No Dry Food

Once again, my quick wits saved the day. Though still groggy, I was patiently waiting outside the litter box this morning for some play time. Iggy, one of my feline household companions, was playing hide-and-go-seek. I caught onto this and was waiting outside the box surprise him. A lick or two behind his ear was in order. When he spent the better part of ten minutes inside the box I became concerned and did what any thoughtful dog would do: I barked.

Jason came and investigated. Things didn't sound very good. He took the top of the litter box and Iggy did some serious complaining. There was some hushed talking downstairs and a short while later Iggy was whisked out of the house in a plastic box with holes cut in the side. Could you imagine having to travel around in that?  Why not walk? Those cats are very strange. I do believe I will never totally understand them.

Anyway, I was very upset that I couldn't come. I wanted to get out of the house. I was informed that dogs weren't welcome at Iggy's doctor because it's for cats only. The nerve!

As usual, the vet talked Jason's ear off for a good hour. This guy seriously knows everything there is to know about cats. For example, last year Dr. Carlson told Jason about the evils of dry cat food. He was aghast to learn that dry food was the worst possible food to feed cats. If not a contributing cause to the fatty liver disease that took the lives of Jason's previous cats, a dry food only certainty didn't help. Here is a link that will take you to a page that pretty much describes the evils of a dry-food only diet for cats. Want to know even more? Here is another similar source of information.

Back to today. Dr. Carlson was at it again teaching Jason. He explained that cats evolved from desert dwelling creatures: they adapted to their environment by having their moisture requirements met solely by the moisture found in their prey. When is the last time you saw a cat in the wild hunt down a bag of dried cat food? What does a wild back of dried cat food look like anyway?

Iggy mostly eats a canned food diet with a little bit of dry kibble. The problem is that there is just not enough water in the canned food for him. Iggy, being picky, only likes to drink out of the dripping faucet. Jason, being frugal, thinks it's a bad idea to leave the faucet on all day for the cat. See the problem?

Iggy basically had sand in his bladder, the pH of his urine was off the charts, and he was wicked uncomfortable. He got some pain meds and muscle relaxants (he's been no fun today--sleeping up on the fourth forth floor which is out of my puppy reach).

Dr. Carlson also now has both cats on a slurpee diet. Canned food only--and that food is now mixed with as much water as the cats can tolerate. Jason whisked equal parts food and water together. He thinks it looks gross. The cats however find it delicious. I also find it rather yummy. Of course, I also find dead frogs on the road yummy so my tastes are somewhat suspect.

Looks like things are getting back to normal. If you have cats in your life, give some thought to their diet. Opening up a bag of dry food just isn't good enough.