Best wet cat food for an elderly cat?
April 22, 2012 1:36 PM Subscribe
Best wet cat food for an elderly (17yo) cat? Special snowflake issues inside.
He's missing half his jaw, so "paté" textured wet food is easier for him to eat than chunky wet food, and dry food is too difficult for him to chew.
He doesn't finish a full 5.5oz can in one feeding so it would be nice to find a wet food that comes in smaller servings. I've tried wrapping up and refrigerating the leftovers to feed to him later but he doesn't seem to like eating chilled food.
He's been eating Friskies canned cat food, but I suspect that there is probably a more nutritious brand not stocked at Walmart. Ideally, I'm looking for something I can subscribe to on Amazon or via a similar regular shipments program.
I do *not* have the time, interest, or kitchen space to make his food from scratch.
Please advise, thanks!
He's missing half his jaw, so "paté" textured wet food is easier for him to eat than chunky wet food, and dry food is too difficult for him to chew.
He doesn't finish a full 5.5oz can in one feeding so it would be nice to find a wet food that comes in smaller servings. I've tried wrapping up and refrigerating the leftovers to feed to him later but he doesn't seem to like eating chilled food.
He's been eating Friskies canned cat food, but I suspect that there is probably a more nutritious brand not stocked at Walmart. Ideally, I'm looking for something I can subscribe to on Amazon or via a similar regular shipments program.
I do *not* have the time, interest, or kitchen space to make his food from scratch.
Please advise, thanks!
Well, pretty much anything is probably going to be better for your cat than friskies.
I see that Amazon has all of the following brands available:
Taste of the Wild
Newman's Own
Felidae
Natural Balance
Nature's Variety
Wellness
Those are all brands I would recommend much more highly than friskies or fancy feast.
posted by magnetsphere at 1:51 PM on April 22, 2012 [2 favorites]
I see that Amazon has all of the following brands available:
Taste of the Wild
Newman's Own
Felidae
Natural Balance
Nature's Variety
Wellness
Those are all brands I would recommend much more highly than friskies or fancy feast.
posted by magnetsphere at 1:51 PM on April 22, 2012 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: I don't know how to post links to the obligatory cat pictures while on my mobile phone, but if you search on Facebook for "Jimmy Louis Binks" you should be able to at least see his profile photo.
posted by Jacqueline at 1:56 PM on April 22, 2012
posted by Jacqueline at 1:56 PM on April 22, 2012
I get Honest Kitchen, which is rehyratable powder. It claims to have no grains and my cats love it. You can get it at wag.com.
posted by chaiminda at 2:02 PM on April 22, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by chaiminda at 2:02 PM on April 22, 2012 [1 favorite]
Best answer: You're doing the right thing by feeding canned food, but you can definitely do better than Friskies. Merrick Cowboy Cookout is the "perfect mouse" in its nutrient profile and available in 3.2 ounce cans (link is to where I buy it, and PFD does have a subscription program).
More info at CatInfo, written by a vet, who my cat vet swears by.
posted by vers at 2:07 PM on April 22, 2012 [1 favorite]
More info at CatInfo, written by a vet, who my cat vet swears by.
posted by vers at 2:07 PM on April 22, 2012 [1 favorite]
Best answer: After reading all the Ask MeFi threads about cat food and learning that high-protein is the way to go, my boys get Merrick Cowboy Cookout, which conveniently comes in 3.2 oz cans so you hopefully have less to save/throw away. It's available from Amazon, but I usually purchase it via whichever website is giving me 10% off that day to save on shipping.
posted by juliplease at 2:07 PM on April 22, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by juliplease at 2:07 PM on April 22, 2012 [1 favorite]
We feed our 17yo Wellness. Comes in 3 and 5 ounce cans. Bonus, her frequent vomiting issues disappeared when we started this brand.
posted by spinturtle at 2:08 PM on April 22, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by spinturtle at 2:08 PM on April 22, 2012 [2 favorites]
I have an elderly cat, too, and Newman's Organic has been great for her. It does come in smaller cans that I sometimes buy at the grocery store, but I usually get the bigger cans at the pet store. I microwave the leftovers and she eats them just fine (10 seconds on a plate). It's more expensive than Friskies, but the difference in her health has been so worth it, I wish she'd always been eating better food (and I have switched my younger cats to better quality food). She sometimes gets Natural Balance, and likes it just as well. And sometimes I soak a little bit of Natural Balance kibble in warm water and she likes that. As someone else said, her vomiting issues disappeared when we switched to better food, and the girls at the vet are always ooohing and aaahing over the fact that she's soft as a bunny now.
posted by upatree at 2:40 PM on April 22, 2012
posted by upatree at 2:40 PM on April 22, 2012
Ok, I love the baby food suggestion - I'm going to ask my vet what her thoughts are.
