Hi everyone, for the last few days my cat has been having trouble eating his dry food; he often drops it back out of his mouth. No change in his behaviour though, he's still his usual crazy self, playing, drinking, and eating (lots of small meals but only a little bit at a time). I've checked his mouth and there are no red gums or blood. No visible weight loss and his stools look healthy. The sides of his teeth are a bit yellow, but I suppose that’s normal?
Thanks in advance, have a good day and see you soon!
Aurélien
Translated from French
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Thank you so much Health Pet for your brilliant advice. I’m going to go for Feringa and then transition over to Porta21. I’m all the more pleased as the prices are great value compared to what I’m already paying.
Thanks a lot for your help and see you soon!
Purizon isn’t a bad shout, but on Zooplus you can get Porta 21 Finest Feline Sensible which has a better recipe (fewer carbs) and they’re actually cheaper too, so it’s a win-win!
Ideally, I’d suggest picking up a bag of Feringa first before making the switch to Porta 21. It’s just to avoid upsetting your cat’s stomach. Moving from a grain-heavy dry food like Royal Canin to a brand with a much higher meat content is quite a big change, so it’s best to take it slowly.
Basically, the transition should be: Royal Canin ==> Feringa ==> Porta 21 Finest Feline Sensible.
There’s no need to worry about the 'sterilised' branding: as mentioned above, it’s really just marketing. As long as you’re providing a high-quality, meat-based diet, they shouldn’t pile on the pounds 😉.
My Scarlett is neutered and is an indoor cat (so she isn’t exactly the most active); I’ve always fed her top-quality food without that label, and her weight has stayed perfectly stable!
As for your question about swapping flavours, that’s absolutely fine. Some experts actually reckon it’s better to vary things occasionally to avoid any nutritional gaps in the long run. But mainly, it’s just nice for your cat to have a bit of variety: chicken, lamb, fish, turkey... As long as it’s not a daily thing and you stay within the same range of dry food, feel free to mix it up :)
Lastly, as Karineg mentioned, it’s really important to get some wet food into their diet, like pouches or tins. It’s simply to help their kidneys get the water they need, especially since neutered cats can be more prone to kidney issues.
Cats don't naturally drink enough water on their own (due to their desert origins). Wet food is about 80% water on average, so giving them about 80g (roughly 3 oz) a day will help keep them properly hydrated.
Again, you’ll find plenty of good options on Zooplus: mixed selection packs of Catz Finefood, Feringa, Terra Faelis, Mac's, Animonda, Applaws, Cosma... As long as it’s grain-free and doesn't contain 'meat derivatives', you can’t go wrong!
Just like you, I thought Purizon looked quite good at first, but I think the carb content is a bit too high.
Personally, before switching to grain-free, I was using Hill's, which is much of a muchness with Royal Canin.
I transitioned from Hill's to Feringa, then from Feringa to Applaws, and at the moment I’m switching over to Porta21 (the green bag). Obviously, that's not the only way to do it, but it's better not to rush things when moving from high-carb dry food to a brand with a more "reasonable" level. Just a heads up regarding Applaws if you’re considering that brand: some digestive issues have been reported, though I didn't have any problems myself.
As for kitten-specific or "neutered/sterilised" dry and wet food, you can forget about all that—it's just marketing. My little girl is six months old and she eats adult food without any trouble.
Regarding switching flavours while staying with the same brand, I’d say it depends on the make. Some brands have more variety than others, and then it’s really up to your cat! :) They might like one flavour and turn their nose up at another.
However, when you make changes like that, especially with wet food, the problem can be that the cat refuses certain brands.
What wet food are you giving them? I used to feed mine Whiskas and the changeover was a bit complicated. There’s quite a bit of rubbish in there, including additives to make the food more appealing, so moving to something more "natural" was a bit tough at the start.
For both the dry food transition and changing wet food (which is essential for hydration since there’s absolutely none in dry food), you can get trial bundles. For example, for about £8.50, I think you can get roughly 0.9 lbs of Feringa dry food and six 0.45 lb tins. It can be a nice way to figure out which way to go at first and see what your cat prefers.
I've been doing a bit of research on the brands you mentioned, but it's so tough to wrap your head around it all... Right, first off, I get the impression that Purizon is top-tier in terms of quality? I can see it has 70% fish/poultry, whereas other brands are only at 35-40% max (the price isn't the same either, mind you!). Feringa made a really good impression on me, anyway.
First question: my cat is neutered and stays indoors. Do I need to go for specialist food for neutered cats, or will "standard" adult dry food do the trick?
Second question: can I mix up the flavours within the same brand? For instance, if I decide to get him poultry and then switch to fish a few months later, can I be sure he’ll enjoy it, or is it better not to mess with a cat's routine?
Thanks again for all your help – I'm a total newbie and this is my first cat!
Have a lovely evening and see you soon.
Hi, yes, I'm definitely going to switch their food, especially as it’s pretty much the same price anyway. I don't feed any wet food at the moment. Do you have any tips for the transition? I’m currently using RC Fit 32—what should I move onto next? Thanks in advance!
I didn't put that very well; when I said it isn't harmful, I wasn't encouraging you to keep at it—quite the opposite. It was more a way of saying there’s no need to panic, but you do need to switch their food as soon as possible.
To answer your question, don't worry, it's not "harmful" as such. Some cats and dogs will eat it their whole lives for 15 or 20 years and won't have a single health problem. But let's just say that once you know better, it's best to adjust their diet to suit the cat's actual needs.
Unfortunately, you'll only find these brands online. Personally, I order from Zooplus because they have a massive selection. Plus, the delivery is fast and the prices are reasonable (about £9 for a 4.4 lb bag). Not to mention the carbohydrate levels are lower, which is better for them, and the meat content is higher, so it's much more nutritious for your cat.
I personally used to give my girl Hills dry food. To make sure the transition wasn't too sudden, I moved onto Feringa, then Applaws, and now I'm switching over to Porta 21.
What are you giving him in terms of wet food? It's the same story there—you should really avoid supermarket and big pet shop brands... Some shops carry Almo which is alright, but otherwise, you're better off looking online. The big household names like Royal Canin, Whiskas and the rest aren't great (only about 4% meat, plus animal derivatives like feathers, horns, and so on). I personally use the following: Porta 21, Feringa (pouches), Almo Nature, Cosma, and Animonda. But there's plenty of choice out there.
Please put my mind at rest—the dry food I'm buying isn't actually harmful to him in the short term, is it? I’ve been giving him this for two years, starting with the kitten food, but it would be "better" to switch if I've understood correctly?
Thanks for the advice!! As soon as I've finished the bag of RC, I'll check if I can find any of the brands you mentioned, otherwise I'll just order them online!
It’s great news that he’s back to eating normally!
However, despite what people often think, Royal Canin isn't actually that well-suited to a carnivore's diet as it's far too high in grains and sugar. This type of range usually has a carbohydrate content of around 40%, which is massive considering cats find grains very difficult to digest. It basically means there’s an increased risk of things like pancreatitis, diabetes, and obesity...
Ideally, you should look into grain-free brands with a higher meat content, such as Orijen, Purizon, Porta 21, or Power of Nature. These are much less common in the mainstream pet food market, but they’re made with better quality ingredients and are much better suited to a cat’s natural diet—often for a similar price, or sometimes even cheaper!
Anyway, for now, the main thing is that your furry friend is eating again 😌
