I'm surprised your vet doesn't have a better solution. I'd look for a high-protein diet or maybe try a mix of canned food and hard. If it IS his teeth, he should be happy eating the canned food. I'd avoid feeding him too much direct protein, can do damage to aging kidneys. Or maybe try some of those gravy additives to entice him to eat more. Is it possible he has some hair balls that haven't been cleared out? If critters have hair balls developing (normally cats can clear it out, but if he's old....) they'll go off hard foods and eat soft foods and treats only.
Brenda
Date: Wednesday, August 24, 2005 3:15 pm
Subject: OT cat supplement
****************************************
Gardeners, I think, dream bigger dreams
than emperors.
~~Mary Cantwell
****************************************
Hey, do any of you have suggestions about how to get more calories into =
my
old guy? He is hungry and gets all excited when I refresh the hard food =
or
put down something wet but then he only eats a little bit and loses
interest. He does best with meat; wouldn't you know, I'm mostly =
vegetarian;
but I've been having hamburgers and chicken just to give him scraps. =
Too
much and he gets runs so that's not exactly a solution, anyway. I also =
wet
some of the hard food that he's eaten all of his life in case it's his =
teeth
that bother him. But he's just slowly getting gaunt.
Vet has done the senior blood work and said nothing showed up that =
suggests
a fundamental problem; he's just an old cat. But I hate to see him =
getting
so bony.
Esther Czekalski
www.gaias-gift.com
New! June research trip report: www.gaias-gift.com/frjun05.htm
****************************************
Gardeners, I think, dream bigger dreams
than emperors.
~~Mary Cantwell
****************************************
I have a friend who switched her cat to a homemade raw diet and she =
swears by it. I don't know much about this diet, but you can probably =
find out a lot by googling it.
Lee Ann
Hey, do any of you have suggestions about how to get more calories into =
my
old guy? He is hungry and gets all excited when I refresh the hard food =
or
put down something wet but then he only eats a little bit and loses
interest. He does best with meat; wouldn't you know, I'm mostly =
vegetarian;
but I've been having hamburgers and chicken just to give him scraps. =
Too
much and he gets runs so that's not exactly a solution, anyway. I also =
wet
some of the hard food that he's eaten all of his life in case it's his =
teeth
that bother him. But he's just slowly getting gaunt.
Vet has done the senior blood work and said nothing showed up that =
suggests
a fundamental problem; he's just an old cat. But I hate to see him =
getting
so bony.
Esther Czekalski
****************************************
Gardeners, I think, dream bigger dreams
than emperors.
~~Mary Cantwell
****************************************
We had one "old" cat that we used whatever the Petromalt brand of
supplement was--he really liked that.
We also have used jarred baby food--turkey and chicken--if the cat
likes that. Our Myrbo loved poultry and that really got him to eat
as he got older. It didn't seem to give him any of the digestive
problems either.
It is so hard to watch them as they age.
Kari
****************************************
Gardeners, I think, dream bigger dreams
than emperors.
~~Mary Cantwell
****************************************
Hi Esther,
I feed my cats Wellness. It is from a company in Lowell called Mother
Hubbard but actually made in Canada. It is "people" grade whatever that
means. You can see the veggies in it and the list of ingredients is
quite amazing. I get mine at our local Agway. They have small sizes
like Fancy Feast so you can try some to see what he might like. I am
also on a cat list called Holisticat and a lot feed raw on that list.
You can check out their website to see what kinds of recipes they use:
www.holisticat. com. Hope this helps. They can be such fussy eaters.
Robin in western Mass.
Lee Ann Reiners wrote:
****************************************
Gardeners, I think, dream bigger dreams
than emperors.
~~Mary Cantwell
****************************************
Hi,
Just be careful of onions as an ingredient in the baby food. That can
be a problem for cats. Robin in western Mass.
Kari Whittenberger-Keith wrote:
****************************************
Gardeners, I think, dream bigger dreams
than emperors.
~~Mary Cantwell
****************************************
Good idea to wet the food. Older animals seem to eat less. Maybe he
eats only a little because his stomach bothers him? Does he like any
kind of treats? Dairy? Fish? I don't know what cats like. Linda
in NW Ohio.
****************************************
Gardeners, I think, dream bigger dreams
than emperors.
~~Mary Cantwell
****************************************
Was thinking about this again last night Esther and as you had hinted, he needs more calories, which is not going to be solved by upping his protein. In fact, by increasing his protein (by giving him straight meat) you will actually decrease his calorie load. As others have mentioned, if he likes the soft foods, you could try a homemade mix of maybe fish and rice? A friend's cats love frozen tuna juice (from the dregs of a tin of tuna - they just throw in the freezer and then give to the cats for a treat). Simple enough to have tins of tuna on hand, or those packets of tuna - and maybe not any worse than tins of cat food for the vegetarian! I'd still maybe try the canned cat food first - that way at least you know it's formulated for a cat's nutritional requirements...
Brenda
****************************************
Gardeners, I think, dream bigger dreams
than emperors.