I feel bad feeding my cat Fancy Feast, but after 2 years of trying every wet food ever (for a month each), I was just happy to find *something*. (Also, FYI, the Wellness wet food has, IMO, the least offensive odor, while Newman's Own smells like I imagine the inside of a cat's rectum to smell.)
posted by dotgirl at 2:41 PM on April 22, 2012
I feel bad feeding my cat Fancy Feast, but after 2 years of trying every wet food ever (for a month each), I was just happy to find *something*. (Also, FYI, the Wellness wet food has, IMO, the least offensive odor, while Newman's Own smells like I imagine the inside of a cat's rectum to smell.)
posted by dotgirl at 2:41 PM on April 22, 2012
My special snowflake wouldn't eat anything but Fancy Feast (also referred to as "kitty crack"). It wasn't the most nutritional food for her, and I tried every better type of food I could. Fancy Feast was the most nutritious food she'd eat. For an older cat, missing a day or two of meals can have dire health consequences.
posted by answergrape at 3:21 PM on April 22, 2012
posted by answergrape at 3:21 PM on April 22, 2012
Best answer: Baby food does not have taurine among other essentials for a cat's health -- okay to use if she won't eat anything else, but not as a regular food. And check carefully that the food does not contain onion or garlic powder.
As far as your cat's appetite is concerned, the smellier the food, the better. And certain flavors of Fancy Feast are not the worst in terms of nutrition.
posted by vers at 3:23 PM on April 22, 2012 [2 favorites]
As far as your cat's appetite is concerned, the smellier the food, the better. And certain flavors of Fancy Feast are not the worst in terms of nutrition.
posted by vers at 3:23 PM on April 22, 2012 [2 favorites]
My older cats love their science diet "chicken pate for older cats" food. It comes in smaller 3oz cans too (I think I've seen those for sale, anyway.)
posted by pmb at 3:43 PM on April 22, 2012
posted by pmb at 3:43 PM on April 22, 2012
What is it with Fancy Feast? It really is kitty crack. We've tried all kinds of wet food with our cats, one of whom is quite elderly but still very healthy; the ones they like best resemble tiny shredded bits of meat mixed with gravy, like Fancy Feast Florentine, Fancy Feast Grilled, and Pro Plan Urinary Tract Health Chicken Entree (apparently you shouldn't feed this to cats with kidney disease though). They're available in 3 oz. tins.
About heating up refrigerated leftovers: We don't have a microwave, so I put the kettle on and mix the cold food with a small amount of boiling water. It won't make it that warm, but it takes the chill off and they seem to like it. A little more moisture is a good thing for old cats, because they never seem to drink enough.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 3:59 PM on April 22, 2012
About heating up refrigerated leftovers: We don't have a microwave, so I put the kettle on and mix the cold food with a small amount of boiling water. It won't make it that warm, but it takes the chill off and they seem to like it. A little more moisture is a good thing for old cats, because they never seem to drink enough.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 3:59 PM on April 22, 2012
I gave my cat Tiki brand once and she devoured it, It comes in small cans and is supposed to be healthy. I also agree with the Merrick suggestion. Both of these brands are highly nutritious and well-balanced for cats.
posted by superfille at 4:03 PM on April 22, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by superfille at 4:03 PM on April 22, 2012 [1 favorite]
Best answer: This may be blasphemous: it may not be necessary to chill the leftovers. Neither of my cats will consume a whole can in one meal.* I routinely cover and save the leftovers, in a cat-proof box on the counter, for the second meal of the day. If I need to keep any overnight, it goes in the fridge. I don't think leaving it at room temp for a few hours creates any problem.
