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Old cats Anonymous
This might be a dumb question, but when is a cat considered elderly? When do they need to switch to "senior" foods-- or do they really need to? I was just looking back at my cat's adoption papers today and realized she's 8 years old now. I know she's not old-old yet, but it also made me realize I don't really know what to do when she is.
>> Anonymous
http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/brochures/seniorcat.html

http://www.peteducation.com/category_summary.cfm?cls=1&cat=1387
>> Bitter Anon !!WJLRQ1cwCyZ
It depends on when they get old. Seriously.

If you have an 8 year old cat that has arthritis, sleeps way more than it used to, and is generally showing signs of age, it cant hurt to switch to senior food. On the other hand, I have seen 15 year old toms act like 2 year olds, running and being frisky. About 10 years is when you ought to consider weaning them to senior cat food, or just a higher quality 'normal' cat food and reducing their exercise. Remember, cats can live to be 20+ years old, though most don't make it past 15.
>> Anonymous
>>200445
Right now she's on Solid Gold, so would I not need to switch, since that's pretty high quality to begin with?
>> Anonymous
I feed mine Solid Gold, and though I'm wary it does say it is suited for all cat life stages on bag
>> Anonymous
>>200454
Yeah, I read that often times the higher quality brands are for all life stages. But like you, I'm skeptical.

Alright, new question: What do senior pet foods offer that regular adult foods don't? What's being changed about the nutrition level?
>> Anonymous
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You know there's still some people who dont know the cost of their Diabetes testing supplies may be covered by Medicare?
>> Bitter Anon !!WJLRQ1cwCyZ
>>200450
When you say "Solid Gold" do you mean the product listed here?
http://www.solidgoldhealth.com/products/showproduct.php?id=90&code=90
Because then no. You can do a LOT better. Its not going to kill your cat, but it is better than feeding it utter garbage, like 'Special Kitty', Fancy feast, and Friskies.

Go for Natural Balance if you can. That stuff is made of pure Win. If it werent' for Natural Balance, snailcat might have only dislike, and not pure haetred.

>>200454
Yeah and my mom thinks I'm dating my roomate. That doesn't make it true.
>> Anonymous
>>200457
Pretty sure it's not. It's this stuff. http://www.onlynaturalpet.com/products/Solid-Gold-Katz-n-Flocken-Lamb-Dry-Cat-Food/140016.aspx
>> Bitter Anon !!WJLRQ1cwCyZ
>>200461
Thats a bit better. Still, looking at the ingredients...

Note the amount of vegetable products. Thats not so great. Yes, the first two ingredients are "lamb" and "chicken meal", but then there is a nice list of things that cats should not be eating regularly because they are, gasp, carnivores. Anything-meal is generally a bad idea, as it is bones and leftovers. And "millet"? That is essentially, IIRC, "we swept the floor". It would be nice if a vet or someone who researches this shit would post, as I am going by experience and the word of the many rescue and breeders I've come in contact with.

Odd that they have the same 'Solid Gold' brand, but then, a dozen or so "unique" pet foods are all the same, owned by the same company.
>> Anonymous
>>200463
You seriously want a vet to post? The ones I've met recommend Science Diet and Iams. I didn't know any actually researched nutrition outside of Hill's, but maybe I'm being cynical.
Cats are carnivores, yeah, but when they eat their prey items, they also eat the stomach contents- so, they get vegetable matter even in the wild. I'm comfortable with the protein content in there, and I don't think the vegetables are hurting anything.

I used to have all my pets on Natural Balance. It's a good food. Doesn't bother me. But it has a lot of the things you listed as bad in Solid Gold. So I'm not sure what your issue with meat meal and vegetable matter is. Hell, the first ingredient in the Natural Balance cat food I'm looking at is "chicken meal."
>> Anonymous
>>200463

Vets are taught mainly veterinarian diagnosis and medicine, not nutrition

Just how often does anyone's vet here bring up exactly what diet their cat has? Specific food brands they eat and what is best for a cat
>> Anonymous
>>200466

I've heard that from alot of vets also and both are major companies which undoubtedly fund their tuition in exchange for their recommendations. I did an open poll on a forum- Innova EVO and Solid Gold KatznFlocken were the highest recommendations from about 25 responses
>> Anonymous
>>200466

Vets recommend those brands because they commonly sponsor them. Vets are fine for medical information, but don't take their dietary advice, they'll recommend whatever shit food company is paying them to say nice things (Science Diet, most commonly).
>> Anonymous
Most Senior cat food is made for cats 7 years and older. Science Diet and Royal Canin are the best, Nutro is also good.

Any brand of food that makes age-specific varieties is considered 'premium.'

