eating pellets: Has anyone had any health problems with cats eating the pellets?
1077302
YES! MAJOR health problems. One of my cats ended up apparently eating some of the pellets and was blocked in his intestines by it. He was in so much pain, it was horrific to watch. After being rushed to the ER vet, having the mass surgically removed and costing us over $1,500 he is thankfully safely home. When I called the company to find out the ingredients to let the veterinarian know (they wanted to know the possibility of it breaking up on its own), I was told that it had a CONCRETE base and could be equated to eating GRAVEL/ROCKS and would not dissolve on its own with the reputation of blocking cats, dogs, and even toilets. Since it is concrete based, it perforated the sides of his intestines as it scraped down before getting lodged and the vet had to act extremely fast as his temp was spiking out of control. I got lucky because my cat survived, but for the sake of your pets please avoid this litterbox.
2035331
No I haven't - be careful with syringe-feeding cats as they can aspirate the liquids into their lungs and the particles in this mix are pretty big so it could be very irritating or worse for a cat. Might want to read up on "finger-feeding" aka "force-feeding" (not the preferred term....) for cats - look at Anitra Frasier's book The Natural Cat for the best instructions. Good luck!
159505
Hi Rosey, I would think so, I had a cat a few years ago lived to be very old and I gave her liver snaps,she loved them. Try a little at first if she eats them then she must like it. Cats are a lot fussier Then dogs (my personal opinion) If it was bad for them I would think they would say for dogs only.Hope this was of some help Rosey. Good Luck.
1508330
I don't think it would be a big deal... Eating FortiFlora has the same effect on cats that eating yogurt has on humans, really. It just promotes "good bacteria" in the digestive track!
1174778
My dog (and even one cat) ate it for years without any problem. I don't know about now -- I haven't bought them for about a year.
1672382
I have two cats and replace the pellets when I feel they are "getting old". Sometimes I replace them more than once a month and sometimes not. I do tend to add pellets when they are getting low. I don't notice that they smell or retain odor but as I said, sometimes they seem to need changing.
2222449
Don't know about cats because I have dogs. But, I mix it in their food and, so far, I have not had a problem.
2208162
S&C;'s customer service is very helpful and knowledgeable. I have called a couple of times with different questions not your question though. My young cats did not eat the food wet but they are quite a bit older now. I have to crumble a couple of the "kibble" as they like it "loose". Each cat gets about 3 kibble which is about .4 grams - not much, but they free feed other kibble. With the food fed dry - drinking water is a very important. Sorry did not answer your question, but customer service would be a good source. Would like to know what they say.
688506
Don't worry about the tiny specks unless they are moving> The ground up veggies in the BFG are normal. We have used this food for several years and are very happy with it. Be sure to note that the BFG (before grain)is very different from the new Purrrrfect Bistro that is sold at Petco. PB has ground cellulose(cardboard) as a filler.We are very keen on what goes into our kitties and think highly of Merrick's Before Grain #1. but more importantly our cats thrive on it.
437281
Cats' digestive systems are built to handle raw meat just fine, so I wouldn't worry about that. However they really are supposed to be treats so if there's still some left in the bowl when you get home from work, you're probably over-feeding.
2102843
Is there ever any rhyme or reason to what cats will choose to eat? Not aware of any changes in composition of the food. Their (Newman's Own) website seems to be pretty up front about their products. You might check there to see if there have been any changes.
412691
I fed this to two of my three cats when they were kittens and they liked it then as well. They have shiny coats and are healthy, and they're both indoor cats. One does have extra smelly poop, but I think that's just him, because I've introduced other cat foods and it's even worse with those brands. IMO, this is good stuff.
140907
None of my cats will eat the lysine chews either. I know some people have tried on dry food with success but I've only tried it on wet food. When I was was just sprinkling it on top of the wet food and not mixing it in I noticed they were not eating all of their food. I'm not sure if it was the smell though. I just switched to Tomlyn which is less stinky & cheaper and it doesn't seem to bother them when I don't mix it quite as well as I should when I'm in a hurry.
358078
I don't use it anymore because my cat died after 18 yrs. but I also looked for alternatives and I think anything that doesn't drop through the holes would work. I will be looking for an alternative when I get another cat. Love the system, but the pellets are too rough on their paws. I say try it!!
1461646
I tried several substitutes and nothing worked as well. I finally decided the pellets were the best for the system. I did, however, decide to use fewer pellets since my cat decided that flinging them out of the box would be fun. I have been able to get a bag to last two months instead of one.
727911
My cats have been playing with these toys for over 10 years now, they are perfectly healthy. They chew on the feathers a bit when they catch it but more at the tip of the feathers rather than where they are attached, but I can't imagine it is dangerous or it wouldn't be used.
97551
My cats have tried the chews, the kibble and the paste. They wouldn't eat the chews and it was a struggle to get them to accept the paste. (If I put the paste in their food they would eat it) However they all eat the kibble without any problem. I guess it's a personal kitty preference. My cats are all 10 and 12 years old so maybe a kitten will prefer something else. I will say that the product keeps my cat with the worst problem stable and feeling fine and her eyes clear up. You might want to try an eye cream to help with her eyes. I also use a medicated eye cream for the cat that have the weeping problem. I hope this helps. Cat Lover..... My cats have tried the chews, the kibble and the paste. They wouldn't eat the chews and it was a struggle to get them to accept the paste. (If I put the paste in their food they would eat it) However they all eat the kibble without any problem. I guess it's a personal kitty preference. My cats are all 10 and 12 years old so maybe a kitten will prefer something else. I will say that the product keeps my cat with the worst problem stable and feeling fine and her eyes clear up. You might want to try an eye cream to help with her eyes. I also use a medicated eye cream for the cat that have the... » Read More My cats have tried the chews, the kibble and the paste. They wouldn't eat the chews and it was a struggle to get them to accept the paste. (If I put the paste in their food they would eat it) However they all eat the kibble without any problem. I guess it's a personal kitty preference. My cats are all 10 and 12 years old so maybe a kitten will prefer something else. I will say that the product keeps my cat with the worst problem stable and feeling fine and her eyes clear up. You might want to try an eye cream to help with her eyes. I also use a medicated eye cream for the cat that have the weeping problem. I hope this helps. Cat Lover..... « Show Less