12-20-2009, 12:00 PM
0
OK Sarah, I'm going to go against LK on the food.
Start to wean your cats off that Whiska's crap and if you're going to insist on dry food, feed them the Iams and preferably the Iams Hairball formula. I've been using that one now for 20 years and my cats average 15+ years old with Smitty going all the way to 21 last year.
Wet food is the absolute way to go though. You will have less hawking up of hairballs, less constipation and less complications of everything.
Dry food does NOT benefit the teeth.
I also almost lost Thing 1 earlier this year due to switching to a "better" brand of dry food. She jaundiced on me, got very skinny and I noticed the other cats were actually shitting out hair balls! I brush my cats daily!
I have no idea what was in that food but I threw it out and went on straight canned food from here on out. I will buy a bag of dry Iams once a month now (5 pound bag) and fill the feeder and they will use that as a snack station instead of their main meal.
Their coats are shinier, they have a better digestive system and I will never use dry food alone again. NEVER.
Litter - toss that dusty crap! It could be part of Magpie's problem. Get yourself a GOOD clumping litter - there are several brands out there and you'll have to play around until you find the one that you are most happy with.
Dr. Elsey's is the best but very expensive.
I found Fresh 4 Less at around $10 / 50# bag and it clumps and keeps odor down as good as Dr. Elsey's.
A good clumping litter will not need baking soda treatments. It will clump hard enough so you can scoop it out right away and take the smell with you.
I also found you get what you pay for. Buy cheap you'll use more of it.
Don't use hooded boxes. Cats hate them. Just get a good BIG box that is roomy. Fill it deep and they'll be fine and the stink will stay to a minimum.
As for Magpie's poopies - you can make him some boiled chop meat and rice and it will help tighten him up. Or you can mix a little rice in with his wet food instead. But switch them to the better wet food and dry. You should do that now while you still have some of what they're used to - just start blending the new into the old and little by little, give less of the old and more of the new until they are fully switched.
Start to wean your cats off that Whiska's crap and if you're going to insist on dry food, feed them the Iams and preferably the Iams Hairball formula. I've been using that one now for 20 years and my cats average 15+ years old with Smitty going all the way to 21 last year.
Wet food is the absolute way to go though. You will have less hawking up of hairballs, less constipation and less complications of everything.
Dry food does NOT benefit the teeth.
I also almost lost Thing 1 earlier this year due to switching to a "better" brand of dry food. She jaundiced on me, got very skinny and I noticed the other cats were actually shitting out hair balls! I brush my cats daily!
I have no idea what was in that food but I threw it out and went on straight canned food from here on out. I will buy a bag of dry Iams once a month now (5 pound bag) and fill the feeder and they will use that as a snack station instead of their main meal.
Their coats are shinier, they have a better digestive system and I will never use dry food alone again. NEVER.
Litter - toss that dusty crap! It could be part of Magpie's problem. Get yourself a GOOD clumping litter - there are several brands out there and you'll have to play around until you find the one that you are most happy with.
Dr. Elsey's is the best but very expensive.
I found Fresh 4 Less at around $10 / 50# bag and it clumps and keeps odor down as good as Dr. Elsey's.
A good clumping litter will not need baking soda treatments. It will clump hard enough so you can scoop it out right away and take the smell with you.
I also found you get what you pay for. Buy cheap you'll use more of it.
Don't use hooded boxes. Cats hate them. Just get a good BIG box that is roomy. Fill it deep and they'll be fine and the stink will stay to a minimum.
As for Magpie's poopies - you can make him some boiled chop meat and rice and it will help tighten him up. Or you can mix a little rice in with his wet food instead. But switch them to the better wet food and dry. You should do that now while you still have some of what they're used to - just start blending the new into the old and little by little, give less of the old and more of the new until they are fully switched.
![[Image: PancakeBunny.jpg]](http://www.twitchinkitten.com/myphotos/PancakeBunny.jpg)
I have no idea what you're talking about so here's a bunny with a pancake on it's head