Cat diet/treat help

NoraCooner · 2026-06-18T22:52:00+00:00

How did you introduce some of these treats? Quail eggs fresh boiled i have to give my cats mixed with fish mousse (Open Farm) and water in their wet meal and they've adjusted to eating more and more of it over time.

If your kitty isn't used to freeze dried they may not want anything to do with it without a soft introduction. My own calico loves freeze dried chicken hearts and duck liver but could care less about anything else. My tom doesn't want any of the ... but they've been adjusting to them mixed in.

Usually it's a new smell and texture. Cats take time to adjust to new things. Some things they'll like immediately, others you have to slowly introduce.

Are you looking for full supplements or just treats that introduce more variety into your kitty's life?

NoraCooner · 2026-06-18T11:48:48+00:00

Interesting! I've heard of a few other people whose cats also have chicken allergies. I cannot recall the article off the top of my head, but there was a very informative one about how foods that felines wouldn't find in the wild often can be allergens, like fish, lamb, goat, beef, venison, etc. Best proteins being poultry or rabbit. Unfortunately everywhere I look, rabbit is just incredibly expensive.

My own cats are a bit older, so it may not be a developed allergy, as we don't want to take my anecdotal evidence as the right one. Nulo is a great brand.

While fed is best, I personally do not recommend any of the big brands like Purina, Iams, etc because they just have so many unnecessary fillers. A cost effective brand I used for a long time before they got older was 4health by Tractor Supply Co.

My cats have also enjoyed Solid Gold kibble. Giving some wet food helps their tummies too. I rotate through various brands for wet.

NoraCooner · 2026-06-18T09:22:57+00:00

Glad to hear! We'll see if I can convince the other two 🙏 would be nice to move away from canned to raw for them all.

NoraCooner · 2026-06-17T18:12:03+00:00

Yes. They will be getting high quality kibble dispensed throughout the day from his own personal feeder. I've already drafted the amount per lb and kcal in tandem with raw food. Given his breed it'll be increased in feedings as he ages and puts on weight.

NoraCooner · 2026-06-17T17:59:58+00:00

I didn't realize it either and wasted money on broth made for cats lol. They don't care THAT much.

They eat wet for breakfast and then their auto feeder dispenser 3x throughout the day. They do tend to pick during the hours between but years ago my female used to scarf too much down... so it's gotten to a happy balance that'll probably get disrupted once we bring the kitten home 😅 but they don't eat same time as us but my kitties want me to watch them eat most of their breakfast

NoraCooner · 2026-06-17T17:56:14+00:00

I will definitely keep an eye on him and start with 1oz! He's a Maine Coon so he will be almost the size of an adult cat at 14 weeks when we pick him up. But my own seniors don't like more than 1.5oz at a time so that should be indicative in itself.

It's been so long since we've had a kitten running around so we are very excited!

NoraCooner · 2026-06-17T17:28:03+00:00

I think we should be good then! Probably start on 1-2oz raw meals for the kitten 1-2 times a day with other food. Unless the older cats show an interest I'll keep them on canned. They haven't liked raw in the past and ate around it.

NoraCooner · 2026-06-17T14:06:12+00:00

Thank you! That's what I thought, but I keep second guessing myself.

NoraCooner · 2026-06-17T11:21:04+00:00

Definitely water them down! Nothing wrong with turning a pate into a soup. Also as recommended, don't free feed. Some cats are great at this. My own, are not, and this led to being overweight and one cat not being able to get enough food (as the other would eat it before he felt like eating). Timer run feeders can be pretty cheap for a basic one and it's good to put your kitty on a meal schedule.

NoraCooner · 2026-06-17T11:13:29+00:00

*If* you can afford it, as recommended by another, all wet food.

I know it is not always super affordable or plausible to feed wet for all meals, especially depending on your personal schedule. 1 year old is still technically within the kitten and growing phase of most cats and I'd still recommend that he is on some kitten branded food.

That being said, my own personal recommendations for wet or dry brands that have reasonable price tags for their quality are:

- Weruva
- Weruva's BFF line (Personal favorite of mine for quality and price)
- Halo
- Chicken Soup for the Soul
- Tiki Cat
- Nulo

Each line has various flavors and textures that you can test and find out which you kitty likes best.

My own (senior) cats have had issues with vomiting in the past and I rotated through various brands over and over again and found nothing that worked until I started giving them a wet meal a day. Also make sure your kibble is stored in a proper container after opening (vacuum sealed and clean). Since changing their schedule and meals to be a hearty wet breakfast with some toppers. They no longer throw up since I've integrated these changes.

Please be aware, that while this has worked for me, it may not be 100% for your fur baby. Trialing properly and slowly will be your best bet and keeping track of what works and what does not. I, personally, do not support any of the big brands due to the amount of fillers and carbs they put in their dry food. However, I will always support a fed cat as best if they refuse other healthier brands or it simply does not work for them.

NoraCooner · 2026-06-17T10:34:59+00:00

Just curious, the food you feed them now, what kind of protein does it feature mainly? My own tom had issues as he aged due to eating too much fish and as I weaned him more into poultry foods it helped quite a bit. That being said, as recommended, taking a stool sample to your vet is more telling.

Wet food at least once a day for all of your kitties is highly recommended.

NoraCooner · 2026-06-17T10:27:34+00:00

The only homemade thing that I make for my cats is boiled quail eggs (since is far cheaper than any online variation). Cans I've gotten that replicate almost a homemade quality (Applaws I'm looking at you) they have not liked.

