Just Got A Cat

JoePa · #1 01/12/14, 08:33 AM

I just pick up a cat from a shelter - its not quite a year old - I intent to make a house cat out of it - have some questions about what is best to feed it - right now I have dry cat food in a disk always available for it and water - then twice a day I give it some canned cat food - my questions are if I can or should give it milk - or some left over scrambled eggs - or other leftover meat scraps - once in awhile - we had a cat when I was growing up and we gave it just about anything - they were outside cats - now when I read about feeding a cat on the net it seems a lot of what we gave our cats isn't good for them - would appreciate your advice - thanks

willow_girl · #2 01/12/14, 08:47 AM

Just like with a dog, be careful feeding it table scraps, or you'll have it begging at the table, and underfoot in the kitchen.

Tango · #3 01/12/14, 08:54 AM

Congrats on a cats!

I can't remember one that liked milk unless it came straight from the cow (and I do mean straight from the cow, lol) If you feed dry food then canned can be a treat once in a while. The dry food usually has a better nutrition profile than the canned. Sometimes I buy canned mackerel which is pretty cheap and give that to them as a special meal every so often. So.... what's her / his name?

Tango · #4 01/12/14, 08:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by willow_girl

Just like with a dog, be careful feeding it table scraps, or you'll have it begging at the table

or "on" the table

MichaelZ · #5 01/12/14, 09:08 AM

One thing about cats - they will always con you into thinking they are starving to death, even if they are starting to resemble a blimp with legs. So you don't want to leave unlimited food unless you want a very fat cat.

simi-steading · #6 01/12/14, 09:15 AM

Buffalo Blue cat food is really good. Especially the grain free food.. Feeding wet twice a day is a bad habit to get into.... you'll be tied to that...

If I feed wet I don't put down any dry, and feed one pouch or small can, then 12 hours later put back the dry...

Milk is not good for a cat. Believe it or not, most can't process it well.. A little egg is OK, but as said, you really don't want to get into feeding scraps... Most stuff has too much fat in it...

Cindy in NY · #7 01/12/14, 09:19 AM

Cat are lactose intolerant so don't give them milk on a regular basis. With milk, they will get runny, messy poop!!

As Michael said, let the cat eat and then put the food up. Some cats like human food, some don't. Two of mine want nothing human except the fishy water from a can of tuna. The other one (the 15 pounder!!) will eat anything including bagels and bolonga!!

Be sure to keep a water bowl out for him or her. Cats tend to not drink enough so it's a good idea to give them a mix of dry and canned water.

Is your kitty a boy or girl? Fixed yet? Name?? And of course we want to see a pic!!

simi-steading · #8 01/12/14, 09:23 AM

I feed my cat one jar full of food a day. This is the jar I use. This is what I've always used to measure food for all my cats... Fill their bowl in the morning or night once a day.. Always feed at the same time every day. Cats like routine...

Just Got A Cat - Homesteading Questions

JPKeenan007 · #9 01/12/14, 09:56 AM

been said before that cats can't handle milk.... You'll figure that out when you clean the litter box.

Watch out for the canned fish because it is actually bad for cats.

Dry food (ash content) can cause crystals in the urinary tract of some cats. It's worse for males than females, and can actually kill a cat. While dry food is good for tartar on a cat's teeth it is mostly made of vegetable matter (corn). Cats are strictly carnivores and should have canned food. That's not to say canned food every day (can get expensive). Every other day or so is cool if you're broke.

As with people food the quality factor of cat food can vary. I avoid the store brands and the "designer" brands. Middle of the road Friskeys or Meow Mix is good.

Treat table food as a snack food for your cat. Think of it as a candy bar for your kid. A candy bar here and there is OK but not as a constant diet or every day.

That being said watch out for some food (use your google-fu) as they are really bad for cats. Onions and garlic are two examples. Garlic causes a condition where the red blood cells either deform or somehow don't carry enough oxygen to the cells.

That being said I have a cat who goes crazy if I leave a plate I was eating spaghetti off of. She'll lick it up like it was made of pure gold. Another cat loves the cheese sauce left over from my homemade mac & cheese. Small once in a while doses like that shouldn't be a concern. Or if you make a tuna sandwich and give them a can to lick clean.

farmerted · #10 01/12/14, 10:18 AM

consistency makes for good poop. I love my dog, but if she cares about variety in her diet she has never told me.

Vosey · #11 01/12/14, 11:14 AM

Thank you JP for your posting. There's a lot of conflicting info out there about cats and canned foods. In a perfect world cats would be eating raw meat. Their need for protein is higher than dogs. My brother is able to feed his cats fresh raw beef, lamb and chicken on his farm and they are the healthiest beasts I've ever seen! Some dry food is fine, helps their teeth, but all dry food leads to all kinds of problems.

I have had many cats in my life, most have self-regulated their food intake and I could leave dry food out all the time and feed wet food once a day. But I've had 2 that would eat themselves to death, so just get to know your cat. If she's going to go outside she'll probably be active enough not to get fat, just keep an eye on her weight.

My current kitty won't eat any human food, only cat food and mice, voles, gophers, birds, snakes etc....she is very useful around here!

Tango · #12 01/12/14, 11:28 AM

I've been owned by various cats for over 60 years..LOL..

Dry food..the best quality that you can afford..IAMS, Science Diet, etc. cats, like dogs, need to chew something hard to keep their teeth in good shape..

I keep a cup and a half of dry food in the bowl 24/7..most cats prefer to "graze" when they're hungry vs eat all at one sitting..daily fresh water is a good thing..

