# Does expensive cat \[food\] mean less cat poop? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 23, 2012, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-expensive-cat-food-mean-less-cat-poop/622779 "2012-05-23T01:56:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![ShelliBean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f9ae1b/32.png) [@ShelliBean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShelliBean)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-expensive-cat-food-mean-less-cat-poop/622779/21 "2012-05-23T05:50:32Z")
> [@SeaDragonTattoo](#): > > Sooo… > > Do you take the newspaper back? Oh hell no! No bathroom papers or books for me! ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-expensive-cat-food-mean-less-cat-poop/622779/22 "2012-05-23T11:44:29Z")
> [@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. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-expensive-cat-food-mean-less-cat-poop/622779/23 "2012-05-23T11:51:36Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-expensive-cat-food-mean-less-cat-poop/622779/24 "2012-05-23T11:54:40Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-expensive-cat-food-mean-less-cat-poop/622779/25 "2012-05-23T13:11:57Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > LOL! Dang it! Tittle does NOT say it all. :smack: > > 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] ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-expensive-cat-food-mean-less-cat-poop/622779/26 "2012-05-23T13:18:52Z")
What if you butt-sail your expensive cat? ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-expensive-cat-food-mean-less-cat-poop/622779/27 "2012-05-23T13:21:24Z")
[quote=“Gary “Wombat” Robson, post:25, topic:622779”] [moderating] Sure. Happy to. Title changed from “Does expensive cat mean less cat poop?” to “Does expensive cat [food] mean less cat poop?”. [/moderating] [/QUOTE] Darn. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-expensive-cat-food-mean-less-cat-poop/622779/28 "2012-05-23T15:52:50Z")
> [@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. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-expensive-cat-food-mean-less-cat-poop/622779/29 "2012-05-23T16:35:43Z")
> [@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? ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-expensive-cat-food-mean-less-cat-poop/622779/30 "2012-05-23T16:57:40Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > Darn. > > ☹ Seconded! ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-expensive-cat-food-mean-less-cat-poop/622779/31 "2012-05-23T17:23:31Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![wheresmymind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/91b2a8/32.png) [@wheresmymind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wheresmymind)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-expensive-cat-food-mean-less-cat-poop/622779/32 "2012-05-23T19:59:55Z")
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! ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-expensive-cat-food-mean-less-cat-poop/622779/33 "2012-05-23T20:15:29Z")
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. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-expensive-cat-food-mean-less-cat-poop/622779/34 "2012-05-23T20:34:51Z")
Re the thread title change: DANG! I would pay any amount of money for a cat that didn’t poop at all! ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-expensive-cat-food-mean-less-cat-poop/622779/35 "2012-05-23T20:36:00Z")
> [@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. ---
**Author:** ![Hanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b3f665/32.png) [@Hanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hanna)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-expensive-cat-food-mean-less-cat-poop/622779/36 "2012-05-23T23:00:48Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2012, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-expensive-cat-food-mean-less-cat-poop/622779/37 "2012-05-24T01:43:46Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2012, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-expensive-cat-food-mean-less-cat-poop/622779/38 "2012-05-24T02:04:31Z")
> [@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. ---
**Author:** ![slightly\_askew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d07c76/32.png) [@slightly\_askew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slightly_askew)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2012, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-expensive-cat-food-mean-less-cat-poop/622779/39 "2012-05-24T02:10:12Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > What if you butt-sail your expensive cat? That’s just beautiful. _applause_ ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2012, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-expensive-cat-food-mean-less-cat-poop/622779/40 "2012-05-24T18:57:53Z")
> [@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. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-expensive-cat-food-mean-less-cat-poop/622779.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-expensive-cat-food-mean-less-cat-poop/622779.md?page=3)