Conference misery::feline_v1

    Personally, I use Science Diet Maintenance for everybody.  I use
    science diet because my cats won't eat Iams, and Tamiami has too
    strong a fish smell.  
    
    I don't know if the brands are rated, but  I would think that their
    all pretty close.  Not including of course, the grocery store kitty
    junk food.  I wouldn't feed that stuff to my cats even if they paid
    me!
    
    purrs
    cin
    

    
    
    I use CD dry most of the time.  Right now, however, I am also using
    CD canned for my (hopefully) pregnant kitty.  She is a bit on the
    slim side and could probably use the added calories.  You can get
    this food form your Vet.

    I use CD dry and canned for my FUS cats, Feline Maintenance for
    my other cat and Feline Growth for my kitten.  The get canned and
    dry, canned about three times a week.
    
    I sometimes add KMR to my kitten's food (kitten milk replacer)
    and I noticed the other day that it is also good for pregnant cats.
    (says so on the label)  also feline growth is good for pregnant
    cats too.  The CD is high in calories but I don't know if it is
    the best option for pregnant cats.
    
    I sometimes supplement my cats food with Kitty Bloom vitamin and
    minerals and calcium.  Also linatone and sometimes for a treat raw
    egg yolk.  At the shows I feed them strained baby food meats.
    
    spoiled rotten!
    Jo

    You might want to use Feline Growth (meant for growing kitties both
    inside and out, as it were).   C/D lacks some minerals, and probably
    is not balanced for the needs of growing young bodies (feline, that
    is -- I never could get my children to enjoy it...)
    
    	P

I buy the 6 oz. cans from the supermarket, and Purina Cat Chow.

Each cat gets one can and a fistful of dry food every day (fed in two
installments, morning and night)

Brand of cans ?  Whatever's cheapest, usually about 4/$1.

You can buy the fancy shmancy if you want, but my cats and several of their
litters have been beautifully healthy for 2 and a half years on the cheap
stuff, so I feel no need to switch.

/Eric

    re: .5 --
    
    'Tis true that there are some *quite* expensive goodies out there
    for sale for the little fuzzies (or big fuzzies as the case may
    be), but they are the grocery gourmet type, for the most part.
    
    The large cans of Science Diet (regular, C/D, Feline Growth, etc.)
    are not really all that expensive, especially if bought with a case
    discount (like wine, for us caretakers!).  They have less fillers,
    and the cats don't need to eat as much -- not to mention fewer 
    problems with various health hazards such as FUS.
    
    Please note, for 7 years I fed Cosette and Fantine grocery store
    standards, and they were very healthy (we were also very lucky
    in those 14 cat-years).  But they are now in better shape (as
    Humpty Dumpty said, "My name means my shape, and a mighty fine
    shape it is!), less flab, less food quantity, etc.  
    
    Our main trick is feeding one diet to the kittens and another to
    those in the prime of life.  But that would happen regardless of
    which brand/supplier we used.

Feline Growth is also very good for pregnant cats and kittens, except,
    that my kids don't seem to care for it.  It appears to be greasier
    when I take it out of the bag, so I don't know if this affects whether
    they like it or not.  
    
    When my kittens are learning to eat, I use the Science Diet Maintenance
    and soften it with hot water and also add some KMR.  As they grow,
    I remove the KMR and slowly lessen the water that I add to the dry
    stuff.  This gets them used to eatting the dry stuff slowly.  By
    the time my kids are 4 months old they are usually eatting an almost
    totally dry diet with the occasionaly can of Amore thrown in!!!
    
    KMR is also great for pregnant or nursing cats.  I always give my
    pregnant cats KMR once a day during the week before they give birth,
    and twice a day the first week after giving birth.  Then I slowly
    cut down the amount of KMR they get until the kittens begin eatting
    solid food.  KMR is a little expensive, but I think having healthy
    kittens is well worth the expense.  
    
    I also supplement all the kids with Felobits vitamins (from the
    vet) 3-4 times per week.
    
    One other thing about feeding Science Diet or a similar type brand
    of food over the Grocery store types is that the solid deposits
    in the litter box are smaller and far less odorous!!!
    
    cin
    

Some of you have mentioned that with fancy brands, they aren't really
expensive because you feed less.

As I mentioned, I give 6 oz. grocery can plus fistful of Purina per
cat per day.

How much do you other folk feed per cat per day of fancier stuff ?

/Eric

    My cats on Science Diet C/D get 1/4 cup per day.  No, that is not
    a typo, one quarter cup per day.  This maintains three adult cats
    at 13, 15, and 18 lbs.  I usually split this amount into two feedings,
    once in the morning and once at night.  If they ate more than this
    amount the would blimp out.  This is the voice of experience talking
    now.  My 18 lb-er was up and over 20lbs when we first started this
    diet.  No one had told me that they couldn't self feed on C/D.
    
    My kitten eats about 3/4 to 1 cup a day of feline growth.  She gets
    more for two reasons.  1) she is still growing and 2) feline growth
    is not as high in calorie as the C/D.
    
