Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Last year, I switched my cat from Purina Cat Chow to Wellness Healthy weight. She took to it really well, except that she lost too much weight. I can feel her spine and her other bones in her body- and she looks too thin. She got a dental at my veterinarian that I work at and they did pre-blood, and her blood results were normal, so there was no other health reasons besides the food. The vet wanted me to switch to Science Diet, but I know Science diet is a scam for uneducated owners, and its overpriced crap.So I switched her to Indoor Health Wellness. So I was suggested that I add some kitten food to her diet as well, because this is a bit higher in calories. I did this, but it doesn't seem to be making a big difference.

Ive tried to get her to eat a little bit of wet food, but being a 9 year old cat that's eaten dry food her whole life, she wont take to it. Any suggestions for other brands I could try that are a little higher in calories?

I wanted to try a high protein food too, but I was told that as cats grow older their kidneys do not process proteins as well.

Dry food is not good for cats, as it causes urinary tract problems, and can lead to diabetes. Fresh meat is okay, either raw or cooked, but canned food is also acceptable. Try a number of different types to discover what the cat wants.

What about a high protein food? I was told that as cats get older they cannot tolerate a high protein diet.

How can I get her to eat canned food?

Protein does not harm the kidneys. If the kidneys are impaired, it may be difficult to remove nitrogenous wastes, but healthy kidneys have no problem with protein.

In order to avoid this I would just have to get her blood work done every year?

If her water intake or her urination increase significantly, it would be advisable to have a blood chemistry done.

I tried to add wet to her diet but she refuses to take to it.

Any sugggestions on what I could do?