Moist cat food?

[Graye]

This is an odd question but I think someone might be able to come up with an idea for me.

We have come back to the UK for a long weekend and the lady at the kennels where we leave our cat has asked me to find some "moist" cat food for her. I've checked the local pet shop who only have stuff for dogs. Can anyone let me have a brand name for what I need? I have a few options for bigger shops in Scarborough tomorrow so at least a brand name would help!

[Derry]

i presume moist is just tinned/sachet stuff as opposed to biscuits?

kitekat, felix, sheba, whiskas, shops own brand cheap stuff

=]

[Graye]

Moist is an in between sort of thing, not dry and not wet (ie tins or sachets). It's like biscuits only softer and, as I remember, came in sachet or boxes with sealed bags inside.

Hilife do a "dog" version but the food isn't supposed to be interchangeable, something to do with protein levels?

The cat they have is very old and has only a few teeth and so can't manage the biscuits and also has some other problem which means he needs to eat very regularly. It's not really possible to leave wet food around in southern France during the summer - the house is very quickly full of flies - so I understand why they would want to locate some of this if they can.

Strangely enough we can get most normal brands of "English" cat food in France, Whiskas and so on. In fact I think Felix and Whiskas are the most common I see when I shop for our monster. She, of course, has to be different and either totally ignore or just lick the gravy off (or even try to cover it up in disgust) anything which is not the most expensive brand going. I think she's in league with the manufacturers...

[Derry]

our cats lick the gravy but not eat the meat too. hmm..

um. in that case i dont really know then =[ sorryyy

[JulieSherris]

AAhhh... a bit like Minced Morsels, but for cats, right?

Purina used to do one called 'Tender Vittels' - but they discontinued them in the USA & I'm not sure if you can get them in the UK now, either.... maybe Purina do something similar though?

I'd advise you to head to either (a) A big HUGE Pet World or something similar & ask there.... OR (b) A right little old-fashioned high street pet shop that's been in business for ages.... someone somewhere will know the answer there, surely??

Apart from that, Graye, I'd say have a look on Pet Planet, or one of the larger pet food websites - they might have some semi-moist foods & would ship abroad too?

We had a little cat that we were advised to have put down, as he had an enlarged heart & was quite poorly - he only ate tinned sardines, or pilchards & only if they were in tomato sauce... Then we discovered Morri$on$ own brand with real fish & he was great... lived a further 4 years quite happily & drug free!!

[MuddyWitch]

One of my ex-racers had her teeth loosened with a yard brush by a 'kindly' kennel hand before we adopted her. I feed her the same dry food as my dog, but I soak hers in water for about five minutes before dishing it up. It softens it without making it taste any differet...maybe you could try this for your friend's cat, if you draw a complete blank

(& yes the dog/ cat foods are completely different protien levels & cats need certain additives which are toxic to dogs, trust me on this one ; I've seen the sad consiquences of a cat food addicted dog )

MW

[Silver Ether]

It seems a lot of cats only want the gravy ... I wish it could be bought like cat food. I have had some succes using the juices from the meat i have cooked ... its not a lot as I dont do meat a lot... also found that Blitzing cat food encourages her to eat more ... I have not seen any *moist* catfood anywhere, got me intruiged now.

[Millymollymandy]

I've not heard of moist cat food either but would also think - why not just soak the dry biscuits? I did that for my cat when he had a gum infection and had to have his teeth cleaned (by the vet under GA). The moistened biccies don't go all disgusting in the bowl like gravy covered tinned food does after a few hours.

I'd try a vet as that's where we buy specialist cat food from (in France). Presumably she has asked at her vets?

[ina]

I'd try a vet as that's where we buy specialist cat food from (in France). Presumably she has asked at her vets?

That was my first idea, too. Every time I'm at the vet's I see a vast range of "specialist" foods - for the cat baby, the cat teenager, the cat in a mid-life crisis (OK, I may be exaggerating a bit here ) - but definitely stuff for cats with delicate tummies etc., so if anybody has specialist food like that, it should be them!

Btw - soaking dry food in gravy is how I get mine to clear up the plate: she never really finishes her dry food - meouwls for more, although there's still some left. So I transfer her leftover dry into the "wet" bowl, cover it with her daily portion of sachet food, and hey presto - it all gets gobbled up!

[Graye]

I'll see what Scarborough holds today. Otherwise I think I'll have to suggest the soaking idea.

And yes, French vets have all sorts of food on offer. I know they've taken this cat to their vets regularly so I suppose they will have been given some ideas already.

One of the things which amused me when we moved to France from Spain was how much care the French generally take of their pets. In Andalucia the ONLY customers you normally saw at the vet were Brits. And they were really expensive. We had a lovely Spanish neighbour who cared quite well for the cats who lived in his orchard, he bought food for them and had a box of DDT to deal with their fleas etc. But his attitude was "they have two chances, they live or die". He would never have dreamed of using a vet. His favourite pony died (I suspect from something very treatable) and he cried for days but there was never any suggestion he would call out the vet. And when we spotted a lovely stray greyhound with a dislocated shoulder and organised a vet to come out and treat her we had the whole village entranced with the idea, a bit like a new TV show. Fortunately a German tourist took pity on her and took her with them when they drove off in their camper. She is probably even now living it up on bratwurst somewhere like Baden Baden - one of the lucky ones.

I see I'm not on my own with a cat who licks the gravy after all! At the moment she eats the most expensive brands with big pieces of meat etc in. But I think I might try the idea of making up catfood gravy and soaking her biscuits - she loves those anyway. Considering she was a tiny three week old abandoned scrap from Spain she has developed very expensive tastes.

[Millymollymandy]

I'm not so sure about the French looking after their pets - from the sounds of things it must be very bad in Spain though. Here there are too many non-neutered/spayed cats as the English forums are full of people trying to rehome kittens that are about to be drowned or have been dumped in their gardens, and as for the poor hunting dogs who spend all the non-hunting season locked in a cage..... But plenty must be looked after or there wouldn't be so many vets around, although of course in the countryside they are also looking after farm animals too.

[thefriarandme]

Moist cat food? Does that mean you drop a mouse into a bucket of water? I know, I'll get me coat!

[Graye]

OK, so back in France now and we went to pick up our cat this lunch time. I mentioned the idea of adding a little water to some biscuits to the lady at the kennels. She hadn't thought of that! So perhaps that will do the trick.

Thanks for the ideas, etc.