random update: on food

~just a random update~

I've been going on and on and on, about the hectic ongoing things have gone on with the 9 of them.. but it has been so long ago that I last updated about the basics of their daily lives...Food, Drinks, Litter, Supplements, Grooming.. heee.. not that short a list  I guess...

First up is regarding their food.  I'll have to admit, it hadn't been easy to decide on which and what to give.  But when I didn't know much, it was so easy to just pick up whatever I saw at the supermarket...  yes, I guiltily fed BULAN and BINTANG (my first 2), with unhealthy food. heeeee...But when things got serious.. food matters most.  It had been a long long long process, before I derived with my own conclusion.  I can explain more if there are curious people out there, but for now, I'll just summarize the finals of my decision.  Apparently, I dun have pictures of all the packages, so grabbed some for the net, hence the package we have locally may differ ya.

First of all, when people ask what I give them, I don't have just 1 answer.  I alternate their food about 2-weekly, and when I see signs of reduced liking towards the food, I'd mix 2 kinds together.

At the moment, they're taking Royal Canin Hair & Skin.

Alternatingly with Royal Canin Fit32 + Innova Evo

BULAN showed disliking towards RC Fit32, hence Innova Evo was added in.  I can't give Innova Evo alone, because MICHIKO becomes diarrheal ~ most likely due to the high protein content that he can't tolerate.

Another combination is Blackwood kitten + Salmon Bleu

because BULAN has developed disliking towards Blackwood Kitten

More in my list...

Royal Canin Kitten 36: u see I have 7-month kittens, but they just LOVE adult food, and hence another reason for the mix and match.  So when I have the time (which I don't nowadays) I'd take the 4 kittens out put in a cage for a few hours to feed them this.

When the kittens were younger, they were given Royal Canin BabyCat34

During this time, they had to stay in a different room because i) they were still too young and not ready to mingle with the others, ii) the adults LOVEd to eat this RC BabyCat34.  yeah, yeah.. the adults like kitten food, the kittens like adult food, any reasons why I shouldn't go nuts??

Here are other options that I may go for (and I have gone for) in times of crisis such as no stocks available nearby or BULAN starts giving me problems.  Orijen and Acana, the thing is, BINTANG doesn't like this two and BULAN wouldn't last long before he'd start demanding for other food.

If you noticed, BULAN is the one with fuss, when it comes to food.  He actually likes Blackwood Adult, but I have a greater preference over Innove Evo and Orijen.  Moreover, because I have guiltily given BULAN and BINTANG unhealthy food earlier on, I feel the need to make sure these two eat proper and hope that it'll compensate for whatever effect the earlier unhealthy food may have on their health.

I am particularly still confused with wetfood.  But occasionally (especially when BULAN shows problem), I'd let them indulge with wetfood.

Fancy Feast Royale

All of them run at the sight of this, except for BINTANG

Natural Balance

With BINTANG as an exception, the rest would run for Natural Balance too.  BINTANG would eventually eat too after a while, that is if the others have left her with any at all.  I've tried feeding her alone, and same thing she'd wait for a while before she'd start eating.  My concern is that wetfood aren't suppose to be left exposed for long period of time.

A most recent one, Innova-Evo.

Now I'm surprised, all of them including BINTANG would run and push each other away to fight for this.  I never really tried this before, because it comes in a big can of 374g.  So now that there are 9 of them, they can together finish up a can without leftovers :)

Apart from these they also occasionally get boiled chicken or salmon *yes, they are a bunch of spoiled cats*.  However, BULAN sometimes refuse chicken, and BINTANG at all times would consistently refuse chicken or salmon. errmmm...

**Because BULAN has been repeatedly mentioned here let me just explain on his behalf :) He is a big eater, when I'm late with his food, he'd meow loudly and bite me if I'm around.  Telling me to get his food, which means he's hungry right? so hungry that he'd eat ANYTHING, u may think. But NO.  If it's not what he wants, he'll keep biting me, start running around, he'd slap the others (usually SUNSHINE) so that they can't eat or even use the litter.  He'll meow and meow, till I think i've gone crazy.  That means he has gotten sick of the kibbles we have.  At times like this, I'd take him out, and give him (alone) a can of wet food.  He'll eat and I'd return him to their room, and he may or may not eat the kibbles, but obviously noted he won't bully the others.  I know some people say, u let him starve so that he'd eat anything u serve right? well, I have tried ignoring BULAN and just feeding them as usual.  the behavior of course reduced, but he becomes moody and unfriendly and obviously lose weight.  And when weight loss is obvious then it's just too much, weight loss --> reduced energy --> reduced immune system and so so so on... sometimes I get too busy, that I don't notice whether BULAN has been eating well or not, but I'll definitely notice it when he starts losing weight.  and a recent encounter I had, cats too have gastric, if they miss their meals.  so I don't wanna deal with that.  If you miss ur meal, and get gastric, u suffer, nothing to do wt me right =P.  but if BULAN miss his meals, and gets gastric, he suffer = I suffer?? 

**BINTANG: she only takes kibbles, and refuse chicken, salmon, wetfood.  She loves Innova Evo dry food most.  and recently discovered that she'd also eat Innova Evo wetfood :)

**MICHIKO: eats ANYTHING.  including MY food.  so I gotta be careful when he's hanging around out here.  He becomes diarrheal with Innova Evo kibbles and he'd get moody when he is smelly because of faeces remaining on the fur of his behind =D. and so who has to clean after that =P

**SUNSHINE, YUMIEKO, SUNNY, BELLA, MJ & DONNA: so far they've been find with whatever I've given them.  and they do not take MY food.

~it would be easier and less costly if they can stick on one kind of food, but with the attitude they've been giving me, I don't think it's possible.  Moreover, I also have an idea that I do not want them to be dependent on only 1 type.  Because there are possibilities of recalls and discontinuation,  and if a particularly batch of production is spoiled or some sort, I can hope that the detrimental effects it may have on my cats would be minimal, since my cats do not fully rely on that one kind of cat food =)~

I have derived to my final conclusion after lots of reading and researching.. I shall attached the links if and when I have the time to find the materials.  Bon appetit to the cats!