Does expensive cat [food] mean less cat poop?

[Shakes]

Tittle says it all. I currently feed my critters Meow Mix. I let them "free feed" (By that I mean I keep a big bowl full at all times.) I figure this is OK as neither one of them are over weight.

But man, that said, these guys can fill up a litter box in no time flat. I bought a self cleaning litter box recently. The thing works great. The only problem is, the box claims that for two cats, I should be able to go 10 - 14 days between cleaning.

I'm currently doing twice a week. Something aint right here.

[IvoryTowerDenizen]

Ok. They title made me giggle. I'd buy an expensive cat if it would poop less....


(real answer: in my experience, yes. High quality food = less poop).

[Ike Witt]

Why would you want to wait 2 weeks to clean a two cat box?

[Infovore]

Are you talking about actually washing the box and replacing the litter? Or just scooping? Because twice a week is too often for the former, and waaaaay too long for the latter.

We have 7 cats. We feed them good but not super expensive food (Iams), scoop the litter boxes once a day, and clean them...oh, every 3 weeks to a month each (that much litter is expensive, so too-frequent full cleanings aren't really practical). We've asked friends to tell us honestly if our house smells like cat and they tell us no, so I guess we're okay.

And to answer the question I think you're asking: yes, more expensive food leads to less poop, because there's less filler and undigestable stuff in the higher quality food.

[Shakes]

LOL! Dang it! Tittle does NOT say it all.

Mods, could you fix it for me please?

[Cub Mistress]

I have a cheap cat. He poops like crazy and pees like a Russian racehorse.

[HazelNutCoffee]

I feed my cat EVO and she doesn't poop a lot. For some reason, though, wet food always gives her the runs. Even the expensive stuff.

[SeaDragonTattoo]

Consider that cats are obligate carnivores, and their ideal diet is whole mice, whole birds, small reptiles, bugs, and occasional grass or leaf nibbles here and there. Dry kibble-style cat food containing fillers such as rice, wheat, corn meal, and other things not animal-based is going to produce plenty of stuff the cats can't digest out the other end. So the higher-quality foods with less fillers and more stuff cats are supposed to eat should produce less waste. It's a theory, anyway. Talk to anyone who had fed the gamut to a multitude of cats, and the reality answers vary widely.

What I'm wondering is what kind of self cleaning box is it, I haven't encountered one that requires emptying/cleaning so infrequently? I also haven't looked into them as I'm content to scoop daily, so I just don't know about them. I'm curious as to whether you've inspected the collection container to see just what it's full of. Maybe it's somehow collecting a bunch of unused litter and filling up prematurely? If it collects clumping litter, is there a ton of urine clumps in there, disproportionally so? A kitty with diabetes or kidney problems will drink a lot and urinate a lot. Part of why I prefer to scoop daily is that I can track whether someone's peeing a lot or having trouble with poo (too loose, too firm, not going [and yes, I can tell which poo belongs to who, and generally where in the boxes which cat likes to pee - it's the technician in me!]). I collect with a doggie-poop bag, so can tell whether there's a larger or smaller amount per day than usual.

[brainstall]

The first ingredient in Meow Mix is corn, the second ingredient is corn gluten meal, which provies protein, though not in a particularly digestible form for cats. Cats are obligate carnivores, so corn is not really high on he list of stuff they need. So, yeah, a more expensive, meat based food, rather than a corn based food would most likely result in more of said food being digested and less of it being passed through the cat essentially unused and ending up in the litter box.

[elfkin477]

Originally Posted by brainstall

The first ingredient in Meow Mix is corn, the second ingredient is corn gluten meal, which provies protein, though not in a particularly digestible form for cats. Cats are obligate carnivores, so corn is not really high on he list of stuff they need. So, yeah, a more expensive, meat based food, rather than a corn based food would most likely result in more of said food being digested and less of it being passed through the cat essentially unused and ending up in the litter box.

We switched to catfoods that don't have corn as any of the first four ingredients a couple years back, but I haven't noticed less poop output. Happier cats, though.

[jasg]

Their kidneys will thank you if you switch to wet food. Cheaper vet bills too.

I have a dog that helps clean the box (yum, crunchy treats) - you could consider adding one to your menagerie...

[fachverwirrt]

My cat is diabetic and thus very expensive. She definitely does not poop less.

[rhubarbarin]

I feed my cats and dogs raw animals only, so they produce very little waste (and what they do hardly smells). The cheaper the food, the more 'filler' it includes generally, none of which is digestible and which leads to voluminous stool.

[Shakes]

Originally Posted by Infovore

Are you talking about actually washing the box and replacing the litter? Or just scooping? Because twice a week is too often for the former, and waaaaay too long for the latter.

