My cat should do atkins...

[LissyO]

I weighed myself today, and in the process picked up my cat as well. She weighs 18 lbs! I know it isn't really on topic, but I thought I'd share. The last bag of cat food I got is really high in protein and is a diet cat food, I figured with the high protein levels she might lose some weight too. Mommy and baby kitty both need to lose weight, the boys in the house (my husband and Mr. Kittems) can eat mass amounts of food and are skinny as heck. Both Isis and I look at them like, "Yeah, if it could be that easy". But I'm comeing along on this Atkins thing, havn't lost that much weight yet, but it hasn't even been a week. I only plan on weighing myself once a week, probably on Saturdays because I don't sleep in too late on Saturdays so I can do it around the same time each week.

[ElleH]

Cats are the perfect carnivore, I read somewhere. They have no need of carbs in the diet (aside from the tiny amounts of carbs in the stomachs of their prey), and the cat food companies putting grains and vegetables in the cat food is really a joke.

[glendarc]

Cats are the perfect carnivore, I read somewhere. They have no need of carbs in the diet (aside from the tiny amounts of carbs in the stomachs of their prey), and the cat food companies putting grains and vegetables in the cat food is really a joke.
Unfortunately, from what I've read recently, grains and veggies in cat food is far from a joke - it could actually cause problems for your cat! Please, cat lovers, make sure your cats are eating meat and meat products only - grains are not good for them - watch them eat grass when they want to throw up fur-balls, they know what makes them sick (and incidentally, chocolate could kill them!).

Glenda

[Ptrcmcc6]

Wow......I never knew that about grains and cats. I'm going to have to tell my friend who has 2 cats to check the label on the food she is giving them. I think she uses the Purina One urinary tract type. Both of her cats weigh at least 18 lbs.....lol.

BTW......what type of problems doesn grains and veggies cause?

Patty

P.S. My dog needs to go on a diet. He would eat 24 hours a day until he is sick if I let him.

[ElleH]

Unfortunately, from what I've read recently, grains and veggies in cat food is far from a joke - it could actually cause problems for your cat! Please, cat lovers, make sure your cats are eating meat and meat products only - grains are not good for them - watch them eat grass when they want to throw up fur-balls, they know what makes them sick (and incidentally, chocolate could kill them!).

Glenda

Glenda, that's kinda what I meant by a joke...useless at best and harmful at worst! Thanks for the further info for the readers! :)

[senorpepin]

I was thinking about putting my dog on the Atkins diet. I also saw that dog whisperer guy put a dog on a treadmill. My dog probably wouldn't like that. The Atkins idea might work though. The dog would simply eat the food she likes and no more of that dog food crap.

[cnmLisa]

If you look at most commercial cat foods--grains are usually the first ingredients.

My cat who is 12 years old weighed 19 pounds a year ago. By switching his food to EVO a protein based food with no grains and a bit of portion control, he has lost 4 pounds in the past year--at his yearly vet visit, he weighed 15.2 pounds. The vet couldn't believe it!!!! Plus the vet said she would have never guessed that Frank was close to 13 years old--she said he looked all of 6. Just goes to show....a no grain diet works for all species;)

http://forum.lowcarber.org/gallery/files/7/3/2/8/8/IM000397_thumb.jpg (http://forum.lowcarber.org/gallery/showimage.php?i=19896&catid=member&imageuser=73288)

This is Franks "before"....I'll have to take an "after" of his new slimmer self!!
Frank thinks he's all that and a bag of chips now!!!!:lol:

Lisa

[honeygurl]

There is a natural meat diet you can put your pets on. You would have to do a search to find it. I lost a dear cat of mine several years ago to feline diabetes. In fact, that is how I found out about the diet...while searching about feline diabetes. Low carb/all meat is a natural cure...(of course, we already know that ;) ) Symptoms in cats are: overweight, flaky skin, and thirst. It is worth looking into if this is a concern. I wish we would have sooner for our 'Binks'.

[mike_d]

My dog is on the same diet I am sans fruit and has improved health and cured a bad hip problem so running is possible now.

