Conference misery::feline_v1

    Yes, I'd love a copy of the pamphlet!  I had my cats on the 
    maintenance diet last year and they all gained weight!  My problem
    is that Barney should be on it all the time because of his FUS
    problems.  In a 9 month period, he gained 2 lbs and was up to 19.6lbs
    this past March.  I now have him on medicine which can be a real
    pain.  The food would be easier.
    
    My mail stop is LKG2-2/P9.  
    Thanks,
    Mary and her boys
    

    Sure thing - I will bring the stuff in tomorrow - 
    
    I forgot to add, that I have the 800 phone number you can call
    for even more info!  It is:
    
                                      800-445-5777
    
                     Monday thru Friday 8 am to 5 pm central time
    
    Address to write for more info is:
    
    Hill Pet Products, Division of Colgate-Palmolive Company
    P O Box 148
    Topeka, KS  66601
    Attention:  Customer Services
    
    Yeah, last summer I was using Tami Ami (sp) and IAMS and that's
    where Yurii picked up his saddle bags - now he eats less but
    sleeps more!
                
    Before you take him off medications, you might want to check
    with your vet just to be sure!!  
    
    All I can say is that the Blue Seal Kat Kare, which my vet
    says is comparable to the science diet, is probably much less
    expensive - a 25 lb. bag of Kat Kare costs about $10.00 !!
    But the low fat high fiber science diet is probably
    better because of the high fiber content and the lower mg. content.
    My vet says the Kat Kare is still ok even though the SD is lower
    in mg. sigh - decisions, decisions...
    
                             

    LIGHT sounds very much like the R/D (Reducing Diet), which
    just (coincidently?) came out in dry form in addition to the
    traditional canned wet.
    
    I wonder if they are the same/similar (sort of like Science
    Diet Feline Growth and Hill's P/D)?
    
    	Pennie

    I'm not very familiar with any of those,Penny.  
    
    Ah, yes.  Sounds like their timing was good!  
    
    I have the booklets here - They did a comparison to Purina Cat Chow
    and IAMS for Magnesium, calories, fiber, & fat.  
    
                     PCC             IAMS        LIGHT
                    
    % FIBER          5.1              3.3         11.1
    
    % FAT            14.5            22.8          9.1
    
    % MAGNESIUM        .16             .12          .08
    
    % Kcalories       4.1             4.4          3.7  (Kcalories ?)
    
    The light is enriched with taurine.
    
    
    Well, that's the scoop - I will copy the booklets today for those
    wanting to read up on this skinny kitty food!
    
    I wonder what high fiber will do to the contents and air quality
    of my swimming pool ?????
    
    E.T.
    
    

    this is an interesting subject,....i too would like a copy of
    what you obtained at the show.  however, i'm alittle confused
    about what food most people feed their cats.  i have looked
    up several files on this subject and even started a new one.
    my kitties eat iams dry food mixed in once a day with their
    1/2 can of food that they get twice a day and i'm having a 
    problem with the wet food... they don't like anything but
    2 nine lives flavors.  i tried the special cans last week and
    they didn't eat a bite.
    anyways... anyone who has any ideas - thanks in advance.
    and, i'll be looking in the mail for your information.
    
    
    thanks again,
    
    carla jeanne
    mlo 6b-1/a15
    

    i also forgot to tell you that verne is just
    sssssssssssssssssssssooooooo
    chubby - iams has done it definately.
    

    
    	I have decided that when this bag of IAMS runs out I am
    	going to look for a low fat cat food.  Does anybody know
    	where this SD LIGHT food is sold in the Nashua Area??
        
    	Karen

    aja gets 1 can of Amore Chicken Hearts and Livers a day plus all
    the dry food she wants. (Usually amounts to about an equal amount.)
    
    Plus some bonkers...
    
    She has retained her girlish figure...
    
    Edd

    re: 5
    
    Sure thing - watch your mail!
    
    E.T.

    re:7
    
    Karen, I called PETcetra today, and Anne will start carrying it
    very soon - I think she will recieve it with her next order.  I'd
    give her a call in a few days or early next week to check.
    
    603-880-0499 - PETcetra
    
    E.T.

    it doesn't bother you Edd, that Aja has such a limited diet?
    i hate to feed them the same thing over and over again.  especially
    when they get on their three months strike - 
    and decide whatever food they had been happy with for that amount
    of time just isn't good enough.
    
    
    

    Well, Yurii & the kids have been on the LIGHT formula for almost
    a week - the results are:
    
    Yurii is down 3/4 of a pound - everyone else that I weighed stayed
    the same, with the exception of  M A L I N K A.  My little baby
    girl finally weighs 6 1/4 lbs.  I am really thrilled !!!!!      
    
    Will do a complete weigh in this weekend (probably Sunday) to give
    it a full week.  Yurii is running around, playing, and most of all
    not zonked on the couch 23.5 hours of every day.  It could be just
    the cooler weather, but who knows, maybe it's this diet food??????
        
    If any of you folks try, I hope you post your results - I'd be
    very interested to hear how you make out with it.
    