We have 7 cats. We feed them good but not super expensive food (Iams), scoop the litter boxes once a day, and clean them...oh, every 3 weeks to a month each (that much litter is expensive, so too-frequent full cleanings aren't really practical). We've asked friends to tell us honestly if our house smells like cat and they tell us no, so I guess we're okay.

And to answer the question I think you're asking: yes, more expensive food leads to less poop, because there's less filler and undigestable stuff in the higher quality food.

Originally Posted by SeaDragonTattoo

Consider that cats are obligate carnivores, and their ideal diet is whole mice, whole birds, small reptiles, bugs, and occasional grass or leaf nibbles here and there. Dry kibble-style cat food containing fillers such as rice, wheat, corn meal, and other things not animal-based is going to produce plenty of stuff the cats can't digest out the other end. So the higher-quality foods with less fillers and more stuff cats are supposed to eat should produce less waste. It's a theory, anyway. Talk to anyone who had fed the gamut to a multitude of cats, and the reality answers vary widely.

What I'm wondering is what kind of self cleaning box is it, I haven't encountered one that requires emptying/cleaning so infrequently? I also haven't looked into them as I'm content to scoop daily, so I just don't know about them. I'm curious as to whether you've inspected the collection container to see just what it's full of. Maybe it's somehow collecting a bunch of unused litter and filling up prematurely? If it collects clumping litter, is there a ton of urine clumps in there, disproportionally so? A kitty with diabetes or kidney problems will drink a lot and urinate a lot. Part of why I prefer to scoop daily is that I can track whether someone's peeing a lot or having trouble with poo (too loose, too firm, not going [and yes, I can tell which poo belongs to who, and generally where in the boxes which cat likes to pee - it's the technician in me!]). I collect with a doggie-poop bag, so can tell whether there's a larger or smaller amount per day than usual.

I have a Scoopfree litter box.

I have to empty the litter twice a week as the amonia smell and poop smell become too much. I use crystalls too if that matters.

[Dangerosa]

Mods, please don't change the title, I fell out of my chair.

[SeaDragonTattoo]

Originally Posted by Shakes

I have a Scoopfree litter box.

I have to empty the litter twice a week as the amonia smell and poop smell become too much. I use crystalls too if that matters.

Are you re-using it by emptying it and replacing the litter (I read a few reviewers who were doing this), or are you doing the complete switch-out, throwing out the whole under-thing and replacing with the proprietary pre-filled tray? If the latter, something's not right, but heck if I would know what - maybe the crystals don't agree with your particular cats and their chemistry or something, and they're not deodorizing properly. Different cats also use the litter trays differently. I have one who digs an empty spot through the litter and pees directly onto the surface of the litter pan. If your kitty does this, scratching into the cardboard at the bottom and then peeing directly onto it, I would think the litter isn't going to deodorize that. It looks like the poop-trap part is also cardboard - I can't imagine it has much of a seal - I'm not sure how it's supposed to lock in odors!

I tell people about the "system" I use - I collect with biodegradable doggie poop bags, and then use a Diaper Champ diaper pail lined with a bigger biodegradable kitchen trash bag. Tie the doggie bag shut, place in the Diaper Champ, and take that out when full. With four cats that's about every 10 days.

So, I dunno. Maybe this just isn't a system that works for your particular cats. Something else - some cats pee against the side of the litter box - I had one that went right on the edge and over to the outside occasionally, even with high-sided litter boxes. If urine is getting anywhere but in that catch-tray, there will be smell. Also be sure they're really both using it consistently. Maybe one isn't, and is going nearby instead. I've heard of the motorized trays causing litter box aversion in some cats. Maybe set up one plain litter box nearby? I know that defeats the reason for getting the automatic one in the first place, but if a cat isn't liking it, it doesn't matter.

[ShelliBean]

My cats were free. The little bastards head to the litter box about 153 times a day with a cup of coffee, the newspaper, a bran muffin and a cigarette.

I think I'll try the more expensive food.

[SeaDragonTattoo]

Sooo...

Do you take the newspaper back?

[Taomist]

Originally Posted by Dangerosa

Mods, please don't change the title, I fell out of my chair.

Seconded.

[Taomist]

Originally Posted by jasg

Their kidneys will thank you if you switch to wet food. Cheaper vet bills too.

I have a dog that helps clean the box (yum, crunchy treats) - you could consider adding one to your menagerie...

Both cringe- AND giggle-worthy; I give it a 9.

[ShelliBean]

Originally Posted by SeaDragonTattoo

Sooo...

Do you take the newspaper back?

Oh hell no! No bathroom papers or books for me!

[panache45]

Originally Posted by Cub Mistress

I have a cheap cat. He poops like crazy and pees like a Russian racehorse.