[waywardsis]

My three cats are on a raw meat diet (no grains, no veg, just meat, guts, bones), and they all lost weight. Their coats are soft, skin improved (no dandruff), and even personalities changed! One of mine who was aloof and didn't like to be petted became a total lap cat in a matter of one week raw.

My sister's cat totally changed when put on raw. She went from a timid little thing who never came out of the bedroom to a rompy puss who'd jump on your lap, play with toys, all sorts of things she never ever did.

Grains do the same things to cats and dogs as they do to us, even more so bc they are not suited to eating them at all. They will...but they aren't designed for it. This is why cats and dogs get cancer, allergies, thyroid problems, lupus, etc etc.

[LissyO]

Ok, I was kind of joking about my cat but I guess it does make perfect sense. Does anyone know where I can find info on that raw food diet for my kitties? I was looking for that EVO food and then went through to find the food with the higest protein in their food, so far looks like Eukanuba weight management, but I don't like them for personal reasons, so would like to try to stay away from that brand and IAMS in general. Thanks ahead of time for any info you can give me.

[cnmLisa]

I was looking for that EVO food and then went through to find the food with the higest protein in their food, ....

www.naturapet.com (http://www.naturapet.com)


Try here.


Evo is 50% protein, 22% fat, 7% Carb.

HTH.

Lisa

[waywardsis]

Wellness is one commercial grain-free food. I don't know where you live but here I get Healthy Paws meat patties with ground bone, and I add gizzards and liver to it. Sardines make a nice meal too! And you can get dried fish as treats rather than stuff like Pounce.

[LissyO]

www.naturapet.com


Try here.


Evo is 50% protein, 22% fat, 7% Carb.

HTH.

Lisa

Thanks for the link. I looked into it and wouldn't you know, there is a store that carries this food that is just across the river from me and they have samples, so I can see if my cats will eat it before spending $15 on a 6lb bag.

Wellness is one commercial grain-free food. I don't know where you live but here I get Healthy Paws meat patties with ground bone, and I add gizzards and liver to it. Sardines make a nice meal too! And you can get dried fish as treats rather than stuff like Pounce.

My cats don't really like wet food, so I don't think they'd like actual meat, I've tried before and they would run away, that's why I figure I'll try the high protein no grain kibble... I will look into Wellness as another option, thanks.

[katwoman]

I had to take my cat into the vet early last fall because she had some strange knots in her fur along her spine. The vet checked her out--then said the only problem was that she was too fat to groom herself properly. She (the vet) also told me that the diet foods available at WalMart, etc. are useless. They did have a prescription food available--a little on the pricey side--but Shasta went from 13.24 lbs to 10 lbs--which for her frame size is where the vet wants her. She's playful again--obviously feels so much better. The prescription food is, according to our vet, the kitty equivalent of Atkins.

[MizKitty]

Unfortunately, there is not "good" dry cat food available in the grocery stores. They're all full of grains and fillers, and even the meat portions are usually offal.

The grains in commercial cat foods is why there's an epidemic of diabetes going on in our cat population today, too.

I feed Innova EVO also. It's grain free, and as close to a raw meat diet as is possible to get in a bag of dry food. All 4 of my cats eat it with gusto. You need to switch over gradually. Some cats may get upset tummies with a fast switch to such a high protein food.

Just like with any low carb eating plan, on EVO, your fat cats should slim down, and your underweight cats should fill out.

I have to order it online, but get it at a good price from petfooddirect, who once you're on their mailing list, emails out so many discount coupon codes, you'll never have to pay full price for it!

[devilchild]

WOW! I am extremely excited and appreciative to find this thread because I have two kitties, one of which is 22 lbs!! And, I have been trying to figure out a way to help them shed some pounds but the weight management foods by purina and such never seem to work! I am so glad I came across this. Thanks for all the great information!

[j_the_p]

Most commercial cat food is absolute garbage. Any cat food being sold at a grocery store, wal mart, etc is not something you want to be feeding your cat.

