their cat food shelf. They had at least 8 different types of cat food.
regarding heating up cat food: my dad used to keep birds of prey, who were much pickier about the temperature of their food. every morning he’d have to take a frozen dead baby chick from the freezer, plonk it in the microwave, and stick it on for a couple of minutes — not long enough for the eyes to pop, though. UGH.
…. so: it’s just as well the cats aren’t that picky.
My cats always have GoCat dry food. They won’t touch Iams, kitekat or whiskas. I heard once that GoCat has an addictive additive & thant’s why cats refuse everything else once they’ve had GoCat. Don’t know if it’s true but I’m happy enough. My cats LOVE it & it’s reasonably priced.
This chat has come like a revelation, our prize princess cat like aforementioned puttys will under no circumstances eat cold ham, has recently decided not to eat wet food and I thought it was just our monarch but obviously all you cat slaves have the same problem. thank you!!!
recently put our cat ‘mouse’ onto iams dry food she wasnt that keen at first but now eats it no prob, litter tray smells less and before i was going through 4 sachets of food a day, she seems much more satisfied, also she only drinks water , wont touch milk, as a treat she gets a tin of sardines does wonders for her coat.
Wet food is sent directly from the devil. Its fast food for cats.
Not food related, but if you haven’t already, give your cat some catnip. Depending on if the cat likes it, it can be very funny to watch your pet go mental for the stuff.
I feed my kitty raw meat (chicken, turkey, lamb etc..) it is best for them, as cats are obligate carnivore..
I totally agree with Claire – cats eat food by smell. they don’t have much taste but if it smells nice to them or remind them of their natural environment (like hunting mice, preys etc…), then they will eat.
I am against dry food and particularly Iams (they test crazy on animals).
Always check the content of protein – the higher it is the better it is for kitty..
I used to give my cats a tin of tuna every day but I stopped because of the mercury in larger fish. It isn’t a good idea to give it to them on a constant basis as the mercury could kill them.
Smaller fish are safer as the species the less mercury. Big fish eat smaller fish who have eaten smaller fish and so on so the build up is higher.
I’m looking to buy a big bag of go-cat, as I have three cats and a dog to feed. Anyone know where I could get it besides DSPCA, who when charging for post the price is higher.
Don’t give your cat ham of any kind. Ham, sausages salami are all full of Cancer causing nitrates and nitrites.
They only come into my house as an occasional treat. One of my cats jumps up on the work top when I open the fridge hoping to get a bit of something nice.
You have to be careful of preserved meats as they are also full of salt which eventually causes kidney failure in cats and dogs.
I just found this discussion on surfing for some info on the best cat food. I have four residents royal cats and one stray who comes every other day for a bit of nosh. I always feed my royalty on Aldi pouches, because if I give them anything else, noses are turned up and they refuse to eat it. They will also eat Lidl pouches. This is fine except their poo smells awful. Only one of them uses a litter tray, a five month old abandoned blue burmese, I am very sure that he is a pure bred, he has an attitude, and he sometimes eats Royal Canin dry. He LOVES Aldi pouches but won’t touch the tinned variety. None of my cats will eat Whiskas, Felix or Kite Kat. They will all devour packet roast beef and of course any titbits like chicken, beef and lamb that we have ourselves for dinner. My hubby can’t stand the smell of the wet food, but I feel it is cruel at six years plus to change over. I would like to know some nutritional information on Aldi and Lidl pouches, but it all is gobbledegook to me. I have had cats dying of liver and kidney dysfunction in the past and the vet always blamed wet cat food. It is certainly a catch 22, if they love it and won’t touch anything else, what can I do? IAMs will be eaten by one of my gingers and the tortie but not the other ginger and the burmese. Oh… us cat slaves.
The only food that i have ever given my cat is Royal Canin, and that’s because of my experience with my Labrador who for many years suffered with arthritis, only a week on Royal Canin and she was back to her old self, and whenever we run out the arthritis comes back.
i know dogs and cats are different but if their research has been able to get rid of arthritis in a dog i trust that they’re able to achieve as much with their cat food, and from my own research and enquires i think i’d have to choose either Roayl Canin or Iams. If you prefer to give your cats wet food i would recommend supplementing it with dry food, as the combination is better for their digestion and there is usually far more essential nutrients in dry food compared to the wet food alternative, even with the premium brands.
Tuesday 2 February, 2010 at 12:45 pm
I always get the one with the highest protein content, so that the cat will be less inclined to catch garden birds.
