9 replies to this topic

[Tiny Ball Of Fuzz]

Hello!

I've been fostering cats for a couple months now, and I've decided to adopt one of them! So that's great, but Now that what we do with her isn't decided by the rescue we were fostering for, we need to make some decisions, so I have a few questions relating to those decisions.

1. Chloe has been on this diet (diet A) for as long as we've been fostering her, but the shelter asked that we try to transition her onto this food (diet B), so we've been doing that. So, my question is, should we continue to move her onto the diet B, go back to diet A, or move her onto a completely different food?
2. Is it okay for cats to hiss at a toy while playing or when I try to take the toy away?
3. What's your opinion on cat harnesses? If they're okay, what are the better ones?
4. We don't really like the name Chloe, so we've been trying to think of another name for her... Any ideas?
5. What coat pattern is she? She looks a bit like a calico but I once counted 7 separate colours in her fur, and many of the patches have tabby-style streaks through them.

Spoiler

Here's a picture of her.. sorry for the ginormous size!

 

Thanks!

Edited by Tiny Ball Of Fuzz, 23 June 2022 - 07:37 AM.

[lil BIG dwarf]

She’s beautiful! Do you have more photos?
I don’t know much on cat care, but name wise I’d suggest Daisy, Lily/Lilly (I feel like flower names may suit her fur color), Leaf, Leo, Nora/Norah, Orion, or Calypso.

[imhungry]

Hello!

I've been fostering cats for a couple months now, and I've decided to adopt one of them! So that's great, but Now that what we do with her isn't decided by the rescue we were fostering for, we need to make some decisions, so I have a few questions relating to those decisions.

1. Chloe has been on this diet (diet A) for as long as we've been fostering her, but the shelter asked that we try to transition her onto this food (diet B), so we've been doing that. So, my question is, should we continue to move her onto the diet B, go back to diet A, or move her onto a completely different food?
2. Is it okay for cats to hiss at a toy while playing or when I try to take the toy away?
3. What's your opinion on cat harnesses? If they're okay, what are the better ones?
4. We don't really like the name Chloe, so we've been trying to think of another name for her... Any ideas?
5. What coat pattern is she? She looks a bit like a calico but I once counted 7 separate colours in her fur, and many of the patches have tabby-style streaks through them.

Spoiler

Here's a picture of her.. sorry for the ginormous size!

 

Thanks!

 

Hi! Happy you get a new family member! I'll do my best to answer your questions to the best of my ability. I have to let you know that I have not owned any cats before and am basing my opinions solely on past research.

 

1. Diet A looks good to me. High in protein, sufficient fat, and moisture too. Did the shelter tell you why they wanted Chloe to switch to diet B? It looks like it is a dry, pelleted food which isn't exactly ideal due to the amount of carbs and low moisture which can lead to urinary tract issues as well as kidney problems. Your current diet should work well (diet A). Just make sure when you're transitioning her diet, to take it slow. Do it gradually (over a course of 2-3 weeks should be OK) to prevent vomiting or diarrhea.

 

2. I actually don't know! Most of the cats I've met haven't done that. I'm going to try to make a guess here. Hissing usually is a response to fear, right? Cats are naturally predators and they wouldn't be hissing at their prey since they'll lose their chance to catch it. What is the toy you use? Maybe she's afraid?

 

3. I'm pretty sure cat harnesses are safe. I've heard the harness is better than a leash because any force is distributed evenly and won't cause as much injury. I haven't got any experience with them, but as long as they're snug and comfortable, it should be okay.

 

4. How old is she? If she's an adult, she may have trouble adjusting to a new name. 

 

5. I honestly have no idea, but she is a very pretty lady ) 

 

Good luck and I wish Chloe lots of happiness her way! 

Edited by imhungry, 23 June 2022 - 08:31 AM.

[hamsteradmirer]

1. Here are some useful articles on bad ingredients in cat food:

 

Ingredients in Cat Food (What to AVOID and Why) (caticles.com)

 

Worst Cat Foods 2022 - 8 Brands You Should Avoid (kittycatter.com)

 

3. Cat harnesses are fine, as long as they fit well and they can only have them on for training or walking, not full time (they should also have breakaway collars with ID tags).

[imhungry]

1. Here are some useful articles on bad ingredients in cat food:

 

Ingredients in Cat Food (What to AVOID and Why) (caticles.com)

 

Worst Cat Foods 2022 - 8 Brands You Should Avoid (kittycatter.com)

 

3. Cat harnesses are fine, as long as they fit well and they can only have them on for training or walking, not full time (they should also have breakaway collars with ID tags).

Oh yeah, I just wanted to add on to your comment that cats should be micro-chipped too in case they get lost! 

[nebit]

I'm torn on the foods, Diet B is certainly higher quality, but cats do NEED a diet of all or mostly wet food. Fancy Feast, however, isn't a particularly high quality wet food. If you can afford to feed a wet diet, I'd switch to a higher quality canned brand. If not, I'd maybe consider a higher quality can along with the Petformin.