    As was mentioned earlier - the best part about these brands is the
    affect they have on the litter box situation.  Alot less to scoop,
    if you know what I mean.
    Jo

    My five VAH's share two 6 oz. cans once a day. They have dry food
    available on demand. 
    
    Since I buy all my other animal feeds at Agway, the cats get Agway's
    Little Red (TM) brand (wet and dry). 
    
    I've often wondered how much the breeders feed to get such big cats
    (ie 18 and 20 pounders). My females are all diminutive with my one
    Tom tipping the scales at less than 12. 
    
    VAH = Vernacular American Housecat
    
    - Dick
    

    We get the 18 and 20 lbs on large boned cats.  You can't just throw
    that kind of weight on any cat.
    Jo

    I feed my two maine coons Science Diet dry - they are about a year
    old now and I am in the process of switching from "growth" to 
    "maintenance".  I chose Science Diet because of it's low ash, low
    magnesium, and low calcium (at least in the maintenance).  I didn't
    want to have to feed them wet food - as is sometimes recommended
    to avoid FUS.  But - I let them choose, I started them on wet, and
    always left plenty of dry for them from the first day they came
    home.  They discovered the dry stuff about the same time they were
    changing teeth.  They really prefer the dry stuff
    (they got upset when I gave them only wet when they were sick).
    
    Anyway it is open feeding on dry food.  Not really sure how much
    they eat on a daily basis, a 20 lb bag seems to last quite a while
    - more than a month anyway. 
    
    By the way - at 11 and 1/2 months they are between 12 and 15 pounds.
    I don't think there is an ounce of fat anywhere either!
    
    Sally
    P.S. they also think 'Cat Love' vitamins and vaseline are 'treats'.
    

    
    I have 2 cats, both around 4 and 5 years of age.  One is a
    "heavyweight" orange tabby that weighs about 17 pounds.  The 
    other is a skinny almost all white with just some black on him.
    He used to be an outdoor cat but has been an indoor cat constantly
    since a year or two ago and has adjusted to it very well.  The other
    one is an indoor cat as well, so they don't get a lot of exercise.
    
    We started feeding them Science Diet about 2 months ago in hopes
    that it might help Corby (the 17 pounder) lose a few pounds.  He
    has not lost any weight but seems to feel better.  He plays more
    with Sundae now and his coat is much silkier feeling.  Sundae has
    gained weight which he needed to do, and looks so much healthier
    as well.  We feed them about 1/2 cup of the dry food in the morning
    and evening.  Also make sure that we keep plenty of fresh water
    out for them due to the Science Diet's food magnesium content, I
    think.  (Don't remember for sure!)  
    
    My mother also noticed something interesting since we started them
    on Science Diet.  Their litter box does not have the odor that it
    did when they were on their "other" cat food!  So that is a nice
    added plus.
    
    All in all the Science Diet just seems like good, healthy food for
    them.  And  they  love  it.  When we first bought it and had some
    of their old food left over they clearly preferred the Science Diet
    over the "other". 
    
    	Myra
    

<  Also make sure that we keep plenty of fresh water
<  out for them due to the Science Diet's food magnesium content, I
<  think.  (Don't remember for sure!)  
    
 Science Diet has a very low magnesium content and is often recommended for 
 cats that have bladder and related problems (FUS).  It is always good 
 practice to leave plenty of clean water out for your cats.

Jo Ann  

    After some reading, books, magazines, and package labels, we finally
    decided on IAMS.  Seems there was a "special" on IAMS at the Copley
    cat show (7-8 Feb).  My wife loves "specials".  Scheherazade loves
    anything edible.
    
    However, her coat does have a better sheen, and her 'box' no longer
    requires toxic environment isolation gear to clean.  Now if only
    I can clean up her "buffalo" breath...
    
    Thanks for the input y'all  !
    
    Dwight

    
    I've noticed very little mention of 'commercial cat foods' such
    as the wide selection available from Purina. Is it that commericial
    food is not such a good idea ?
    
    My Maine Coon has been eating Tender Vittles (by Purina) for years
    now. She loves it and is very, very healthy ...
    
    - Peter
    

    Most "commercial cat foods" especially the dry types have lots of
    additives to make them eye appealing to us....they are usually higher
    in ash than most of the "pet store" foods, such as Science Diet,
    Iams, Tamiami, etc.  They also appear to be less expensive to the
    consumer than the Pet store foods.
    
    I have raised many happy, healthy cats (before my breeding days!)
    on regular grocery store food, it may not be bad for your cat, but
    for other cats, it can be deadly....such as cats with FUS.  
    
    Everyone decides what is best for their cat/cats....I raise my kittens
    on both the Pet Store foods and Grocery Store types....figuring
    that the pets may get fed the grocery store foods in their new homes.
    My adult cats get strictly Science Diet dry....and an occasional
    can of Amore....they eat less, because it's concentrated, and they
    use the litterbox less....hence....I don't buy as much food, or
    as much kitty litter!!
    
    Just my opinion...
    cin