I was quite excited the other week to find that Coles Supermarkets have introduced Felix pouches. Of course I don't know if this is the same product (made by Purina) that you guys often mention, but at least it's something different on the shelves.
Applaws has been a complete failure in this household, so of course I was hoping that Felix would be a success. Unfortunately I've been disappointed once again. Just from memory, the varieties I purchased in boxes were salmon and chicken, turkey and chicken, cod and tuna, salmon and tuna - a couple of my cats are vaguely interested and will have a nibble, but at the price they certainly aren't worth stocking up on for my guys unless they are having a 75% off sale. Oh well.....
I was interested to read that the company recommends one 85g pouch per kilo of the cat's weight, so if all my cats loved it that would be approximately 6, 7, 6.5, 4, 4, 4.5, 3.5, 6, 5 = 49.5 pouches per day!!!
Lyn it sounds like the same stuff; it's also made by Purina here. From your description I would assume you bought the doubly delicious range which is fairly newish here (about a year or so now); none of mine are very fond of it.
As for quantity don't forget, that 85gr per kilo of body weight is only if you're feeding nothing but wet food; the moment you add dry food to their diet the quanity of wet food goes down loads.
At one point I was feeding my lot a pouch each in the morning and again at night which meant a box of 12 per day (6 cats in total). But I found I was wasting so much so now I've gone back to 1/2 pouch each in the mornings and at night and if I find that they've finished the wet food before I either leave for work or head to bed (depending on time of day ) I'll open another pouch or two; but more often than not I find that that 1/2 pouch each seems to be enough
Thanks. I didn't think about dry food. Mine always have dry available, so that would make a difference. If I averaged things out, with some preferring wet and some dry etc, I probably feed mine the equivalent of 1.5 - 2 pouches each per day, plus dry.
At the moment most of my cats just adore the supermarket brand pouch in beef and liver flavour. It's a VERY wet mince and they are going through it like water (so to speak), and at 59c (33p) per 100g pouch it's a bargain, and I'm having trouble buying enough.
Does anyone want to put money on the almost certainty that as soon as I manage to get in a big stock of supermarket pouches that they all go off them?
Thanks. I didn't think about dry food. Mine always have dry available, so that would make a difference. If I averaged things out, with some preferring wet and some dry etc, I probably feed mine the equivalent of 1.5 - 2 pouches each per day, plus dry.
At the moment most of my cats just adore the supermarket brand pouch in beef and liver flavour. It's a VERY wet mince and they are going through it like water (so to speak), and at 59c (33p) per 100g pouch it's a bargain, and I'm having trouble buying enough.
Does anyone want to put money on the almost certainty that as soon as I manage to get in a big stock of supermarket pouches that they all go off them?
Over here we don't have those pouches.
I feed like you mostly, I see we have the same amount of cats.
I save money by dishing out 1/4 cup of dry in the morning, then at night. They eat ONE kitten. More protein.
I feed a tablespoon of wet in the morning to all. Then at noon I feed my old cats wet again. I use to the kitten too but he is grown now.
Most of the time the wet is there favorite, Meow Mix wet. Iams wet.
They hate Fancy Feast. Friskies and 9 Lives.
Is it hard for you to keep 9 cats down where you are?
jill
Most of the time keeping a large number of cats isn't too bad, except when it comes to vaccination time!! Most of the time I can feed them fairly economically as I wait for specials and stock up, or when they take a fancy to the cheaper brands. The most expensive part of feeding them is the mince that some of them like, as it is quite expensive. They've been very uncooperative and don't like human mince (as in mince meant for humans, not made out of humans!!), they only like the cat mince in the 85g plastic bubbles, which are quite expensive, even if I buy them from Aldi. Insofar as litter goes, I buy the Australian equivalent of Golden Grey, which is very fine and like sand and clumps, and for nine cats I only need to use one 14kg bag per week, give or take. It's an expensive litter, but because it is so effective it works out more economical than the cheaper types.
