Hi,

I've read a lot about the best types of food to feed your bengal but are there any types or flavours I should avoid? I currently feed Benji applaws wet food which does have a high meat content which I thought was a good thing but he still has episodes of an upset stomach.

Also I used to leave out dry food for him all day as we work but read some things about dry food and bacteria which has made me worry about leaving it out all day? Also read that dry food is bad for cats anyway but if I take it away he would only be eating one wet food tin a day? I worry that's not enough?

I rarely give him treats as they usually end up affecting his stomach even though he loves them - although I was considering trying the freeze dried chicken treats in the hope they have better nutritional content.

How many tins/pouches should I be giving him? He is a small cat, he's long and slender like bengals are meant to be but he's not got a lot of bulk like some male bengals I've seen. Apart from the odd upset stomach there is nothing else about him that gives me cause for concern.

Any advice would be appreciated!

Brian and Sherry can give you more details but the bacteria concern is when you moisten the dry food. It is fine to leave dry food out for Benji. The wet foods (canned and dry mixed with fluids) are only safe out up to an hour. Honestly if my guy doesn't eat it in 15-20 minutes, it is taken. I have read that the single protein foods are easier digested as well as being grain free. Good Luck! I would love to see pictures of Benji!

Yea, dry food is meant to be left out, so long as you don't mix it with any liquid or wet food.

Definitely freeze dried meat for snack. Great thing to give cats. Nutrition? It's just meat!

I'm always a little leery when people talk about "sensitive stomachs". A lot of people here have discovered that their cat in fact has a parasite in such cases. Has he been tested?

I'm not really familiar with UK food brands, but in general, poultry is supposed to be the easiest things on cat's stomachs of the commercial "meat flavors", with fish being the one most often upsetting cat's stomachs. You might also look specifically for formulas that have a single protein (e.g., only chicken and no other types of meat). There are some formulas that have like chicken, fish, beef, pork, venison, rabbbit. That's obviously the sort of thing to avoid if you are trying to find a food that "agrees" with your cat.

_________________
The little monsters 3

I agree with Brian. Dry food should not attract bacteria, There are wet foods for cats with sensitive stomachs and you can always try that and see what works. I think "fish" is the worst for the cat's digestive system, and I think I'd stick with turkey or chicken. You might also try adding a feline probiotic such as FlortiFlora to the wet food. It is readily available online and your pet store probably carries it.

Thank you all for your replies. I am not entirely sure how to reply to people directly...but we have since taken Benji to the vet just to be safe. He had TF as a kitten so we know all about parasites - it was 2011 he was treated for that but he has always had episodes where food clearly isn't agreeing with him, but better to get him checked again.

We have handed a stool sample in to the vet so just need to wait and see what comes back although the vet prescribed royal canin sensitivity chicken and rice and he has been completely normal whilst on it, we have also kept up the pro biotic. He cleans the bowl now which he wasn't doing before! We have changed his dry food as well to something we think is better after some research (less fillers and the like) so he seems to be doing ok. Just hoping the test doesn't flag up anything. Also need to ask the vet if the food is a temporary feeding programme or if we can keep him on it, as worried we put him back on to something else and we go through the same situation.

Its a work in progress just now but I appreciate all your help and advice. I've added a picture which hopefully works!

Thanks again!

Lyn

Aww, what a cute baby! I'm sure he feels much better on the food that doesn't upset his tummy! Hopefully, the stool sample will come back clear! Fingers crossed for you.