Friday, February 28, 2020

Constant Change

Change can be good or it can be bad. I’ve learned that when something is working, it’s best to leave it as it is. Business companies tend not to do that because they want to make ever more money, and improvements are always being engineered to make customers buy more. Whatever the reason, there are usually problems when a food that a cat is enjoying - or at least eating - is changed.

This has happened with two of the foods consumed in the cosy apartment. I am most apprehensive of any alterations to Cammie’s food. With her allergies, she can eat only hydrolised nutrients; she is made ill by anything else. She can have only Z/D food, though fortunately, she likes both the tinned and the kernel varieties. Imagine my concern then when I saw this on the latest bag of the hard-food I purchased for her.



The formula had changed, and so had the size and shape of the kernels. I decided not to mix it with Cammie’s older food at first, as I wanted to see what effect the unadulterated new version had on her. The first thing I noticed was that Cammie seemed to like the taste of the new formula better than the old. Nonetheless, if it wasn’t made right, it would cause her to vomit - and keep vomiting.

But it stayed down. The new formula worked the way the old had. Since my princess liked it rather more than the former flavour, she ate more of it. I was relieved. In this case, a change had been an improvement.

I recently bought a case of Blue Wilderness ‘turkey’. After his initial period with me, this became  the only tinned food Neville would eat. He consumed quite a good amount of it at every meal, then would take himself to the hard-food bowl for his second course.


The most recent purchase, however, showed a change. The food, a pate, was less smooth than previously, and grittier. Nevsky continued to eat it, but in decreasing amounts, and with reluctance. During his time of eating the Blue Wilderness turkey, I had been experimenting with a wide range of food, to see if Neville would try something else, in case he went off his staple. Fortunately, I found that he likes another turkey flavour, that produced by Koha. Though he could subsist on hard-food, the soft has a better effect, aside from the nutrition.

The point is, of course, not that Nev likes another food, but that he stopped liking his former favourite. The formula had changed, at least so I believe. It may just be the case that I bought, and I will buy individual tins later to test the theory. I would prefer to be wrong.

The changes wrought by manufacturers, for whatever reason, double the difficulties in feeding felines caused by the finicky animals themselves. Sometimes I wonder if the makers of cat-food know much about the animals at all.

11 comments:

  1. Cammie probably gets bored with having to eat the same food all the time, and welcomed getting something a bit different. Glad to hear it had no ill effects.

    And I've also had the feeling for some time that the major cat food manufacturers are--like most major manufacturers--just in it for the money. It still galls me that the big name cat food companies put Kitty Queen out of business. That stuff smelled like Satan, but it was all-natural and cats loved it. Best cat food ever.

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  2. "I feel your pain" to coin a phrase. When it comes the my cats thru the years or products for me..I have learned to rue the words written on a product " New! And Improved". It never is. It's some lessening of ingredients or cheaper ones in order to make the manufacturer more money. If it's been selling...what's to improve? Grateful for Cammie accepting the new and improved Z/D. Thank heavens. Neville, my dear fellow...think before you say "no".

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  3. I don't believe the cat-food makers have a clue, even though they say that they do. Maybe the more mom-and-pop manufacturers are in tune. We learned the hard way, when we had Chuck on his favorite food...then it wasn't available ANYWHERE! Now, we feed Da Boyz and The 'O' Cats a variety of foods, gently changing them when something new comes along, just so we are never stuck in a rut. But I sympathize when using specific diet foods; it's frustrating to the max.

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  4. tuna and mackerull eat the ID. if it's the actual "taste" of the kibble, I'm happy she liked it. If Hill's just now added
    the S+OX to that particular "style", it's a good thing; S+OX is part if the formula in the ID and it prevents urinary crystals ( I asked what S+OX meant, and the vet looked it up when I was at her office buying the bags )

    as far as the canned, a friend of mine in NY had a similar issue with the food her crew ate; I think the company is Weruva???? long story short the food the cats liked was discontinued; reason unknown, and she did write them and express the whole "finicky feline concerns". If I remember correctly they pointed her to another flavor they carried that was similar and knock wood, they like it

    rather like a favorite program, store, or food item for people; it does great then ~~~~ BAM !! ☺☺♥♥

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  5. I'm glad that in Cammie's case, the change in formula is fine. I still have Derry on that, from when I had started both boys on it last fall. But I haven't bought a bag lately, it takes quite a while to go through one.

    As for Neville's food, well, I hope you'll be able to find something he'll eat with gusto...at least until they change that too.

    I'd have to think you're right: I doubt cat food companies know anything about cats at all. :-/

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  6. I agree. It is infuriating when a well loved variety is changed. The new and improved is rarely that.

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  7. I think every cat owner has run into a problem when a food their cat likes or needs for medical reasons is changed or discontinued. I guess the manufactures never heard the expression, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

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  8. Yes, you've got to feel darn lucky when the change is accepted. We hate it when we see new and improved since it always isn't the case.

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  9. I suspect they don't know, nor care. Profit is the goal.

    Glad you found that Cammie likes the new formula and a new brand for Neville.

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  10. Good to hear Cammie is able to eat the new kibble without getting
    sick and vomiting. That is a relief to you and her.
    I am a bad one about change, I don't like it, so if something works
    then I leave it. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Hope Neville
    continues to eat well.

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  11. We were really surprised when we bought a case of a different variety, that included some of our regulars, the regulars were of a different texture. Most likely made at another plant but, luckily, the crew liked it. Yes we are hostage to the buck as is most of the world, except those who have them all

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