Need some help regarding cat food!!!

**Izzy0906** · 04-18-2007, 04:06 PM

Ok this is horrible but I'm really stuck this month. Normally I have some money left over every month for these little "emergencies" but this month I already had to put out $80 for my daughters summer camp, $30 to get my tv fixed, $160 to fix a fallen down fence, $150 to replace a broken vent cap causing my roof to leak, $25 for my daughters lost birth certificate and another $50 for the dentist. So I'm stuck with $7 left in my account until the 30th. That's it, just $7 and I have to be able to get back and forth to work 5 days/week on that (impossible) so I may need to roll some change to help out with that as it is. My question is this... what can you feed cats other then catfood???? Can I give them cans of tuna??? left over beef?? scraps?? someone help!

Thank you for your time lol

**Neeley** · 04-18-2007, 04:22 PM

My vet said you can feed them tuna, just don't let them have it everyday, day after daty after day. He said something about too much over a long period of time causing ash in their urine. I feed mine a can every two days as a treat. I don't know how healthy it is for them, but my boy cat also loves shredded cheese, he gets a little every morning for a treat also. One of my cats loves chicken. Once he smells it he drives me nuts until I give him some. He eats anything and everything. My girl cat on the other hand is picky. She only likes cat food and tuna.

My vet did tell me once that it was ok for a dog to eat cat food, but not ok for a cat to eat dog food.

**Izzy0906** · 04-18-2007, 04:25 PM

Thanks for your response. I heard that too about the cat eatting dog food. My one cat used to eat my dogs food all the time to the point where I had to switch the brand of dog food for her to leave it alone. Luckily my cats will eat anything and hopefully 1.5 weeks of table food won't do any damage. I can give them tuna every other day and in between give them some chicken, beef (my cats LOVE beef, they've actually taken steaks off my kitchen counter before) bread etc... one good thing is they eat anything, I just don't want to make them sick.

**Lady_V** · 04-18-2007, 04:30 PM

I had the same problem this week.

Cats are omnivores ...I know in tight spots, I have given my cat -
soft scrambled eggs (no raw)
a small amount of tuna (mercury)
ground chicken and/or organs (cooked)

I never give my cat raw foods or milk. Also know if you use 'table food' that onions, tomatoes and garlic are toxic to cats... as well as chocolate.

There are a lot of sites with home-prepared cat foods. But if the site recommends large amounts of tuna, anything 'raw' or has any of the toxics listed... keep going. I know I was looking at a few sites trying to recomend some to you, but they were mostly ill-informed.

Cats are house based lions. I have never seen a documentary where a lion turned it's nose up to anything.

You may also want to call the local cat care coalition. They take food donations for feral cats or ones waiting to be adopted. I seriously DON'T think they will turn you away if you call them and tell them your story and ask for box of food to suppliment for your cat. Offer to replace it when you are financially stable. If they are true cat lovers, they will say yes. If they say no... I have to wonder how commited they are to the cats...

**tbs727** · 04-18-2007, 05:08 PM

Originally Posted by Izzy0906

Thanks for your response. I heard that too about the cat eatting dog food. My one cat used to eat my dogs food all the time to the point where I had to switch the brand of dog food for her to leave it alone. Luckily my cats will eat anything and hopefully 1.5 weeks of table food won't do any damage. I can give them tuna every other day and in between give them some chicken, beef (my cats LOVE beef, they've actually taken steaks off my kitchen counter before) bread etc... one good thing is they eat anything, I just don't want to make them sick.

We have given our cats mashed potatoes and gravy when we ran out of cat food. they loved it and its super cheap.

**Hollyhandi** · 04-18-2007, 05:36 PM

My cats eat dog food all the time. 14 of them ( have for years, never hurt any of them ) They eat table scraps and you can give them eggs for nice shinny coats. Tuna fish, . Only thing I never give them are mushrooms or chocolate.

**Edna_E** · 04-18-2007, 08:28 PM

Mine have generally liked raw eggs (or lightly cooked), bacon, liver, and canned mackerel (think DollarTree). I would also suggest checking the exterme-discount stores for cheap dry cat food, since too much people-food can upset their digestive systems. DollarTree has some smallish bags for 1.00 and Dollar General has some regular sized bags for about 2.00 or 2.50 (depends on what brand).

**annymoll** · 04-18-2007, 10:34 PM

I have used tuna when I ran out before I went to the store. I have also subbed a can of dog food in a pinch.

**latierra84** · 04-18-2007, 10:42 PM

my cat loves garlic bread.

**wanderlusting** · 04-19-2007, 05:20 AM

The reason you're not supposed to give cat foods dog food is because dog cat food has a higher concentration of nutrients than dog food. If you're in a pinch, giving a cat dog food won't harm it as long as it's not for a long time. The ideas of meat scraps sound like a good idea.

**pip** · 04-19-2007, 10:20 AM

Does anybody have an easy recipe for gravy that I could put over my cat's food? They are old and picky these days. (I know you need to avoid onion and probably don't want a lot of salt.)

**Libby** · 04-19-2007, 06:35 PM

I know gf used to do this for her dog, who was old and picky eater. She used to mix ketchup and water into the dog's dry food and make it 'saucy' for the dog. So when she couldnt afford the premium dog food for that week or two's budget shed buy the lower quality and 'dress it up'. It worked like a charm...but the dog just loves ketchup and BBQ sauce now - he'll lick it off your hotdog or hamburger at a bbq!

The same gf would use an empty pickle jar or something similar and save all the liquid from cans of tuna she opened and then add water to dilute it and mix it with the cats dry food - to encourage the cats to start eating it - she was weaning them off costly wet food.

And Ive actually seen 'dog' or 'cat' gravy in pet stores - odd eh? It comes in and looks just like a squeeze bottle of ketchup/bbq sauce

**tervsforme** · 04-20-2007, 06:14 AM

Izzy, I sent you a PM.

**Hollyhandi** · 04-20-2007, 06:59 AM

I take a couple boullion cubes and melt with hot water.
Put it in a pan to boil and add tablespoon of flour. make it just like homemade gravy for people.
my dogs eat onions all the time too..( my dogs eat everything we put in us they put in them )

**Sari** · 04-20-2007, 09:56 AM

Originally Posted by Hollyhandi

I take a couple boullion cubes and melt with hot water.
Put it in a pan to boil and add tablespoon of flour. make it just like homemade gravy for people.
my dogs eat onions all the time too..( my dogs eat everything we put in us they put in them )

PLEASE stop feeding your dogs onions. You may have been lucky so far. Onions (including dehydrated onions, onion powder, etc.) cause severe anemia and can lead to death.

Check out websites like www.veterinarypartner.com (a veterinarian-produced informational website for pet owners) and www.aspca.com for their Poison Control section.

I hate to think of anyone's pet dying because they either didn't know or didn't care (and I have seen several cases being a vet tech for 5+ years).