So you have a large number of cats too Jill? I'd love to hear about them all!
I have nine cats as well, Lyn.
I basicly do the same as you. to feed them and such.
Although our brands may differ.
Clumping litter, the wet foods. Kibbles
I don't go to the vet much, I just don't think they know anything around here. They are a waste of money. If I had a good vet tho, I would take them.
Mostly mine are in and don't go out.
I use to let them out to get some sun and air. Blow the stink off 'em.
Not anymore.
I posted pix of my gang when I first arrived to the site on a thread. Maybe they are in the new kid on the block.
I use to have a friend who lived in Perth down there. So I know some of the Aussie way.
Jill.
btw, my middle name is Lynn. Small world, huh.
Hello Peanut (is your name Jill? - I've got a memory like a sieve!!), I finally found your photos. Hopefully this will bring up the thread - http://www.catchat.org/felineforum/view ... ?f=19&t=81" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
There are pictures of all of mine in "The Pic Thread".
They are all gorgeous - Lucky seems to be a very unusual brown colour, and of course Meuzette (?sp) is just stunning and doesn't look a day over 5!!
Although I only have a small home it's very good for lots of cats - sometimes when they are all in their little hidey holes at sleep time I can walk from one end of the house to the other and not see any of them. Financially I would probably be stretching it to have any more, but only from the aspect of possible veterinary expenses. Insofar as feeding them a few more would be just fine! At present all is well health-wise - there is just Tipsy who is likely to need an expensive op soon, then there are only the vaccinations this December. I am only doing this bi-annually now, with my vet's agreement.
It isn't unusual for my shopping trolley to contain 95% cat food, especially when there are specials. The checkout chicks kind of give me strange looks sometimes - other times they ask how many cats I have and we swap cat stories, which is nice.
In my dreams I would like to be able to afford to retire or semi-retire and buy a much more rural property and then foster needy cats for as long as they need a home, forever if need be. I think that's a pretty good dream, so I hope my higher power agrees one day and sends showers of blessings and $$$ to help with all my good intentions!!
Hey ya Lyn
Yes my name is Jill when I am not on that other thread.
Lucky is a gray and white long hair. I don't know what happened to his mother. because he is the only long hair in that whole litter. Mittens and caz are the only two other bicolors. Caz looks like their mother.
The pic that i posted on Meuzette was taken aeound five. I don't post what she looks like now, its too scarey. I will go dig and find that one I have. It will take me a while. Today I am off to my mothers. I will look for it tomorrow.
I have mostly cat food in my trolley as well. When I shop. and the dogs.
Your dream is my dream. To be able to take in as many cats that are out there needing a home.
I often wondered if cats personalities differ from place to place country to country.
Like I think there are different personalities in city cats and country cat around here. City cats seem more wired and nervous than the farm cats.
Hope you have a nice mothers day..oh wait... you already had that day. You already had today , you are in toworrow right now. Well hope you had a nice Mothers day. After all, you are a cat mom.
Jill
I never thought of myself as a mother in the "mother's day" mode, but you're right, I am the cats' mother, and I've had a lovely day - although it was just housework/washing followed by an hour of weeding outdoors, then a hot shower and a nap, surrounded by most of my little family. What more could a mum ask for? I hope your day is similarly laid back and enjoyable.
I will look forward to more pictures as you can find them. I am in an ongoing battle to download pictures and them resizing them for various uses - which is a big pain in the behind! I too will post new pictures soon. My youngest and only male, Jagger, is growing so quickly and has had an amazing effect on all us "girls" - he's so full of life! He's just gorgeous.
My best day is when I am lounging with all my cats, watching TV. Looks so good even the dog wants to join in. We let him.
I noticed all your cats were female, one Jagger.
I have only two girls.
Someone told me the females are the hunters in the clowder. Although they seem to have developed their skills more. Meuzette brought home mice from the fields all the time. Sometimes alive. I don't let her out anymore. I am not sure she could still.
