Giz/Emma and everyones pets on the board

Our vet also recommended the Science diet for our cat. Mainly I think the diet has to be low ash for male cats. whatever low ash means, I don't know.

 

One if our cats also got blocked up. Both were on a mix of dry and canned prescriptin diet. Eventually, he tired of it.
Soooo, off to local pet store.
Looked thru the various canned and went with a mix of different brands, all the expensive ones.
Weruva, maxcat, wellness, blue, merrick, etc. Look at the ingrediemts, you dont want "byproducts" or grains (some veggies are ok ig on the cans, at least for my 2).
We akso give some dry, but also a high quality grain free.
Have had no issues since.
Iow, no friskies or 9 lives, etc.
Especially with the males.

 

Hope my cat Tory never has this issue - he isn't remotely interested in canned food (even as a kitten, he would turn his nose up at it). He will consent to eat a little bit of cooked chicken pieces - but only white meat with no skin or fat and only a couple of tiny pieces at a time. He won't look at egg, or fish. Just the strangest cat.

 

I would look on Google for some ideas. I have to tell you that Hill Science Diet is full, I mean full of junk food. The vets get a kick back. I think it unconscionable for them to be selling pet food. Purely profit driven. I have seen evals of hill. On a scale of 1-5 with five being highest, Hills come in as a 2. grain and by product are a major part of their product. You also could go to a pet store and try to find a mature person and tell them what kind of diet you vet is recommending. Any vet who is peddling Hill is one I would be avoiding.

 

This is exactly what the vet said, the ash causes the pH to rise, which allows the crystals that cause the blockage to form.

 

Hmmm....I have a lot of respect for the Vet, he is a personal friend. The Hills diet he sells at his clinic is available only by prescription through a vet, I wonder how different it really is from the pet store Hills...good information I'll look into it.

 

When you have a vet you trust, then I would stick with them. The hills diet for non prescription food has me irate after reading the food content and reading related articles. As you stated, your cat's condition is one that needs your attention if you want to keep him around. Here is something worth looking into: 5 Cat Foods for Urinary Health and Cat Food Reviews, Ratings and Analysis 2016

 

You're right about the Hills being mostly filler, first ingredient chicken, second ingredient whole corn. I didn't read the ingredients before buying and certainly expected better than that for the price. I don't think it's doing any harm and hopefully the "prescription" part will help clear things out a bit, but as soon as this bag is gone I'll be switching to something more meat based that is formulated for urinary tract health. DL-methionine is the ingredient to look for, occurs naturally in many foods and can also be added directly as a supplement.

 

To be fair, most cat foods are mostly filler whether it be corn, rice, potatoes. Then they add chemicals or weird ingredients like mold (commonly called citric acid) to make up the mineral & vitamin balance needed and for stability/freshness. While your cat is doing poorly, I would use whatever food he tolerates well and helps his condition. Once his health is back up to par, then experiment with different foods that have ingredients you prefer - and, that is totally between you and your cat's tolerances.

I've had cats live 16 years eating the cheapest stuff, and a cat who lived only a couple of years eating the expensive "natural" stuff. I even consider the "grain free" stuff suspect as they include potatoes, sweet or white, and rice - which really, cats didn't evolve eating. And this stuff about cats eating what is in the prey's stomach - let me tell you about all the guts I have found as leavings from frogs, birds and mice - dogs eat the stomach contents, not so much any cat that I've had. even if mistakenly eaten, that is the part that is thrown up as a whole, distinguishable, undigested part.

I'm not saying any of the foods are bad, just that each cat will tolerate, even thrive, on different foods. And each person needs to find which works for their personal situation.

Hey, and this comes from a person who feeds her current 2 cats 5 (yes - five) different foods in three bowels. Each morning this is put out for the kitties

1. A handful of Royal Canine Maine Coon formula in a small bowl (go figure, it is for my DSH who likes to chew his food - the MC doesn't eat it unless it is the only choice)
2. A handful of Hill's Ideal Balance in a small bowl (the MC loves this), and
3. A large bowl filled to half full (as needed) of Meow Mix (or Cat Chow) mixed with Taste of the Wild and Nature's Variety Instinct (both cats eat this mix).

Then the MC gets a couple tsps. of Friskie's canned food in the afternoon - the DSH won't do canned at all.

 

I had to share that one on FB. Touching.

 

I've had cats that would be out all day and when let in immediately headed for the litter box. Other cats happily do their business either in the box, or outside, depending on where they are at when the need hits.

 

RIP Tory - 16 years was not long enough. I already miss you

 

Sorry for the loss bogieb. We never get enough time with them. Never.

 

Some cats just can't think outside the box.