Addictive cat food?

Graces7

As we are involving in some feeding of strays, we were given a large box of tinned cat food.

We have fed raw to ours for some years, and after the episode with cystitis stopped even feeding any kibble.

In haste one day, we gave a tin to our two rescue cats....

The effects - and these were top brands - was immediate.

Girl cat started peeing excessively and using the tray that is always there and "never" used, ie there was urgency and no time to exit through the window as she usually does.

We stopped feeding the tinned stuff... and oh my! Temper tantrums and refusal to eat anything else. Both cats have loud voices...

And leaving all but the gravy etc as others have said.

We stuck it out, and now feed the tins only if they are diluted with eg raw porridge oats as we used to do years ago, and when there has been no time to cook.

This alleviates the issues and they will then alternate with raw.

But what do they put in the tins to have this effect? These two are usually well behaved, and it turned them into spoiled brats within a day.

seamus

Sugar & Salt.

Surprisingly simple actually. They do it to human food too

Justask

I know this is a kinda serious thread, but the temper tantrums bit made me laugh lol

i started a thread last week about Dreamies which made my cat act like he was drugged lol Saw the packet and started howeling like a baby...not a nice sound.

Another poster mention some sort of cat nip in the food, i wouldnt be supprised :eek:

Graces7

seamus wrote: »

Sugar & Salt.

Surprisingly simple actually. They do it to human food too

Hmmm.. we eat little processed human food too... I have the impression there is more than that though?

The whole behaviour pattern changed immediately.

Girl even started bringing more prey than usual in!

Justask

seamus wrote: »

Sugar & Salt.

Surprisingly simple actually. They do it to human food too

I knew the chocolate companies were drugging me :D:D

Graces7

Justask wrote: »

I know this is a kinda serious thread, but the temper tantrums bit made me laugh lol

i started a thread last week about Dreamies which made my cat act like he was drugged lol Saw the packet and started howeling like a baby...not a nice sound.

Another poster mention some sort of cat nip in the food, i wouldnt be supprised :eek:

lol... there isdefinitely something.. wondering re eg msg?

The response when I pull the ring pull! There they are, leaping on me... ( been offline a while so not seen that thread.. sorry..)

Shanao

When you say top brand cat food, what brand was it? As Seamus said, sugar and salt. And although cats cant taste sugar, they also cant digest it properly which leads to their behaiour changing. Just like hyperactive kids. In saying that, you'd be surprised what preservatives and additives some companies use in their foods.

audreyp

I must have a crazy cat, he just won't eat wet food! I keep trying to convince him. Even raw meat he won't eat, just his biscuits. Very fussy cat :-) Though the dry food probably has a decent amount of sugar and salt in it too!!

Graces7

audreyp wrote: »

I must have a crazy cat, he just won't eat wet food! I keep trying to convince him. Even raw meat he won't eat, just his biscuits. Very fussy cat :-) Though the dry food probably has a decent amount of sugar and salt in it too!!

Yep.. kibble is bad for that.

If mine try leaving their food, they get nothing else. Takes a day sometimes but they will not starve to death. Mine cannot eat kibble because of the cystitis issues. So much grain in it too.

The reactions are after a long time with only raw food so probably exaggerated.

We used to mix the wet food with eg eggs and oats. Now it is for emergency use only. Being leapt on in the night by two angry cats...

We will keep the gift of tins for when the ferals come in in the winter.