Talk about your pet and get advice from pet lovers who are interested in holistic pet care.
I have had my Jackson since he was 2 months and now he is 10 months going on 11 months. He is on kibble the whiskas brand now but previously he was on another type and he would throw up. He really likes soft food but then he poops the diarrhea kind. I'm not sure what do give him to keep him from vomiting and from the diarrhea.
Then I'm faced with his shots and finding the best and most affordable way to provide him with the immunizations that he needs. I need help on all sides of this, I don't want to be the reason my cat dies. I don't want to kill my baby!
Hi MimiKay22,
Kibbles are not really the best option for cats as they will not have enough protein or moisture. Canned foods or home prepared are a much better option - safer for the kidneys too. Wondering if kitty is allergic to something in the food he is vomitting?
Vaccinations - I'm not knowledgeable on feline vaccinations but I found this info at Holisticat which may be of some use. This is written by a vet "In summary, my first recommendation is avoidance of vaccination whenever possible. If the risk is great, one panleukopenia vaccination will adequately protect the cat in almost all cases. The intranasal rhinotracheitis-calicivirus vaccine is relatively effective, but very few cats will benefit from this. Finally, rabies is legally mandated, but one vaccination will generally protect cats that are at risk. I never recommend vaccines for feline leukemia virus, feline infectious peritonitis virus, Chlamydia, ringworm, or the feline immunodeficiency virus. And I never recommend booster vaccines; these are always unwarranted." http://www.holisticat.com/vaccinations.html
I posted the following information in the "About good cat food" thread posted a week or so ago. I copy/pasted the info from that thread.
"Okay, as far as the Whiskas - NOT a good food at all. Whomever told you this was good does not really understand feline nutrition. Here's what I mean - the ingredient list for Whiskas "Meaty Selections" (you would think this would be their product with the most meat)....
Corn is the first and third ingredient. Chicken by-product meal is a low quality source of protein (rendered parts). Animal fat is known to have the euthanasia drug pentobarbitol in it (there is a thread on this site with a link to the FDA's site that discusses this). Animal fat is also the most likely ingredient to have the drug (they kill animals with this drug - it shouldn't be in dog and cat food!!!). BHA and BHT are known carcinogens and almost all animal feed companies have removed these too chemical preservatives from their feeds. Natural poultry flavor is likely a source of msg. Wheat flour and rice equals more carbs. This is not a food that a carnivore should eat...
Better quality foods would have meat (no by-products though) as the first and second ingredient, would not contain any grains (corn, wheat, rice, barley etc), would definately not contain "animal fat" or BHA/BHT."
We can help with recommendations if you'ld like. The foods I like are generally higher priced but are more nutritious (so he will eat less) and will be a preventative to expensive vet bills. Nature's Variety is one example of a good canned food.
I completely agree with swinn: take the money you will spend on unecessary vaccines and purchase better quality food. I recommend you sincerely try to feed as close to an all-canned diet as possible. If you can purchase grain free, human grade canned food you can avoid nasty by-products and nourish your kitty with much more wholesome ingredients. Read all labels and avoid foods that contain corn, wheat, rice and soy. Dry food is certainly cheaper and convenient, but biologically very stressful for cats. The more healthy brands of canned food you can feed, then better. The loose stool/diarrhea issue may be the beginning of food allergies, or IBD. Consider giving your cat a break from poultry and seafood (usually what cats really like, hence the over-consumption and GI inflammation). Think about weaning your cat onto a balanced canrned rabbit diet for several months. This could remedy your bowel issue and nourish your cat much more healthfully.
--Dr. Karen Becker
Become a Fan on Facebook | Follow me on Twitter
oh wow it was on this site that someone said that Whiskas was good. My jack is on friskies kibble and i just bought some whiskas soft food to mix with it. Can I mix kibble with wet food and be ok?
Dr. Becker are you sayin to feed him rabbit food or rabbit? I don't understand that last little bit you said at the end. I just don't know what to feed him. I want to do what is right, what is healthy for him.
Sorry you got mixed info regarding the Whiska’s….
Yes, you can mix canned with kibble but you are better off feeding canned only!! If you are going to continue feeding kibble it is highly advisable to get the best quality available. The Friskies is as bad if not worse then the Whiskas. Here’s the ingredient list from one blend:
Ground yellow corn, corn gluten meal, chicken by-product meal, meat and bone meal, animal fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols (form of Vitamin E), corn germ meal, soybean meal, turkey by-product meal, brewers dried yeast, phosphoric acid, animal digest, tetra sodium pyrophosphate, potassium chloride, salt, dried chicken liver, added color (Red 40, Yellow 6, Yellow 5, Blue 2 and other color), choline chloride, taurine, zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, Vitamin E supplement, niacin, manganese sulfate.
Corn is first and second ingredient – more corn then any other food. They use by-products instead of real meat. Meat and bone meal, animal fat AND animal digest can all be contaminated with the euthanasia drug and will consist of road kill, diseased animals not usable in the human food chain etc. No BHA/BHT is good but “added color” is bad.
The absolute easiest way to determine if you have a quality food or not -– can you buy it at the grocery store, WalMart or other discount stores? Then it is not quality. Some of these stores, in some areas, may carry good brands but this is most often not the case. It’s best to avoid buying food from these locations until you understand the ingredients in the foods you buy. In my area you can not find the really good quality foods at PetCo or PetsMart either. You have to rely on locally owned pet specialty stores and holistic vet offices.
Dr. Becker is suggesting feeding a canned cat food made from rabbit meat. Nature’s Variety makes a canned rabbit for cats http://www.naturesvariety.com/instinct_cat_can
You can find a store near you, if interested and available, at this link http://www.naturesvariety.com/locator If it’s not available in your area, check back with us and we can suggest some others to look for.