admin answers:

Hi there… I want to apologize in advance for the length of this answer. I just have a lot of info to share with you and I don’t want to miss anything. : )

I too have a male cat with a similar condition. However his UTI’s led us to finding a Kidney Stone and he had to have surgery to have it removed. 🙁 The poor thing. Being a male it’s pretty rare from them to actually develop a stone. Usually they blow the stone/grain into their urethra and it blocks. But he didn’t. And from the looks and size of the stone, Doc is 100% convinced it’s been in there for years and years. 🙁 Phat Boy didn’t show symptoms though so we didn’t know until I caught him straining. I tell you all that so you know that I understand your situation with switching foods. Been there… done that. And it is the best thing you can do for her. Just also understand though that recent studies have shown diet to not be the cause of FLUTD/FUS. However you can make some changes that can help your cat for the better.

As for making homemade Cat food… it can be a huge ordeal and you could do more damage to your cat by feeding it an improperly prepared home meal. Especially a Cat that already has issues. Cats have very delicate dietary needs that must be researched thoroughly before feeding a RAW diet. There are NO “simple” homemade cat food recipes that work long term. I am not against RAW / BARF Diets for cats… I have tried it. I do know what is involved. It can be wonderful, but it can also be disastrous for your cat if you don’t know what you’re doing. Also know that Dog and Cat RAW diets are completely different. You will see that in your research. Be careful if you choose RAW, and know what you are getting into before you do it. If you feel you MUST go RAW, I recommend you start here http://www.catnutrition.org/. It’s a wonderful site with a lot of great information and recipes. Plan on spending a lot of time reading about this. No one here is going to give you the “simple” Answer to a RAW / BARF Diet for your cats.

With that said, my advice to you is this… Find a good high quality Human Grade Healthy, Holistic or Organic manufactured food instead.

Put her on a high quality human Grade Healthy, Holistic or Organic canned only diet of 5.5 ounces of wet food split up into three feedings or more a day. I know you say she won’t eat canned… but if you take away the dry she will be more apt to eat what you offer. Also try warming it in the microwave for a few seconds to make t smell yummy to her. If even after she boycotts you and starves for two days… go back to dry. Some cats just won’t eat wet food.

Let me give you a run down about foods…

It’s time for pet owners to wake up and take responsibility for what they feed their animals and quit trusting what those great big money hungry companies tell you. Research for yourself, learn, read the ingredients and make an informed decision for the health and safety of your beloved pet.

With the recall, wheat gluten is the big suspect in cat food that everyone is trying to avoid, and it SHOULD be avoided. It should have been avoided all along. It’s nothing more than a cheap protein source used as a binding agent by pet food companies.

Corn should always be avoided as well. It’s a huge filler worth NOTHING. Corn as an ingredient in cat food is a joke. Ever seen a cat chewing on a corn cob in a field? No, you haven’t.

Cats, despite thousands of years of domestication, remain strictly carnivorous. True and honest meat eaters and that is what they need most. Protein from meat!

As you search for your new pet food, be aware that there are three Categories of Pet Foods:

-“Grocery store” foods – (Generic Brands and cheap name brands) Those foods found in grocery stores and mass-market retailers are made with lower-quality, less-digestible, inexpensive ingredients and are therefore a cheaper alternative. While easy on the pocketbook, “grocery store” foods normally do not provide your cat with the healthiest, most nutrient-dense ingredients.

-Premium foods – (Iams/Eukanuba, Purina One, Hills Science Diet, Nutro and such) Foods often found in grocery stores, pet stores, and veterinarian offices that contain higher-grade ingredients, but still include many elements of “grocery store” food, such as artificial colors, artificial flavors, chemical preservatives, and “filler” ingredients such as corn and wheat products, by-products and even animal digest. Yuck! Premium foods are usually more expensive than “grocery store” foods because their ingredients are sometimes of a higher quality, and are therefore somewhat more beneficial and digestible. But don’t be fooled, some of those same so called Premium brands are sometimes worse than grocery store foods, but they charge prices like they are better. They aren’t!

