What to feed the kitties?
We are often asked for recommendations on cat food. We do not endorse any particular product, however we do know that cats are carnivores and need good quality food to thrive.
The best advise we can give is to read the ingredients. The first ingredient should be meat, not corn meal or other grain. Cheap cat food that uses grain as fillers can lead to various health issues for both cats and their caregivers. We know of numerous cases where people who suffered cat allergies were able to clear them up when the cats were switched to a grain-free diet. Cats eating these grain-based foods can develop diabetes, urinary tract issues and other health problems and will have lots of dander that causes humans to be allergic to them.
Some brands that we like to feed our own cats are Innova, Royal Canin, Blue (Blue Buffalo), Before Grain by Merrick Pet Care, Taste of the Wild and Evo. This is not meant to be an all-inclusive list. Again, check the ingredients!
We do recommend that you feed kittens a kitten-specific formula and follow the same guidelines. If you are bottle feeding or making formula for lapping, Pro Bio-Lac kitten formula is one of the best brands. We have had diarrhea issues with KMR brand. You may also use goat milk. You can buy powdered goat milk in the health food section of Fred Meyers in the baby food section. Never give kittens cow's milk as it will give them diarrhea. They can tolerate the lactose free milks or if using human infant formula, use a formula with NO iron.
If you are feeding feral colonies, you do not need to feed the premium quality food which is expensive however we have seen some large, inexpensive bags of cat food at feed stores that could almost be considered vegetarian formulas! Feral cats do not have the life expectancy of indoor pets which can live to 18 - 20 years old so it is not so bad to feed them less expensive cat food. Whiskas dry food is a "cheap brand" that seems to have consistently better ingredients than others.
The best advise we can give is to read the ingredients. The first ingredient should be meat, not corn meal or other grain. Cheap cat food that uses grain as fillers can lead to various health issues for both cats and their caregivers. We know of numerous cases where people who suffered cat allergies were able to clear them up when the cats were switched to a grain-free diet. Cats eating these grain-based foods can develop diabetes, urinary tract issues and other health problems and will have lots of dander that causes humans to be allergic to them.
Some brands that we like to feed our own cats are Innova, Royal Canin, Blue (Blue Buffalo), Before Grain by Merrick Pet Care, Taste of the Wild and Evo. This is not meant to be an all-inclusive list. Again, check the ingredients!
We do recommend that you feed kittens a kitten-specific formula and follow the same guidelines. If you are bottle feeding or making formula for lapping, Pro Bio-Lac kitten formula is one of the best brands. We have had diarrhea issues with KMR brand. You may also use goat milk. You can buy powdered goat milk in the health food section of Fred Meyers in the baby food section. Never give kittens cow's milk as it will give them diarrhea. They can tolerate the lactose free milks or if using human infant formula, use a formula with NO iron.
If you are feeding feral colonies, you do not need to feed the premium quality food which is expensive however we have seen some large, inexpensive bags of cat food at feed stores that could almost be considered vegetarian formulas! Feral cats do not have the life expectancy of indoor pets which can live to 18 - 20 years old so it is not so bad to feed them less expensive cat food. Whiskas dry food is a "cheap brand" that seems to have consistently better ingredients than others.
