House cats

[Gardening with Rabbits]

Mostly I always had cats that were indoor/outdoor. I have 2 indoors and 1 outdoor/indoor and they eat Purina dry food. The indoor/outdoor hunts some in summer and eats birds, bugs, mice. He is in good shape and about 10 years old. The 2 indoor are maybe 11 (or older) and 6-1/2 and he has been getting constipated. I never had this happen with a cat. The old cat seems to have kind of hard stools too. I am noticing dry skin on her, and the younger one has all of a sudden started to get pimples on his chin. I looked it up and something to do maybe with protein in the diet. I stopped giving can food years ago because the old one would not eat it and the younger one being inside, the litterbox smelled. The other cat goes outside and never would mess in the house and all cats in my past did this, but I can see they need a change in food. If you have an indoor only cat, what do you feed it? How old and how long have they ate it and have you ever had a cat with constipation?

 

[seedcorn]

Only outside cats. That being said, truly believe Purina has went to cheaper products in an effort to increase profits. I'm sure their nutrionalists would claim the same nutrient balance. We've went to more meat based products-about 2X the cost but animals much better for it.

 

[Nyboy]

Put a gob of vaseline on their paw, they will wash it off swallowing it. Great for hairballs will help everything pass. Or you can pay 5 times the price and buy hairball exlax which is just flavored vaseline.

 

[catjac1975]

How abut a little corn oil in their food? I would switch cat food brands.

 

[pjn]

Have 2 indoor only cats 12 and 13 yrs old. Both are on TSC 4 health grain free for indoor cats. Seem to be doing fine with it. Feeding it for the last several years. Great to know about the Vaseline. Thank you.

 

[Nyboy]

Cats clean themselves alot by licking their fur. Some cats will go whole life without a hairball problem, some cats need a little help.

 

[canesisters]

I have 3 indoor cats. I feed Purina ONE but only because it's the 'best' that is easily available (grocery store) to me.
My cats line up every single time I open the jar of coconut oil. I smear a glob on each one's paw about once a week to help with hair balls and such. They LOVE the stuff. I have to hide anything that might have coconut oil on it or they will steal it.

 

[Gardening with Rabbits]

I have 3 indoor cats. I feed Purina ONE but only because it's the 'best' that is easily available (grocery store) to me.
My cats line up every single time I open the jar of coconut oil. I smear a glob on each one's paw about once a week to help with hair balls and such. They LOVE the stuff. I have to hide anything that might have coconut oil on it or they will steal it.

I never thought of coconut oil. I put a dab of bacon grease on my finger and they would not taste it. I put on their nose and they licked and licked and tongue going crazy. lol

 

[Gardening with Rabbits]

I had a cat live to be 18 and she was raised on raw meat and dry food. She was outside and hunted. when she got older we could not get the raw meat, so she was on can food and Purina dry and started going inside/outside. My aunt had a cat live to be 20 something. Neighbor dogs killed her or she would have lived longer. When I was a kid, our cats begged for people food, but these cats I have now don't. The inside/outside does though. He hears a can and thinks it is tuna or cat food. He wants chips if he hears a sack rattling.

 

[journey11]

Kidney problems can cause constipation and rough coat too. Might want to rule that out.