-Healthy foods – (Wellness, Eagle Pack, Drs Foster and Smith) The newest addition to the pet food market – provide pets with the highest quality, healthiest, and most nutritious ingredients. They are typically available for purchase online or direct from the manufacturer. Some better retailers are starting to carry them now. Complete Petmart carries a few healthy brand foods. Foods in the Healthy class – contain nutrient-rich ingredients. Formulated to provide optimum health benefits for pets, these foods often use real meat as the primary protein source, carbohydrate-rich whole grains like brown rice and barley and whole, fresh fruits and vegetables. They should not contain artificial preservatives, flavors, or colors. They will almost always be fortified with additional vitamins and minerals, and will use the best natural sources for fatty acids to help build healthy skin and a beautiful coat. Because healthy foods use high quality ingredients, you should expect to pay a little more than you would for other types of pet food. Remember, though, with healthy foods you can feed less since healthy foods are more nutrient-dense than other types of food so it often evens out or cost’s les than feeding foods filled with cheap non-nutritional by-products fillers.

With all that information in mind, when you are choosing a new cat food, study the ingredients. All ingredients on pet food labels are listed by weight. Meaning whatever ingredients are listed first on the list, there is more in there. The first ingredients listed should be whole meat ingredients, protein sources, such as Chicken or Turkey. NOT just the word “meat”! Who the heck knows what that is? The word Chicken Meal is ok, but it should be a secondary ingredient, not first. Meal is the meat dehydrated and ground into a powder.

The ingredients also should NOT include any by-products or animal digest whatsoever. Those are disgusting left over animal parts that are scraped off the filthy floors of meat and poultry plants. They should just go into the trash but they put them into pet food instead. EW!!!!

Also make sure there are no artificial colors or flavors. And make sure there is no BHA and BHT used preservatives. These preservatives have been shown to cause cancer in both cats and dogs. Bad Bad stuff and it’s in almost every cat treat on the market. 🙁

So, in summery of the ingredients… if you see the words by-products, Animal Digest, the word “meat” alone, Corn, Corn Gluten, Wheat Gluten, or BHA or BHT… stop reading, put down that bag and move on to the next.

Be aware that when switching to a Healthy, Holistic or Organic food, you will pay for what you get. Good foods are not cheap. They are pricey and will cost you on a per bag basis much more. Just like steak costs more than hotdogs. But again, you will be feeding a better food and improving the over all health of your pet. Which in turn leads to less vet visits for illness now and more importantly later in life in their Geriatric years. You will also feed less of this food on a per animal basis because a smaller amount of food contains what your cat needs. Overall healthy foods are well worth it, if only for the piece of mind that the ingredients are safer.

What are some good foods I recommend? I feed my cats Drs. Foster and Smith Holistic Adult Lite Dry cat food along with a mix of Wellness Dry. I also feed Merrick Canned.

I purchase Drs. Foster and Smith online and have it automatically delivered to my door so I never run out and never have to go get it. It’s one of the best foods on the market and has no “fillers” in it. It is also very reasonably priced compared to other holistic foods. And when you’re feeding as many cats as I am, price is as important as ingredients. If you can’t afford it, you can’t feed it. So buy the highest quality you can and feel good that you are doing the absolute best you can for your pet.

If you want to buy in a store, Complete Petmart is a good store and carries quite a few natural, organic, and holistic blends. Also check with your local feed stores. Old Mother Hubbard Wellness Brand is a great holistic food I feed. As is Eagle Pack Dry Cat food. Merrick canned is also a great source of nutrition and they will be coming out with a dry line this summer.

I highly recommend people take the time to research for themselves, but the information I have given should get you off to a good start. Good luck choosing a new food for your cats!

Side note… Please don’t feed Iams / Eukanuba. It’s ALL fillers, byproducts, animal digest and CRAP. Read the ingredients! There is nothing good for your cat in that food. Not to mention they conduct the most appalling animal testing you have ever seen. Http://www.iamscruelty.com to see the terror they create.

