My Pet World: Preventing fights when feeding dogs in a multi-dog household

Cathy M. Rosenthal, Tribune Content Agency on Jan 26, 2021

Catnip contains a strong minty oil that cats can detect in the air at saturations as low as one part per billion. Kittens and some cats don’t react to it at all. No one knows for sure why. Cats who react to it though may roll, rub and flip their bodies in response. They also may meow or growl or get hyperactive or aggressive. The effects are different for every cat and typically only last about 10 minutes.

Dear Cathy,

I have two senior cats, 13 and 14 years old, who were both recently diagnosed with kidney disease. My veterinarian recommended a kidney diet for both. I lost a cat a few years ago to kidney disease when he refused to change foods no matter what I tried. I was determined to get them to eat their prescription kidney food, so I ordered every brand and flavor. My cats wouldn’t eat any of it consistently. Then I came across an article where a veterinarian suggested trying Gerber baby food stage 2 ham flavor for cats who wouldn’t eat. The vet said it was lower in phosphorus and protein than prescription feline kidney food, which are the two big triggers in cats with kidney disease. I spread a small amount of the baby food on their kidney diet wet food and my cats gobbled it up. I couldn’t believe it. I’m happy to say that my cats are going on five weeks now with this diet. I thought another reader might find this tip helpful. — Katie, Western Springs, Illinois

Dear Katie,

Thank you for sharing your tip. Kidney disease is fairly common in older cats, and changing their food can be challenging, so I am glad you found a solution to getting them to eat their prescription diet. Baby food doesn’t contain taurine, a necessary amino acid for cats, so I am glad you are only using it as a supplement and not a replacement to their diet. Also, please note that not all baby foods are created equal. It’s not safe for cats to eat baby foods with added sugars, salt, onion, garlic or oils. To be safe, always talk to your veterinarian before introducing human food into their diet.

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(Cathy M. Rosenthal is a longtime animal advocate, author, columnist and pet expert who has more than 25 years in the animal welfare field. Send your pet questions, stories and tips to cathy@petpundit.com. Please include your name, city, and state. You can follow her @cathymrosenthal.)