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+--- Thread: my cat has a question... (/showthread.php?tid=13906)
my cat has a question... - mattkime - 06-23-2006
i like to buy big ass bags of cat food so i don't need to go to the pet store as often.
BUT
Is the food going stale? Is this in some way bad for my cat? I'm only feeing one so the 25 lbs bag lasts quite a while.
Re: my cat has a question... - Ken Sp. - 06-23-2006
Just taste it :-)
Re: my cat has a question... - Don Kiyoti - 06-23-2006
Boris & Natasha like ProPlan salmon & rice. (Vet says it's good food) It comes in an 8lb jug. To make it easier to serve I use a plastic tub with a snap lid that used to house kitty litter. Seems like a good balance between freshness and multiple trips to the store.
Re: my cat has a question... - Gutenberg - 06-23-2006
I put down two types of kibble--Purina Indoor and Purina Vitality (for the older cat). I notice that Izzy, the young cat, usually eats whichever I bought more recently. Don't know if this indicates anything or not. Maybe she just likes variety.
Re: my cat has a question... - ztirffritz - 06-23-2006
My cat gets whatever is on sale.
Re: my cat has a question... - Blurb - 06-23-2006
I have 2 cats and look at buying the dry food the same way as you do. So, I empty the 20+ lb bag into a sealable plastic container as soon as I open the bag, and then scoop it out from the container as needed. I started off using an old (cleaned) litter jug for the food storage, until a raccoon knawed his way thru the bottom of the container to get the food. (Had been keeping the food dishes and kibble jug on our screened-in back patio. Note the term "had"). Then bought what looks like a giant tupperware cereal plastic box, made just for dry animal food, and it works even better as it has a better seal around the lid.
Cats used to get picky about eating the dry food towards the last 1/3 of the bag, but since switching to the plastic container they eat the last of the food as well as the first parts. Also helps with bug/critter control to isolate food like this in a sealed container.
Hope your cat likes my cats' answer : }
Re: my cat has a question... - mattkime - 06-23-2006
>>Don't know if this indicates anything or not.
hm, i've known cats that won't eat until you go and shake the bowl. i guess they become dependent upon the tinkling of food hitting the bowl.
Re: my cat has a question... - ka jowct - 06-23-2006
For one cat, a 25-lb bag is probably too much. An adult cat doesn't need more than a quarter to a half cup a day. Dry food does get stale, or even rancid. If you sniff it and smell rancid oil, it's time to toss away the bag.
You should also dump out whatever food is left over at the end of the day. Partially chewed pieces usually fall back into the dish while they are eating, and they don't always want to eat that stuff later.
Don't put out a large amount and let it sit for days.
Bigger bags don't sell as quickly, so keep in mind that a 25-pound bag could have already spent a few months on a store shelf by the time you buy it.
Storing dry food in an appropriate container might help.
Re: my cat has a question... - mattkime - 06-23-2006
ka - yeah I follow all those rules. we haven't had any trouble with the food going bad or the cat refusing to eat so its not _that_ bad of a problem. mostly, i wanted to make sure i was doing things theright way
Re: my cat has a question... - MacMagus - 06-23-2006
Feeding the same food all the time is probably not healthy for your cat.
Imagine eating peanut butter sandwiches every day for a year. Even if it's on a mixed whole grain bread, you're undoubtedly missing nutrients.
I buy two small bags at a time of different brands of food and mix them together in an airtight jug for my cat. I don't pay much attention to brand except that I avoid Iams because they're cruel to animals, Purina because I am fairly certain that it contributed to the death of one of my cats and anything exceptionally cheap.
I check to make sure that the protein content is high and the ash, corn gluten and organ meat content is low, which generally puts me into the premium stuff. And I have a bag of Science Diet tartar control food, which I mix in with the other stuff at about a 1:5 ratio. It keeps her teeth clean and white and her breath smelling nice.
One side-benefit to this diet: My cat is not a finicky eater.