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Wellness food/problem-question

Patrizia CharpingPatrizia Charping CharlotteMember Posts: 159
edited 9 February, 2008 in Food & Nutrition
Hi everyone.. we really need your help with this. A few months ago I researched foods (and you guys were such great help) I changed my cats over to Wellness natural brand, indoor dry cat formula. They like it fine and I can tell Aschers coat is really looking nice HOWEVER I am having an issue with the waste.. My self cleaning litter box now has to be maintained every three days instead of every 10 or so.. it smells horrid.. all the way down the hallway and they are popping all the time.. and this is the INDOOR formula. Its also , well to be blunt ,not as firm either. I love the way the coats look but they are passing gas and frankly the waste smell is horrid I never had this problem with the other food but it didnt have as many healthy ingredients .. this btw is the DRY food.. We have been on it for over a month now and its not getting any better.. does anyone have this problem and those of you that do use something that is healthy WITHOUT this issue any help is appreciated. Thanks PS I tried the Merrick before the cats wouldnt touch it..

Comments

  • kate vonkkate vonk BoiseMember Posts: 1,313
    edited 6 February, 2008
    i know wellness can be too rich for some cats and pups... you could try a good probiotic like eagle pack holistic transition or fresh digest. it adds some good bacteria to the gut. i believe plain non-fat yogurt with live and active cultures also works the same way. you can try those or slowly transition to a different food that they might do better on. good luck! :)
  • Patrizia CharpingPatrizia Charping CharlotteMember Posts: 159
    edited 6 February, 2008
    thanks for the advice.. I hate to keep changing them.. I started them on one brand, then another.. the last one was royal canin and that went well but I was told it had too much corn/gluten in it so I went with the wellness and had to special order it !! Is eagle that much different the wellness?? I may have to go back to the canin if this is the indoor cat formula Iwould hate to smell the regular
  • kate vonkkate vonk BoiseMember Posts: 1,313
    edited 6 February, 2008
    indoor formulas are kinda a marketing gimic imo. my cats eat grain free kibbles and a little merrick and wellness canned too. they have very firm, very small poos that don't smell too bad and they don't eat indoor food. the eagle pack i mentioned is jsut a supplement called holistic transition that helps with switching to a higher quality food. you could always try another holistic brand like nature's variety, innova (regular and evo), orijen, or taste of the wild.
  • Patrizia CharpingPatrizia Charping CharlotteMember Posts: 159
    edited 6 February, 2008
    tell me exactly what yours eat. maybe that would help.. mine wont touch merrick though for some reason..but I need to solve this ASAP.. thanks!
  • Christine UnversawChristine Unversaw EvanstonMember Posts: 3,321
    edited 6 February, 2008
    we had the same problem on Wellness. Eventually, I just stopped eating it, my system just couldn't handle it. We switched to Innova EVO...and the box and gas issues are gone. My coat is even better now than it was on wellness. :) Good luck!
  • Jenna LuskJenna Lusk Pacific NWMember Posts: 2,034
    edited 7 February, 2008
    Captain, do you eat wet, dry or both?
  • Beth CostaBeth Costa Stoneham, MAMember Posts: 252
    edited 7 February, 2008
    Hi, I have been eating Felidae dry and trying different wet foods. Mom noticed that my poops are really stinky with Wellness wet but I really do LOVE it. Maybe it's just the same as when humans eat foods like broccoli...Some of the healthiest foods cause stinky waste!
  • Beth CostaBeth Costa Stoneham, MAMember Posts: 252
    edited 9 February, 2008
    Sorry, double-posted!
  • kate vonkkate vonk BoiseMember Posts: 1,313
    edited 7 February, 2008
    currently, my cats are eating the taste of the wild feline diet and evo and merrick canned. canned food is their main meal and they just get about a cup of dry a day or so for the three to share if they want a little munch.
  • Vanessa BobackVanessa Boback TampaMember Posts: 3,149
    edited 7 February, 2008
    We eat Innova EVO canned and Nature's Variety Instinct Dry. It cleared up our diarrhea and after adding "SOLID GOLD Seameal" to the mix our litter box odors and maintenance went down dramatically!!