[Kikya]

I personally dislike both of those foods, though dry food is just terrible for cats. Many issues with diabetes and kidney.

 

If I had a cat, I would likely be feeding raw meat including organ meats, and bones.

 

If I was going the pre-made route, I would probably try to get something like this: https://www.smalls.com/human-grade-fresh

 

Very limited ingredients, no preservatives, etc.

 

Lucky girl! She's so pretty! All my family is allergic (except me) so no kitty for me!

Edited by Kikya, 23 June 2022 - 09:15 PM.

[Tiny Ball Of Fuzz]

Hi! Happy you get a new family member! I'll do my best to answer your questions to the best of my ability. I have to let you know that I have not owned any cats before and am basing my opinions solely on past research.

 

1. Diet A looks good to me. High in protein, sufficient fat, and moisture too. Did the shelter tell you why they wanted Chloe to switch to diet B? It looks like it is a dry, pelleted food which isn't exactly ideal due to the amount of carbs and low moisture which can lead to urinary tract issues as well as kidney problems. Your current diet should work well (diet A). Just make sure when you're transitioning her diet, to take it slow. Do it gradually (over a course of 2-3 weeks should be OK) to prevent vomiting or diarrhea.

I know that diet B isn't perfect, the shelter is... it's hard to describe. They LOVE their cats, but they are so busy sometimes they just need to save time and money, which is why I think they asked us to switch. Thanks!

 

2. I actually don't know! Most of the cats I've met haven't done that. I'm going to try to make a guess here. Hissing usually is a response to fear, right? Cats are naturally predators and they wouldn't be hissing at their prey since they'll lose their chance to catch it. What is the toy you use? Maybe she's afraid?

I probably should've given more background. Chloe gets scared easily, and has run away from wand/moving toys several times, so I think it was probably fear, but at the same time, it was a catnip-stuffed fish, so maybe she was just really into it and didn't want me to take it away?

 

3. I'm pretty sure cat harnesses are safe. I've heard the harness is better than a leash because any force is distributed evenly and won't cause as much injury. I haven't got any experience with them, but as long as they're snug and comfortable, it should be okay.

Thanks!

 

4. How old is she? If she's an adult, she may have trouble adjusting to a new name. 

She's 6...but she never responds to her name anyways, so does it matter?

 

5. I honestly have no idea, but she is a very pretty lady )

She is, isn't she? I've never seen a cat quite like her!

 

Good luck and I wish Chloe lots of happiness her way! 

Thank you so much!

 

 

1. Here are some useful articles on bad ingredients in cat food:

 

Ingredients in Cat Food (What to AVOID and Why) (caticles.com)

 

Worst Cat Foods 2022 - 8 Brands You Should Avoid (kittycatter.com)

 

3. Cat harnesses are fine, as long as they fit well and they can only have them on for training or walking, not full time (they should also have breakaway collars with ID tags).

Thank you, that's very helpful!

 

I'm torn on the foods, Diet B is certainly higher quality, but cats do NEED a diet of all or mostly wet food. Fancy Feast, however, isn't a particularly high quality wet food. If you can afford to feed a wet diet, I'd switch to a higher quality canned brand. If not, I'd maybe consider a higher quality can along with the Petformin.

Good to know, thank you!

 

I personally dislike both of those foods, though dry food is just terrible for cats. Many issues with diabetes and kidney.

 

If I had a cat, I would likely be feeding raw meat including organ meats, and bones.

 

If I was going the pre-made route, I would probably try to get something like this: https://www.smalls.com/human-grade-fresh

 

Very limited ingredients, no preservatives, etc.

 

Lucky girl! She's so pretty! All my family is allergic (except me) so no kitty for me!

Thank you! Also, when I first read the link you sent, I though it said human FLESH!

Edited by Tiny Ball Of Fuzz, 24 June 2022 - 04:23 AM.

[imhungry]

 

 

It's probably best to keep Chloe on a kibble-free diet unless instructed by a vet.. Her current canned diet has sufficient nutrients, but I found artificial colouring as one of the ingredients once I read the list more thoroughly so maybe look around for a different wet food or switch to raw if that's available to you ). Make sure you talk to your vet first before any diet switch though. All cats will have different needs depending on weight, size, etc, and a good way to figure them out is by working with your vet. 

 

If she's scared, you could try exposing those toys to her gradually until she's comfortable with their presence and then start actually playing with it.

Maybe she'll do better with different toys ?

 

She might not respond to her name, but she probably recognizes it. You can try, but it might make her confused. Maybe look around for other sources and opinions?

[Robert009]

I believe you should speak with your veterinarian before making dietary changes. Moreover, I advise you to feed your cat the appropriate quantity of food based on her needs. Only when a pet is fed the right amount of food, ensuring that they swallow each nutrient in the right amount, are their nutritional needs met.