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Eh, I pick my battles. My cat mostly likes canned fish or dry chicken. She's been eating all canned the last couple weeks after getting a bit of a treat back on dry mixed in before and then entirely during a short weekend away. I am trying to take the fish to different, less mercury-prone things like tilapia, wild salmon and sardines, but for now each bowl still has some tuna in it. The bowls aren't all fish, usually some chicken or beef in there. Fox example tonight's mix I just put down a few minutes ago was half a can chicken and tilapia mixed with half a can tuna and salmon (3oz cans).
As for the OP, strive at least for some meat-based kibble. Perhaps you can supplement with some wet food here and there. You will likely have to watch both somewhat, though, for as others have said, you're likely going to get other cats or other animals trying to eat. If you do strict mealtimes where you take the food away after x amount of time, my understanding is that the cat will get used to it and learn to eat a whole meal at once. (I haven't actually tried it with mine. She's 15, just getting her to eat some wet food has been a chore. I leave each meal out for 12 hours.)
Well, i dont live in CA. Things are done differently here in TN. If you start feeding an animal, animal control with thank you for your kindness. If you stop, it makes no difference to them.
Oh, my Grandmother just fed Boots dry food, whatever was on sale, and a bowl of scraps from supper, usually hotdogs, chicken, bacon and eggs..whatever...and he was fine. After all, he lived out of a dumpster before living with her. And she did not leave out a giant bowl of food, just a small dish, enough for one cat, and a bowl of fresh water.
Oh, my Grandmother just fed Boots dry food, whatever was on sale, and a bowl of scraps from supper, usually hotdogs, chicken, bacon and eggs..whatever...and he was fine. After all, he lived out of a dumpster before living with her. And she did not leave out a giant bowl of food, just a small dish, enough for one cat, and a bowl of fresh water.
Well, i dont live in CA. Things are done differently here in TN. If you start feeding an animal, animal control with thank you for your kindness. If you stop, it makes no difference to them.
So you are saying that your animal control ignores cruelty laws? Thats such an ashame, but if the people don;t care I guess thats why TN has so many animal cruelty problems, it sounds like the people tasked with protecting animals and the citizens don;t care about animals enough to enfoce the laws. I think most people do expect TN to do their job so maybe a letter to the governenor quoting this post about animal control not caring or doing the job and ignoring the existing laws that many worked hard to get passed is needed. Thanks for brining this to others attention so they can take action to protecy the animals of TN from incompetent animal control persons who are ignoring the law.
So you are saying that your animal control ignores cruelty laws? Thats such an ashame, but if the people don;t care I guess thats why TN has so many animal cruelty problems, it sounds like the people tasked with protecting animals and the citizens don;t care about animals enough to enfoce the laws. I think most people do expect TN to do their job so maybe a letter to the governenor quoting this post about animal control not caring or doing the job and ignoring the existing laws that many worked hard to get passed is needed. Thanks for brining this to others attention so they can take action to protecy the animals of TN from incompetent animal control persons who are ignoring the law.
I'm not sure how it is in TN, but I live in rural Missouri and its pretty much the same situation. There are pounds and a few shelters, but no ASPCA in my area. There is very little help from the government. Animal groups do what they can, but it's an uphill battle. Around here unwanted animals are often put down by people themselves, since people don't always have the money to care for strays, shelters are overwhelmed, and the pound would put them down in a week. Actually, my county doesn't even have a pound. When you live in an area with poverty and so many other issues, animals get pushed down toward the bottom of the priority list. I'm not saying that it shouldn't change. There are people working toward change, but it's a long process. I think sometimes people in wealthier/more urban areas don't necessarily understand how dire it is for animals in rural areas, probably especially in southern areas.
