Hello! I have tried subscription foods and ultimately I went back to supermarket and online shop brands instead. I find the subscription food is a bit of a gimmick and if your cat doesn't take to it or suddenly decides they don't want it, you've got a freezer full of wasted food you can't even donate. I have also noticed from other people's experiences that sometimes subscription food companies change their recipes without letting their customers know, so then what is usually vacuumed up by the cat is being completely ignored, and again you have a freezer full of wasted food. Not to say that I think their ingredient quality is questionable, just that it feels more hassle than it needs to be, despite being pushed as more convenient. It just seems a lot of marketing spiel to me.

Also I like having multiple brands on rotation in case of the issues I mention above. Easier to do that and to make my own choices than with a subscription, because they seem to adapt what you get and the cost based on what information you input about your cats. For example we trialled Katkin and the only thing I could decide for myself is what flavours I wanted to come. I HAD to order a certain number of pouches because of the age, size and breed of the one cat I tested this with, and they decided on the size (in grams) of the pouch for me. It just felt too restrictive though I know not all subscription brands are the same in this way.

My lot don't do pate either so we currently have in rotation:

• Sheba select slices and fine flakes (check ingredients list for cereals, sometimes this varies depending on the flavour). You can get these at almost any supermarket or pet food shop.
• Seriously Good shredded tins in broth. They have chicken and tuna flavours. This is available in P@H.
• Scrumbles tins which are small chunks in jelly, we're trialling it though they're not as keen (suspect it's the lack of sugars, the pigs). Available in P@H and I think Sainsbury's?
• Gourmet Nature's Creations but only the chicken flavour as the fish has grains. These can be bought in most shops too like the Sheba.
• James Wellbeloved grain free in gravy. Available in Tesco and P@H for sure.

We either used to also have or I have trialled but got a no from the cats:

• Lily's Kitchen tins - they have shredded fillets and tasty cuts. Cats didn't like this enough for the price point to keep going. Can be bought in most supermarkets.
• Felix As Good As It Looks is grain free but high in sugars (like the Sheba tbh). We only stopped feeding this because my husband got antsy about a recall once... though not much seems to have come from that and I've not heard anyone say they have had issues. Again very widely available.
• Nood which comes in both gravy and jelly. The gravy pouches came out kind of disgusting looking and the cats turned their noses up at the mush; they just didn't seem interested in the jelly. Definitely available at Tesco but not sure about other shops.
• Blink which also comes in both gravy and jelly. I wish they liked this but it was just a no for both textures 🙄 available at Tesco and P@H, I think I've seen at Jolleyes, unsure about others.
• Wellness Core which I seem to remember is in chunks. It's been a while since we had this in the house, but it was ignored too. Available at P@H.

That's just off the top of my head, will follow up if I can think of more! Yes.. we have been through a lot of different types just to try to get the cats to eat better 😂 also to say these are the wet options we feed/had fed, we also buy Purrform raw but we have a Pets Corner within easy reach so I get them in person rather than order online and pay the shipping.

 

Thank you very much, I'm going to Pets at home today so I will have a look at some of these and start experimenting to see which ones he likes, of course I'll get his usual food as well just in case!

 

Oh yes I forgot to address the other two points you mentioned. Don't really need a dry topper for dental purposes, that's a load of bollocks. Dry food does not clean teeth and I have no idea why some vets still insist that they do?? Raw meat and (small) bones will help, but mostly dental issues should be addressed by things like brushing teeth, additives, enzymatic toothpaste they lick over their own teeth etc, and otherwise it's genetic. I've met plenty of cats who eat purely wet food (which supposedly is bad for teeth) who've never had dental issues, of which one of mine is like this, and many who have had terrible dental problems who primarily eat dry. We try to stave off plaque build up etc by adding Plaque Off which is just a kelp powder I think.

On the itchy ear issue, is it inside the ear or outside that's bothering him? Is it sore, scabby, losing hair where he's scratching a lot etc? If the vet's checked then it doesn't seem likely to be something like ear mites... could be allergy related? But we probably can't really say for sure online tbh.

 

Hmm it is strange that the vet told me that. He is strange for a cat as he doesn't like dreamies but he does like the chewy strip treats, I wonder if they will help with his teeth?

When you say raw meat what exactly do you mean?

His mouth seems more comfortable from when I first got him as he seemed to spit it all over the place, it doesn't seem quite as bad now though part of me wonders if a raised dish would help.

Any tips with brushing teeth or would I be better waiting to let him settle in a bit more? Would plaque off help with inflamed gums?

I can't see anything wrong with the ear myself, he seems to clean it roughly and he shakes his head sometimes if you touch the ear.

 

I will add to the list that Scrumbles has a new shredded chicken in tins.
My cat Biggles has been devouring it.
He also likes the chunks in jelly by Scrumbles.
You can get Scrumbles and Blink in Sainsburys superstores & Pets at Home.

Blink & Meowing Heads in Waitross.
Meowing Heads is more of a mushy pate than a traditional pate. It is very liquid.