If you're still lost, go down to the local pet store and ask their opinion.
>> Anonymous
>>200472
Please, please, please be a troll.
>> Anonymous
>>200468
My cats love the EVO canned food, the dry food isn't bad but whatever process they use to make the kibble isn't very good because you end up with a lot of broken kibble or just plain ground to dust in the bottom of the bag and the cats generally aren't interested in that.
>> Anonymous
>>200484
I used to feed EVO, but my cat couldn't keep it down. I've heard it's too rich for some animals. Still really good stuff, though, nutritionally.
>> Anonymous
>>200487
Yea, I think that's probably true, you need to move the cats really slowly onto a total EVO diet, like take two weeks to change onto it instead of the usual week for other foods. They're so used to a bunch of grain as filler and going meat crazy is just a big shock to the system. Right now I feed a Royal Canin dry kibble my vet recommended then every other night they get the EVO canned. They're beautiful but wild and crazy happy terrors :3
>> Anonymous
>>200467Just how often does anyone's vet here bring up exactly what diet their cat has? Specific food brands they eat and what is best for a cat
Seems like every time I go into the vet I get interrogated about what I'm feeding my cats.
>> tigerfeather !CrwtTbFNxQ
>>200491
Most vets don't have the time to be bothered with studying nutrition, or keeping up with formula changes in brands. More than anything, your vet is probably checking to make sure you're not feeding Friskies or Cat Chow, or some other grocery brand.

>>200476
What's your problem?
>> Anonymous
>>200528
Science Diet and Royal Canin being the "BEST," and "If you're still lost, go down to the local pet store and ask their opinion."
WHY WOULD PET STORE EMPLOYEES KNOW. I have worked at a pet store. They're just random kids that get hired because their drug tests come up clean. Anyone who lurks here long enough (or who has worked at a typical petco/petsmart) should know you never trust petstore employees with anything.
>> tigerfeather !CrwtTbFNxQ
>>200530
Of course, but anyone with any sort of retail experience knows that stores are set up so that you spend the most money, and in a pet store that means that the super-premium foods are going to be the first foods available, because those are usually the most expensive. If you walked into a store and asked where the premium food was, I'm sure that even the most snot-nosed retarded kid could show you, regardless of if he showed you any certain brands or knew anything about nutrition. Stores are set up for the lowest common denominator.

I agree about the Science Diet though. And Royal Canin....well, I don't trust any pet food made by the M&Ms Mars company. =)
>> Anonymous
>>200445
We have a frisky tom that is nearly 14, but you can tell he's getting old from the hormonal and urinary problems he's developed in the last few years. It's also interesting how the cat starts looking older in certain subtle ways. Even though the fur is still clean and shiny, it's not quite as fluffy anymore, and the hair on the upper lip appears longer on the sides, giving an appearance of mustache in addition to the whiskers, while the cheeks seem a bit more sunken. I've seen the same changes in several elderly cats.
>> Anonymous
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I feed my cat Purina Indoor Cat food and occasionally the Purina moist cat food packets. Does that meet the hyperpickycattraditionalist standards?
>> Anonymous
Science Diet was "the best" when it only had Iams and supermarket cat food to contend with, now they're kinda not so best, rapidly heading down DO NOT WANT lane.
>> Anonymous
>>200539
No, but considering you saged, it doesn't look like it matters much to you either. It won't kill the cat, either way. Some of us just like making sure we get our pets the best we can give them, since we have full control over their lives and they can't make the decision themselves.
>> Anonymous
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I work at a non-franchised Petsmart in California. Have for almost two years. If there were a job title for "Feline Specialist", like there is for "Small Pet" or "Avian", it would be me.

I agree with whomever said that most people who work in a Petsmart or Petco are teens who need money and could give less than half a shit about you and your own pets, and your pets nutritional needs - just watch what the employees themselves buy for their pets, and you'll see how much they care. Or don't.
I myself do care, and as I was a consumer before an employee, I recommend the brand of food (that we carry) that I personally have found to be of the best quality. I have two older cats who are both heavyset breeds, Maine Coon mixes(one 7+, one 6+) and a much smaller domestic shorthair who's about a year and a half.
>> Anonymous
>>200761

I've fed all three of my cats just about everything on the market... and while they subsisted on things like Purina Cat Chow, Friskies, and Science Diet, all three of them had various issues with both Eukanuba and Iams.

BTW, for those of you out there who think those two are separate companies? They aren't. They're both trash.

Anyway.

OP, the main difference between 'adult' cat food and 'mature adult' or 'senior' food, is joint and hip health. Some brands add more taurine, and most have fewer calories since, as your cat winds down in his later years, he doesn't need as much food to keep his weight steady. (Kitten food, similarly, has kitten-focused ingredients. DHA for eye and brain development, and more protein and calories for growing bodies.)

