The Cat Lovers Club

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If you happen to be one of my Facebook friends, you will already know that I not only love cats, but I have had my share of cats as well. Cats have been a part of my life... More

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Bill Kochman

October 23, 2021 10:20 am

WHY I FEED MY CATS IAMS CAT FOOD Some people in the Facebook animal rescue and adoption groups wonder why I feed the cats which are in my care Iams dry cat food, when there are much cheaper alternati... View MoreWHY I FEED MY CATS IAMS CAT FOOD Some people in the Facebook animal rescue and adoption groups wonder why I feed the cats which are in my care Iams dry cat food, when there are much cheaper alternatives to be found in our local supermarkets. This short commentary will explain my personal philosophy regarding the issue. When it comes to choices amongst the different brands of dry cat food which are available on Guam, if there is one thing that can be said, it is that, yes, Iams dry cat food is indeed very expensive. For example, at Opus One in Anigua, a 7-pound bag of Iams Proactive Health “Healthy Adult” dry cat food costs a whopping $25.00. Yeah, ouch! Even if a person owns just one cat, that price point will put quite a dent in their wallet, even for just a one-month period. At the Payless Supermarket in Mangilao, the situation is a little better. The last time that I purchased it there, the same 7-pound, orange bag of Iams Proactive Health “Healthy Adult” dry cat food cost $18.59. Yes, that is considerably cheaper than Opus One. Nevertheless, it is still quite expensive for the average cat owner. And if you happen to own more than one cat, well … Then, of course, there is the Andersen Air Force Base commissary. For a time, I was able to purchase the same 7-pound bag of Iams Proactive Health “Healthy Adult” dry cat food for about $12.50. Now we are talking about a serious discount! Sadly, the people who served as my go-betweens with AAFB no longer support my compassion for cats. As a result, they stopped purchasing both cat litter and Iams cat food on base for me. That, of course, forced me to start getting Iams cat food at the Mangilao Payless. Yes, I will be honest about it. The combined cost of the Iams cat food, and the cat litter for so many cats, is really killing me financially. However, when I first started taking in cats about a year ago, I made a commitment to both myself, and to them. The way that I personally look at it is this: cats live such short life spans compared to us humans. So, from the beginning of my personal rescue endeavors — which is basically what I have been doing for the past year — I decided to give my feline guests the very best treatment that I possibly could, beginning with the quality of their food. It is for that very reason that I feed my feline flock Iams Proactive Health “Healthy Adult” dry cat food everyday, along with Wellsley Farms Premium Chicken Breast. We need to remember that domesticated cats and other felines are predators and meat eaters. They require lots of protein in their diet for proper growth and development. They are NOT grain eaters by nature. In my view, most supermarket-grade dry cat foods are junk. Their very first ingredient — as well as a number of ingredients after that — are grains and meals. Just because they are chicken, salmon or tuna flavored means very little. It is just a sales gimmick. It is tricking cats into eating grains. But as I said a moment ago, cats are NOT vegetarians. They are carnivores. “Carni” in fact refers to meat. In Spanish, the word “meat” is “carne”. You see that? BUT, with Iams “Healthy Adult” dry cat food, the very first ingredient is actual chicken. Obviously, I don’t know what part of the chicken is used in Iams cat food, but at least it is chicken. So all of my cats get chicken in their dry cat food, as well as in their canned chicken breast … which I also happen to eat regularly each week. The reason why they get both on a daily basis, is because I am not sure exactly how much actual chicken is contained in Iams cat food. So, I supplement it with Wellsley Farms Premium Chicken Breast, which is actual chicken meat. I always drain the broth in order to reduce their salt intake. And it shows! My four tabbies are six months old as of this writing — October 23, 2021 — and they are already as big as their mother Obsidian, who is black. They have strong, healthy bodies, and very soft , healthy fur. They are not fat in the least. They are lean and muscular. As I have mentioned before, I am a rather poor man, but I love my cats. I want to give them a good life. So I sacrifice by buying them the best food that I can possibly afford. Of course, not everyone is willing and able to do this, because it is very expensive to do so; particularly with as many cats as I currently have in my care. However, someday, hopefully soon, when they are no longer with me and have moved on to a new forever home, I will have the satisfaction of knowing that I gave them the very best that I possibly could; even beyond my means. So that is my personal philosophy. If you agree with it, feel free to share this post on your own timeline, or in whatever cat-related groups or forums you participate in. Thanks!

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Bill Kochman