Author Topic: What Wet Brands Do You Feed ...And Why?  (Read 37039 times)

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Offline Lola

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Re: What Wet Brands Do You Feed ...And Why?
« Reply #30 on: March 02, 2013, 11:22:27 PM »
So you went back to the Stella&Chewy's!  bananamiddlechild And they are liking it now?  And the Honest Kitchen prowl?  Congratulations!

I've decided to keep some Nature's Variety canned in the rotation for TC,  the one cat who doesn't get any commercial raw. One fourth of her diet is Prey Model Raw, but with the elimination of carrageenan foods, that has narrowed her variety too much for comfort. She always did well with NV canned, so I am watching for a sale.

The other two get Stella&Chewy's and Rad cat along with the By Nature Organic and PMR, so I am mostly content with that for them. I do wish I could find just ONE MORE canned food.

By the way, the thing I was worried about,

Has come to pass.  I started a new batch of the turkey&liver and it took two weeks for her system to adjust to it.

When I first introduced dehydrated, Leonard was still here... and other things were going on.  When it wasn't a fan favorite... I nixed it.  Later, I got to thinking (sometimes I am sooooo slow)... like any new food... gotta allow the felines a little adjustment time.  

Honestly, I can't remember why NV is back in.  I took it out once, for some reason.  It is one of those foods that gets fed a can here and there.  I don't buy it by the case.  I just pick up a few, at PetCo every so often.  They ate rabbit last week and loved it.  However, it soooooo grossed me out!  I kept visualizing..  Easter4

Maybe SK just changed her mind...concerning the turkey and liver.  Or she just likes to keep you on your toes!  
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Offline Middle Child

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Re: What Wet Brands Do You Feed ...And Why?
« Reply #31 on: March 03, 2013, 06:47:34 AM »
The NV rabbit comes from China :(

We just had a PetCo open here.  I wandered around in there the week after it opened.  I wasn't impressed with the inventory or the prices.  I still have some NV here, so she is getting it once a week.  I finally had to box up all the remaining carrageenan foods, to prevent myself from accidentally feeding them any more.  Every time I do now, TC starts scooting and her anal glands fill up.

SK is eating the new batch fine, it's her digestive system that had trouble with it at first.  Regurgitation. She just cannot take shifts in processed food. But she's back on track now.

Offline Lola

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Re: What Wet Brands Do You Feed ...And Why?
« Reply #32 on: March 03, 2013, 06:56:34 PM »
The NV rabbit comes from China :(

We just had a PetCo open here.  I wandered around in there the week after it opened.  I wasn't impressed with the inventory or the prices.  I still have some NV here, so she is getting it once a week.  I finally had to box up all the remaining carrageenan foods, to prevent myself from accidentally feeding them any more.  Every time I do now, TC starts scooting and her anal glands fill up.

SK is eating the new batch fine, it's her digestive system that had trouble with it at first.  Regurgitation. She just cannot take shifts in processed food. But she's back on track now.

Rabbit coming from China... dang it!     Doh1

PetCo is a bit more pricey, compared to PetSmart. BUT PetCo carries a MUCH better variety of pet food...Natures Variety, Soulistic, Weruva, Wellness, etc.  Also, they give a 10% discount if I buy it by the case.  It works for me, in a pinch. 

I understood SK is eating from the new batch.   thumbsup1
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Offline Middle Child

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Re: What Wet Brands Do You Feed ...And Why?
« Reply #33 on: November 01, 2013, 05:13:44 AM »
Our updated list:

By Nature Organic-  Turkey&Chicken (SK (Mazy), TC (Jennie) and LC (Queen Eva)) Turkey&Liver (Jennie and Queen Eva) Chicken & liver (Jennie and Queen Eva)

Wild Calling Chicken- one meal a day, all cats

Tiki Cat-the two chicken formulas (Jennie <aka TC> only)

Weurva nine livers -until it gets used up  (Jennie only)

Natural Balance platefuls pouches- two chicken flavors, once every two weeks until it gets used up (Queen Eva <aka LC> only)

Castor & Pollux - chicken casserole, once every two weeks until it gets used up (Jennie and Queen Eva)

Stella & Chewy Freeze dried raw, chicken, duck&goose (Jennie and Queen Eva)

Rad Cat frozen raw -chicken, turkey, lamb (Mazy <aka SK> and Queen Eva)

Prey Model Raw-sometimes with bone sometimes with egg shell calcium (Jennie and Queen Eva)

*I stopped feeding Mazy (SK) PMR because she started regurgitating it so often.  I have no idea why but I got tired of cleaning up raw puke.  No matter how tiny I minced it or how small I made the portions and spread them out.

PS The foods "until they get used up" on the list were of course part of trials, but as I learned more and more about pet foods they were discarded.  However since my financial circumstances have changed, and I had not yet given those particular foods away yet, they've been brought back into the rotation until they are gone.  I just can no longer afford to give away close to $300 worth of cat food.