I've got two cheap cats. Man, I thought I was saving money by getting cheap ones, but it's costing me in food and litter.

[kayaker]

We had a cat that needed to be fed an expensive, high fiber, prescription diet. It seemed that for every pound of food that went in, five pounds of shit came out.

[Cicero]

My cat shits like a trooper and it is a stray. He dropped 40 lbs of toxic mud the other day- birds were falling dead from the sky.

[Gary "Wombat" Robson]

Originally Posted by Shakes

LOL! Dang it! Tittle does NOT say it all.

Mods, could you fix it for me please?

[moderating]
Sure. Happy to. Title changed from "Does expensive cat mean less cat poop?" to "Does expensive cat [food] mean less cat poop?".
[/moderating]

[Dung Beetle]

What if you butt-sail your expensive cat?

[IvoryTowerDenizen]

Originally Posted by Gary "Wombat" Robson

[moderating]
Sure. Happy to. Title changed from "Does expensive cat mean less cat poop?" to "Does expensive cat [food] mean less cat poop?".
[/moderating]

Darn.

[Tom Tildrum]

Originally Posted by Infovore

And to answer the question I think you're asking: yes, more expensive food leads to less poop, because there's less filler and undigestable stuff in the higher quality food.

If my dog is any guide, the expensive food also remains so tasty that it's worth re-eating. Which reduces net waste.

[The Devil's Grandmother]

Originally Posted by rhubarbarin

I feed my cats and dogs raw animals only, so they produce very little waste (and what they do hardly smells).

I've found feeder mice to be really expensive per ounce. Where are you getting your raw animals?

[Infovore]

Originally Posted by IvoryTowerDenizen

Darn.

Seconded!

[voltaire]

If the only thing you're feeding your cats is Meow Mix dry food, they probably will be "expensive cat[s]" in the long run.

Aside from the issue of poop volume, if you are only going to feed dry food, it really is important that it be high quality. Cheap dry food such as Meow Mix is acceptable as a "free feed" for people who also regularly feed wet food, which is generally of much higher nutritional value.

I only (free) feed my cat dry food (because, oddly, he doesn't really like wet food) but not only do I get the more expensive stuff, I also rotate and sometimes mix between different dry foods with high protein and fat content.

And here's the thing with "expensive" foods - yes, they cost more per pound than the cheap stuff, but your cats will learn to eat less of it because it's much more nourishing. So, it's not really as expensive as it seems based purely on cost by weight.

[wheresmymind]

In my experience, yes. When I fed my cat Evo dry food (now he's on some exotic urinary health food, but that's a whole 'nother story), I ran out once and fed him some cheap Purina stuff for a couple weeks (it's hard to find Evo around me). I had to feed him literally twice as much, which he wolfed down happily - I think the equivalent would be feeding a 7-year-old child pizza and ice cream. No lie, the volume of his poop probably increased by a factor of 4!

[purplehorseshoe]

Actually, "pizza and ice cream" is a pretty good analogy for Meow Mix. You won't keel over from malnutrition right away (calcium in ice cream & cheese, some vitamins & protein from pizza toppings depending on what they are, antioxidants in the tomato sauce, etc.) but I'm fairly certain most people would agree that a diet of nothing but those two things would be, at minimum, sub-optimal.

It's generally agreed that if you cut costs in food up front, you'll pay for it down the line in vet bills. Also, pay for it up front with ... more poop to scoop!

One more vote for "feed the best you can reasonably afford." When you upgrade, you can use the remaining Meow Mix for treats.

[ThelmaLou]

Re the thread title change:
DANG!
I would pay any amount of money for a cat that didn't poop at all!

[Shakes]

Originally Posted by SeaDragonTattoo

Are you re-using it by emptying it and replacing the litter (I read a few reviewers who were doing this), or are you doing the complete switch-out, throwing out the whole under-thing and replacing with the proprietary pre-filled tray? If the latter, something's not right, but heck if I would know what - maybe the crystals don't agree with your particular cats and their chemistry or something, and they're not deodorizing properly. Different cats also use the litter trays differently. I have one who digs an empty spot through the litter and pees directly onto the surface of the litter pan. If your kitty does this, scratching into the cardboard at the bottom and then peeing directly onto it, I would think the litter isn't going to deodorize that. It looks like the poop-trap part is also cardboard - I can't imagine it has much of a seal - I'm not sure how it's supposed to lock in odors!

.

Oh hell. Ya know, when I bought this litter box, I had no idea the damn replacement trays cost 20 bucks a pop! I was pissed. But I found an after market bottom tray on Amazon. It's made of plastic and reusable.

Update: I bought a bag of Iams today. Sat the bag down on the kitchen counter and the cats were pawing at it before I even opened the damn bag! They never did that with Meow Mix.

