Kitty’s Sweet Personality on Wet Food

It is really a wonderful feeling to get a message like this – I told Della that it means the world to know I’ve been able to help Maggie and bring out her true sweet personality just by getting her off the “kitty crack” and onto wet food. Never doubt that the happiness and health of all your cats is based on ditching the kitty crack and feeding wet food only.

Dear Tracie – I have been listening to you for a few months now on Sirius radio and just had to tell you an incredible story. Sorry it is a bit long but I thought you would appreciate it.

I have had one of my cats, Maggie, for 14 years. As a kitten she was sweet and affectionate (even slept on my head). We had her spayed and she didn’t come out of the anesthesia right away and I really nursed her back to life… even giving her water with a eye dropper. The vet discovered at the same time that she had kidney disease and to start her on KD. So after she was better, I did what he told me (it is only now that I see the connection). She changed so much (all these years I thought she had brain damage from not coming out of the anesthesia). She didn’t like being petted or would not sit on my lap. She never liked being groomed either brushing or trimming of nails. She also started leaving little presents around the house. After a few months, the vet suggested I put her on Buspar because she had separation anxiety. I did that and initially Maggie was better but went back to leaving presents everywhere after a few months. (I eventually stopped the Buspar with no change in her personality) Sometimes she would let others hold her but she never let me touch her without trying to bite or scratch me. Recently, Maggie got an abscessed anal gland and although the vet only sedated her, she wasn’t doing well afterward. She wasn’t eating at all… so I started giving her turkey baby food. As she got stronger, I added canned cat food. I have been listening to your show and about nutrition for cats and Pet Food Direct. Although I haven’t done Pet Food Direct yet, I decided to use some of the cat food on your list. I have been feeding both my cats this way for several weeks now. During Maggie’s recovery period, she let me hold her and even slept with me. I, of course, thought she was just in pain and would go back to her old crabby self. Well, thankfully she if back to my sweet, affectionate and loving cat. Everyday, I kept saying I can’t believe she is so sweet. The only reason I can see for her remarkable change is her diet. I know it seems incredible and my family thinks I am crazy but they are coming around because they can’t believe how nice she is to me. It truly is a miracle. I only wish I had known this 14 years ago…

So I wanted to thank you for helping me. If it wasn’t for CAT CHAT® I probably would never have heard of the special diet. Thanks to you I have my adorable cat back. I will keep listening, because you always have useful info that I use with great success.

But as happy as I was to get this news, soon thereafter Della wrote again, and it seemed like her vet was bound and determined to get that cat back onto prescription kitty crack – which is a sadly common practice that Dr. Elizabeth Hodgkins and many more up-to-date vets strongly oppose. Here’s what Della wrote:

Maggie had some kidney level elevations but not too serious. The vet said they have elevated again slightly since Oct. and he wants me to put her back on KD for her kidneys. Background: Maggie has had elevated numbers since she was a kitten and the vet put her on KD at that time. She was on KD for 13 years and then I switched in Oct. Thanks so much for your help with this matter. I look forward to hearing from you. I was hoping you had a suggestion for me. Mostly I have been using Paul Newman’s food and several of the other brands you suggested. I really don’t want Maggie to change again but I also want her to be healthy. Please let me know if you have any ideas.

Thanks so much.

I know that your desire is for Maggie to be healthy, and you have seen for yourself how wonderfully she is doing physically and emotionally now that she is receiving proper nutrition. The LAST thing you want to do is set her back by returning to the highly-processed dry food which is not only made of lesser quality ingredients but low-quality protein in low amounts is not considered good management of kidney problems by leading vets. High quality protein – with as much moisture as possible – is what her body needs to function best. Certainly you want to keep checking her blood levels but unless the levels rise and/or the phosphorus level rises (in which case you can put a phosphorus binder in her high quality food, rather than lowering the quality of the food!) stick with the program. Not only do many aging cats have kidney values which deteriorate as the natural progression of time, but given that you fed her kitty crack all her life. it’s wonderful she’s still going strong. Only now you have the “new and improved version” of Maggie! But it might be time to consider a holistic vet who will support what you are doing for your cat, rather than undermining it. Even a cats-only vet might be an improvement. You live in San Francisco which is a hot bed of alternative-thinking practitioners of every kind – use the links on my website to find possible new vets.

Tracie

The Cat Bible