What brand are you using? Some brands of commercial cat food are good, some are really bad. Store brands tend to be really awful.

You ideally want one with meat/poultry as the first ingredient instead of wheat or corn. You definitely want a brand with an AAFCO seal, which proves that it is nutritionally complete. Also, do not substitute dog food for cat food--cats are obligate carnivores and need extra taurine; which isn't added to dog food.

Take your indoor cat to the vet and ask about what to do. You probably need to change to a name brand.

As for your outdoor cats, you need to catch and neuter them if you haven't already done so--by feeding them you're enabling them to make more kitties that will demand cat food.

I agree that you can feed your cat only dry food if it is decent dry food. Actually, often the wet food is kind of bad for your cat.

We feed our cats a mix of different kinds of dry cat food, but mostly stick with the Science Diet brand and haven't had any problems related to feeding (knock on wood). Also, if your cats get outside, they may need to be de-wormed. This would involve going to see your vet and then the kitty gets a pill and two syringes (not syringes that you poke them with, just tubes of stuff) full of medicine that you just squeeze into their mouth...at least that is how we did it for our cat. The de-worming is needed especially if the kitty eats any birds or mice that it catches, because those wild animals can have worms in them I guess.

I know it can be expensive to take the cats to the vet, but it is better to get them checked first rather than having to debate about something really costly in the future.

Also, I think they usually check for de-worming issues with a stool sample, but since it is impossible to get one sometimes, they just kind of do the de-worming for cats who are outside a lot, even without the sample.

If you can't go to the vet, at least try talking to your local vet. They will probably recommend that you bring the kitties in for a check though.

Oh, one last thing...cats need vaccinations. Your cats might actually have FIV or feline leukemia or some other weird disease. Most cats should get vaccinations once per year...especially cats that are outside.

Oh yah, spay and neutering is a must too. It tends to add up. :(

There's different qualities of both wet and dry food. My cats ate only dry food most of their lives and thrived on it, but it wasn't crap cat food, either. Some bulk foods are mostly filler.

Your vet may have some recommendations. The people at Mud Bay (if you're in Seattle) are also very helpful about recommending foods for different situations.

Appropriate levels of painkillers for my cat?

My beloved kitty got into a little fight with a neighborhood cat and is now on antibiotics for an open sore and some painkillers. (I haven't given her the pain meds yet.)
My problem is this--I have to take her on an hour and a half car ride this weekend, and she hates being in the car. I am wondering if I can give her a SAFE dosage of the painkiller that would calm her down so the car trip isn't so upsetting for her. Or should I ask the vet for a different medication?
The painkiller is called buprehorphine.
The poor girl is also wearing a cone to prevent her from licking her wound.
Thanks!

a stray cat losing weight could be cause of worms. I feed wild cats and they eat the dry food but one was losing weight. I didnt realize what was happening until he vomited and there was worms in it . I got two rounds of revolution from the vet and gave one month apart. He is fine.

Our first vet for our current kitty (my first) recommended Science Diet. It's not the best and is apparently middle of the road, and we've always just followed the age progressions for her. She's purely an indoor cat so she gets, surprise, the Indoor version. We've never had any health issues related to this, her weight is always exactly right according to vets, she's active, and doesn't overeat (we just fill up the bowl daily, and then give her some Pounce or other treats in the evening).

We rarely give her wet food. Every time we do, she puts on the most amazing cat show of all time, hopping, running, screaming, meowing in joy. Then she licks up all the gravy and leaves a dry carcass of food untouched as she goes back to the dry.

Whatever you do or are, don't buy that vegan shit.

Depends entirely on the ingredients. Many commercial dry pet foods are nearly all grains. Cats are obligate carnivores; they must get their proteins from meat sources to be completely healthy. Grains are nothing but filler for their tummies; they'll keep them full but not necessarily healthy (and many grains, like corn, are notorious allergens).

I highly recommend Costco's Kirkland dry cat food. It contains no corn or corn by-products. I've been feeding that one to my cats for about 15 years.

One thing to watch for with cheap dry foods is urinary problems, especially in males. That can kill the cat in very short order, and there have been several dry foods very prone to causing it (high "ash" content is usually the culprit).

Cats can live, and thrive, on strictly dry food diets, but not diets comprised primarily of floor sweepings. Cheap cat food is a false economy.

Aldi is the parent company of Trader Joe's. I love TJ's for many things, but I do not buy pet food there, as I believe their pet foods sacrifice quality for cost.