Another cat question...I'm still learning....about cat food!

You should do dry and wet food daily. The wet food so that you know he is getting enough fluid in his diet. The dry for healthy teeth and full nutritional value. For the smelly poop, buy high quality dry food made for indoor cats (do the same for wet food) and you will notice a huge difference. Straying from indoor cat food for either product you will notice quite a difference in odor.

I get the dry cat food, and some of the wet food. We live near one of the factories where the wet food is made, so I often go there and get the 2nds to save some money. Cats don't mind. But watch - Ocean Whitefish, really tends to make the cats feces stink.

i have three cats and ive always heard that canned food makes them gain weight. we feed ours Maxim dry food and treat them twice a week with canned food.

I feed my cats a combination of both dry and wet food. I was informed by the vet, just before I lost one of my cats to kidney stones, that feeding your cat just dry food could cause a build up of the stuff that creates kidney stones. Feeding the cat canned food once or twice a week will help keep the stones from forming. I also feed the cats a quality food such as has been mentioned. The cheaper brands have corn meal and other meal products that not only causes stones but it also ferments in their systems and creates the worst kitty farts that you will ever smell!!! I do add brewers yeast to their food at least once a week as it helps prevent fleas, adds shine to their fur and helps keep their heart healthy...but again there is a fart trade off but I feel it's worth a few smelly blasts to have a healthy happy cat in my home. As for the shedding, I have a house that is built of hair. I have cat hair, dog hair, my hair and since I make teddy bears I have teddy bear hair. It is a normal function of the cats to shed. If it gets to the point that they have big bald areas I worry. When I cook chicken I do add some of the chicken fat to their food which does help control the shedding and the condition of their hair. I also raise "kitty greens" so that their diet is constantly balanced, especially since they are all inside cats. I don't notice the fact that the poop smells stronger since I invested in a litter maid litter box. I just know about the gas that permeates the house from time to time. But for the love that they give me in return for the care, I can stand some kitty farts here and there.

hello there to U...i really do love my cat...well, ever since i was a kid, i really do love cats...my cat is so unique from the other cats...he knows a lot of tricks, because me and my brother taught him lots of cool tricks...if only we have time, because nowadays, i'm always busy at work... About our cat's food, we do give him Whiskas, and i let my cat drink milk too...it's true, that canned food makes the cat's poop smell worse or stronger... It can be a sign that your cat might have an infection...so it's best if you take your cat to the veterinarian for some check-ups... You can change your cat's food too, dry food can be a good suggestion rather than the wet food...but i would say that Whiskas is really a good food for all cats... Whiskas is really a complete diet for all kinds of cat...it has lots of treats and flavors which your cat may really love like our cat...it's so healthy and full of nutrients... But it's really up to you, which you may think would be the best for your cat...just choose the right food for him... I hope it may help you in some way...keep on loving your cat...have a blessed day ahead of U...may GOD BLESS U & UR family always!!!

Does your cat have all its claws and go outside? If so I would stick with giving your cat just dry food. Cats who catch and eat mice and other things often live longer because they are eating what they were created to eat. We feed my cat one scoop of Purina cat chow every day and the rest she catches for herself, and she's fat,so obviously she's eating the things she catches, except for moles, she doesn't like them. Canned cat food is very expensive, so I wouldn't recommend it unless your cat can't catch anything for itself, then maybe a little of it to get more meat. Raw egg and milk, kind of like French toast consistency or runnier is really good for cats, it makes their fur shinier. In the summer, it's important to brush your long haired cat daily, or a few times a day if you can. Otherwise hairballs are a natural response to shedding, though very gross if in your house. Brushing also fells good, my kitty purrs like crazy when she gets brushed. It think it helps cool them down too because you pull out all the loose shedding hairs for them which helps their coat thin out faster.

The dry food does help the cats teeth stay cleaner. I think a little canned cat food is ok for a treat. As for the hairballs, you can put a little dab of vasoline on the cats paw, they will lick it off and that helps prevent hairballs.

it is normal, and good that you give him some canned now and then, male cats especially can have bladder problems just from dry cat food alone

Well for myself we have a bowl of dry cat food available 24 hours a day for the cats and then at night we mix a bowl with wet and dry for them. When it's gone it's gone type thing. They all share. Yes food can make a difference in how their excrement smells. Not only wet or dry but also the flavors and fillers that are in the food. Some dry might cause it to stink while others done and same with wet. You might also find that if it's a new brand or flavor it might be stronger at first because they need to adjust to them. For the most part though if your cat seems happy with the dry and the occasional wet for a treat I wouldn't worry too much. So long as he's not over weight and seems healthy you don't need to worry.

I used to own two kittens and I feed them real human food as long as it's meat because they are carnivores and they like it.They go outside of the yard to poop.Doesn't he bury his droppings?I'm interested to know more about your cat.His name sounds interesting.Is he really a big guy?

Okay, the wet food does make them smell a little bit more..BUT cats need wet food in their diet too. We feed ours wet food at dinner time, a tablespoon each. All other times during the day they have access to their dry food, which does help "clean" their teeth. The oils in the wet foods make their poo smell more but its an important factor in their diet. And the same brand of foods should be given to them all the time because they have such sensitive little bellies.

Mmmm...Never had that problem of my kitties having worse smelling turds when eating moist cat food, but then I feed them moist food everyday. I keep dry food down 24/7 for them and give them a can of moist food two or three times a day..so two or three cans a day. Often when a cat owner does give different food or switch brands, no matter whether dry or moist the most common occurrence will be a bit of diarrhea.....so maybe because you don't give moist food as frequently could be the reason Bigguy's turds smell more??

Hello - You are asking a good question. Dry food is not good for cats. They do not chew their food and dry food sits in their gums and glum up their teeth. If they do not get regular check ups by the vet their dental health may not protect them from heart disease and pain. Wet food is better and some wet foods are better than others. I recommend Wellness which can be purchased at a Health food store or on line. It is really unfortunate that vets are not up on pet nutrition. I happened to know someone who is very well versed on this subject so I do not have to worry about the health of my cats regarding that issue. Cats DO NOT EAT THEIR PREY for the most part. Do not count on them doing that for nutrition. They can how ever get diseases from their prey. In the USA your pet is better off as a total indoor cat. That protects him from hawks, racoons, foxes, bad kids, adults who think your cat is annoying, and crazy adults who torture cats for the heck of it as well as cars. I hope this information helps you.

I can't really answer this question because I have never had a cat. It does look like you got some good answers to you questions though.

I opened a can of food for my cats one day and they looked at me like I was out of my mind! That's because we've given them dry food since day one. They're indoor cats and I switched to the Purina Indoor variety some time ago. It's been wonderful, especially for my little one who used to literally lick herself bald. She's 12 now (or 13?) and has the best-looking coat she's had in her life, and previously we fed her food that we got from the vet. I can only assume she had some sort of an allergy. I definitely recommend dry food for cats.