[jakes mom]

How about Honest Kitchen? More expensive than kibble but might work out comparably to good canned food.

[jakes mom]

Thanks Akari, lol! Had a $3 coupon from a link that popped up on facebook and the bag had a coupon for $1.50. Thought $3 was pretty good but the $1.50 was a nice surprise. Always willing to try something new, God knows with Jake around nothing will go to waste! He ate some kiwi last nite.

[jakes mom]

C4C, that’s a great story, and one lucky kitty!
Got a good deal on a bag of Instinct rabbit variety. On sale and $4.50 in coupons. Only 2 kitties will eat it so far, but I’ve only offered it twice. Just another thing to throw into the mix now and then. Maybe it’s just as well everybody doesn’t eat it, it’s expensive! lol

[jakes mom]

Bobby dog, thanks for reminding me about the Tractor supply brand. I have one not too far out of my way, need to check it out one of these days. All the furry kids are fine. Jake’s doing well with the ABC diet, altho I believe he’s gained a bit of weight. Gotta work on balancing the calories between his kibble and fresh foods. My fault, he’s such a beggar!
Kitties are all happy and healthy, as C4C put it, my geriatric ward! lol Only issue with anybody is Dustin, my 19yo hyper-t guy, and he’s hanging in there! Loves the coco oil, as do 2 of the other cats. All eating mostly canned, altho Benjamin really prefers his crunchies.
Have not been on here as much lately, the summer brings outside duties, garden and mowing! And more time at the park with Jake, too, after work.

[jakes mom]

Bobby dog, I forget which one it was, but didn’t one of the vets we follow say the cheapest canned food is preferable to the best dry? That helps the guilt factor when Friskies is on the menu at my house.

[jakes mom]

Thanks for the input, everyone, I’ll pass it on.

[jakes mom]

C4C, glad somebody likes the Fresh pet after all! Do you give your guys coconut oil? My hyperthyroid kitty loves it and his coat is looking good. Adds a few calories, too. Thanks to Bobbydog, we tried it a few weeks ago. Yeah I guess I do have a geriatric ward! Only problem is Dustin with the thyroid issue. I’m pretty lucky.

[jakes mom]

C4C, I started the conversation about the Fresh Pet cat food, 2 of mine like it and my 19yo hyperthyroid kitty is one of them. The other one that likes it is my 14yo girl who absolutely loves raw. The other 3 prefer basic canned pate. Give it a try, if nothing else, dog gets a new topper, right? Won’t go to waste. Mine like the roasted chicken best, there’s also a chick/beef combo. There’s another variety, called Vital or Vitality which didn’t go over well at my house. I’m talking about the kibble shaped food, have not tried the chub for the cats. I get it at Walmart, Petsmart, or local grocery store. Easy to find. BTW my youngest is 12!
Bobby dog, thanks for the tips about coconut oil, it’s going over very well! Jake loves it of course, and some of the cats will eat it. Dustin (19yo) begs for it. Every little calorie helps with that old guy! lol

[jakes mom]

Bobby dog, thanks for the tip about the berries! Doubt that would be a problem for Jake tho, he pretty much inhales his food. But I will know to pay attention first time I give him some. He really loves his vegies, too! Have started with a bit of coconut oil, he likes that, as do some of the cats. I smear some onto a plate and the cats lick it off. I would imagine it will be a help with hairballs, too.

[jakes mom]

Bobby dog, I’m not a berry fan myself, but maybe I should get some for Jake! That little piglet will try anything.
Dustin, my hyper-t kitty, is a pretty good eater luckily. And I can usually get a few extra calories into him because he’s also quite nosy, lol. Whenever I’m in the kitchen he comes in to see what’s going on so I’ll give him a bit of the Freshpet. He and Julie, my girl who loves raw, are the 2 that like Freshpet.

[jakes mom]

Thanks BCnut. The ABC diet for the dog recommends salmon and sardines. He loves it but of course the cats beg, too! I have been offering the cats some raw as well, but only one will eat it. She adores it, screams when she sees it!
Bobby dog, you said it! If I could at least find a couple of things that everybody liked! Especially important for my hyperthyroid guy, I’m constantly trying to get extra calories into him.

[jakes mom]

Tried the other Freshpet flavor today , beef/chicken variety does not contain fish. The same 2 kitties like it, the others don’t like either flavor, or maybe it’s the texture they don’t like, who knows. On the fish subject, another question. Is it just an issue for cats and not dog food? And why is fish oil recommended in some diets but not feeding actual fish? Does it depend on the type of fish? I know smaller fish are considered safer.

