My cat hates wet urinary food. Can I feed him the dry version instead?

Jerry will still get the benefits of the diet from the dry kibble so it is fine to use this. If he won’t eat the canned food, give him a water fountain as this may encourage him to drink more water. There are other diets that are indexed for crystals and he may like one of the canned varieties. I recommend to ask your veterinarian about which one is best. It is fine for the other cat to eat the diet as well. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Regular food is much less effective in preventing recurrent urinary tract issues in cats which are very prone to repeat episodes - it is impossible to say how sensitive he is and without trying you will not know but there is a chance he could relapse on ordinary canned food. Urinary diets tend to be adjusted to maintain urine pH to prevent crystals and are restricted in minerals and use only high quality protein sources to minimise the risk of urinary tract issues as well as providing an important source of fluids compared to dry food. The very best option in affected cats is urinary canned food but in many cases a high quality, commercial canned food is sufficient - if he relapses on this you will have to source the urinary prescription food as a treatment and prevention

Wet food is actually biologically a better food for cats. Dry food is easier for humans, but cats are desert animals and tend to run a little dehydrated if fed only a dry food diet. Since Spunkers already likes wet food, you should be able to easily transition her over to a wet food diet. However, since you have noticed that Spunkers is drinking more water than normal, I would recommend having her evaluated by your veterinarian and run some routine bloodwork and a urinalysis to make sure there aren't any metabolic changes that are causing the change in her water intake. A canned food diet is always a good idea for cats, but we also need to make sure there isn't anything else going on that needs to be treated. I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

The best way to maintain his weight at 12 lbs is to measure his food and count the calories. A typical 12 lb cat should eat about 230 calories total in a day. Look at the calorie content of the food your vet prescribed and feed based on the calories per cup or per can. It is probably fine to switch to urinary care with weight management but you should check with your vet first since it is prescription diet. I would also recommend asking your vet about feeding some canned urinary food as most cats with crystals should be fed canned food, too.

Hello. Unfortunately, the over the counter urinary diets just do not match up to the prescription ones. You may need to try Mischief on another brand, like Royal Canin to see if he will accept this one. There are also different versions of the C/D that he might accept better, but if & when you go to switch, just be sure to take your time. This will help Mischief to accept the foods, better. One trick I like to use is to take a glass jar & add enough dry kibble so there is 75% old & 25% new food. Put the lid on & let this sit for a day or two to let the smells & flavors blend. Every week, decrease the old food & increase the new, & hopefully he will find this acceptable. Hope this helps & thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Chase. This is fine to do. It's only a small amount of regular dry cat food, and he's getting mostly vet food. If that's what you have to do to get him to eat it, do it. I hope this helps!

The concentration of the urine depends on a number of factors, including hydration, and has to be looked at in conjunction with the overall clinical picture. I wouldn't put too much stock in that one value right now. It sounds like you are doing everything right to help Duck feel better. Here is a link on how to pill a cat http://www.hsi.org/assets/pdfs/eng_ht_pill_cat.pdf. If it is too difficult to pill Duck, ask your vet for a liquid option if possible. Cystitis can sometimes start due to stress. There are many things that you can do to help alleviate stress and help Duck feel better. Cats need at least one litterbox per cat plus one extra to help reduce stress associated with the litterbox. They should be placed in separate rooms, away from the food and water bowls, must be scooped at least daily (preferably multiple times a day)and washed out at least weekly with a mild soap, followed by thorough rinsing. Cats need a lot of space to explore, but keeping them indoors is much safer than letting them outside, due to the risk of injury from cars, wildlife, other animals, etc. The key is providing space (particularly vertical space for climbing, such as cat trees, ledges, and the like) inside the home. Visit http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=T&C=33&S=2 and https://indoorpet.osu.edu// for tips on stress reduction. Also look into Feliway, a synthetic pheromone that is available in a diffuser and spray form that promotes calm feelings in cats http://www.feliway.com.