My two youngest males catch mice here,now.
Lucky, Mittens brother, catches flies on the window sill and leaves the dead bodies laying there.
I forgot the pix. I have to go thru a number of discs.... I will when I get off here.
I like your cat family, their eyes, they are so kind.
Can they go out to enjoy the out there or are there laws keeping them in? Here its keep them in or we will take them.
Jill
Jill and Lyn, I have so enjoyed reading your posts. I think you are both amazing kitty mums! Not to forget Jill's doggie too. I only have three furbabes and I don't think it would be fair to have more as I work out of home at least 7-7 on 4 days a week and I have a lot of singing commitments too. So OH and I share kitty care, cuddles and playtimes and three is his maximum!! That is unless a poorly, lonely stray finds its way to our door. OH knows I couldn't turn them away! When our oldest girl goes to the Bridge (not for a good few years yet, I hope, as she's still 'only' 17) then I'd love to foster as our other two are very social and could cope with it well I think.
Well done to you both for caring for all those sweet babies.
Meuzette has aged very gracefully and is extremely beautiful!
Thank you Sarah - it's nice to be called amazing, but I have to admit that it's the cats that are amazing, not me! I am a better and happier person because of them. I would even go so far as to credit them with "saving" my life. During difficult periods of my life when there have been unpleasant family issues, my then girls cared for me as much and more as I cared for them, and my responsibility to them and my overriding aim to give them wonderful happy lives makes working each day (almost ) a pleasure and not a chore!! I am very lucky.
My Peanut comes up to me, puts his paw on my shoulder and flexes his toes. Is he comforting me? I take it that way.
Cats care for their person.
Don't fret Sarah, you are rich with three.
You are doing what you can..
I have friend who works at a humane society. she says it isn't unussal for them to get 75 cats a week. Looking at that, I can't keep up either.
I figure they must be happy cats too. Can't just leave in the walls and in the raffers. I had a friend, her parents had cats in their basement doing just that. That isn't living, that is exsisiting.
jill
Lyn your comments have made me think! Clearly I only have my one kitty furbabe but oh my goodness do I love her.
I've never had cats before having been bought up with dogs in the family home. Dora was born on the 18th of February 2008 which is both a massively poignant & sad date for me. Obviously I didn't know on that date that the little girl who has filled my life with joy, pleasure & happiness since had been born that day. Unbeknown to me fate certainly looked out for me that day and destined that I would be blessed with the greatest gift ever!
Life certainly isn't where I thought it would be but I am definitely a very lucky furbabe mummy.
I've gone all a little sentimental! Maybe its because its Dora's Gotcha day tomorrow??!! Sorry!!
You know what Shelly, nearly every day that I have the time to flick through a few posts here, or go on to Facebook, I have to smile at how very much you and Dora love each other! It's a lovely thing to be a witness too.
Don't get me wrong, I don't believe you love your cat any more than I love my lot, because how can boundless love be measured? - it's that you declare it with every word and every picture, and I can see it in Dora's eyes. Certainly it's out there for all to see and rejoice in.
Hope that doesn't sound too "sloppy". I guess what I'm trying to get at is that some of us, certainly you and Dora, and I believe myself, have found the loves of our lives. Who's to say that the love of one's life has to be a husband or a wife or a child? Sometimes our love and our soulmates are to be found in our fur babies
This is such a beautiful thread and it all started with Felix!
I think our furbabes are definitely those who were destined to come to be with us whether it's from a little kitten as with Dora, Jagger and Cowboy, or an old lady like my Pepsi. X
Just from memory, the varieties I purchased in boxes were salmon and chicken, turkey and chicken, cod and tuna, salmon and tuna - a couple of my cats are vaguely interested and will have a nibble, but at the price they certainly aren't worth stocking up on for my guys unless they are having a 75% off sale. Oh well.....
) I'll open another pouch or two; but more often than not I find that that 1/2 pouch each seems to be enough