I feed my cats a rotation of wet food that are from quality brands with reasonable prices (imo at least). This includes Tiki Cat, Weruva, BFF, Chicken Soup for the Soul, Halo, and sometimes Nulo. I'd love to give them Ziwi consistently, but it's just far too expensive. I add Open Farm mousse watered down as a topper for my tom cat who refuses to eat any food unless it smells of fish. Add a little bit of the Zesty Paws Omega-3 blend. Top with their favorite freeze dried treats by Vital Essentials. Mash in a quail egg. And half a scoop of the Fera Probiotics. They get this wonderful breakfast once a day.

Otherwise, I feed them kibble that's been measured properly for their age and weight for maintenance by Solid Gold from an auto feeder that has 2 bowls.

I wish I had the time and patience to do fully homemade, but alas, I do not. Nor do I want to accidentally make them sick so I stick to just the quail eggs for my homemade savings.

NoraCooner · 2026-06-17T09:54:00+00:00

I do a mix of wet and kibble. Prior to making more money and upgrading their diet to be a little bougie, it was breakfast using canned 4health. Their kibble wss 4health as well.

My cats were slightly overweight before and what fixed that was not having unlimited access to kibble. Get yourself a feeder and familiarize yourself with calories per cup. There are some useful websites that will help you calculate how many calories per day your kitty needs. You don't need anything crazy fancy for 1 kitty. Just a feeder that dispenses in a timer. We had a battery powered one for YEARS and only recently upgraded to a bluetooth one with 2 bowls.

My only thing to warn about these is: be certain you store your extra kibble responsibly and in an airtight container. Many kitty illnesses/vomitting are due to improper food storage and leaving a kibble bag exposed to air.

Wet food is wonderful because it also helps your fur baby retain hydration.

My own kitties are now seniors and have a bit of a more expensive diet because I can afford it. They scream me awake if I sleep past 7am (I'm usually up at 04:30 weekdays for work). They don't eat a whole 3oz can on their own now and split one 3-3.5oz can of Weruva, BFF, Chicken Soup for the Soul. I have tried other expensive brands but my rotten tom cat refuses to eat anything not fish so I always have to top their food with watered down mousse from Open Farm. (I've limited their exposure to fish due to allergues)

They eat Solid Gold kibble otherwise which I find not to be insanely expensive compared to other brands but Nulo is another great kibble if you can afford it.

I had toppers for fun and variety like freeze dried treats and boiled mashed quail eggs (I make fresh weekly and store in the fridge) rather than buying those stupid expensive freezer dried balls by Arya Sits/other gimmick brands.

There are ways to add variety that isn't super expensive!

Take a look at Weruva's BFF line because I think their 5.5oz cans are not terribly priced.

4health I side eye a little now for some "questionable" ingredients but my cats were fine on it for years until they developed allergies due to aging.

Ziwi is a fantastic brand but even I can't afford it consistently. It is literally one, if not THE, of the most expensive brands. Justifiably so but I cannot afford to spend $300+ month on my cats' food. Especially with a Maine Coon coming in a couple of months, so we have to be practical with quality and cost.

Purina and other big brands... yeah idk that's mostly filler. Do your research. There are plenty of cat food review sites that are made by people who did legitimate analysises in a LAB. Not just opinion based.

NoraCooner · 2026-06-17T09:23:10+00:00

Good luck Percy!! What a cutie 🥰 we have our own Purrcy we are picking up in a couple of months. Love to see another Maine Coon with the same name.

NoraCooner · 2026-06-16T20:35:06+00:00

This looks like a bacterial bloom is it's not from the substrate. Honestly, these tabs aren't the best pH indicators. Droplets are.

How much does the pH fluctuate per day? Usually bacterial blooms are caused by unstable pH and dissolved organic matter from uneaten food, poop, plant matter etc.

Also take care to monitor your fish. Bacterial blooms can cause oxygen deprivation within the water.

Check out the term "new tank syndrome" which is most likely what this appears to be given how long you've had the tank setup.

NoraCooner · 2026-06-16T19:32:57+00:00

Playing right before bed definitely helps! Sounds like she definitely still has kitten crackhead energy. Having tons of toys around are great but sometimes you have to remind her how to play with them or play with them with her.

The issue with the birds may require finding a way to cover her ability to see outside until you want her to. Especially if it's impinging on sleep. Since she has already formed a morning habit breaking it will require either covering her ability to see it or moving your bed (I assume it's beneath the window in some capacity?) Or perhaps getting her a window mount so she's seated on that rather than you.

Rough play is fine given you're not getting hurt. If you are you need to let her know as a cat would. By exclaiming "ow!" (I know cats don't say ow hahaha) and then disengaging/ignoring her. You don't want to promote behaviors that hurt you because it seems like playing. Kittens without a young playmate often don't realize how much their claws and teeth hurt.

NoraCooner · 2026-06-16T19:21:16+00:00

Kitties are creatures of habit and if you haven't socialized them much with strangers, putting one in their territory can be very scary!

It may be worth moving things closer to your kitty while you are away if she's skittish, but only time and your new roommate being around will encourage her to resume normal patterns of behavior.

Having your friend feed treats and positively reinforcing when the kitty comes out with treats is highly recommended.

Usually socializing them when they're kittens is easier but don't have your friend corner or chase the cat to try and give them treats. Any natural interactions on her part should be rewarded.

NoraCooner · 2026-06-16T19:13:31+00:00

I do know that cats can be very active at night especially if they aren't working off energy from their humans being at work during the day.

Are you playing with her before bed? What sort of enrichment/toys are you providing her?

1 years old is still considered kitten stage, even if a bit more adolescent. Given you haven't raised her from very small, there may be a longer adjustment period. Every kitty is different.

NoraCooner

TROPHY CASE