Since I buy by the case, and buy large quantities on sale,  last year I ended up shipping off (using USPS flat rate shipping boxes) or dropping off at the shelter probably close to $1000 worth of canned foods -Before Grain,  Merrick, Wellness and By Nature 95%,  because of the carrageenan in them. I can't afford to do that any more. :)

Offline Middle Child

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Re: What Wet Brands Do You Feed ...And Why?
« Reply #34 on: November 01, 2013, 04:11:37 PM »
PS the Natural Balance (now owned by Del Monte as of 5/13) pouches and the Castor & Pollux ( now owned by Merrick as of 4/12) 3 oz cans are both pre-company sell out batches. Both contain spinach and are high in carbs, those are the three strikes against them (sell out, spinach and carbs)

Both expire in the fall of 2014 so I have time to use them up at one each every 2 weeks. (one pouch of NB once week, one can of C&P the next and so on)

Offline Lola

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Re: What Wet Brands Do You Feed ...And Why?
« Reply #35 on: November 03, 2013, 01:45:26 AM »
You are incredible.  All our felines are fed the same thing 99% of the time.  If one has an issue with something… no one gets fed whatever it is causing a problem. 
I've never had to give away food though.  Our dogs eat anything.  :) 

What is the issue with Del Monte? 
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Offline Lola

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Re: What Wet Brands Do You Feed ...And Why?
« Reply #36 on: November 03, 2013, 01:51:33 AM »
PS
I always have 3 different brands in rotation.  Different brand for every meal.  I don't trust ANY company to feed one brand 3x a day.  When Wellness had taurine issues…. if I wasn't feeding other brands, that company would have killed them all. 

I know other companies have had issues, but the Wellness one was a real eye opener for me. 
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Offline Middle Child

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Re: What Wet Brands Do You Feed ...And Why?
« Reply #37 on: November 03, 2013, 06:23:39 AM »
No particular issue with Del Monte.  Simply that they are a conglomerate, and when pet foods get bought out like that, they tend to deteriorate.

I don't know why you say I am incredible?

I haven't had all cats on the same diet in 30 years so it is pretty much a way of life anyway. :)

My cats, too are on three or more different commercial brands, even SK now thanks to the Wild Calling.

She doesn't seem to have suffered much from not getting the prey model any more, her coat is wonderful and her energy level is very high.

Offline joy

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Re: What Wet Brands Do You Feed ...And Why?
« Reply #38 on: July 09, 2015, 10:55:26 PM »
We feed our three cats the following canned foods---we have 2 Senior Balinese--a male and a female and 1 Ragdoll kitten, who is 8 months. We feed them canned food twice daily and leave dry food down for them for free feeding. They are all in perfect weight and there has been no vomiting in some time. Only two of the following contain Carageenan and none contain fish.  Because one of our Seniors was diagnosed with stage 2 kidney disease, I began researching.

A big thanks to MIddle Child whose list of carrageenan and fish-free products was a huge help in our journey to better nutrition. This is a field of study where the learning is neverending. Here is a list of what we feed all 3 on a rotation basis:

Nature’s Variety Chicken Pate
Nature’s Variety Lamb Pate
Merrick Chicken Pate---does contain carageenan
Hound & Gatos Chicken ate
Halo Chicken Stew--smooth texture
GO Daily Defence Turkey Pate
GO Daily Defence Chicken Stew-pate
GO Fit & Free Chicken/Turkey/Duck Pate
GO Sensitivity & Shine Duck Pate
Innova Chicken Pate---does contain carageenan
Nature’s Logic Chicken Pate
Lotus Chicken&Veg. Pate
Wild Calling Chicken Pate
Wild Calling Rabbit Pate
Ziwi Peak Venison
Nutrience Turkey,Chicken &Chicken Liver Pate--on order
Halo Impulse Rabbit & Garden greens--on order

Hope this is helpful.

Offline Middle Child

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Re: What Wet Brands Do You Feed ...And Why?
« Reply #39 on: July 10, 2015, 04:54:39 AM »
Thanks Joy!  I can't take full credit for that list, haha! Everyone helped and probably did more work than I did.

Looks like a good list! The research is never ending isn't it? :)  But I don't understand why you leave dry food down?  Especially as you have a cat with CKD, it's not really something she should be eating. I would recommend removing the dry food all together.

Welcome to the forum!

Offline Lola

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Re: What Wet Brands Do You Feed ...And Why?
« Reply #40 on: July 10, 2015, 08:55:32 AM »
Thanks for sharing the info and your experience, joy.

Sorry to hear this:
Because one of our Seniors was diagnosed with stage 2 kidney disease, I began researching.

