A couple of years ago, my older cat Patton was diagnosed with chronic renal failure. He was very dehydrated and weak and would regularly vomit up his food. The vet gave him a subcutaneous water treatment and prescribed him special food for renal support but warned us that it was not a cure, just a way to keep him as stable as possible for the next few years.
We fed him a combination of wet and dry prescription food. We hadn't fed him much wet food over the years so he loved it. He was so skinny, we tried to have the food available all the time. We also put in a running water fountain instead of a water bowl, to keep him well hydrated. This seemed to improve his condition although he was still pretty weak and thin.
His condition continued to stay about the same, until recently. We took him into the vet for an unrelated issue with his back legs, we think he tore a ligament and was having trouble getting around. Since COVID, we had to drop off our cat and wait to get a call from the vet. She called us almost immediately to recommend euthanasia!
As the family had not had time to talk about this and Patton had seemed pretty cheerful and bright eyed despite his leg injury, we took him home. The vet gave us some pain meds to keep him comfortable. He was happy to be home and we all held him and gave him as much love as possible. About two weeks later, we took him back into the vet for the ending.
Right before Christmas, we allowed our youngest to get a new kitten. Patton was her special friend and slept with her every night for years. I decided to do a little research on different pet foods to make sure we were keeping her and our other cat healthy. What I found out was surprising.
Although dry food seems to be the most convenient option, it is not the healthiest for cats. Cats have a low thirst drive and many don't drink enough water to keep their organs working properly. In the wild, they would be eating raw meat, which is about 70% water. Feeding mostly dry food appears to be causing the renal failures that are so often seen in cats. Wet food is a better option for a higher water content. Dry food or treats can be given in moderation as they can help clean teeth.
We also looked at the ingredients of the food, making sure that the first two ingredients were meat. Cats do not really need vegetables or grains, these are used as fillers in pet food. Wet foods that contain gravies or sauces are not as good as the paté style, as the thickeners are starches and don't add anything nutritionally. If you have to use dry food, you could add a little bit of water to soften it up.
Cats are carnivores and are used to a raw diet so it is tempting to think of making them food at home. I will caution you about this however, unless you really know what you are doing. Raw meat and bones can contain food borne illnesses like salmonella. Most "raw" foods have been slightly cooked to prevent this. Also, cats require the essential amino acid taurine, which comes from dark meat and organs. Cats on a diet of chicken breast, for example, will not get enough taurine which will adversely affect their health.
If you want to give your cats a treat, many human foods are fine. Avoid dairy as most cats are lactose intolerant, despite all those cartoons. Fish and seafood is good, as are most meats and eggs. Some homemade treats may include oatmeal, bananas or spinach too. Avoid garlic, onions and chocolate, just like for dogs.
We now have our new little kit on wet food three times a day, although she also has a bowl of kibble out in case she wants it. She learned to drink from the fountain right away and we see her drinking often. I have high hopes that her kidneys will stay healthy for many years together.
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Same here!!
We had two Cats with the same problem. Its true about dry food, too. Its not available to them in the wild. Same kind of holds true for dogs as well. We had a dog with kidney problems and we thought it was the overseas dry food we were feeding her. So be careful what you buy. Its hard to believe with all those super nutritional dry foods you see on the shelves
When I researched the right type of foods to eat online, I found a lot of articles very negative to dry food. They talked of mold and other undesirable issues with the process.
this is great information. ive also been thinking of ways to start incorporating raw meats into our cats diet into their regular dry/wet foods. thank you.
This is a good article I found about raw food for cats. I decided that it was too much for me right now but maybe I will revisit it later, as a supplement at least.
pets.webmd.com/
If you try it, do let us know how it turns out.
i took my cat to the vet with kidney problems over 50 years ago,he was diagnosed with-please excuse the spelling its many years since i saw it written down and is bound to be wrong -"eurolithiasis" .he eventually had to be put to sleep.the thing is my vet told me then that a dry food only diet would cause this-we had been feeding a new dried food that people were raving about for its convenience-my point is-if vets knew then,50 years ago,that dried food can cause this-how come its still being sold?i think its wrong,and a little note on the packet saying"always make sure drinking water is available"in my opinion,doesnt let manufacturers off the hook.
Yes dried was supposed to be the ideal food, wasn't it? My vet recommended it and I think it caused problems for my cat.
It's all very well saying make sure they have water but you cannot make them drink! I would never feed only dried again.
Yes, you would think this would be common knowledge by now. I think the dry food industry just makes too much money to be stopped now.
When I was at the pet store yesterday, I saw special packages of "broth" or "moisture treats". They were all to help with hydration. One of them looked like little gummy candies. I never saw those before I did this research but maybe I just looked past them. :)
Yes, and dry food is very convenient for most cat owners. The cat's intestines must draw water from the rest of the body, outside of the intestine, in order to digest the dry food. This is really counter productive for feeding your cat.
I had three senior cats who I had for over ten years. All three had chronic kidney disease. Two of them needed sub-q fluids administered more and more frequently, which was difficult because the two cats had to be separated at all times. One was a bully, and the other was afraid. I learned to get over my fear of needles, and began to administer the fluids myself. It wasn't easy, but it extended the quality of my cats life by months.
It's such a common problem for older cats and I had no idea for most of my life. I always thought dry food was the way to go. I wish I had my buddy back, he was only 13 so he should have lived much longer.