    E.T.                                             
    

    RE: .12
    Isn't 3/4 of a pound alot for 1 weeks weight loss? My vet said that
    I should aim for 1/2 pound/month (I think) for my FAT cat. I'm pretty
    sure that was the figure because Cinnamon has to loose 5-6 pounds
    and we guessed that it would take a year at the rate she prescribed.
    Anyone have any information on weight gain/weight loss rates?
    

    I wondered also, but with the increased fiber... maybe it was
    water weight - he is so da^&med fat... 
    I am amazed at his activity level - I'm so used to seeing him
    crashed on the couch - it looks like he is on uppers!!
    I'm so glad to see him running around!  I think that the increased
    exercise has helped - he didn't really eat that much (I don't think
    so anyway ) because he was always sleeping and too lazy to eat!
    
    It's really strange because all the other kids are "normal"
    weight.  
    
    I am watching him very carefully - 

    	re. .0   Is the Ash content supposed to be Max. 5.0% ?  
    (not Min.)     - Chris
    
    ps. Copy, who was 3 last week, is still a trim 9 lb., mostly
     due to his outdoor excercise, I think.  - C
    

    The ash max is 5.0, but worry more about the magnesium than
    the ash - the magnesium is .08, which is wonderful for cats
    with urinary problems.
    
    E.T.

    RE: .0
    
    >Sure hope IAMS follows suit real soon 
    
    I was just at Erickson's in Acton and Iam's does have a similar
    product; I think that it is called "less active".
    
    Deb

    re: 17  
        
    Deb,
    
    Great - I wonder how long that has been out ??  How much is is??
    
    E.T.

    I forgot to look at the price, but I'm certain that I've seen it
    the last two times I've been there because I remember saying to
    myself "I sure wish Hill's would come out with this under the Science
    Diet product line".  (Since I go there about once a month, I'd say
    it's been out for a couple of months).
                                        
    
    Deb

    Interstinggggggg - maybe Hills was just catching up to IAMS !!!
    
    My guys are doing very will with the light (Hills).  Yurii hasn't
    lost any more - still holding at 14.75 - but, he looks a "little"
    better, certainly ACTS MUCH friskier - now, when I glance at the
    end of the couch, I see a cushion, not a white blob!  The rest of
    the kids all are maintaining their usual - 
    
    It's funny, Deb, I haven't seen the IAMS folks at the shows with
    that product, just the same old stuff with lots (about 21% fat)
    of fat !!
    
    E.T.

    Are you sure it's not the IAMS Less Active for DOGS?
    
       Gary

    I think it is for cats since it was on the shelf with the catfood
    products (wedged between kitten and adult food). And, it said "Iams",
    not Ekubanuka (or however you spell their line of dog food).
    
    Next time I'm there I'll check.
    
    Deb
    

    I was at Ericson's yesterday.  They will have the Science Diet Light
    by next week.  The less active food they had was for dogs -- it
    was on the shelf next to the cat food, between the cat food and
    dog food.  I asked the guy at Ericson's if IAMS had a less active
    food for cats and he said no.
    
    	-Nancy
    
    

Deb and I went to Ericson's yesterday and must have bought out the Science
Diet Light if there was none by the time you got there.  It's in a much
bigger bag than the regular since it's so much bulkier.  However, a 4 lb
bag of the Light costs the same as the regular.  

It says on the bag to feed more of the Light (3/4 cup vs 1/2 cup), but that
the Light will still be 21% less calories.  Last night I mixed the Light
half and half with regular Science Diet for my cats, wondering how
they could possibly eat so much food.  Well, Shamus absolutely loved it
and devoured it in record time;  Daisy seemed to like it as well.

Pam

    re: .22
    
    FYI...Eukanuba is not the name of the dog line of food, it is only
    the name of one specific dog food -- the high protein (30%) version.
    IAMs makes several other dog food, simply called IAMs Chunks, IAMs
    Mini chunks, IAMs puppy...
    
    Karen, Tristan and Tenzing.  (and 2 dogs)

    The IAMS Less Active is for doggies only.  I nearly bought a bag
    before reading the fine print...
    
    Mary

    I want to switch Portia, Oscar and Elmo to ths stuff when their
    bag of IAMS runs out.  Since Elmo is still a kitten, who incidently
    will not touch kitten food, should I try to supplement his diet
    with something else?  I also feed a couple cans of 9-Lives each
    day.
    
    I was sort of thinking of the Gerber junior meats, since he absolutely
    loves it, and will eat it off a spoon, meaning I could regulate
    how much he gets, and not let Portia and Oscar get any.  But is
    the baby food a treat, or is it nutritious?
    
    	-Nancy
    
    

RE: Note 1824.27 by WITNES::MACONE "Don't litter. . . . SPAY" >
                            -< LIGHT for kittens? >-


I'd ask the vet about that - the baby food may be too high fat for a
kitten when fed for long periods of time - the vet will know.

    re: .27
    
    Have you tried the Feline Growth, in cans (described recently elsewhere
    in this file)?  I think I'd try that before going to a non-cat food.
    