Anyway, we'll see how it goes.

[Hanna]

In my experience, it isn't the price necessarily as much as the form.

I have 4 cats and I feed canned food most of the time. The litterboxes are scooped 2x a day (mostly because they are in my computer room and I'm right there), and when I feed canned they aren't too bad or smelly. However, when we go away for the weekend I have to feed them dry. There is a huge increase in both odor and amount of poop when my cats eat dry food. Feeding canned means I can't free feed and I need to feed them all separately, but we have a routine and it goes well. Plus, I can tell immediately if any cat isn't eating.

Canned is more expensive, but less odor+less poop+potentially less health problems make it worth it for me.

[DrDeth]

In our expensive experince, the better grades of cat food- the more meat and less grain the better- not only reduce poop, but reduce smell too. And increase health.

[SeaDragonTattoo]

Originally Posted by Shakes

Oh hell. Ya know, when I bought this litter box, I had no idea the damn replacement trays cost 20 bucks a pop! I was pissed. But I found an after market bottom tray on Amazon. It's made of plastic and reusable.

Update: I bought a bag of Iams today. Sat the bag down on the kitchen counter and the cats were pawing at it before I even opened the damn bag! They never did that with Meow Mix.

Anyway, we'll see how it goes.

Fingers crossed for you. Don't forget to gradually change the food by mixing increasing ratios over a week or 10 days or so.

[slightly askew]

Originally Posted by Dung Beetle

What if you butt-sail your expensive cat?

That's just beautiful. *applause*

[voltaire]

Originally Posted by Shakes

Update: I bought a bag of Iams today. Sat the bag down on the kitchen counter and the cats were pawing at it before I even opened the damn bag! They never did that with Meow Mix.

Anyway, we'll see how it goes.

Kudos to you for taking steps to improve your cats' diet!

Until very recently, different varieties of Iams dry foods (regular, Premium Protection, Healthy Naturals - the latter being my preference, and his) were what made up the bulk of my cat's diet. I would often try to feed him more expensive stuff with even higher animal protein and fat levels, but he was pretty much hooked on Iams and didn't seem to be interested in much else. I was satisfied that Iams was healthy enough compared to most of the other stuff that's full of mostly grains like corn.

Then I discovered a BJ's Wholesale Club brand ("Berkely & Jensen Holistic" Natural Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe) priced similarly to Iams, with roughly the same protein content, but significantly higher fat content. The first four ingredients are "Chicken, Chicken Meal, Herring Meal, & Chicken Fat" and it has no by-products, no artificial preservatives/flavors/colors/dyes, no corn/wheat/soy, and no hormones or steroids used in the chicken.

He loved it! In the ~month I've been feeding it to him, his coat has gotten shinier and softer, and it seems like he sheds a lot less. That last bit with the shedding, if true, would be worth twice the price to me!

So, if anybody reading this is looking for a change in cat foods, and has a BJ's membership, I recommend trying out that food. I'm hoping it sells well, because I'd hate it if they were to discontinue it.

[Guinastasia]

Iams isn't that great, and their policies on animal testing is disgusting. I would go with Hills Science Diet, or Purina One. We also feed our cats Friskies canned food as well.

(I can't reccomend Science Diet enough)

[BlinkingDuck]

I can only answer from my experience and my experience is 'yes'.

[DrDeth]

Originally Posted by Guinastasia

Iams isn't that great, and their policies on animal testing is disgusting. I would go with Hills Science Diet, or Purina One. We also feed our cats Friskies canned food as well.

Wouldn't you want your pet food tested on animals?

I mean if this is the only issue:
In 2002, a film by animal rights organizations PETA slated Iams for the way the company conducted animal research at external laboratories. Iams ended its relationship with the Sinclair Research Center in 2003, stating that the filmed activity was contrary to the company's strict, long-standing animal studies policies.[16] Since 2006, studies are conducted in pet owners' homes, P&G Pet Care's Pet Health & Nutrition Center and locations where dogs and cats are already living such as assistance dog organizations. This center and studies are subjected to unannounced examinations by the ASPCA.[17]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iams

I have only two things to say- if PETA is against them, they can't be very wrong; and they have apparently changed their ways anyway.

More or less y infallible guide for animal welfare is- whatever PETA is pushing, the best thing for the animal is the very opposite.

[rhubarbarin]

Originally Posted by The Devil's Grandmother

I've found feeder mice to be really expensive per ounce. Where are you getting your raw animals?

I order a fair amount from hare-today.com, they offer whole ground-up carcasses of various species, which is a balanced diet and saves me a lot of labor. I also source cheap 'waste' animal parts, and organs, from local butchers and farmers.