So your story doesn't get lost in this thread, I started a new one here:
http://parenting-furkids.com/index.php?topic=3703.new#new
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Offline lwon615

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Re: What Wet Brands Do You Feed ...And Why?
« Reply #41 on: December 17, 2017, 07:27:18 PM »
I feed a brand called Rawz. Rawz is a small company that has only had their cat canned food out for just over a year (not sure how long they've had dog food). I feed it because it is all meat and they don't use any commercial gums or carrageenan. One of my kitties had diarrhea from commercial gums and I had to find a food without it. Rawz uses fenugreek seeds, and they're canned food is about the same price as other premium foods. Unfortunately, they don't have very much selection when it comes to flavors because they are such a small company. They steam cook their food, and it is less processed than most other foods. Even their dry food is better than most out there. It's kind of expensive though. I know we don't like dry food, but I have one cat who likes to have a dry food snack before bed. He has been on a kibble diet his whole life (previous owners made him a dry food addict). I am all for feeding an all canned or raw diet if you can, but I feed my cat 75% wet/25% dry and I am ok with that. When I first tried Rawz, my cats ate it so fast. Now I think they're a little bored with it, I'm guessing due to lack of flavor variety, although I try to rotate flavors as much as possible, because they are not eating it as well, but they still eat it better than anything else gum- and carrageenan-free.
www.rawznaturalpetfood.com

Another brand I feed sometimes is Koha stews. They also use fenugreek seeds, but they also put some vegetables in their stews, and my cats don't like it quite as much.

I tried Nature's Logic, which also has no gums or carrageenan, but it constipated my cat. It is a good brand if your cat can tolerate it, but be aware that it can cause constipation.

I also feed Tiki Cat Gourmet Carnivore on occasion. It is an expensive food to feed all the time, and all the foods are either chicken-based or fish-based. It appears they got rid of the Gourmet Carnivore line and replaced it with After Dark. Be aware that the SARDINE flavors contain XANTHAN GUM. However, all the other flavors are gum and carrageenan-free (I'm pretty sure), although a lot of their foods are fish-based. The After Dark line has mostly non-fish based foods.
« Last Edit: December 17, 2017, 07:49:39 PM by lwon615 »

Offline Middle Child

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Re: What Wet Brands Do You Feed ...And Why?
« Reply #42 on: December 18, 2017, 04:43:13 PM »
I feed a brand called Rawz. Rawz is a small company that has only had their cat canned food out for just over a year (not sure how long they've had dog food). I feed it because it is all meat and they don't use any commercial gums or carrageenan. One of my kitties had diarrhea from commercial gums and I had to find a food without it. Rawz uses fenugreek seeds, and they're canned food is about the same price as other premium foods. Unfortunately, they don't have very much selection when it comes to flavors because they are such a small company. They steam cook their food, and it is less processed than most other foods. Even their dry food is better than most out there. It's kind of expensive though. I know we don't like dry food, but I have one cat who likes to have a dry food snack before bed. He has been on a kibble diet his whole life (previous owners made him a dry food addict). I am all for feeding an all canned or raw diet if you can, but I feed my cat 75% wet/25% dry and I am ok with that. When I first tried Rawz, my cats ate it so fast. Now I think they're a little bored with it, I'm guessing due to lack of flavor variety, although I try to rotate flavors as much as possible, because they are not eating it as well, but they still eat it better than anything else gum- and carrageenan-free.
www.rawznaturalpetfood.com

Another brand I feed sometimes is Koha stews. They also use fenugreek seeds, but they also put some vegetables in their stews, and my cats don't like it quite as much.

I tried Nature's Logic, which also has no gums or carrageenan, but it constipated my cat. It is a good brand if your cat can tolerate it, but be aware that it can cause constipation.

I also feed Tiki Cat Gourmet Carnivore on occasion. It is an expensive food to feed all the time, and all the foods are either chicken-based or fish-based. It appears they got rid of the Gourmet Carnivore line and replaced it with After Dark. Be aware that the SARDINE flavors contain XANTHAN GUM. However, all the other flavors are gum and carrageenan-free (I'm pretty sure), although a lot of their foods are fish-based. The After Dark line has mostly non-fish based foods.

Hi! Welcome! That's great that you've found some good wet brands to feed your cats, that they like and that aren't too full of nasty things.

I do like the look of the Rawz canned, except for the fenugreek seeds, I am not thrilled with that, or the vegetable broth or the "natural flavor" (which usually means MSG).

But as we've all discovered, there is no perfect commercial processed food, so feeding a variety as you are doing is the best way to avoid the cats having too much of any one icky thing. Sounds like you've found a good balance.

 But what I don't understand is why are you feeding any dry at all?  Cats don't need it, and it is just plain bad for them. 25% of their diet as dry food is actually a pretty high percentage.  Why not just eliminate the dry junk food all together?

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