Many many vets do not have the proper training when it comes to nutrition. They are experts at surgery, drugs, checkups, etc, but vet schools do not spend much time on animal nutrition. And you know what the scary thing is? Hill's is the author of many nutrition text books that vet schools use. Hill's makes Science Diet and Prescription Diet. That's why 90% of the vets out there push Science Diet so hard. But it's a very bad cat food. Grains, corn, and other indigestible carbs do not belong in a cat's diet.

It's practically criminal that pet food companies are allowed to get away with the things they do. Watching advertisements might lead you to believe that the following foods are nutritious for your pets: Purina, Science Diet, Eukanuba, IAMS, Fancy Feast, 9 Lives, Whiskas.

THESE ARE ALL GARBAGE.

Here's the list of ingredients in a Science Diet's adult formula:

1. Chicken Byproduct Meal
2. Ground Corn
3. Brewer's Rice
4. Animal Fat
5. Corn Gluten Meal
6. Chicken Liver Flavor
7. Choline Chloride
8. Vitamins/Minerals
9. Salt
10. Taurine
11. Citric Acid
12. Beta Carotene
13. Rosemary Extract


Notice that within the first 5 ingredients, corn is listed twice along with brewers rice. These are fillers that cats cannot digest. Yes, the first ingredient is a protein source, but its a byproduct meal. "Byproduct" means: take the worst parts of the chicken, like bones, beaks, feet and gristle. "Meal" means: grind it up and evaporate the water.

There isn't a pure natural meat source in the list. Byproduct meal - nope, animal fat - okay maybe, (but what animal?), chicken liver flavour - mmmm....not.

Now look at the ingredients of Innova Evo:

1. Turkey
2. Chicken
3. Chicken Meal
4. Herring Meal
5. Potatoes
6. Chicken Fat
7. Egg
8. Turkey Meal
9. Natural Flavors
10. Apples
11. Carrots
12. Tomatoes
13. Cottage Cheese
14. Dried Chicory Root
15. Taurine
16. Herring Oil
17. Rosemary Extract
18. Vitamins/Minerals
19. Viable Naturally Occurring Microorganisms

Notice that 4 of the first 5 ingredients are protein sources, and high quality sources, not byproducts. These natural ingredients make for a very nutritious food. The only carb in the top 5 is digestible by cats in small quantities. It is used for binding the dry food rather than using the cheaper alternative of corn or brewers rice.

People: Feed your pets well. They deserve it.

I feel guilty for not feeding my cats a raw diet, but I certainly feed them the next best thing in my opinion. Innova Evo.

Do some research, you'll be surprised with what you find.

Sorry for rambling... :) I'm just passionate about pet nutrition. Feel free to put me in my place if you disagree with what I've said.

[Jenna2167]

www.naturapet.com (http://www.naturapet.com)


Try here.


Evo is 50% protein, 22% fat, 7% Carb.

HTH.

Lisa

There is a store 3 blocks from my house. My kitty isn't overweight but I'd like to see if she even likes this food. She only weighs 5 pounds.

[lburnikell]

(and incidentally, chocolate could kill them!).

Glenda

goodness I thought it was just dogs!, mind you I cant ever remember giving my cats chocolate they orefer cheese and garlic bread!!:lol: My cats are mad.

[lburnikell]

Notice that 4 of the first 5 ingredients are protein sources, and high quality sources, not byproducts. These natural ingredients make for a very nutritious food. The only carb in the top 5 is digestible by cats in small quantities. It is used for binding the dry food rather than using the cheaper alternative of corn or brewers rice.

People: Feed your pets well. They deserve it.

I feel guilty for not feeding my cats a raw diet, but I certainly feed them the next best thing in my opinion. Innova Evo.

Do some research, you'll be surprised with what you find.

Sorry for rambling... :) I'm just passionate about pet nutrition. Feel free to put me in my place if you disagree with what I've said.

Thanks for that interesting insight, I guess as a consumer we dont look to far into what or kitty eats, if it says its good on the packet we belive it!

Just as a matter of interest can you buy Innova Evo, in the UK I dont think I have ever heard of it!

thanks Lynda x

[j_the_p]

Thanks for that interesting insight, I guess as a consumer we dont look to far into what or kitty eats, if it says its good on the packet we belive it!