~~Mary Cantwell
****************************************
And dogs. Onions (and garlic - though they usually get garlic in such little amounts that it's not an issue) cause the blood cells to lyse (burst), causing a type of anemia. Grapes and raisins contain a toxin that causes kidney damage. Chocolate is also toxic to dogs. Those three are absolute no-nos for dogs. With cats, I'm not sure about the implications of homemade foods. Cats have very specific requirements that might be hard to meet with a homemade food. I'm trying to remember whether cats need a certain amount of ash?
Pet foods are all specifically formulated for the animal - which is why you have rat chow vs dog chow vs monkey chow. For example, many people make the mistake of feeding their guinea pigs rabbit pellets (they are more available). There are two problems with that. The rabbit pellets don't contain Vitamin C, which guinea pigs absolutely need. Also rabbit pellets can often contain certain antibiotics which are toxic to piggies.
But in Esther's case, she's trying to beef up her kitty a bit. Once he's put on some weight she can maybe look at going with a commercial food again.
Brenda
Date: Wednesday, August 24, 2005 5:11 pm
Subject: Re: OT cat supplement
****************************************
Gardeners, I think, dream bigger dreams
than emperors.
~~Mary Cantwell
****************************************
That's good, you may have it figured out then. Maybe you could try drizzling the tuna juice on his kibbles!
Brenda
Date: Thursday, August 25, 2005 8:11 am
Subject: Re: OT cat supplement
****************************************
Gardeners, I think, dream bigger dreams
than emperors.
~~Mary Cantwell
****************************************
Ah, thanks for the clarification/confirmation. Know there was something about ash with cats. And now that I hear that, think that maybe dog food has too much ash for cats which is why people that have both critters ahve to be careful about who's eating out of who's bowl...
Brenda
Date: Thursday, August 25, 2005 9:28 am
Subject: Re: OT cat supplement
****************************************
Gardeners, I think, dream bigger dreams
than emperors.
~~Mary Cantwell
****************************************
Thank you for all of the good ideas. I've tried some, for example canned
food, they get the same one or two bites, pushed around the plate and
finished treatment. Ari, who doesn't need the extra calories, usually
finishes it off. I wondered if anyone had tried the stuff in the tube =
with
success. Baby food (without flavorings, I thought they'd figured that =
out
when I was raising Nick) may be a good way of having simple meat on hand
without having to eat it myself.
It may even be psychological. I put a small amount of hard food in a =
dish
to wet for him and set it on the desk while I checked messages; he's =
having
a good time pulling it out of the dish onto the desk and eating it like =
he's
getting away with something. If he'd do that four or five times a day =
we'd
have that licked.
Esther Czekalski
****************************************
Gardeners, I think, dream bigger dreams
than emperors.
~~Mary Cantwell
****************************************
Ah, thanks for the clarification/confirmation. Know there was something about ash with cats. And now that I hear that, think that maybe dog food has too much ash for cats which is why people that have both critters ahve to be careful about who's eating out of who's bowl...
Brenda
Date: Thursday, August 25, 2005 9:28 am
Subject: Re: OT cat supplement
> Brenda, we were always told to buy the cat food with the lowest
> ash content
> possible. Too high in ash led to crystals in the urine for our cats.
****************************************
Gardeners, I think, dream bigger dreams
than emperors.
~~Mary Cantwell
****************************************
Brenda, we were always told to buy the cat food with the lowest ash content
possible. Too high in ash led to crystals in the urine for our cats.
jo
nj
****************************************
Gardeners, I think, dream bigger dreams
than emperors.
~~Mary Cantwell
****************************************
On 8/25/05, at 10:18 AM, BRENDA PINK,
> Ah, thanks for the clarification/confirmation. Know there was something
> about ash with cats. And now that I hear that, think that maybe dog
> food has too much ash for cats which is why people that have both
> critters ahve to be careful about who's eating out of who's bowl...
I think ash is particularly bad for male cats and worse for them if they
have been altered too young.
Tom Miller
......
.................................................
"There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked
about, and that is not being talked about." Oscar Wilde
......................................................
****************************************
Gardeners, I think, dream bigger dreams
than emperors.
~~Mary Cantwell
****************************************
Probably it's the combination of too much ash and not enough protein for
cats.
jo
****************************************
Gardeners, I think, dream bigger dreams
than emperors.
~~Mary Cantwell
****************************************
True, but I'm not sure about the neutering age.
Years ago we had a $200. cat who had to have surgery because of that
problem. My husband was willing to forget the cats original name and just
call him Mr. Moneybags!
jo
nj
****************************************
Gardeners, I think, dream bigger dreams
than emperors.
~~Mary Cantwell
****************************************
We had a similar situation--had a cat that had a very expensive
hairball: they couldn't see anything on the x-rays, so brought in a
specialist with "magic fingers" who pinpointed where it was then, due
to the location, they had a intestinal specialist do the surgery--
good thing we were in a town with a vet school). Ended up costing
about $1,500.00--we called him Little Goldbar for the longest time
(and he lived to be a ripe old age and paid back every penny in love
and affection).