My cat won't eat wet food and I've offered her various kinds. The vet said that's OK. In the past I had a 19-year old cat who did drink a lot of water and ate moist food and the vet wanted to still give subcutaneous water. Sadly, she died of liver cancer and it was NOT her kidneys.
Here are a few things I know and have tested to help a cat drink water.
- they like, a very large bowl with a big quantity of water : cats does not like their moustaches to touch the sides of the bowl when they are drinking and worst of all a bowl so small that their moustaches will be folded back by the sides of the bowl when they drink.
- they need, a metal or glass bowl. No plastic bowl, plastic helps fermentation, and rapidly fouls the water. The little scraches you make when you wash a plastic bowl will nest bacteria.
- they like, really cold water even with some ice cubes in the summer.
- they want, water changed every day and bowl cleaned at least once a week without dish liquid just with a scratching sponge and white vinegar.
- some have the habit of touching water with their paws before drinking. Watch regularily because some bits of their litter can fall in the water.
- some love a drop of apple vinegar in their water
The important thing about cats and water is that some cats do not drink enough and end up with renal problems but some cats drink too much water because they have diabete because they are overfed.
So I know that many people will think that this is not the right way to treat a cat but a cat should be given food only once a day, at the same hour every day and should be given only 40 grams a day of pet food and nothing else. No human food and no food given by hand. With your hand you should only give the cat caresses, play with him to do not create that bad link when the cat starts blackmailing you for food. Meowing until you give him food, becoming agressif, and food becoming a special link with you that he will use for a dominant behaviour. If you make him understand that feeding is just a moment of the day and that fun, playing and tenderness are what's the rest of the day is made of you will help the cat stay fit with a well balanced temper that will help him eat just enough and food will not become an obssession and his unique leisure.
The 40 gr daily measure of food is not my decision it is my vet's advice. If you feel bad about giving only 40 gr of food to a cat, just calculate, generally a cat should not weight more than 4 kg = 4000 gr. (some Siamese weight only 2 kg). 40 gr is already 10% of its weight. How much kilos is 10% of your own weight ? and would you eat every day 10% of your own weight ?
I share a 32 m2 studio with 2 cats, the 14 year old daughter and the 13 year old sun of a street cat, fed on 40 gr dry food a day, still happy, fit, and bouncing around the place and never forgetting to meow when the level of the water in the bowl is too low.
Great tips! There are so many "chonkers' out there that have been overfed by well-meaning owners. Our little girl is still under 6 months and a rescue so we are feeding her kitten food, which has more calories and nutrients. She was so terribly skinny in December. But once she is a year old, we will be careful not to overfeed her.
My cat is 3 years old and in all that time I have never seen her drink water apart from when she was a kitten if she saw a trickling tap she would jump up and lick it. she did it the other day. From time to time I put a small bowl of water for her to drink and she never touches it. She always has a bowl of wet and dry food and loves them both so maybe she is getting her moisture from the wet food.
I have caught all my cats drinking from a tap like that or even decorative water fountains. It seems to be something about the running water. We got a pet water fountain and I see both cats drinking from it pretty regularly.
I am no expert.........at all............but I do believe all cat need READY access to bowls of water............at all times........for health........
I've been a big fan of the water fountain. They love the running water and it stays clean for longer.
I completely agree with you about dry food. The vet said to feed my cat with it and she ended up with kidney problems. I'd never do it again.
Marg from England.
thanks for this! many years ago i lost a cat from eurolithiasis(spelling!) where his bladder couldnt release the urine-i was told that was due to the dried cat food i was feeding him xxx
We have a new cat now and we make sure she has a good water fountain and cans of wet cat food every day. She is a brat though and turns her nose up at most of them, even ones she ate a few days before. Here's hoping it is enough and we will have many healthy years with her.
Thanks for showing this again as my family has always had cats and it's always a good idea to read what problems other families are having as you just never know when something mentioned will 'hit' home with one of our cats.
My family has had more than 30 cats over a 60 year period and most have lived long healthy lives - 15- 19 years.
Their regular diet was always good healthy wet food in the morning and evening with dry food available during the day. I have always been an 'ingredient' reader and I was always appalled at what ingredient was number one on many expensive foods; wet and dry.
If I happened to run out of wet food, I just placed dry food in a bowl, added a little water, olive oil, and liquid from tuna if available.
It only takes a few minutes for the dry food to soak up the liquid.
May all our pets live long and healthy lives - they depend on us to provide what is best for them.
My cats have always had good quality dry food out at all times. They also get a pate wet food AM & PM. To help get more water into them, their wet food is mashed up with water in their food dishes till the consistency of a very thin gravy. They've always LOVED their wet food right out of the can and really don't mind it mashed with water. So, at least they are getting more water than what they drink out of their water bowl. AND yes, cats prefer a wide bowl so their whiskers don't touch the sides while drinking.!!!
Cats should be fed grain-free food only. A friend of mine works for pet food companies that make good-quality grain-free foods and ever since he got me started on grain-free, my cats have lived much longer lives than any previous cats. My 20-year-old just passed away from multiple illnesses, but only got (treatable) kidney disease in the last 6 months of his life. I'm positive this is because he's been on grain-free wet food (and some dry food, which I only leave out at night).
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