    We just do our best with the gang.  We try to keep a constant eye out,
    but every once in a while Firecloud gets into the adult food or the
    adults get into the kitten food.  Now that we've started watering down
    the canned Feline Growth, Firecloud will eat it willingly.  He still
    seems to prefer the dry Feline Maintenace to the dry Feline Growth,
    though I suppose that could just be his childish desire to eat the same
    stuff the big cats are eating. (Can the two lines really smell that
    different?)  
    
    I don't worry too much about the kitten eating adult food (after all,
    the paucity of kitten food brands suggests that most people feed their
    kittens cat food), so long as he eats a fair amount of kitten food and
    continues to gain weight.  I would worry more about the Light food, but
    I'm hoping Firecloud won't like it (if we can ever find it).  The
    real problem is keeping the cats from the kitten food, for which
    we have yet to find a perfect solution other than vigilence.
    
       Gary

    I would use the baby food as an occasional treat - The 9-Lives
    from the market is junk food, in my opinion.  If you do buy 
    from the market, try friskies buffet - check the label for the
    ash & Magnesium content - some flavors are lower than others.
    The prices of thae F.B. are pretty good - if you can buy
    Old Mother Hubbard, I highly recommend it - some folks can't
    find it in their area.  I have a kitten too, and I wondered
    how she would do on the light - the truth is that the light
    formular is almost the same as the Blue Seal Kat Kare, which
    is low ash, low magnesium - basically, the only difference is
    that the light has a higher fiber content than the Blue Seal.
    
    Check around for a feed & grain store or pet food store - 
    maybe the yellow pages??
    
    By the By, how old is Elmo?
    
    

    Oh yeah, thre are about 100 to 110 calories in a jar of baby food
    meat !
    
    E.T.

    I've been feeding a mixture of Science Diet Light and C/D for close
    to a week now, and one thing that I've noticed is that someone is
    leaving "pancakes" in the box (I'm not sure who it is). I realize that
    since this stuff contains a lot of fiber the cat will have soft stools,
    but I'm a bit concerned  at this reaction. Has this occurred with
    anyone else's cat?
    
    Deb
                                                         
    

    Elaine,
    
    We're guessing that Elmo is about 7 months, and can he eat!!!!!
    
    Luckily, Elm's prefers to eat the canned food -- he'll eat anything
    as long as it comes from a can, and wil only eat the dry when he
    is "desparate".  So, I'm thinking of Using the Science Diet Light
    as the dry, and switching to some canned food that Oscar and Portia
    don't like.
    
    Re: Gary
    
    Thanx for the Feline Growth suggestion, but we already tried it
    and Elmo won't eat it.  Portia loved it though.
    
    	-Nancy
    

    Hi Nancy,
    
    Elmo sounds like a very normal little man!  I think he is old
    enough for the light - the little girl I was concerned about
    is now 21 weeks - that's Miss VikkiToria - she will eat anything
    that doesn't eat her first and growl while she is inhaling it!
    
    My guys really took to the light - I guess all ya can do is
    try it - let us know how it goes!
    
    E.T.

    I finally located the Feline Maintenance Light.  Yuri and Valentina
    gobble it up, and I don't feel guilty giving them more if they're
    hungry.  They also haven't noticed the squash that we've mixed into
    their wet food.
    
    The problem now is that Firecloud seems to prefer the Light, as
    well.  It's probably because it's fresher, but it might just be
    because the little tyke knows that anything on big brother and sister's
    plates has to better than anything on his plate.
    
    When I got the Light, we had a few cups of regular Feline Maintenance
    left over.  So I poured the Light into the Tupperware container that we
    use, put on the lid, and started shaking to distribute the old stuff
    with the new.  This worked quite well, especially when the cover came
    off and the food was distributed over the dining room floor. 
    
       Gary

    Well, it's been 2 1/2 weeks and Portia, Oscar and Elmo have only
    eaten less than half of a 4 pound bag of LIGHT.  They have also
    increased their consumption of 9-Lives to 5 cans a day plus 2 pouches
    of Tender Vittles.  Needless to say, I switched them back to the
    IAMS yesterday.  I mixed a handful of LIGHT into the bowl of IAMS
    yesterday morning, and when I got home those @#$% cats had picked
    out all the LIGHT and left it in a pile on the floor!
    
    I guess my cats were just meant to be pleasantly plump.
    
    	-Nancy
    

    If the light's going to work, you can't keep on feeding the other
    stuff too.  Of course they're going to eat the fattening stuff first.
    The light's nutritionally complete, and we are trying it by itself.
    We're still weaning them off the IAM's, so don't expect results
    for awhile.  Will let you know if it works.
    
    Karen, Tristan and Tenzing.

    Sure, Ice cream before salad.
    
    It beats Ice cream before hot fudge. ;')
    
    I look at it the same as me eating nonfat yogurt with my chips at
    lunch.
    
    If they are going to free feed all day on the dry, why not give
    them the low cal stuff.
    
    -Nancy