[jakes mom]

Bobby dog, have you been on the HK site? You can get sample pouches so you can see if the cats will like it, without spending a lot of $$. My guys wouldn’t even taste it, they gave it a sniff then gave me a look that said, “what are you trying to do to me?”. The packets are not very big so if your guys usually have to try something several times to decide whether they like it or not, you’d need to take that into consideration. It’s good food, tho, I really wish mine would eat it. If nothing else, you’d have a new topper for Bobby for a few days. Right now my cats are eating good dry and mostly cans, now adding the Freshpet. And my Julie absolutely loves raw, so she gets a bit of that as well. The other cats really not interested in the raw so it’s just Julie and the dog getting the good stuff! Old cats, old habits I guess!

[jakes mom]

This reminds me of my Benjamin, I always have to double check the dryer before I shut the door. Cats are weird and wonderful, aren’t they?

[jakes mom]

The FreshPet I bought was the soft kibble form. I’ve used the dog food rolls in the past as well. I paid $8.99 for a 2# bag at my local grocery store, probably cheaper at Walmart. Petsmart has it too, but I’ve no idea of the price there. I was just trying to find something different for the cats. I believe there’s a beef flavor for cats, too, I’ll give that a try next time. I was disappointed that none of them would even try THK. Not that it went to waste, lol, Jake was happy to take care of it for me.
Bobby Dog, thanks for the bunny update! They are adorable, aren’t they?

[jakes mom]

Has anyone tried FreshPet? The dog food gets a 3.5 star rating. I bought a small bag of the chicken cat food and 2 of my guys love it. Almost as convenient as dry. It does have fish in it, tho. Something else for the rotation list when the price is right.

[jakes mom]

I was referring to newborns/ couple weeks old babies. They’re the cutest!

[jakes mom]

I agree, it worked very well, just wish I could use it on the rest of the house! Would recommend that recipe to everybody. I’ve already gotten more peroxide and will keep it together with a box of baking soda so I’m ready if this ever happens again. This is the first time I’ve had the experience and hope it will be the last. Thanks for the tip about the vanilla for his face, had not heard of that.

[jakes mom]

I agree, a baby kitten with eyes barely open and little ears still folded over! And that little baby mew!

[jakes mom]

Bobby dog, that’s why I only have a few plants in containers, Jake would be all into a garden, too. So for now just a few vegies in a raised planter and a couple of pots. My old guy, Rascal (lost him to lymphoma last sept) would help himself to the tomatoes in previous years. I would be saying to myself, there’s a tomato that should be ripe enough in just a couple more days. Next thing I know, it’s gone. lol
Good luck keeping everybody away from the bunny nursery, that will be a challenge! They’re so cute, aren’t they!

[jakes mom]

Thanks guys. Things seem a bit better today. At least the smell seems to be dissipating, it didn’t hit me in the face when I came home from work this afternoon. Not gone but better. I will try washing the sheets again with some vinegar added to the load. Jake seems to be fine, no problem with his eyes or anything. First nite I washed him with a combo of baking soda, peroxide, and dish soap. Last nite I bathed him again with tomato juice. Now his white chest and belly are pink. lol BCnut, I did buy some Febreeze, seemed to help with the couch and curtains. Yeah, Bobby Dog, not sure about the sheets either but I’ll try one more time. I can put up with a faint smell in the house for awhile if need be, just glad it was better today and I didn’t go to work skunky again!

[jakes mom]

OMG you guys are freaking me out with the bug talk. I grew up in RI and live in OH now but I have family in Fla. They’re always trying to talk me into moving there. I say maybe when I retire, but as much as I hate snow I think I hate giant bugs more.

[jakes mom]

I think cinnamon is an anti-inflammatory?

[jakes mom]

Finally got around to buying some coconut oil. Got it at BJ’s, 36oz for $10.99. The good stuff, organic, cold pressed, extra virgin. Jake likes it (of course) and so far 3 of the 5 cats have tried it and seem to like it. But that doesn’t mean they’ll like it tomorrow, right? lol! Can somebody refresh my memory on the amounts I should give everybody? Is it like a tsp a few times a week? Jake ate a tsp or so right from a spoon and I smeared a bit onto a small plate for the cats.
Also speaking of BJ’s. I like their cat litter , Berkley and Jensen brand. About $10 for 40#. Low dust and clumps well. Haven’t bought anything else since I tried it.

[jakes mom]

thanks guys, maybe I’ll try just the vinegar instead of the mixture. I’m talking mostly about grass and weeds growing along the fence line where the mower can’t reach. Might as well try the easier option first! I don’t want to use stuff like the Ortho killers, don’t want anything like that in Jake’s yard.

[jakes mom]

nothing comparable to DFA for cats yet, but a lot of people here like the catinfo site. As far as choosing cat foods, I just assume/hope that if a company makes quality dog food they will make quality cat food.