Drs. F&S Food Link – http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/NavResults.cfm?N=2002+6000

Wellness Food Link – http://www.oldmotherhubbard.com/wellness/cat_index.html

Eagle Pack Holistic Select – http://www.eaglepack.com/Pages/HS_Home.html

Merrick Foods: http://www.merrickpetcare.com/

****DO NOT FEED IAMS!**** http://www.iamscruelty.com

*************************************

Ok, so now you’re on your way to choosing a better food. Your key thing because of your cats UTI issues is to get her onto a low ash, low magnesium diet. The lower the better on both of those percents.

You also want to encourage her water intake. Purchase a pet fountain. I bought a drinkwell from Drs Foster and Smith for my cats and they love it. Http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=1783 And give her only Distilled water. Many vets believe that the quality, or lack there of, in tap water leads to URI’s. Giving distilled water will not add any uneeded minerals to her system. And it will help clean her out just like it does for humans.

I hope that my suggestions help you help your kitty. UTI’s can be so frustrating. And sometimes… not matter what you do they still persist because of the cats body and how it reacts to things. I wish you luck in helping your kitty ward off the UTI’s!

admin answers:

Hi there… Making homemade Cat food can be a huge ordeal and you could do more damage to your cat by feeding it an improperly prepared home meal. Cats have very delicate dietary needs that must be researched thoroughly before feeding a RAW diet. There are NO “simple” homemade cat food recipes that work long term. I am not against RAW / BARF Diets for cats… I have tried it. I do know what is involved. It can be wonderful, but it can also be disastrous for your cat if you don’t know what your doing. Also know that Dog and Cat RAW diets are completely different. You will see that in your research. Be careful if you choose RAW, and know what you are getting into before you do it. If you feel you MUST go RAW, I recommend you start here http://www.catnutrition.org/. It’s a wonderful site with a lot of great information and recipes. Plan on spending a lot of time reading about this. No one here is going to give you the “simple” Answer to a RAW / BARF Diet for your cats.

With that said, my advice to you is this… Find a good high quality Human Grade Healthy, Holistic or Organic manufactured food instead.

It’s time for pet owners to wake up and take responsibility for what they feed their animals and quit trusting what those great big money hungry companies tell you. Research for yourself, learn, read the ingredients and make an informed decision for the health and safety of your beloved pet.

With the recall, wheat gluten is the big suspect in cat food that everyone is trying to avoid, and it SHOULD be avoided. It should have been avoided all along. It’s nothing more than a cheap protein source used as a binding agent by pet food companies.

Corn should always be avoided as well. It’s a huge filler worth NOTHING. Corn as an ingredient in cat food is a joke. Ever seen a cat chewing on a corn cob in a field? No, you haven’t.

Cats, despite thousands of years of domestication, remain strictly carnivorous. True and honest meat eaters and that is what they need most. Protein from meat!

As you search for your new pet food, be aware that there are three Categories of Pet Foods:

-“Grocery store” foods – (Generic Brands and cheap name brands) Those foods found in grocery stores and mass-market retailers are made with lower-quality, less-digestible, inexpensive ingredients and are therefore a cheaper alternative. While easy on the pocketbook, “grocery store” foods normally do not provide your cat with the healthiest, most nutrient-dense ingredients.

-Premium foods – (Iams/Eukanuba, Purina One, Hills Science Diet, Nutro and such) Foods often found in grocery stores, pet stores, and veterinarian offices that contain higher-grade ingredients, but still include many elements of “grocery store” food, such as artificial colors, artificial flavors, chemical preservatives, and “filler” ingredients such as corn and wheat products, by-products and even animal digest. Yuck! Premium foods are usually more expensive than “grocery store” foods because their ingredients are sometimes of a higher quality, and are therefore somewhat more beneficial and digestible. But don’t be fooled, some of those same so called Premium brands are sometimes worse than grocery store foods, but they charge prices like they are better. They aren’t!

