Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My 11 year old cat has recently (over last year) developed a problem with chronic vomiting, sometimes several times per day. I've tried Purina One (I know, bad stuff!), Nutro, Felidea, Chicken Soup, and Natural Balance allergy formula. He's been checked by a vet, but they couldn't find anything wrong with him. Food allergies were suspected because I've changed his dry food 4-5 times in the last year and each time he stops vomiting for 2 weeks, then starts right back up. However, even the Natural Balance allergy formula didn't work. So, I've given up completely on dry food and I'm going to start him on the raw diet (a frozen kind that I can buy at my local pet place). Every day of his life he's gotten 1/3 of a can of store brand canned food to supplement his free-fed dry food (he has to split his can with 2 other cats). I want to mix the new raw diet with canned food because he is such a picky eater. Is there really such a big difference between premium and store brand CANNED food? I know there is a HUGE difference with dry, but the canned doesn't seem all that different. I found a website that compared most canned brands, and most seemed fairly similar when it came to protein, fat, and carb contents. If I'm just adding canned to add flavor to his highly nutritious raw diet, would it really matter if I just used the cheapo store brand stuff instead of the premium brands?

Hi,

There is a huge difference also when it comes to different brands of canned cat foods. Read the ingredient labels, and compare the source of the protein, not the amount.

To be honest, though, I don't feel that it would be harmful to your cat to mix the frozen diet with a store brand canned food, especially if this is what he is used to. In fact, I would try to make the diet change gradual, not suddenly feed him mostly frozen with a little bit of the canned mixed in. I would start by feeding mostly what he is used to with a little frozen mixed in. Decrease the old food and increase the new one slowly.

Please let us know how your kitty does on his new diet.

Regards,
AshleyElla

I'd say it is more important for him to keep food down rather than be concerned if one food is somewhat better than others.

Everyone has strong feelings on whether grocery store sold foods are better than premium foods or whether natural foods are best of all... In the case where the cat has eating problems, I vote for finding whatever the cat can keep down.

It sounds like your vet is helping and that is key.

I hope it works out and you find a combination that works out!

P.S. My vet is a geriatric cat specialist and is a huge fan of Purina products (you mentioned Purina One being bad). I also have family and friends that have or have had cats in their late teens, all the way up to 24 year old cats, that eat Purina Cat Chow only their entire life. It's a personal choice what you feed your cat. I choose premium foods because of medical issues my cats are prone to, but I certainly don't advocate that brands like Purina are bad -- I've seen too many cats do very well on Purina foods...
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Tammy
Stanley and Pookey