[jakes mom]

Bobby dog, guess I don’t need to be concerned about buying HK for the cats after all. I got some small packets to try, none of them will give it a second look, let alone try it! But Jake is happy! More for him! He’s still enjoying his as a topper. I also gave some to a friend whose dog is a very picky Shiba Inu. He’s 18 mo old and that was the first time he’d ever cleaned his plate!

[jakes mom]

Thanks everybody for the tips. Naturella, wow! You’re very organized! I guess I just need to take some time to do a little measuring and math and get some kind of menu outlined. At one point I was keeping track of meds for 3 different pets, 3 heart meds, thyroid meds (hypo and hyper) seizure meds, arthritis meds, so I guess I can make a menu for one dog!

[jakes mom]

I’ll just throw my 2 cents in here. I had a retractable leash years ago with my little yorkie mix and never had any problems with it except I didn’t think it was very comfortable to hold. When I take my beagle mix out these days, he’s on a basic 4 foot nylon leash if we’re walking the sidewalk and I use a long training lead (15 ft) when we’re in the woods. That way he can poke his nose into all the weeds and bushes he wants to and I can stay on the path!

[jakes mom]

Bobbydog, I’ve considered that but it’s pretty expensive to “use up” on Jake. Maybe there will be a 3.99 cat food sale one of these days! I’m guessing it’s a lot more expensive than cans anyway. I’d pay a little more for the convenience (and better for the cats) but the budget can’t change too much. BTW have you been on the HK site? If you decide to keep buying it may be better to buy from them rather than petflow. You can earn points toward free food and treats.

[jakes mom]

weezerweeks, I feel for you. All my cats were strays. At one point I had 13 (lived in a big 3 floor farmhouse at that time). It’s hard to turn your back on them. Hope you can keep the mom.

[jakes mom]

Jake had his first taste of the HK “Keen” today, loved it as I figured he would. The cats were interested too, I think they could smell the turkey. I offered them a little bit and they gave me a horrified look! Oatmeal? Vegies? Are you kidding me? lol Wish I could get a sample box of the cat food. I did order a little packet for $1 but that’s not enough to really see if they would eat it full time. Very possible they would like the little sample but turn up their noses at it if I paid for a big box. I need to research a little more to figure out how much I’d need to feed the 5 cats each day vs. how many cans I buy. Really getting tired of lugging cases of cat food around, not to mention the boxes of litter! I’m getting too old for this lol!

[jakes mom]

C4C, my order is supposed to arrive on Friday too. Still have a sample of Keen coming and a couple of other things I ordered. It was just a weird email I guess, badly phrased. Why tell me that the recipe is discontinued, how about just saying sorry, too late, samples all gone!
On another subject, my poor Jake has been a nervous pup for the last few days. We’ve had several days of thunderstorms and tornado warnings and thunder is not his favorite thing. As I type I’m watching the Weather Channel, hoping my tornado warning will expire soon! Hate to have to make a run for the basement!

[jakes mom]

I know when samples are gone they’re gone, Akari. But that’s not what they said. They said the recipes are discontinued. Why would they have samples/trials of discontinued products? That’s why I thought it was odd. Oh well, I ended up spending less$$, that’s always good.

[jakes mom]

OK guys, does anyone use Petflow regularly? I’m very disappointed in them, as a first timer. I ordered the HK and got an email that 2 of the 3 boxes I ordered are discontinued and they gave me a couple of suggested replacements… at $40 plus each! Uh, don’t think so. I only ordered them to try because of the great price. I would think they could come up with some kind of comparable replacement.

[jakes mom]

You can have crystals in alkaline or acid urine, just different kinds. He’s probably just better off with no dry food. If this turns out to be a continuing crystal problem there’s a surgery that can be done that essentially turns him into a girl, lol. Reconstructs the urethra and widens it so it’s less likely to get blocked. But let’s hope you don’t have to think about that!
I’m jealous of the fish tank talk! Haven’t had one in a long time, I agree, I like the neons, too!

[jakes mom]

BobbyDog, that’s right, put an empty litter box out and hope he’ll use it then you can pour the urine into a plastic margarine cup or something. The vet can do a bladder tap if necessary (not as bad for the cat as it sounds) but hopefully Akari or the vet can just get a sample. It may not be an actual UTI, might be cystitis from crystals. Some cats just can’t tolerate the dry food, screws with the urine PH and causes trouble. Akari, what kind of little blood specs are you taking about? How’s the flea problem? Are you sure it’s not little specs of flea dirt that’s falling off when he sits in one place for a while? Flea dirt (poop) is pretty much blood so will leave red spots. Just a thought. Bobby dog, haven’t tried yogurt or kefir yet, will let you know.