Tuesday 2 February, 2010 at 12:47 pm
Cats! My specialist topic.
Iams Iams Iams. We have two cats. One is a total tramp, will eat anything, including feathers which she digs out of the mattress. The other is a snooty fecker who refuses to eat the crappy ham we buy them as a treat if it is fridge cold. Both will happily eat Iams. It’s a little pricey but well worth it considering we used to have at least three varieties of cat food on the go. I get it in Dunnes and they always empty the bowl.
As for dry V wet food; it’s the difference between a good steak and a big mac. We gave snooty cat wet food once and he took it to his litter tray and buried it! When we got tramp cat she had been fed on wet food and she farted like nobodies business. Our cats get boiled turkey thigh meat and crappy ham as a treat. Tramp cat also likes an egg yolk any time I’m making scrambled eggs or an omlette (I only eat one egg yolk now instead of two). Her coat would nearly make me reconsider wearing fur.
As for the litter, get crystals. Again, it’s a bit more expensive, but you change it less often. The two cats use the same tray thank God, and it only needs changing once a week.
Tuesday 2 February, 2010 at 2:25 pm
My cat doesn’t like moist food. In fact, she does expensive dried food called Eagle Pack. We tried her on IAMS for a while, then heard some horror stories (sorry previous commenter!) about it’s preparation. We then moved on to another dried food Orijen, which we thankfully only used for a very short while…next time we went to the vet to pick up some we were told it was withdrawn due to the irradiation they did to import it into Australia, and the fact it was crippling and killing cats. Glad we found out, then!
So, Eagle Pack it is. I’ve already sourced a supplier for when we move back to NI. I know she’s spoiled rotten. Good dried food is perfectly ok as long at your cat has plenty of fresh water.
Mind you, she prefers hummous & pesto to chicken and tuna. She’s an odd one (says the crazy cat lady)! As long as you don’t let them have chocolate or grapes, both of which can be fatal. And I second the crystals – much easier.
Tuesday 2 February, 2010 at 2:53 pm
Crystals eh..has anyone heard of cat litter that you throw in to the compost bin once you have flushed the sh*t down the loo? I live in the country and would save having to bring it to the dump with my other general waste.
Claire, I could never figure out why my cat would sometimes eat ham and other times not – fridge cold ham – Christ cats are fussy..fussy pussy.
Tuesday 2 February, 2010 at 2:59 pm
Never really occurred to me before but the fridge thing makes sense now that I think about it… I suppose the odd time that our cats actually catch their own meat (i.e. slow birds and mice) it generally comes slightly warm!
Tuesday 2 February, 2010 at 3:43 pm
Good point Aidan, only thing; why do they eat cold tuna? I think they just like to keep us on our toes.
Tuesday 2 February, 2010 at 3:51 pm
I was feeding some strays last year and thought I’d look for info about feeding cats online. I quickly realised that the internet is full of crazy cat people who say things like ‘milk will give your cat bad dreams!!!’.
Also, I once saw a man throw a minor tantrum in my local Centra because they didn’t have enough choice on their cat food shelf. They had at least 8 different types of cat food.
In conclusion, people who like cats are insane. 😉
Tuesday 2 February, 2010 at 4:07 pm
Jean, you obviously have never spent the night with a cat in a huff. Im telling you, hell hath no fury like a cat that doesn’t like his dinner.
Tuesday 2 February, 2010 at 4:12 pm
regarding heating up cat food: my dad used to keep birds of prey, who were much pickier about the temperature of their food. every morning he’d have to take a frozen dead baby chick from the freezer, plonk it in the microwave, and stick it on for a couple of minutes — not long enough for the eyes to pop, though. UGH.
…. so: it’s just as well the cats aren’t that picky.
Tuesday 2 February, 2010 at 4:56 pm
CATS ON SMACK. What a funny picture I have in my head right now. That is so fetch.
Tuesday 2 February, 2010 at 5:27 pm
Kinky. LOL.
Wednesday 3 February, 2010 at 10:39 am
Cats eat by smell, if they like the smell, they’ll eat it. Cold fod hasn’t as much of an aroma as room temperature food. See?
Wednesday 3 February, 2010 at 4:31 pm
My cats always have GoCat dry food. They won’t touch Iams, kitekat or whiskas. I heard once that GoCat has an addictive additive & thant’s why cats refuse everything else once they’ve had GoCat. Don’t know if it’s true but I’m happy enough. My cats LOVE it & it’s reasonably priced.
