I just saw this!

All my cats are rescues as well, other than Esme, who's a refugee. B/c I use to run the rescue and take most of the special needs fosters, I used to vaccinate my cats but no longer do.

They are indoor cats though (one is a semi-feral wimp; he's not going outside, it'd be a nightmare if something spooked him, Mitch is 16, has 3 legs and no teeth....street cat for years, but he is not going to be an outdoor cat now, for obvious reasons, and then Esme, who doesn't go out b/c the other 2 don't and her owner didn't let her anyways).

I feed mine kibble, but grain-free. They are free fed b/c Mitch is old and skinny (chronic renal failure) and Lear and Esme will go on a diet when he passes. I've seen a real improvement in Mitch since I switched to grain-free. They also do get tuna occassionally and the Wellness all meat canned - it's actually for dogs but I give it to them.

Luc knows not to eat their food, and holds all of them but Esme (they're friends) in slight awe anyways, so. Not an issue in terms of feeding time b/c Luc is good and he is the only dog allowed out unsupervised with the cats. Neb is allowed supervised; he always ignores them which makes me suspicious and Teagan obviously is not. The cats have their own room (shared with the rabbits and guinea pigs b/c I'm mean like that) for when the dogs are all out and the dogs have their own room (plus Neb and Teags have their crates in the room) when the cats are out.

I saw a big change in coat and energy level when I switched to grain free with them too, and really none of them eat that much of the dry since I do the canned morning and evening.

All of mine get along just fine which is so nice. I think it helps that all the dogs have been raised since pups to see the cats as part of the pack and respect them.

I thought it was going to be a real problem with Yote but he has settled in nicely and no longer sees them as prey. Other cats, and cats outside are a totally different story

Crook likes to play with the dogs, especially Yote, so I have to keep an eye on that to make sure it doesn't get too rough.

Big Kitty thinks he is a dog and can be found sleeping with either Loki or Nico most of the time.

Fluff is old neurotic and grumpy and sleeps on my bed, growls at anyone non human who dares enter her line of sight and of course falls apart about not having food.

None of them are overweight at all which really surprises me since she has food issues, but she is a tiny little girl weighing in at just 6 pounds.

None of mine were overweight until Mitch started to get skinny and I started topping up the food bowls :sigh:

Neb would probably be fine - but it bothers me that he's not more curious about them. He's the only dog that's been raised with them and I thought 'Great! I'll be able to teach him from a pup!' but now I'm always like 'What kind of husky/terrier isn't at least SOMEWHAT interested in what they're doing? Huh? Weird and suspicious!' Poor Neb is probably like 'I do what she wants and this what I get....'

It sounds like you have a good group though! Would love to see a pic of Big Kitty sleeping with the dogs!

Your wish is granted
http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa265/chadescott/Cats/canonpictures075.jpg
He also walks up to the dogs puts his front paws on their sides and pushes them down, then gives some serious kitty massages. It cracks me up everytime.

And here is Fluff, the undisputed queen of the house.
http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa265/chadescott/Cats/fluffersinacloud.jpg

Yay!

Great shot - shucks. I wish Esme would sleep with Luc, she's always walking up to him, smacking him, then rubbing against him, repeat.

Fluff is gorgeous!

I feed my cats the same way as my dog - raw. The cats eat whole chicken wings, liver, hearts, fish, and salmon oil. I am trying to get them to keep beef down, but so far it has not been very successful.

As for vaccinations - only rabies since it was required at the U.S.-Canada border. Since mine are indoor cats, they do not get any other vaccine.

If you're interested in feeding your cats raw, here is a great website. The little cartoon at the bottom of the vaccinosis page is pretty funny.

http://www.rawfedcats.org/index.htm

And pre-made raw is pretty cheap at cat size!

I'm jealous Siaty

I want to switch Lear and Esme to raw once Mitch passes, actually.

I've tried them with the pre-made raw (it's ground, and Mitch doesn't any teeth) and Mitch didn't eat and at his age I don't want to 'wait him out'. I'm a wimp, but he's my heart cat and has to live forever, so.... Also Mitch has some immune-suppression (just herpes, which most cats carry, but it actually manifests in him with runny eyes and stuff) and at his age, with chronic renal failure, asthma, herpes, his heart's a bit funny, I was nervous about what just a little immune upset could do.
....I just made him sound like he's on his last legs, and he's actually a pretty kick-ass little guy and very happy. We just manage the chronic stuff

My 3 indoor cats received their kitten vaccinations (before I knew better) but that's it. None of them will be vaccinated again.

All the animals eat 2x/day and if anything is left it is taken up. True doesn't mess with the cats during meals but my oldest cat is a glutton and will mess with everyone's food (including the dog's food) if allowed. Glutton eats on the floor and the 2 others eat up high.

One is raw-fed, one is kibble-fed, and one alternates between the two. Dry food isn't good for cats, as already mentioned, and it can be particularly bad for male cats, who can be prone to UTIs and blockages.

One interesting thing I learned about cats is their metabolism slows dramatically within 48 hours of being neutered/spayed. Most cats are altered very young, so if you continue kitten feedings after surgery, and particularly if you feed kibble and follow the bag directions, you can end up with a fat cat. Indoor-only cats are especially prone to this. A raw diet is the best, healthiest way I've found to take excess weight off a cat.

Putting an overweight cat, and one who is used to free-feeding, on a diet is a PITA! My glutton is one of these. They are forever-obsessed with food, IME, and will go to great kitty lengths to get it.

With my youngest cat, I began feeding her like an adult immediately following her surgery. She has never had a weight problem and has a normal relationship with food.

I thought of this thread....I had some extra chicken livers tonight, and was low on the cat's kibble, so....

Lear and Esme, the two younger cats, sniffed it, and Lear started pawing and 'burying' around the dish.

But Mitch, who is toothless....he started it gobbling it up!

I am a bit worried about his immune system, but I am going to start adding in some raw. I'm not sure if I should look into grinders or pre-made....hmmm....I might do pre-made for now, give it on some days, and if they eat it well, look into a grinder. Like I said, Mitch's weight I also want to stay okay.

I give my cats pre-made raw...up until recently it was Nature's Variety but I've just changed them over to Stella & Chewey's. NV's prices haven risen 3 times in the last year and my raw shop is going to stop carrying the line.

I've found it difficult to supplement the cats like I do True so I try to feed them the most complete pre-made diet available. And cats seem a little more fragile than dogs so feeding pre-made eases my mind considerably.

If you get your hands on chicken hearts it's a great source of taurine...something cats absolutely need in their diet. My cats love the stuff.