 

I will add to the list that Scrumbles has a new shredded chicken in tins.
My cat Biggles has been devouring it.

Guess I'm going to have to go on the hunt for the shredded chicken Scrumbles..!! 😅

 

Morning, both mine are fed wet only and have a few Feringa biscuits and Thrive dried chicken as treats. Your vet is incorrect about biscuits and keeping teeth clean, they only make the plaque worse as the sugars remain on the teeth. As far as I’m concerned, if a cat can’t catch it as an animal and eat it then it’s not good for them and I really can’t see my two stalking a biscuit round the garden 🤣🤣.

I get all their food from Zooplus, they have a mixture of Feringa, Wild Freedom, Macs Mono and Carny. They’re not good with chicken, as it makes them both scratch their ears and cause scabs, so I keep to Turkey, lamb, rabbit and veal.

They have around 300g each a day and I buy tins as I can recycle these.

With the scratching, it may be food related and chicken is a well known trigger as most foods contain this.

With keeping teeth clean raw chicken wings are good, my previous cat Maisie devoured these but my current two are not so keen unfortunately.

Hope this helps 😊

 

Also forgot to ask has anyone tried the edgard cooper wet food?

 

The only one of mine who half heartedly ate the new scrumbles chunks was the recent departed special one, Miss Molly but her preferred was the Turkey paty so I bought the trays /cartons direct from scrumbles website.
Other wise one will have to use trial and error on which of the good foods to feed.
Mr Tom is my 13.5 y/o Mr picky so far the only betetr quality foods he will touch are from Blink , Turkey Scrumbles and Sainsburys recipes shredded chicken other wise it is the gravy shreds from felix and sheba gravy pouches. For a high meat treat he likes catessy sticks.

 

For teeth Mr Tom has terrible issues with plaque /tartar a tooth brush doesn't cut it with him but I am able to rub my finger along his gums/teeth to apply Plaqtiv+ which my vet recommended and I bought online for about £10.

 

Also forgot to ask has anyone tried the edgard cooper wet food?

Yes, I bought Edgar & Cooper a few times from their website and Pets at home also has some varieties.
Only one of my two ate the chunks in gravy but both ate the pate.
I mash the pate up with a fork.

About topping to entice eating, Thrive freeze dried treats or Cosma snackies from Zooplus are good.

 

I have Blink on subscription for Miss T but this is available from Petsathome and Sainsbury's. Sainsbury's also do a range called delicious recipes which are grain-free with high meat content, although I must say that they have suffered from shrinkflation, having been repackaged into smaller 70g tins/pouches now.

I will add to the list that Scrumbles has a new shredded chicken in tins.
My cat Biggles has been devouring it.
He also likes the chunks in jelly by Scrumbles.
You can get Scrumbles and Blink in Sainsburys superstores & Pets at Home.

Blink & Meowing Heads in Waitross.
Meowing Heads is more of a mushy pate than a traditional pate. It is very liquid.

Thanks for the heads up, will have a look for this. Miss T hates pate textures but would tolerate Scrumbles. I have a feeling she will love the new tinned chicken.

 

Here is a code for Edgar and Cooper if anyone wants.
I think it is only good today:

 

Another question I have is how much food should an indoor cat really be eating?

At the vets the other week she said he weight 5kg but was underweight (she could feel his spine etc.)

This week he has been getting through 4 pouches of Felix doubly delicious a day but I'm worried that's too much given he is an indoor cat though he is up and down the stairs a lot.

 

Felix doubly delicious contains vegetable protein and various sugars.
Neither of which a cat needs and are cheap fillers. They are likely to be less filling than meat protein.

I would try to wean him onto jelly food without sugar. Scrumbles is an option for tins in Jelly without sugar.
He may also like the shredded chicken in broth by Scrumbles.
Pets at Home or Sainsburys carry Scrumbles.

Edgar and Cooper have chunks in gravy that are sugar free - it can be bought on the website ( without subscription) or at Pets at Home.

Lilys Kitchen I think was also mentioned as an option for gravy. They have shreds in gravy that I have seen in Sainsburys and Waitross. Also on Zooplus I think.

As mentioned, Thrive available many places or Cosma ( Zooplus) are good toppers to entice eating.

How old is he?
Cats can become set in their ways about food but hopefully, he will like some of the better options.

 

Felix doubly delicious contains vegetable protein and various sugars.
Neither of which a cat needs and are cheap fillers. They are likely to be less filling than meat protein.

I would try to wean him onto jelly food without sugar. Scrumbles is an option for tins in Jelly without sugar.
He may also like the shredded chicken in broth by Scrumbles.
Pets at Home or Sainsburys carry Scrumbles.

Edgar and Cooper have chunks in gravy that are sugar free - it can be bought on the website ( without subscription) or at Pets at Home.

Lilys Kitchen I think was also mentioned as an option for gravy. They have shreds in gravy that I have seen in Sainsburys and Waitross. Also on Zooplus I think.