Wednesday 3 February, 2010 at 4:37 pm
This chat has come like a revelation, our prize princess cat like aforementioned puttys will under no circumstances eat cold ham, has recently decided not to eat wet food and I thought it was just our monarch but obviously all you cat slaves have the same problem. thank you!!!
Wednesday 3 February, 2010 at 5:49 pm
recently put our cat ‘mouse’ onto iams dry food she wasnt that keen at first but now eats it no prob, litter tray smells less and before i was going through 4 sachets of food a day, she seems much more satisfied, also she only drinks water , wont touch milk, as a treat she gets a tin of sardines does wonders for her coat.
Thursday 4 February, 2010 at 1:28 pm
Wet food is sent directly from the devil. Its fast food for cats.
Not food related, but if you haven’t already, give your cat some catnip. Depending on if the cat likes it, it can be very funny to watch your pet go mental for the stuff.
Monday 8 February, 2010 at 6:21 pm
Rercy I use a cat litter that can be flushed down the loo and it has made such a difference to my lift, and
hopefully my puddy tats.
It’s called Worlds Best and I get a large bag every few months from my local pet store but a few online retailers will deliver it;
http://www.zooplus.ie/shop/cats/cat_litter/worlds_best_cat_litter/136598
Sunday 7 March, 2010 at 12:05 am
I feed my kitty raw meat (chicken, turkey, lamb etc..) it is best for them, as cats are obligate carnivore..
I totally agree with Claire – cats eat food by smell. they don’t have much taste but if it smells nice to them or remind them of their natural environment (like hunting mice, preys etc…), then they will eat.
I am against dry food and particularly Iams (they test crazy on animals).
Always check the content of protein – the higher it is the better it is for kitty..
Friday 8 July, 2011 at 3:42 pm
I used to give my cats a tin of tuna every day but I stopped because of the mercury in larger fish. It isn’t a good idea to give it to them on a constant basis as the mercury could kill them.
Smaller fish are safer as the species the less mercury. Big fish eat smaller fish who have eaten smaller fish and so on so the build up is higher.
I’m looking to buy a big bag of go-cat, as I have three cats and a dog to feed. Anyone know where I could get it besides DSPCA, who when charging for post the price is higher.
Friday 8 July, 2011 at 3:56 pm
Don’t give your cat ham of any kind. Ham, sausages salami are all full of Cancer causing nitrates and nitrites.
They only come into my house as an occasional treat. One of my cats jumps up on the work top when I open the fridge hoping to get a bit of something nice.
You have to be careful of preserved meats as they are also full of salt which eventually causes kidney failure in cats and dogs.
Thursday 1 December, 2011 at 8:47 am
I just found this discussion on surfing for some info on the best cat food. I have four residents royal cats and one stray who comes every other day for a bit of nosh. I always feed my royalty on Aldi pouches, because if I give them anything else, noses are turned up and they refuse to eat it. They will also eat Lidl pouches. This is fine except their poo smells awful. Only one of them uses a litter tray, a five month old abandoned blue burmese, I am very sure that he is a pure bred, he has an attitude, and he sometimes eats Royal Canin dry. He LOVES Aldi pouches but won’t touch the tinned variety. None of my cats will eat Whiskas, Felix or Kite Kat. They will all devour packet roast beef and of course any titbits like chicken, beef and lamb that we have ourselves for dinner. My hubby can’t stand the smell of the wet food, but I feel it is cruel at six years plus to change over. I would like to know some nutritional information on Aldi and Lidl pouches, but it all is gobbledegook to me. I have had cats dying of liver and kidney dysfunction in the past and the vet always blamed wet cat food. It is certainly a catch 22, if they love it and won’t touch anything else, what can I do? IAMs will be eaten by one of my gingers and the tortie but not the other ginger and the burmese. Oh… us cat slaves.
Sunday 19 February, 2012 at 3:21 pm
The only food that i have ever given my cat is Royal Canin, and that’s because of my experience with my Labrador who for many years suffered with arthritis, only a week on Royal Canin and she was back to her old self, and whenever we run out the arthritis comes back.
i know dogs and cats are different but if their research has been able to get rid of arthritis in a dog i trust that they’re able to achieve as much with their cat food, and from my own research and enquires i think i’d have to choose either Roayl Canin or Iams. If you prefer to give your cats wet food i would recommend supplementing it with dry food, as the combination is better for their digestion and there is usually far more essential nutrients in dry food compared to the wet food alternative, even with the premium brands.