  • kate vonkkate vonk BoiseMember Posts: 1,313
    edited 7 February, 2008
    rasha, i've been wanting to try the seameal for sometime and now i have another plus on the list of reasons to buy it!
  • Patrizia CharpingPatrizia Charping CharlotteMember Posts: 159
    edited 7 February, 2008
    anyone eating the EVO dry? That is most of their diet, I do mix the wellness pouches and for some reason THEY dont seem to be a problem.. go figure.. but I need to figure something out (anyone need a couple of bags of wellness indoor cat food?? ) I can't go through two more bags of this.
  • kate vonkkate vonk BoiseMember Posts: 1,313
    edited 7 February, 2008
    we used to eat evo dry and did awesome on it. the taste of the wild is jsut easier on the pocketbook. the store you got it from will probably let you exchange it. all the ones around here do.
  • Patrizia CharpingPatrizia Charping CharlotteMember Posts: 159
    edited 7 February, 2008
    i can't exchange it because no one here sells wellness.. she had to special order it and could only do it by the case which contained four bags.. so many people raved about it like an idiot I bought all four bags... we have gone through two but i can't deal with much more of thise.. the smell is unreal I have never had this issue with foods before. I am thinking now of trying the cat and kitten evo . If you guys have any ideas as to why that is NOT a good plan let me know.. as I said I tried Merrick but the cats wouldnt eat it.. they loved Royal canin and I didnt have issues on that or the purina I had them on but it had alot of corn and glutton so thats why I changed..
  • Janet PlymireJanet Plymire IllinoisMember Posts: 344
    edited 8 February, 2008
    Ascher I am sorry you are having problems finding a food that is agreeable. That\'s where all my problems started when my meowmy thought she was doing something good for us and \"upgraded\" our food from Purina Indoor to Eagle Holistic Select Anchovy, Sardine & Salmon Meal. Bandit was eating mostly canned, but I am a dry food junkie and within 2 months I gained 3 lbs. There are lots of calories in the dry food. I was big before, but now I\'m even bigger and according to my vet in real danger. Now I\'m on diet food. :( There\'s some saying that goes something like \"if it ain\'t broke, don\'t try to fix it\". If you were doing good on your old food, maybe that\'s what you stick with. If your meowmy wants to add some canned to your diet ask her to try Eagle Holistic Select, we get the Salmon & Shrimp formula and have had no potty troubles with it. Well that\'s just my advice, I hope you find something good that works for you. Let us know how you\'re doing.
  • Annalisa Conserti-JonesAnnalisa Conserti-Jones Member Posts: 5,234 ✭
    edited 8 February, 2008
    Mom says my poo hasn't been that stinky on wellness, but she doesn't have much to compare it to: we switched from low quality food to wellness dry, and that was that (I have tried other canned, and Merrick's is the only other wet food other than Wellness that will not make me sick from eating it). She does change the entire litter box often (aside for scooping it daily), but that's just her deal, she'd do it that often no matter how stinky the poo was (mom is a stickler for clean bathrooms period, it annoys dad because she's cleaning after him all the time ;)).
  • Patrizia CharpingPatrizia Charping CharlotteMember Posts: 159
    edited 8 February, 2008
    cocoa.. thanks that is what we started on the same purina you did.. and I may go back... its been quite a road to find the right food. As far as cleaning the box.. it self cleans which is nice.. it sweeps into a cartridge that is discarded about twice a month. The problem is it smells down the hall and its runny. (sorry). It gets caught in the rake that cleans the box. Its so frutrating.. you want the best for the babies but its enough to make you crazy
  • Annalisa Conserti-JonesAnnalisa Conserti-Jones Member Posts: 5,234 ✭
    edited 9 February, 2008
    If they are both having diarrhea, though, are you sure it's a food problem and not something else (parasite or a virus)? I'd just check on that just in case, especially if you switch them to the old brand and the diarrhea part does not clear. It sounds like they're having a tough time adjusting to it, otherwise. I started on mine while a catolescent, so that I hadn't been on foods other than Iams (what the foster home was feeding me). The only other food mom tried with me was Pet Promise wet, which made me really sick (I'd eat it, but then I was throwing it up). I know it's a pain in the **** about the leftover bags, but you could donate any unopened bags/cans to a rescue group or to a shelter. Their cats might not have the same problems, and it would at least make you feel like the food did not go entirely to waste. I forgot to say, Merrick's is, like Wellness, very rich... So maybe it's for the best that the cats snubbed it?