-Healthy foods – (Wellness, Eagle Pack, Drs Foster and Smith) The newest addition to the pet food market – provide pets with the highest quality, healthiest, and most nutritious ingredients. They are typically available for purchase online or direct from the manufacturer. Some better retailers are starting to carry them now. Complete Petmart carries a few healthy brand foods. Foods in the Healthy class – contain nutrient-rich ingredients. Formulated to provide optimum health benefits for pets, these foods often use real meat as the primary protein source, carbohydrate-rich whole grains like brown rice and barley and whole, fresh fruits and vegetables. They should not contain artificial preservatives, flavors, or colors. They will almost always be fortified with additional vitamins and minerals, and will use the best natural sources for fatty acids to help build healthy skin and a beautiful coat. Because healthy foods use high quality ingredients, you should expect to pay a little more than you would for other types of pet food. Remember, though, with healthy foods you can feed less since healthy foods are more nutrient-dense than other types of food so it often evens out or cost’s les than feeding foods filled with cheap non-nutritional by-products fillers.

With all that information in mind, when you are choosing a new cat food, study the ingredients. All ingredients on pet food labels are listed by weight. Meaning whatever ingredients are listed first on the list, there is more in there. The first ingredients listed should be whole meat ingredients, protein sources, such as Chicken or Turkey. NOT just the word “meat”! Who the heck knows what that is? The word Chicken Meal is ok, but it should be a secondary ingredient, not first. Meal is the meat dehydrated and ground into a powder.

The ingredients also should NOT include any by-products or animal digest whatsoever. Those are disgusting left over animal parts that are scraped off the filthy floors of meat and poultry plants. They should just go into the trash but they put them into pet food instead. EW!!!!

Also make sure there are no artificial colors or flavors. And make sure there is no BHA and BHT used preservatives. These preservatives have been shown to cause cancer in both cats and dogs. Bad Bad stuff and it’s in almost every cat treat on the market. 🙁

So, in summery of the ingredients… if you see the words by-products, Animal Digest, the word “meat” alone, Corn, Corn Gluten, Wheat Gluten, or BHA or BHT… stop reading and put down that bag.

Be aware that when switching to a Healthy, Holistic or Organic food, you will pay for what you get. Good foods are not cheap. They are pricey and will cost you on a per bag basis much more. Just like steak costs more than hotdogs. But again, you will be feeding a better food and improving the over all health of your pet. Which in turn leads to less vet visits for illness now and more importantly later in life in their Geriatric years. You will also feed less of this food on a per animal basis because a smaller amount of food contains what your cat needs. Overall healthy foods are well worth it, if only for the piece of mind that the ingredients are safer.

What are some good foods I recommend? I feed my cats Drs. Foster and Smith Holistic Adult Lite Dry cat food along with a mix of Wellness Dry. I also feed Merrick Canned.

I purchase Drs. Foster and Smith online and have it automatically delivered to my door so I never run out and never have to go get it. It’s one of the best foods on the market and has no “fillers” in it. It is also very reasonably priced compared to other holistic foods. And when you’re feeding as many cats as I am, price is as important as ingredients. If you can’t afford it, you can’t feed it. So buy the highest quality you can and feel good that you are doing the absolute best you can for your pet.

If you want to buy in a store, Complete Petmart is a good store and carries quite a few natural, organic, and holistic blends. Also check with your local feed stores. Old Mother Hubbard Wellness Brand is a great holistic food I feed. As is Eagle Pack Dry Cat food. Merrick canned is also a great source of nutrition and they will be coming out with a dry line this summer. Some brands, not all, of Nutro cat food are semi-ok if you want to spend less money, however I personally would never chose their food for nutritional value.

I highly recommend people take the time to research for themselves, but the information I have given should get you off to a good start. Good luck choosing a new food for your cats!

Side note… Please don’t feed Iams / Eukanuba. It’s ALL fillers, byproducts, animal digest and CRAP. Read the ingredients! There is nothing good for your cat in that food. Not to mention they conduct the most appalling animal testing you have ever seen. Http://www.iamscruelty.com to see the terror they create.