Kari
****************************************
Gardeners, I think, dream bigger dreams
than emperors.
~~Mary Cantwell
****************************************
I've got to read the posts a little more carefully. I'm looking at your
post and thinking "that poor boy!" Ann, you're not talking about your
son, right? Sheesh! Last week I thought Brenda's mom had bitten the girl
at the kennel while Brenda was in Curacao.
It's the heat I tell you. :-D
Marcelle
Anne Holzwarth wrote:
****************************************
Gardeners, I think, dream bigger dreams
than emperors.
~~Mary Cantwell
****************************************
I have been feeding my 20 year old with fatty hamburg, strong cheese and
babyfood turkey. He eats occasional dry food . His teeth are good. He has a
very bad liver from 10 years of phenobarbital for his seizures. He seems happy
but I have to keep moving the dish with food in front of him. He is very
small. He acts like he forgets that he was eating and turns away but continues
when the dish is moved. He seems happy and purrs otherwise. He ate more on our
trip this summer. We went 10,000 miles. He likes to ride on the dashboard of
the motorhome. His 18 year old brother eats only dry food and hides under the
covers when we are driving. Comes out as soon as we stop and purrs.
Anne in MA
****************************************
Gardeners, I think, dream bigger dreams
than emperors.
~~Mary Cantwell
****************************************
My old cat also likes his hamburg pieces salted.
Anne
****************************************
Gardeners, I think, dream bigger dreams
than emperors.
~~Mary Cantwell
****************************************
Since my inadvertant "experiment" the other night, I've been putting =
little
piles, literally 10 or 12 small kibbles on the desk for him from time to
time. I'm pretty sure there's some senility there. But he's been =
happier
and more active since the weather cooled a bit, me too
like I'm crazy when I tell him that old for my cats is 20 years.
Esther Czekalski
Holzwarth
Sent: Friday, August 26, 2005 7:16 PM
To: GARDENS@LSV.UKY.EDU
Subject: Re: OT cat supplement
I have been feeding my 20 year old with fatty hamburg, strong cheese and
babyfood turkey. He eats occasional dry food . His teeth are good. He =
has
a
very bad liver from 10 years of phenobarbital for his seizures. He =
seems
happy
but I have to keep moving the dish with food in front of him. He is =
very
small. He acts like he forgets that he was eating and turns away but
continues
when the dish is moved.
****************************************
Gardeners, I think, dream bigger dreams
than emperors.
~~Mary Cantwell
****************************************
Oh, I dunno....I kinda liked the "picture" of Anne's son hiding under the
covers while they drive and coming out and purring.
MY son never learned how to purr!
Although his sitting on the dashboard could get you a ticket.
:>)
jo
nj
****************************************
Gardeners, I think, dream bigger dreams
than emperors.
~~Mary Cantwell
****************************************
Cats only like to eat food when it is fresh out of the can or box. In just a
few minutes it loses the smell that appeals to them, especially old cats
whose 'smellers' don't work so good.
It will drive you crazy, Esther, trying to renew it every few minutes.
jo
nj
Since my inadvertant "experiment" the other night, I've been putting little
piles, literally 10 or 12 small kibbles on the desk for him from time to
time. I'm pretty sure there's some senility there. But he's been happier
and more active since the weather cooled a bit, me too
like I'm crazy when I tell him that old for my cats is 20 years.
Esther Czekalski
****************************************
Gardeners, I think, dream bigger dreams
than emperors.
~~Mary Cantwell
****************************************
Know what, I take the old stuff out of the dish
getting
away with something. Or he forgets until it's in front of him, or
something. Whatever it is, it's purely psychological!
Esther Czekalski
lyons
Sent: Saturday, August 27, 2005 11:55 AM
To: GARDENS@LSV.UKY.EDU
Subject: Re: OT cat supplement
Cats only like to eat food when it is fresh out of the can or box. In =
just a
few minutes it loses the smell that appeals to them, especially old cats
whose 'smellers' don't work so good.
It will drive you crazy, Esther, trying to renew it every few minutes.
jo
nj
****************************************
Gardeners, I think, dream bigger dreams
than emperors.
~~Mary Cantwell
****************************************
We have an older one like that, too. I think Melissa is 15 now, kind of
skinny, but she's always been thin. She likes raw meat, that's what she was
raised on before we got her, but her raw meat days are few and far between.
But she ALWAYS knows when supper is real meat, not hot dogs, not spaghetti,
not something in a casserole. She will pop up for steak, chicken, REAL meat!
jo
nj
Know what, I take the old stuff out of the dish
away with something. Or he forgets until it's in front of him, or
something. Whatever it is, it's purely psychological!
Esther Czekalski
****************************************
Gardeners, I think, dream bigger dreams
than emperors.
~~Mary Cantwell
****************************************
Not that Brenda's Mom WOULDN'T bit if provoked! ;)
Brenda
Marcelle wrote:
****************************************
Gardeners, I think, dream bigger dreams
than emperors.
~~Mary Cantwell
****************************************
