Kitties eating vegetables and fruit

by joyfulsunrise
(Arizona)

My two 'found in the park' kittes, especially Mika, jumps up to the counter whenever I am cutting fruit, or clipping ends of vegetables. They are not feral, but I do not know how long they had to survive on birds and plant matter.They are about 9-10 months approx.and are brothers.

Is this o.k. ? I also placed a tiny piece of fish in their bowls one day as a treat ~ They sniffed it, and walked away !

I have a bowl of prill bead water that I soak fruit in, especially mangos. If the bowl is empty they will not drink from it, however, if there is any veg or fruit soaking they drink the water. When I cut the mango, Mika loves to eat the slim pulp left on the peel. Yoshi, not overly interested on his own, but when Mika does, he will as well.

They are eating a high value cat food, and do so voraciously.

Anyone have a cat who gets excited about plant matter ?
In my many, many years as a cat person, I have never experienced this ~
Thank you ~ I love this site !

ANSWER:

If your kitties like mangos and apples, that’s fine. Some of the safe fruits are cranberries, blueberries, papaya, mango, bananas, apples and pears. As for vegetables, sweet potato, squash, pumpkin, beans, peas, carrots, parsley, chicory and a little tomato are okay. Some cats have trouble digesting corn so I wouldn’t try that. If you read the ingredient labels on better-quality cat foods (wet or dry) you will see most of those ingredients listed. Innova wet food has potatoes, carrots, apples and alfalfa. I’ve also seen kelp, carrots, peas, apples, tomatoes, blueberries, spinach and parsley listed on a bag of dry food and although I made a note of the items, I can’t remember the brand. Wellness and Newman’s Own also have fruits and veggies. Kittens have a very high protein need and most dry foods are carbohydrate based, so you may want to be sure to keep the fruits and veggies down to less than 20% of their diet and make sure they are getting the meats they need like chicken, beef and fish.

Listed on the Pet Products page are several natural pet food suppliers such as Wysong that specialize in natural and holistic foods if you need more information on the topic.

You want to keep your cats away from avocado because it has a toxin called Persin which can cause stomach and gastrointestinal upset if your cat consumes it. The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center advises against cats eating grapes and raisins. Chocolate, coffee and caffeine contain substances called methylxanthines. When ingested by pets it can cause vomiting and diarrhea, panting, excessive thirst and urination, hyperactivity, abnormal heart rhythm, tremors, seizures and even death. Dark chocolate and baking chocolate contain higher amounts than milk chocolate.

Also beware of onions, garlic and chives. These vegetables and herbs can cause gastrointestinal irritation and could lead to red blood cell damage. They are in some baby foods and you should always read the labels.

As long as your kitties are getting a good diet of cat food that contains the meat your little carnivores need, along with the necessary taurine in balanced cat food diets, let them enjoy mangos and apples. Sounds like you are already giving them a good balanced diet so have fun with your two little critters.

Dry food/treat advice for 15 yr old female indoor domestic with kidney issues

I have a 15 year old female indoor domestic cat who is on a prescription wet food for kidney deterioration. She is full of energy and does not have any weight or dental issues (minus an extracted canine), nor any issues with her fur. I was wondering if you knew of any commercial cat treats or dry foods that were low in protein? I often see "low fat, high protein" but few low-protein foods offered. She loves the interaction involved with treats, but the prescription dry food is too small (she is missing a canine and tends to spit out the mini kibbles). Any advice would be welcome.

ANSWER:

Cal has beautiful calico markings...and I do adore calicos...both in looks and temperment.

A low protein diet is designed to lower the amount of waste substances in the system that have to be filtered out by the kidneys. A vet will frequently suggest low salt and low phosphorus as well because it helps control the electrolyte imbalances that are common with kidney issues. Since your cat is receiving a prescription diet from your vet I’m assuming it has the necessary nutrients like taurine which is so vital to cats.

You didn’t mention whether your cat was being finicky with eating its low protein diet or not, but if it is there are little tricks you can use like adding a little clam juice, low salt chicken or beef broth (make sure there is no onion in the broth…bad for cats), salt free tuna juice packed in water (not broth which may contain onions), and of course water.

A treat that is considered palatable and even tasty according to the customer reviews is IVD Treats by Royal Canin. You can read the customer reviews and obtain the product from Entirely Pets. The link below will take you directly to the IVD Treats. I get numerous items for my cats from Entirely Pets and my cats are crazy for the Cat-Man-Doo Dried Bonito Flakes but that is a high protein, not low protein item. I'm sure you can buy IVD Treats elsewhere but I find Entirely Pets delivers quickly.

IVD Feline Treats (3.5 oz)

Another possibility is from US Pets, another reliable vendor.

Pet Naturals Of Vermont Softchews Ut Support For Cats 1.98oz

I would really like to see if you tried either of these items and how it worked out for you if you did. On the Privacy & Contact page (button on lower left of your screen) you can leave a message. Best wishes for you and Cal.

kitties love yogurt

by joyfulsunrise
(Arizona)

Any idea if cats can eat yogurt ? I use goat's milk yogurt and they love it.It is easily digestible. I do not give them a lot. I put a dab on a spoon, warm it in my mouth first, then give it to them, each on a little plate.

I did it once when they were younger, and now each night when i go to the kitchen for that last taste of something, they run after me, for their treat.They really sleep after eating that little dab.

ANSWER:

Many cats are frequently lactose intolerant and have lost the ability to digest milk as they get older. However, acidopholus enriched milk which is available at most large supermarkets can often be consumed by cats (as well as people) that cannot tolerate normal cow’s milk. Since acidopholus is the symbiotic bacterium that lives within the intestine and produces the enzyme that metabolizes lactose (milk sugar) this enriched milk carries its own acidopholus culture with it for those who normally lack this bacterium.


Since yogurt is a good source of calcium and phosphorus and is one-step removed from fresh... it has already been consumed by a bacterium and is therefore partially digested so it makes it easier for cats and people to finish digesting. The dairy industry calls yogurt a “cultured” product rather than referring to an “already digested” product….for obvious reasons. Cultured yogurt is low in lactose and high in probiotics and other good things for digestion. Goat’s milk has smaller protein molecules that are easy to digest and the live, active acidophilus bifidus cultures enhance digestion. One to three teaspoons of live-culture yogurt (like Activia) will aid with a cats digestive health. Just try for a yogurt with low sugar and lactose.

It looks like you’re on the right track by letting your cat have goat’s yogurt. Even for people with lactose intolerance goat milk products do well. As long as the yogurt is a supplement and your cat still gets other foods which provide it’s essential amino acids like taurine, your cat should do fine. Purina One dry cat food has yogurt as an ingredient in its formula and I assume they put it there for a reason. As for your cats sleeping well afterwards….it may be that they are really contented or they know it’s a bedtime treat. I don’t know any other reason although milk contains the enzyme tryptophan which is supposed to encourage sleep and I’m not sure that yogurt has it.

Your cats look adorable and strongly resemble my cats Coty and Max Factor.

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