Drs. F&S Food Link – http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/NavResults.cfm?N=2002+6000

Wellness Food Link – http://www.oldmotherhubbard.com/wellness/cat_index.html

Eagle Pack Holistic Select – http://www.eaglepack.com/Pages/HS_Home.html

Merrick Foods: http://www.merrickpetcare.com/

****DO NOT FEED IAMS!**** http://www.iamscruelty.com

admin answers:

Hi Charlito,

Thank you for asking a great question. It shows you are a great pet parent with concerns for your pet’s long term health. Yes, it is very nutritional and healthy for your dog. Many dogs who are fed home cooked or raw diets live longer, healthier lives. “You are what you eat” pertains to dogs as well. I am a Canine Chef and have been home-cooking for my dogs for over two years now as they were very sick. I have studied and read every book and worked with a Holistic Animal Nutritionists when creating my business to help busy pet parents who don’t have the time to cook. Our recipes were created with a Holistic Animal Nutritionist, which humans can eat as well, but it is all about catering to your precious pet! We love our vet, but no longer have vet bills, except for our annual checkups.

It is very important to know what you can and cannot feed your pets. Many dog cookbooks and websites list ingredients that are not the best for your pet. Do not use white rice as it is hard for dogs and humans to digest. Use Brown Rice, quinoa, barley or oats, preferably organic.

Try to stay away from peas and carrots as they are genetically modified. Try to use fresh vegetables and cook or lightly steam them. Other than raw carrots, raw veggies are hard for most dogs to digest and they will just throw them up. Sweet Potatoes or Yams are great. Do not use white potatoes as they can be carcigenic. Do not use wheat or white flour or soy. “Why?” can be found on our website.

Try to use meats that do not have any hormones or antibiotics. We only use 100% Grass Fed meats, which are more expensive that meats from feed-lots, but well worth the price in long term health, happiness and preventing illnesses. Plus you support local farmers who ethically raise their animals.

Variety is key, as many nutrients are provided. Feeding the same meal to your pet can eventually cause allergic reactions. Make sure you are feeding the right proportions of protein, good fats and carbs. A Good Rule of Thumb is about 55-60% protein, 25-30 veggies and 10-15% grain. Make sure to “always” add a supplement from whole foods as well. Stay away from synthetic vitamins as their digestive system does not readily absorb these.

I recently saved $8,000 in surgery for luxating patellas on my dogs Cleo & Patra. How? Feeding whole foods that are nutrient dense and medicinal, along with acupuncture and raw marrow bones, which we sell.

Dogs need alot of calcium and raw dairy is great for cats and dogs that are lactose intolerant. It also helps humans with allergies and asthma. It is the pasteurization process that everyone is allergic to, which destroys the lactic acid that your body and pets need to digest. Give them raw cheese as a snack as well. Remember to start slowly with anything new.

At Cleo & Patra Canine Cuisine, we create healthy home-style cooked meals for dogs using only nutrient dense ingredients you can pronounce and your dog can easily digest. We have had much success in helping dogs get off their food allergy medications after two months on our food. Transitioning your pet’s diet SLOWLY is very important!

For more information and the many benefits of a home-cooked diet, check out our website at www.cleoNpatra.com. I’ve done all the homework for you. 🙂

I’ve listed a few other sites below that will be helpful as well. We were the featured “Pet Food” product in Doggie Afficionado’s “Green Living” Winter issue, which you can read on our site.

Yes, our food is more expensive than kibble. Grass fed meats cost more as the animals live twice as long as animals from feedlots.
All our preparation, cooking and vacuum-sealed packaging is done by hand . All our food sources are from the USA and we ship across the USA. “Know Your Source” of food is our motto.

Our Canine Connections page lists our farmers so you can order from them for yourselves and your pets, as well as many good books, DVDs and website links on this subject.

Either you are going to spend your money upfront on good nutrition or down the road on vet bills. Take you pick!

Good Luck on your venture and don’t hesitate to ask any more questions. Our concern is that pet parents are cooking properly for their pets, with the best intentions. Sorry for the long answer, but I am so passionate about this and want everyone’s dogs to live as long a life as possible! 🙂

Bone Appetit!