Adult and Elderly Food

[Phoenix]

Does it make much difference if you give an elderly cat adult food occasionally?

I've got a small packet of Purina One adult dried food for Beauty, but Beauty is elderly. I couldn't find any elderly, I was wondering if that's OK?

I've mixed a tiny bit in her existing food (not found any whiskas elderly dried food yet either - adult is what she has when it comes to dried) and she seems to not mind it - she's been eating some of it.

[pinklizzy]

Ideally I'd say that Beauty should have a senior diet but mixing in the occasional bit of adult food into her normal diet shouldn't cause her too many problems.
Most pet food ranges produce a 'senior' variation now, if whiskas is a brand you are happy with, they have senior dry and wet varieties although some places may not stock a full range of products.

[Kazz]

Hiya I think a little bit every now and again is not going to hurt but I must admit I steered clear of dry food as my two got older as cats do suffer from kidney trouble and with dry they need to drink a lot with it, and I almost mised water in with their wet food. Bit bits now and again of something different shouldn't harm her.

Karen

Karen

[dandysmom]

I only fed dry occasionally as a treat, because of the cystitis factor. My cats were never changed to senior food when they got old, primarily because they resisted the change, and seemed to be in excellent health. Misty died at 19 1/2, Patches at 20, so apparently it did no harm....Leis is only 9; I'll probably try to switch her to senior as she ages, but as she's Ms.Picky I won't be too surprised if she won't eat it either!

[Kim]

I can remember the times when there was 'one food for all'!! I am sure it wont do her any harm. x

[dandysmom]

Originally Posted by Kim

I can remember the times when there was 'one food for all'

[quote=Kim;482690]

Me too, Kim! There was only wet food available in large tins and it was a very smelly fish-based food! The cat I grew up with ate that and table scraps (awful thing to feed a cat as part of a regular diet), but who knew any better back in those days?! And Scamper lived to be 17, and he was an outdoor cat too! Oh, and during the War when meat was rationed, Mom made is use some of our meat points for the cat!

[Phoenix]

Originally Posted by Kazz

Hiya I think a little bit every now and again is not going to hurt but I must admit I steered clear of dry food as my two got older as cats do suffer from kidney trouble and with dry they need to drink a lot with it, and I almost mised water in with their wet food. Bit bits now and again of something different shouldn't harm her.

Karen

Karen

Beauty seems to go phoo yuck to cat food with lumps in. The only wet cat food I can get her to eat is the pate variety.

[angieh]

Merlin no longer eats "senior" food. He doesn't like it and it is so hard to come by in our local area - any variety is out. Now wouldn't you think that with an ageing cat population, firms would be pushing their "senior" range of food?

At the moment he eats a mixture of Felix supermeat fish and a large superstore's finest fish variety. He eats with gusto and cleans his plate nearly every time. Unfortunately, I haven't noticed him putting on any weight.

[dandysmom]

[quote=angieh;483032]Merlin no longer eats "senior" food. He doesn't like it and it is so hard to come by in our local area - any variety is out. Now wouldn't you think that with an ageing cat population, firms would be pushing their "senior" range of food?

At the moment he eats a mixture of Felix supermeat fish and a large superstore's finest fish variety. He eats with gusto and cleans his plate nearly every time. Unfortunately, I haven't noticed him putting on any weight.[/quote]

Patches was like that also as a senior cat; ate like a stevedore and stayed as skinny as ever; weighed 8 1/2 lbs. all her life. I wonder if they somehow metabolize it differently as they age?

[Kim]

I think they do Eileen. I have had several older cats who tended to lose weight. With 2 of them it has been due to hyperthyroidism, but this isn't always the case.