  • Jennifer KimJennifer Kim Las VegasMember Posts: 2,028
    edited 9 February, 2008
    I had been thinking about trying Wellness Core, but now I am hesitating... I currently eat Innova Evo dry kibble, which I love, but mom thinks I might want some variety... That said, on the Evo, my poop is not stinky and is firm and always solid. There also doesn't seem to be as much of it. But we also changed from a Whiskas to Chicken Soup to Innova within about a month. Before the Evo, my poos would stink the whole house up... plus be huge... Innova has less waste and dosen't smell so bad. Plus my allergies have improved on it... mom thinks it's just from having a healthier diet, though. Highly recommend the Innova Evo. Good luck!
  • Patrizia CharpingPatrizia Charping CharlotteMember Posts: 159
    edited 9 February, 2008
    well something else on the Wellness , I found out today during the check up they both have gained weight in only a month.. for Ascher he now has a pooch.. NOT good on a siamese, no parasite, its the food of that I am sure.. it started as soon as I started them on it.. I am going to donate the bags.. its just too rich for them and Ascher especially is not nearly as active as he was.. probably because of the extra 2 pounds.. time to change it up... I just dont know where to go... Evo or something else.. I know Petsmart has a new spa brand which some friends of mine liked.. its got natural ingredients as well... I think I am going to check on that and see if they have a weight formula.. I have made my cats fat and miserable.. while trying to do the best for them.. I feel bad about it.. But it sounds like those of you that have been on Innova really like it and that maybe the way I need to go....
  • Natalie RicknerNatalie Rickner Member Posts: 4
    edited 9 February, 2008
    In my opinion if they are pooing a lot more then this means they are not absorbing as much nutrients as they are meant to. Especially as it is smelly and its soft. My mother changed my diet to royal canin young neutred and now i have a lovely glossycoat my poo to put nicely - obviously doesn't smell like roses but has a lot less order and i only poo once a day. My mother has had a lot of experience with this as she is a VN and has to advice owners all day everyday - really she should have know better ! :r
  • Sara BehrSara Behr Green Bay, WIMember Posts: 547
    edited 9 February, 2008
    I'm glad you were able to rule out a medical problem! I'm on Natural Balance, which they carry at Petco. I noticed that the smell of the litter box increased when I went on this food and it was looser. As time went on and my body got used to the new food, my issues mostly went away. I hope you have better luck with the next food you try!
  • Annalisa Conserti-JonesAnnalisa Conserti-Jones Member Posts: 5,234 ✭
    edited 9 February, 2008
    Well, the not being as active is probably not just due to the food. Us cats slow down between 1-2 years of age. At 16 months, I'm still playful, but mom has noticed I definitely play to conserve energy (I hide and pounce, rather than chase all over), so she's adapted to playing shorter range and more frequently. I've actually lost weight on Wellness, but probably because I am the only cat so my food intake is very easy to control, and is vet mandated (no more than 1/2 cup a day, even though I could get a bit more according to the back of the bag). It's a lot harder to control what two cats eat unless you feed them in different rooms, and even then, unless your cat is the type to eat all in one go... And I never had a difference in consistency either. It's just always agreed with me. Sorry it didn't work out well for you.
  • Elizabeth KElizabeth K ChicagoMember Posts: 11,036
    edited 9 February, 2008
    I've never had a problem with Wellness with my cats. However my older cat always makes a lot of waste no matter what we feed her... My rescued kitten is also on Wellness (the kitten formula) and his litterbox is in my bedroom and there is no smell.
  • Patrizia CharpingPatrizia Charping CharlotteMember Posts: 159
    edited 9 February, 2008
    Thanks for the newest batch of responses..I appreciate it.. both cats are over 2 years old so age is not the problem. I did use Royal canin and really didnt have a problem but there was alot of corn and gluton in it and I was told thats not great for them. I went to Petco today and am going back to theblue spa foods.. they too have the natural ingredients but I bought the lite formula and am going to donate the wellness.. any of you live in Charlotte, NC or want to pay the shipping or meet me for a pickup they are yours.. LOL..
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