Just as a matter of interest can you buy Innova Evo, in the UK I dont think I have ever heard of it!

thanks Lynda x


It doesn't look like it's available in the UK. Here's the website: www.naturapet.com/ (http://www.naturapet.com/)

I'm sure you can buy it from online retailers. I'm not saying that EVO is the only good cat food, it's just the one that I prefer for my cats. Find a pet food store in your area and take a look at the ingredients on some of their higher end foods and I'm sure you'll find something good. There's lots of material on the web that speaks to healthy pet foods so I know you'll find something.

Good luck!

[lburnikell]

It doesn't look like it's available in the UK. Here's the website: www.naturapet.com/ (http://www.naturapet.com/)

I'm sure you can buy it from online retailers. I'm not saying that EVO is the only good cat food, it's just the one that I prefer for my cats. Find a pet food store in your area and take a look at the ingredients on some of their higher end foods and I'm sure you'll find something good. There's lots of material on the web that speaks to healthy pet foods so I know you'll find something.

Good luck!

thank you so much for that I will have a look round tommorow and see what there is to buy

Lynda

[TarHeel]

Thank you for the Innova Evo information. Turns out that there is a little pet boutique about two minutes from my house which carries it, so I went up this afternoon and bought some for my almost 18 year old cat who needs to gain weight.

I bought a bag of the 30% protein and the proprietor gave me a small bag of the 50% protein kind. So far the cat likes both of them, but clearly prefers the 50% one. I was told that elderly cats might develop kidney problems on the higher protein percentage, but at this point, I'm pretty tired of cooking chicken breasts and medium rare steak for this particular cat, so if he will keep eating either one, it will be an improvement.

Helpful thread, thanks.

Kay

[waywardsis]

I'm pretty tired of cooking chicken breasts and medium rare steak for this particular cat...

LOL! They really do have us trained, eh? Course, you could just chuck it in the dish raw and let him work those teeth ;)

I wish I'd known about the Evo initially, bc it would have been easier to transition the pusses from crap kibble to raw. They had no idea what I was trying to feed them at first, which is pretty sad when you think about it, a cat not recognizing raw meat as food. Now they go insane at feeding time.

[mike_d]

We have not seen ketosis in cats on low carbo, high protein diets. This is the normal diet of the cat and its metabolic machinery is especially adapted to such a diet as the normal order of things, in times of feast as well as famine.That's why a dog or human can starve so long and still survive while a cat cannot.

http://www.felinediabetes.com/hodgkinsarticle3.htm

Obviously a vet-- not a Dr.Except in extreme prolonged ketosis, this is not harmful to the normal human. After all, it is a normal survival mechanism. Naturally, it is not good to have severe metabolic acidosis (ketones cause the body to become relatively acid) for too prolonged a period (many weeks) because it can deplete body stores of buffers (mineral, generally).

[j_the_p]

Thank you for the Innova Evo information. Turns out that there is a little pet boutique about two minutes from my house which carries it, so I went up this afternoon and bought some for my almost 18 year old cat who needs to gain weight.

I bought a bag of the 30% protein and the proprietor gave me a small bag of the 50% protein kind. So far the cat likes both of them, but clearly prefers the 50% one. I was told that elderly cats might develop kidney problems on the higher protein percentage, but at this point, I'm pretty tired of cooking chicken breasts and medium rare steak for this particular cat, so if he will keep eating either one, it will be an improvement.

Helpful thread, thanks.

Kay


18 years old! Wow. Well I hope he continues to enjoy EVO.

By the way, cats are supposed to have a high protein diet. I know this is something that was mentioned earlier in the thread, but think about it. Why would a cat develop problems from eating the way it's supposed to? Here's the answer: it won't.

High protein diets do not cause kidney problems in cats. There's confusion about this because once a cat has kidney problems (renal disease), it's only then that the kidneys can no longer break down the proteins. So high protein diets are not good for cats (or any animal) with renal disease, but they do not cause renal disease. The cause has been confused with the consequences.