Wednesday, June 1, 2016

Success, One Meal at a Time



I am having great success right now with feeding Cammie Merrick tinned food. She has always preferred Fancy Feast over any other tinned food, and the ocean whitefish variety at that. But the condition which I consider an allergic reaction, and which I have described previously, continues to appear on the sides of her head. Certainly, it has not recurred in such a severe case as when she ate something with shrimp, or when she was given a Blue brand food, when she wasn’t eating anything else. But the reaction continued, small pink patches, slightly inflamed, with little pin-pricks of blood when the inflammation ruptured. They have been nothing dramatic, and have not been bothering the princess.

Even so, I believe that her tinned diet was the cause.


Over the past couple of weeks, I have been giving her Merrick tinned food. She eats the surf ‘n’ turf variety, as well as the chicken, and has been, if not enthusiastic, then adequately approving of the menu. I have, in fact, been able to serve her as much of the Merrick as she had wanted of the Fancy Feast.

I have noticed a reduction in the allergy, such as I call it. There is less pink and fewer spots of blood, indicating, I believe, less inflammation to burst. Cammie still receives Fancy Feast ocean whitefish from time to time. There have been days when nothing else will do for her. Oddly, she does not respond well when I garnish some Merrick with a tiny amount of Fancy Feast to make it more alluring; the other cats go for this, but the princess will not touch adulterated food; pure Merrick or pure Fancy Feast, nothing in between.

I have stocked up on the three flavours of Merrick that have received practical approbation from the beasts (beef is the third). My cautious ‘right now’ in this entry’s first sentence is a reflection of how suddenly a cat’s appetite can alter, so I take Cammie’s liking for Merrick one day at a time. I still buy Fancy Feast, as it is a nice treat, something different, for the others, and does them no harm that I can see. But for my little Siamese, a special menu will continue to be used.

8 comments:

  1. It's always a challenge, finding something our cats will eat and trying to balance that with the ingredients. I hope she continues to eat the Merrick! Have you tried the BFF or Weruva, perhaps as a treat only? Most of the varieties seem to be too fishy for more than a once or twice a week treat, though.

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    1. I think I have tried almost everything available by now. That's why I eventually stocked up with one variety of Fancy Feast: everything else Cammie disliked or reacted against her. She didn't favour Merrick previously; this taste for it on her part is new. That's why I'm taking advantage of it while I can.

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  2. cammie.....eye get fancy feast onlee az a treet coz if eye eat two much; eye get spotz a bove me eyez that get red & inflamed and itch like crazee....de food servizz gurl haz taken ta given me onlee de beef variety heer of late, and we will see if that "flavor" doez de same as de fish did ??

    tuna of moon...

    hope everee ones N joyin havin dad home ♥♥♥

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    1. Tuna, that sounds very similar to Cammie's problem - except she never seems bothered by the reaction. I wish I could pin down the reason for that. Other cats have noted reactions they've had, but again with the itchiness, that Cammie doesn't get. As for the beef Fancy Feast, note that, if it's the same as what I've seen here, it is beef 'flavour'; I don't think it contains any real beef.

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  3. Feeding multiple cats is simply...complicated! I have two our of four who are on some degree of diet, and everyone tries to steal everyone else's food. Policing is my main activity, to make sure everyone actually eats what they're supposed to! It's a good job I work from home.

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    1. My problem is that none of the beasts will eat near each other, so I feed them all over the apartment. I'm like a waiter running from table to table in a diner. I don't know that either of our situations is easier than the other!

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  4. Hope the change in diet will take care of the allergy for Cammie. My three will eat pretty much anything, thankfully. And none of have shown an intolerance for anything. I've been feeding them the Fancy Feast fish pate, and recently to a different type of kibble.

    Your description of running about the apartment like a waiter made me chuckle. Sasha prefers not to eat with the rest, so he often eats on a chair in the sunroom or even the living room. What we won't do for our cats!

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    1. You're lucky that your lot will eat almost anything. I wouldn't mind even a finicky cat, as long as it ate the one, hard-to-find food constantly and enjoyably. It's the fickle tastes that cause much of the hand-wringing here. But you're right: what we won't do for them!

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