Feeding my 3 year old cat food for 10 year olds?

Question

I know it might seem bad, and it probably is, because my parents bought my 3 year old cat food specifically for 10 years old & older, and they said that "nothing is going to happen" and "it's going to be alright - cat food is cat food". They obviously don't understand the whole concept, but I was wondering if it's really bad for my cat of 3 years old to be eating food for cats over 10 yrs old and older? Ever since that new food she's been getting diarhea, vomitting, and really drowsy in a way. It's the food, isn't it? We didn't get the special food for her this time because it's a 15-20 minute drive from our house where as my dad got the food 5 minutes away for 10 year old cats.

Answer 1

hmm... well, the only thing that I would think is in the food for older cats, is vitamins, and minerals that an older cat is deficient in....  It shouldn't make your cat sick.  But since she obviously is sick, then you should definantly get her the food that you've been feeding her.  Also the reason why she's sick could be simply because you changed her food all the sudden.  If you're going to change food, then you should transistion slowly into the new food.  for example,  one day put 1/2 new, and 1/2 old.  next day 2/3 new and 1/3 old.... and so on....

Answer 2

Kitten, senior, adult… it matters not, it’s just a marketing label that allows manufacturers to charge more for that particular food.

For example… you pick up a can of Wellness kitten (chicken) and a can of Wellness Chicken) adult. Compare the percentages. The kitten food has 1% more protein and 1% more fat, which is what all kitten food manufacturers tout that growing kittens need more of. Well then where is it, because 1% is certainly not worth noting any comparable difference? And it’s like that across the board. Dry cat food has even LESS of a difference.

The cat food is causing her to have stomach upset, but not because it's senior food. It's because you switched her diet way to fast. Switch your cats food slowly over a period of 10 to 14 days, if you can. Mixing 25% new to 75% old. Then 50/50… then 75% new to 25% old. And finally switch over to 100% new. You have to take it slow as not to upset their digestive system.

Let me also take this opportunity to share that cats were never meant to eat dry food, also known as cereals or kibble. We, humans, make them eat it for convenience to us. It has nothing to do with them or their nutritional needs. It's completely species inappropriate.

All small domestic cats descended from desert cats. In the wild, desert cats derive their entire liquid intake from their prey. They do not have a thirst mechanism because they don't need it when eating a species appropriate diet. They get all they need from what they eat. Additionally water was usually not available to them in their desert climate. So they do not often drink water. Regular ol' house cats have descended from those same wild desert cats.

So in a home environment, your kitty does not get the moisture it needs from dry food and it’s almost always in a constant state of dehydration. Water fountains are encouraged to TRY to get your cat to drink more and your kitty may even enjoy it, but it will never meet its water intake needs drinking from a bowl.

Deadly feline illnesses such as diabetes, kidney failure, obesity, allergies, Irritable Bowel Disease (IBD), bladder stones, kidney stones,  urinary tract blockages and Urinary Tract Infections (FLUTD), with and without deadly crystals run rampant these days. Cats are not taking in enough water to stave them off. Proper water intake through a species appropriate diet alone can prevent most of these conditions.

Overall,  wet is all around better for any cats diet, be it canned or Raw and they should never be fed dry cereal kibble if we wish to most closely match their wild nutritional and dietary needs. Kibble meets our needs… not our cats.

Answer 3

Some cat foods are specifically made for the age of the cat. They have certain nutrients in them based on the age of the cat. Your cat may be reacting to some of the nutrients in the cat food that are geared towards senior cats. Also some cats will get sick if you change their food so quickly. If she doesn't get better in the next couple of days take her to the vet and explain the situation with the food. You can also call your vet and get their advice.

I hope you kitty gets better.

Answer 4

Hi Eric,

It would be best if you can let us know the kind of senior food that you are feeding. While it is mostly marketing ploy to separate stages in cat food, however, there are some life stages food that does differ substantially in the amount of nutrition analysis. If your cat seems to be upset with the new food, this could be a contributing factor.

Otherwise, the abrupt change in food could also reek havoc in your cat's sensitive digestive system. Whenever there is a change, no matter how minimal, it is always best to introduce the new food gradually, by mixing both the old and new over a period of time, until your cat is eating only the new food.

It is of grave concern that she is getting diarrhea, vomiting and drowsy. The drowsiness could be a sign of lethargic and it is also a worrisome condition. My advise to you is to stop feeding the new food. She could have an allergic reaction to the ingredient. Since the new food disagree with her, stop feeding it before her condition worsens.

Consult your vet for the next best course of action.