I always have spoiled the cats who have owned me with a weekly treat of a few tablespoons of what I call "stinky cat food"..the cheap smelly stuff..

Not a single one of the cats lived less than 14 years and had excellent health..Barney, the current owner, is 15 years old and since he is the only cat in the house, he can do anything he wants..like eat stinky cat food every day, and share cut-up ham, salami, an an occassional green olive

edited to add..have never met a cat who tolerated milk.gives them diarrhea..

mnn2501 · #13 01/12/14, 11:47 AM

I have dry cat food always available for my cats, and only one (of 5 I have owned) is somewhat fat, and he was a feral kitten when we got him.
Canned cat food is a once a week treat. Human food, almost never.
Milk, a very small amount occasionally, couple times a week, less than 1 ounce.
Fresh Water - Always available

mnn2501 · #14 01/12/14, 11:48 AM

Duplicate post deleted

Ravenlost · #15 01/12/14, 11:58 AM

I've had cats my entire 54 years and currently have eight. We provide dry cat food 24/7 and don't have a single fat cat...do have one pleasantly plump one that always slims up in the summer. Hubby splits two cans of wet cat food between them every evening during the winter time. They're all healthy as can be...we've had one cat live to age 23 and another live to 19 (he had kidney failure the last nine years of his life).

bowdonkey · #16 01/12/14, 12:22 PM

Oh, for a pet?!

Harry Chickpea · #17 01/12/14, 12:58 PM

Can't wait for Oggie to chime in...

Tuxedo cat outside (feral) is getting a little chubby on field mice. I've had three indoor cats, one lasted over 20 years with primarily wet food, two others about 17 years each with decent quality dry food and a bit of tuna or tuna can juice now and then. Vet costs and food costs are increasing enough now that I would no longer consider an indoor cat even if we wanted another.

JoePa · #18 01/12/14, 12:59 PM

Haven't named the cat yet - its a female and yes we will get it neutered shortly - it is a very beautiful cat - white nose and under neck and belley - white toes - back is kinda charcoal gray - it has long hair and has a very long tail - exceptionally friendly - always folows us around - always gotta watch you don't step on it - yes I did read on the net that cats by nature should eat meat - and dry food can cause problems over a long period of time because it isn't wet enough and cats just don't like to drink a lot of water - I guess I'll continue to do what I started - leave some dry food out 24/7 and give it a half can of food twice a day - we'll see how that works - when I get around to it I'll try and post a picture of it -

ronbre · #19 01/12/14, 01:13 PM

i have 2 cats, they are both fairly particular about food..whatever you do do not buy the treats to give to them..both my cats and my son's cat got sick from those and nearly died..

read the label on your food and make sure the # 1 thing is meat, not by products or corn, cats can't live on that crap..nor can dogs.

my cats will drink some milk, occasionally, so it is ok to give them a little, but not much..my one cat won't touch canned fish like tuna or salmon, but the other one will. the one that won't will eat ham or ground beef (prefers it raw)..neither much cares for eggs or cheese but my son's love both.

each cat is unique..

one of my cats used to jump on my lap and try to eat off my dishes..but soon learned that food at their dishes was much easier.

all cats seem to LOVE jerky and sausages..not that it is the best food for them though..

jennigrey · #20 01/12/14, 01:30 PM

Cats evolved in the desert. They didn't have access to much water and got most of their moisture from eating their prey. Domesticated cats have remained unchanged. Some cats drink enough water but most do not. Feeding only dry cat food will lead to kidney failure if the cat does not drink enough water to compensate for the dry diet. So, to be safe, it is best to offer wet food to indoor cats. An outdoor or indoor-outdoor cat that kills and eats plenty of critters won't need the wet food.

Kidney disease and failure is one of the leading causes of death for pet cats.

While dogs do eat a lot of non-meat foods, cats do not. Find a cat food that does not have grain or vegetables or fruit or anything like that. Those foods are marketed toward humans' perception of a healthy diet. Cats are strictly carnivores. They will voluntarily *snack* on non-meat things but it should NOT make up any measurable portion of their everyday food.

I have found that Costco's store brand "Kirkland Signature" dry cat food is pretty good for the price, but then I am feeding three cats and you are just feeding the one. IAMS and Science Diet are better than Meow Mix but I would go one tier higher in quality than that. The Buffalo Blue that was previously mentioned is pretty good stuff. Just read the ingredients and look for one that is meat-based and doesn't have grain or vegetables.

Some cats can handle having food available at all times without putting on too much weight. I have been fortunate enough that all the cats I have had were in this category, however I know MANY cats who have to have their food metered. I can keep a bowl of dry food down for the cats to pick at all day and then give some wet food once or twice a day.

You can get a pet feeder that is on a timer that will dispense or reveal their meal at a certain time of day. There is a kind of candy-machine design one that will dispense dry food into the attached dish, or one that slides a cover off a dish to reveal wet food. Having an automated feeder will help prevent creating a monster that tries to wake you up in the morning or otherwise pester you for food.

Cats prefer to have their food and water in separate locations. They will usually drink more water this way, since it usually results in cleaner water. Our cats seem to like to drink their water off the counter in the bathroom. And, of course, food and water should be no where near the litter box!

Use unscented cat litter. Cats hate scented cat litter - their noses are so sensitive. Scented cat litter can put a cat off their litter box entirely.

Our cats are wonderful, demonstrative, loving companions. They run up to the car to greet us when we come home, follow us all around the house and the farm to keep us company when we are working or doing chores, sleep on the bed with us at night. I don't know where all the stereotypes of aloof cats come from. I have never had an aloof cat.