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!

Water fountain

I learnt that they should be encouraged to drink water. Here's their new bought fountain @RM103.00. It seemed like Bulan enjoys it, more than just for drinking...

I got Bintang out of her cage for a while, to try the fountain.....and away she went!!! she was terrified. Maybe she needed time to be acquainted with it. Anyhow, after watching Bulan playing around the fountain, she herself started to drink from the fountain =).

Bulan's first encounter with the fountain

Bintang FINALLY drinking from the fountain

Scheduled Eating

I have been thinking of having their feeding time scheduled...But just haven't gotten the 'strength' to do so....Nah..I'm just too lazy... Well, after a visit to the vet, I guess, it hit me, that if I keep delaying, the day will never come. So I was determined to start yesterday. Feeding time will be 7 am & 7 pm.

HOWEVER, at 1.00 am, Bulan started meowing for food. The meows, the 'looking for food' look around, and the biting. He meowed and bit me! That is why we say he is Bulan the Mafia. I wasn't to give in to him, BUT he knew better than to wait for me. He bit the pack of 9kg IAMS that Bintang had gotten from the last cat show, he bit with all his might, and from the look of it, he was almost there. OKAY!!! I gave him food alright. Not much but enough to have kept him quiet. And then Bintang the Princess started to meow as in...'oh soo...he gets food...just because I'm in a cage, I don't get late nite snack? then u just watch me getting out of here'. SO, before she proved herself, I had to be fair, and gave some to her as well...They were feeding on different food and it was like 1.30 am already, I was too sleepy to deal with them, but since the Princess demanded to be fed, the Mafia threatened to be fed. What could I do??

Despite of that, they're my darlings...I'll have to figure out the right amount of food for each feeding, so that won't happen again..We'll try again today.

Wetfood vs Dryfood

Due to Bulan's diarrhea experience, I have decided to change their wetfood. They have been feeding on Whiskas, Bintang hasn't had any problems. But because it doesn't seem to be suitable for Bulan, I'd just switch anyhow. So while Bulan is on prescribed diet, Bintang will be fed Natural Balance canned food.

She initially refused to eat, I guess she was expecting Whiskas instead. Then as she yawned, I put some in her mouth, and only after that she started eating...I'm glad for that. As for Bulan, I'm sure he won't mind =).

I've been reading around and asking around as well...According to some, dry food is their main course, while for others wet food is the choice, to cut cost? Dry food can be as expensive as wetfood. That is, referring to premium food. I guess what matters is the content of the food given to them. So, thinking after thinking and on and on I go.......

I'm still doing further reading on Innova EVO, I will stick with Blackwood, and I'll have them try Orijen.

While Bintang is recovering she'll be given Natural Balance canned food, I'll need to do futher reading on wet food. While that, I'll just stick with steamed or boiled chicken as their weekly treat.

Food

As I've mentioned somewhere earlier, I've bought NutriEdge to alternate their food. After some further readings, I've decided to change their regular food. That means apart from NutriEdge, I need another brand to alternate with (remember? they won't eat the same thing over and over again). So, I decided on Orijen. Went to Petsmore at Carrefour Kepong. and I didn't find Orijen, instead found Innova EVO. Bought 1 kg for RM29.00. That is not cheap!! I sure hope, these premium food helps in cutting down vet expenses.

Four days have passed, and I guess my cats are just smart or spoiled? They probably have learned that Innova EVO tastes better, so now they refuse to eat NutriEdge. It is somehow proven, they refuse to eat, and if 1 bowl is filled with NutriEdge and another filled with Innova EVO, they'd push each other over the bowl filled with Innova EVO and neglect the other. *sigh* NutriEdge is better than what they had been eating before...but why??? I guess only they know...To its worst end..I mixed both kibbles in their bowl...Only to be surprised as I observed, they would chew on NutriEdge and spit it out!!! They'd only swallow in Innova EVO.

To prove their point......

So another search I go, to finding another alternative for them. I found this group of nice, caring people, who feed their cats on Blackwood, and they can get supplies of the food for a good price... I hoped so hard to join them (It's good for my pocket), but most importantly I hope so much both Bulan and Bintang would accept Blackwood...Please Bulan, Please Bintang....I'm already giving you Innova alternately...Please eat on Blackwood also, k.....For a start, I bought 500gm of Blackwood for kitten from PetSafari for RM12.90.

A stressful week it is..

their condition after being vaccinated..
Bulan:
It's unusual for him to stay still. It's either he sleeps or he runs around all over. But this time, he stayed quiet and passive, I think he's had enough sleep but didn't have the energy to run around, he didn't even have the energy to walk to get a drink. It saddened me seeing him in such a condition, at least he was still willing to take a drink when I bring water to him.

Bintang:She appeared to be weaker than ever. She continuously slept, without eating or drinking anything, even when I brought water in front her, she'd push me away and then move away from me, facing the wall!!! I guess, she got irritated by me for forcing her to drink.

They both were not eating or drinking, I was warned of that for the first 3 days, but after the fourth, fifth, sixth day? It is indeed, worrying. Didn't know what to do, but the least I could do was to make sure they take in some water. Towards the end of the week, I tried giving them wetfood, Bintang refused to eat at all, Bulan ate but later vomitted. He vomitted twice, for 2 consecutive days. I learned that cats would most like to eat on steamed chicken. So I gave it a try, they initially still refused to eat. So we somehow forced them to eat, and I suppose they eventually learned that steamed chicken is tasty!! Yay!! Now, they're eating..No more worrying, no more crying for me!


picky eaters they are...
The thing about Bulan and Bintang is that they can't be fed the same thing for more than two times. I was giving them Friskies, Whiskas and Science Plan alternatively. They'd refuse to eat their food if it was the third time I had given them the same thing over and over again. So as of this week, I ran out of Friskies and Science Plan, so for a few consecutive days, I'd given them only Whiskas. There goes theory 1 for refusing to eat. So I bought Friskies. Didn't work. I found some bits of information that if they were feeding on Whiskas or Friskies, I should ensure that they drink plenty of water, I can't be sure of that, so decided to change to other brands. I had no idea how I'm suppose to choose 1. So went to petshops, they had a variety, I had no idea how to choose...So I just took any randomly...I took 1 kg of NutriEdge RM26.00. Afterwards, went to another pet shop. Hey, I found Smart Heart for kittens, never have seen it before and it's cheap RM15.00 for 1.5 kg, so brought that home, with 5L of Bengy litter sand RM11.00. Theory 2, is that, loss of appetite is probably a reaction after being vaccinated. So before I gave them NutriEdge or Smart Heart, I had learned that steamed chicken worked. So will stick with that, until they're much better. This part of the story is to be continued.....

the thoughts of spaying/neutering...
As for the spaying/neutering....It had been a lot of searching and reading for me, to simplify...They will both be spayed/neutered by the end of December 2008. So what I'm concerned with now is on their post-operative care. I will need cages to confine them separately, another carrier for after the operation, and another litter box to put into the cage, and I'd like to be home all day long for at least a week to care for them.