*Theoretically, they could SHARE a can and finish it off, but, as required by the International Code of Feline Ethics, they have mutually exclusive flavor requirements.
posted by Corvid at 4:06 PM on April 22, 2012 [2 favorites]
*Theoretically, they could SHARE a can and finish it off, but, as required by the International Code of Feline Ethics, they have mutually exclusive flavor requirements.
posted by Corvid at 4:06 PM on April 22, 2012 [2 favorites]
If there's a chunky brand that he likes but can't/won't eat, you could always puree it yourself. You may need to add a little water, but that's not going to affect the nutritional value.
posted by Ufez Jones at 4:18 PM on April 22, 2012
posted by Ufez Jones at 4:18 PM on April 22, 2012
I cam here to suggest Honest Kitchen dehydrated!! You can make up however much of it you want in one go, so you don't waste nearly as much. HereticalKitten doesn't mind eating the chilled gooshyfood, but if yours is picky you could leave it out for a while or leave it on the counter to warm up a tad before you give it to her.
I've discovered the trick to making the stuff is to leave it for about an hour after you mix it to let it thicken up some.
posted by Heretical at 6:55 PM on April 22, 2012
I've discovered the trick to making the stuff is to leave it for about an hour after you mix it to let it thicken up some.
posted by Heretical at 6:55 PM on April 22, 2012
I don't know if the texture of canned tuna is too much for your elderly cat, but if not I recommend Fussie Cat and Tiki Cat (tuna flavors). They smell exactly like what they are - fish and stuff - and have the same texture as canned tuna.
posted by fiercekitten at 8:03 PM on April 22, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by fiercekitten at 8:03 PM on April 22, 2012 [1 favorite]
The thing about all this high-protein stuff is that (apparently) elderly cats have a very hard time digesting all that protein and it will make their kidneys (already bad in old cats) worse. I know, obligate carnivores etc., but cats don't usually live to be 15+ in the wild.
My elderly cat loves Mature Adult Ground Turkey from Science Diet. It's very mushy. She can also only eat 1/3 of a can at a time, but I save the container in the fridge and then microwave (on high, 10 seconds, stir well) and she loves it (when the power is out I just run a bit of real hot water in and then mix it up).
posted by AmandaA at 6:49 AM on April 23, 2012
My elderly cat loves Mature Adult Ground Turkey from Science Diet. It's very mushy. She can also only eat 1/3 of a can at a time, but I save the container in the fridge and then microwave (on high, 10 seconds, stir well) and she loves it (when the power is out I just run a bit of real hot water in and then mix it up).
posted by AmandaA at 6:49 AM on April 23, 2012
Mingus, Coltrane, and Bootsy Collins love Natural Balance best, Wellness second best. We buy it from Amazon.
posted by jocelmeow at 8:20 AM on April 23, 2012
posted by jocelmeow at 8:20 AM on April 23, 2012
Response by poster: Thanks everyone. I am going to try Merrick food. It looks like a local pet store stocks it, so I will see if I can get a variety pack there and then I'll subscribe to whichever flavors seem best via Pet Food Direct's subscription program.
posted by Jacqueline at 8:29 PM on April 23, 2012
posted by Jacqueline at 8:29 PM on April 23, 2012
Response by poster: BTW all the Merrick canned cat foods now include "pearl barley" in their ingredient list. I bought them anyway because they're probably still better than Friskies, but how much of a problem is barley to cats?
posted by Jacqueline at 9:21 PM on April 24, 2012
posted by Jacqueline at 9:21 PM on April 24, 2012
Response by poster: FYI to future readers of this thread: The Merrick "California Roll" flavor stunk to high heaven (my husband compared it to the smell of catfish bait) and my cat didn't like it either.
He did love all the other Merrick flavors we tried. The food is a pate (as I requested) and has a high moisture content so it slid out of the can very easily. I am setting up an auto-ship every month with Pet Food Direct. They also have the good litter (Dr. Elsey's) so I am having that auto-shipped to me as well.
Thanks, everyone!
posted by Jacqueline at 1:07 PM on May 4, 2012
He did love all the other Merrick flavors we tried. The food is a pate (as I requested) and has a high moisture content so it slid out of the can very easily. I am setting up an auto-ship every month with Pet Food Direct. They also have the good litter (Dr. Elsey's) so I am having that auto-shipped to me as well.
Thanks, everyone!
posted by Jacqueline at 1:07 PM on May 4, 2012
This thread is closed to new comments.
They have several of the "pate" options, and they're actually less expensive than the florentine one I get. (I have tried literally everything from high-end vet only food to make your own to whatever - this is literally the only wet food he will eat. If they ever discontinue it, I will be sad.)
posted by dotgirl at 1:41 PM on April 22, 2012