Of course, not all animals in this area are badly treated. The people aren't bad people, either. However, when you have the majority of the population being middle to lower-middle class with no (or very little) help from anybody, people make tough choices. If cash-strapped parents can spend $150 to get a female cat fixed or spend that on their kids, the cat doesn't stand a chance. My family is a bit above average for the area, but we're still middle class. We couldn't afford to vet every stray that came along. I've had a lot of people on this forum who helped me out. If it weren't for their help, I'm not sure what would have happened to my two stray litters.
I certainly am for contacting legislators about the issues in rural areas. I'm not sure how TN is, but here in Missouri it is an uphill battle that has been going on for years. Legislators, and the majority of the population, have bigger, more important issues (at least, more important to them) to deal with than the stray animal population. People aren't cold. Sometimes they want to help stray animals, but often they can't help much. People feel helpless so they tune out. They try not to care because it sucks to feel helpless. Why worry about a situation that you can't help (or that you don't think you can help)? On top of that, the government (national, state, and local) really don't care that much. The animal groups that are out there have little support. It's a combination of many factors and not one that is quickly or easily fixed.
I wish I could afford to feed my cats the best food out there, but with six cats that is difficult. So they do eat dry food, usually the stuff that's on sale (though not the cheapest brand). You usually have to work with the resources you have. With the outside cats it is also hard to feed them all at once, since there are three of them and they're not always on the porch at the same time. Last winter we also found out that we were feeding a possum and a neighbor cat, so you have to take into consideration that not all of the food will be eaten by our cats. The inside cats eat dry as well, since it's easier than wet. They get wet food on occasion as a treat.
I don't want to sound like I'm being cruel to them. They eat well, but they do eat the cheapish stuff. Since I'm not living on my own income, it's kind of hard for me to demand more. Their diet does not always determine lifespan either. We feed our dogs the cheapish dry dog food (though they've been getting more moist food lately) and our last few dogs died in their teenage years. Just like with people, they need to eat well, but nothing is guaranteed.
Sorry if I sound jaded about it. I would like to feed my pets the more expensive stuff, but it's not really practical right now.
Oh, my Grandmother just fed Boots dry food, whatever was on sale, and a bowl of scraps from supper, usually hotdogs, chicken, bacon and eggs..whatever...and he was fine. After all, he lived out of a dumpster before living with her. And she did not leave out a giant bowl of food, just a small dish, enough for one cat, and a bowl of fresh water.
The scaps make a big difference. They'll contain some of the things missing in kibble. Fats and oils for instance. Pure animal proteins for another. Cats were a lot thinner and healthier in the days before kibble became their sole diet.
Thanks for brining this to others attention so they can take action to protecy the animals of TN from incompetent animal control persons who are ignoring the law.
Our shelters here in TN are packed to the rafters because even those who could afford the low-cost spay clinics can't be bothered. Litter after litter are born with no end in sight. People move and just leave their pets behind to die or be rescued. They don't care which.
No one seems to gives a damn about cruelty unless it's something sensational like some puppy mill with 200+ dogs living in filth and half dead. Or some hoarder is reported to have 199 cats in her stinking home. I tried to get action on a starving horse that was about to fall off it's feet and got nowhere. It was a walking skeleton. No one gave a damn including the cop they finally sent out there. He talked to the owners for a few minutes and left. He did nothing!
Our local shelters pick up stray cats and dogs alright, but that's about all. We have no ASPCA here like you see on Animal Planet. No Humane Society that does anything like seen on TV.
Those sadistic depraved sociopaths and psychopaths caught torturing and/or killing pets are not held responsible, just like all other states. A slap on the wrist and they're back out the door to do it again.
i believe that cat food with tuna is good its just the tuna that we humans eat thats bad for them. The tuna thats in cat food has been specially formulated for them to eat.
There's no way they can remove the mercury from tuna or they would remove it from the tuna sold for human consumption.
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I tried to get action on a starving horse that was about to fall off it's feet and got nowhere. It was a walking skeleton. No one gave a damn including the cop they finally sent out there. He talked to the owners for a few minutes and left. He did nothing! 