[jakes mom]

RescueDaneMom, I think Jake will like it, the only thing he’s ever refused is a piece of celery! Thanks everybody for the storage and mixing tips. I’ll let you all know how it goes!

[jakes mom]

OK, I ordered some HK, too! lol! Never tried it before but now’s the time, great price. You guys talked me into it!

[jakes mom]

The See Spot Live Longer site has a booklet called the ABC diet. One day a week is all fresh/raw food, the other days are the usual diet, dry, canned whatever you’ve been feeding. He also mentions that instead of one whole day you can spread the fresh menu items over the course of a week, just adjusting the kibble amounts. So apparently he doesn’t see a problem with mixing kibble and raw.

[jakes mom]

My guy likes Earth’s Pride Pet, it’s readily available at BJ’s. It’s 4 stars.

[jakes mom]

Happy Mother’s day to everybody, human or furry kids!
I gave Jake a turkey neck this am, a piece about 4 inches long. He wasn’t too keen on it at first, don’t know if he’s not a big turkey neck fan or just because it was something new. He treated it like he did the first couple of chicken backs, just kind of licked and sniffed a little. After a few minutes he started working on it and it took him about 15 minutes to finish. Hope he decided he likes them because I have 5 more in the freezer! Try again in a few days.

[jakes mom]

C4C, I’m going to try letting Jake chew on the neck and see how he does. The package contained pieces about 4-5 inches long so I’ll see how it goes. I’m going to wait until I can sit with him and keep an eye on him, probably on sunday when I don’t have to work. He’s done well with everything else so far so I’m hopeful.
I may try a bit of plain yogurt or kefir for my thyroid kitty. His coat is a little dry, no major problems, but it sure can’t hurt.

[jakes mom]

Akari I think a lot of flea meds can cause problems with hair loss. I used advantage on my cats a few years ago and most of them were fine but one had a little bald spot on the back of her neck where the drops were put on. It will just come back by itself, now that the collar is off, don’t worry about it.
Bobby dog and C4C, thanks, Jake is cute little guy. Wish I had a camera to post a pic like Akari does. He’s shaped more like a beagle but has the thin droopy skin and ears of the basset. Mostly black like a basset, white belly and legs and his front legs kind of turn in like a basset too. I bought sardines, broccoli, turkey necks (first time) and more hearts/gizzards tonite. Now just need to do a little research on calories to figure out how much I need to decrease his dry before I do an ABC week.

[jakes mom]

I really think a little fresh every day is the way to go instead of one whole day. Makes every meal a little more exciting for them. Jake gets some of whatever veg I’m eating most days anyway, he loves everything I’ve offered except celery and eats every fruit I’ve ever given him. Sometimes I think he’s beagle/piglet instead of beagle/basset.

[jakes mom]

Bobby dog and C4C, I finally got the ABC download, sounds great! Just what I need and so easy. Will be heading to the grocery store soon. Sounds like more calories than I usually feed in a day but will decrease the amount of kibble on the other days to make up for it. Also may try the other option of feeding a menu item each day instead of doing one whole day. Might be easier on the digestive tract! Have you had a chance to do an ABC day yet?

[jakes mom]

Bobby dog I know what you mean. Jake used to chase a ball and play with squeaky toys but now he’s just a mellow old man I guess! I tossed a ball toward him a while back and he just kind of watched it roll by and then looked at me as if to say “seriously?”.

[jakes mom]

BCnut, I got some “scrap bones for stewing” I believe they are beef vertebrae , had a decent bit of meat on them. Jake loved it, worked on it for almost 2 hours. He finally lost interest ( or just got tired!) and it was getting kind of small so I decided to err on the side of caution and threw the last of it away.

[jakes mom]

Bobby dog, I think you’re right, I’m enjoying this too much!! lol! I didn’t buy what they advertise as “soup bones” because they are the weight bearing bones we’ve been warned about, too hard for teeth plus marrow is so fatty. Jake doesn’t chew toys anymore, he used to like his squeaky plush things but now if it’s not edible he’s not interested!

[jakes mom]

Bobby dog, Jake had a beef bone tonite and he loved it! Either he likes beef more than chicken or he’s just more used to raw now but he had no hesitation about it like he did when I first gave him a chicken back. I’m not sure what kind of bone it was. It was packaged as “scrap bones for stewing”. Had a decent amount of meat on it. I think it was a cow vertebrae by the looks of it. The cats enjoyed some of the meat, too. Beef is a hit at my house I guess! Next time, pork ribs maybe! You should try giving Bobby a nice meaty bone, this one kept Jake busy and happy for almost 2 hours!

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