As mentioned, Thrive available many places or Cosma ( Zooplus) are good toppers to entice eating.

How old is he?
Cats can become set in their ways about food but hopefully, he will like some of the better options.

Yes I'm aware it isn't the healthiest but I've had a bit of a hectic week and it's just been easier to stick with the Felix for now, I'm going to try him on the Edgard and Cooper tins that I bought for him at the weekend.

He is around 4/5 according to the cat rescue.

 

At the end of the day the best food to buy is the one that they actually will eat irrelevant of cost, whether lesser quality or the better GF/SF foods. Both are a waste if they won't eat them .
I tried the new scrumbles chunks in jelly and it's a definate no no from my two now, the late and sorely missed Miss Molly half heartedly ate it but mainly liked the jelly leaving over 50% of the chunks uneaten once licked clean.

 

So I tried Red (that's his name) on the Edgard and Cooper wet cat food on Friday night and he demolished it, no transition period needed. I also put the plaque off powder in his breakfast this morning and he ate that so very positive!

My only concern is that I found a post on this forum suggesting that Edgard and Cooper wet cat food might not have the required calcium and vitamin content so I've messaged them to see what they say.

I'm curious how many times a day you all feed your cats? I've started to get into a routine where I'll give him a full portion as soon as I get up, then another half portion before I go to work, then a full portion as soon as I'm home from work, then another half portion while I have my dinner, then a full portion at bedtime.

 

Whoops turns out there is a reason why you do a transition to new food. After scoffing four tins yesterday he wouldn't really eat it today and had some diarrhoea.

He's no issue with the Felix. I'll try and do a proper transition. Hopefully he hasn't completely been turned off the new food.

 

@Jab29 the two adults are fed twice a day, morning and evening as they are used to a pre-Covid (and therefore 5 days a week in the office) routine. With the addition of the little one, he's constantly eating like he's never been fed since he's growing so fast, so I periodically put raw down for him throughout the day. Luckily I work from home 4 days a week now! I'd probably say I do maybe 4 smaller feeds of the raw, i.e. as much as he seems to eat in one sitting at a time, though I'm not worried if he doesn't finish it all and there's raw left out as the adults will nibble on it too (unfortunately not enough to be fed raw exclusively). As he grows and his appetite slows down we'll reduce to twice a day as with the others.

Yes re: any change in food, always good to do a transition even if they take to new foods immediately. Not all cats get a funny tummy from a faster food swap but better not to risk it (for you on cleanup as much as anything else)! And sometimes they can just have intolerances to certain ingredients so no matter how slowly you do it they still get diarrhoea... We found out the hard way that Gunter can't do beef 😥

 

For adults I feed 3 times a day and they each get 160g a day of high meat content food.
Mine weigh 3.7-4.5kg, all now healthy body condition.

 

@Jab29
My cats as my OH says, are feed a rolling buffet.
I try to have something out for them overnight or when I go out.

Fresh meal in the morning and whenever they ask in the day if I am around.
Their body condition is good.
I feed only wet food and raw.

 

Thanks everyone.

So Red is eating the Edgard and Cooper food albeit reluctantly, if I put it down (small portion) for him he won't start eating it immediately like he does with the Felix. If I give him a mix he will eat the Felix, leave the Edgard and Cooper only to come back and finish it eventually.

I'm hoping to switch him to the Edgard and Cooper completely at the weekend.

The vet said he weighs 5kg but thinks he is underweight for his size going by their feeding guide for 5-6kg indoor cat he should get 3.2 tins a day but that's an awkward number.

 

@Jab29
Hi,
You could try a 70 gram tin in his mix when you are ready to add another food.
Edgar and Cooper is good but best to have two or three brands in your rotation.
Just in case, recipies change, food boredom or something is discontinued.

Going back & finishing later is fine. Mine do not always eat all of their food in one go.

 

Thank you all for these stories and info. My boy Pete is my favourite thing in the whole world but he is such a nightmare to feed! He was diagnosed with pancreatitis as a baby but last year I nearly lost him to not eating. He just stopped, wouldnt eat anything...wee bits here and there. He had been on Royal Canin sensitivity wet and dry but yeah, just stopped. He got down to 3kg, it was awful....I had him at the vets and they couldnt figure it out and just kept advising me of things that didnt work....I was petrified I was losing him. I eventually went back to the vet and demanded bloods/Xrays etc. It turns out he had 2 bad teeth and an issue that means his guts dont absorb nutrition from any food which is why he was dry skin/itchy (pains me even remembering this), he now has to take pro-enzorb in every meal. He is back to being beautiful and perfect thankfully but he has again just recently gone off his scrumbles wet and dry food? He's eating treat/snacks just not his real food, so thanks to y'all I'm gonna try Blink. I also agree with some of the others, sometimes you have to forget the nutrition side of it and just give them what they'll eat even if it is Felix...my cat refused to eat, he would have died rather than eat so just get them eating is all!! Thanks people! 🐾🐾🐾