Like someone said, it really depends on your cat. Most ... people, not just vets or breeders or cat food makers, will say that your cat is a 'senior' at the age of seven. However, if your cat is still very active, what I would do is give him his normal adult food, but perhaps supplement his diet with senior-cat treats. That way he gets his glucosamine and taurine like he might need as he ages.


Anyway, feed your cat whatever she's doing well on. But with Blue, she'll digest better, need to eat less to get the same amount of nutrition, most digestive problems and skin problems disappear, and her shit will smell a lot less.

Your choice.
>> Anonymous
>>200762
She's gotten a little less active. She sleeps a lot more and just doesn't come around as much as she used to. And I want to do the absolute best I can for her, so I'll switch.
Thanks for telling me what to look for. I'll find a food with this glucosamine and taurine.
>> Anonymous
>>200762
Oh wait, I just thought of something.
She's not my only cat. I have another, who is about two. The older cat in question has always thrown up if given portioned meals because she eats too quickly, so I free feed her with an automatic bowl. She doesn't eat too much, and because it's always available, grazes throughout the day and doesn't throw up like she always used to.
So, if I free-feed her senior food, will it hurt the younger cat if she gets it?
>> Anonymous
No. Generally speaking the only time that a food can 'hurt' another cat is if the food is for a specific need - usually this is found with prescription foods, which may have however many times more calories for weight gain... Or low magnesium for urinary tract health, or a food for cats with diabetes, which is specifically formulated for them.

If both your cats are otherwise considered healthy, except for the one's tendency to gorge, then regurgitate, they should both be fine on the same food.

I'm glad you're going to look for Blue. In a little under two years, I've had perhaps two people, out of who-knows-how-many, bring the food back. Usually cats take to it very well.
>> Anonymous
My cat's 18yrs old, hes gotten very lazy, barely eats, barely moves... been ages since I saw him on the second floor (cant work the stairs anymore).
>> Anonymous
I have a 10ish? year old Norweigen forest cat, and she's still got some random fire in her spirit.
She was abandoned for quite some time, until I pledged undying servitude to her.

The question is, how bad is it that I feed her a diet of 60% dry cat food and 40% meat? She refused to touch cat food for about a year until I managed to get her eating said proportions. I just want her to live a happy life, even if it does mean junk food.

I take her to the vet when she needs it and she currently eats only Friskies Selects and Whiskas Meat lovers. I will be checking up on the Blue suggestion, so thanks for that, anon.

[do I needs my own thread?]
>> Anonymous
My cats will only eat Meow Mix. No matter what I get them, they refuse it if it's not Meow Mix. I tried mixing in better foods with their Meow Mix... and they found the Meow Mix bag, ripped it open, and gorged on it. T-T;
>> Anonymous
My cat's 18. She eats canned Friskies (lol no teeth) and table scraps. She's in remarkably good shape, the vets say, and she's still fairly active. We've only given her senior cat food a couple of times, but she's fine with the regular stuff.
>> Anonymous
>>200821
Wet food is generally considered to be better for cats, especially elderly cats, than dry food. I'm seriously thinking of training my next cat to eat nothing but wet food (both raw meat and canned foods) to avoid any dry food related health problems.
>> Anonymous
>>200782
Me again.

I meant to mention this last time, but I forgot.

For all senior cats especially (but for cats of all ages too!), I'd really recommend getting a 'pet fountain'. They're electronic water-cycling fountains with a pump and usually a small filter pad that naturally keeps water oxygenated, tasting better, and cool.

Most cats love them. If your cat has ever tried to drink out of a dripping or running faucet, out of a toilet, or out of a fish aquarium - it's because it's cool, and tastes better that stale bowl-water.

They usually run between 35 and 50 dollars, but you don't need any fancy ones. I have two Petmate "Fresh Flow" fountains between my three cats, and they all drink I-don't-know-how many times more water than they used to.

This is especially important for senior cats! The more water a cat drinks, the better shape his urinary health is likely to be.
>> Anonymous
>>200969
Could I just save money by getting a regular decorative fountain or something instead? It seems like they do the same thing, except one of them is priced more expensively because it's marketed for pets. My tap water already is filtered.
>> Anonymous
>>200987

I'd say you could, as long as you change the water in the whatever-type-of-fountain, say, at least once a week?

My best friend's mother adopted a faux-manx calico who immediately took to her living room .. relaxation.. fountain. Whatever they're called. Rolls a spherical stone by bubbling water up beneath it. She'd lick the spinning stone.

The main point is that your cat drinks much more water, and this keeps it healthy.
>> Anonymous
>>200969
We got a really quiet one for our cat, but even that barely audible motorized humming terrified her.
>> Anonymous
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my pet fountain (picture of similar model) gets slimey rediculously fast, even with filtered tap water, all the oxygenation must just be super happy breeding ground. Usually, 3-4 days and I have to break the thing down for a full scrubdown again.

The cats love it, but it's a bit of a hassle.