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Lets talk Savannah food

Brigitte Cowell

Moderator
Staff member
You'll get lots of variety in answers on the best cat food for Savannahs. I don't think they require anything different from any other cat except of course we advise it is a high quality cat food. But my British Shorthair eats what they do, and he was raised by his breeder on a raw diet. Mine get a choice (as they don't all like the same thing) of kibble, raw (ground and pieces) and canned...well they don't get so much kibble as my eldest is in kidney failure so we took that away. Possibly a good thing as we were feeding Taste of the Wild and that was in the recent recall I think!
 

Kerry

Savannah Kitten
Hi Kerry and welcome! I moved your post to the diet/raw food forum.

Does your savannah have fleas? have you taken to the vet? Does he/she wear a collar? What are you feeding?
No she does not have fleas. The people I got her from took her to vet. They had her on royal canine hp and a liquid medicine I have been giving her. she does not wear a collor. They told me I could switch her food to something more affordable but I found out Sunday that it was a 12 week trial to see if it was food related. So when I got her I started switching her to the Chicken Soup for cat lover its hollistic so I thought it would fine . Then it was recalled with diamond and alot of other pet foods and I could not get it on my pet food companys truck where I order pet food for my feed store, so I bought the taste of the wild salmon and trout(by the way none of my cats liked it and the dogs would not even eat it). Then that was recalled also so am sure none of this has helped. I was wondering what was the most fed food for this kind of cat. Iv been putting Verticyn on the scratch marks and they are getting better. She does not look like a possem or anything but I dont like marks on any of my cats as I have many and there hair is great on all of them. any advice would be great. I can get the royal canine but is expensive and with so many cats it would break the bank to let all of them eat it.
 

Kerry

Savannah Kitten
You'll get lots of variety in answers on the best cat food for Savannahs. I don't think they require anything different from any other cat except of course we advise it is a high quality cat food. But my British Shorthair eats what they do, and he was raised by his breeder on a raw diet. Mine get a choice (as they don't all like the same thing) of kibble, raw (ground and pieces) and canned...well they don't get so much kibble as my eldest is in kidney failure so we took that away. Possibly a good thing as we were feeding Taste of the Wild and that was in the recent recall I think!
The taste of the wild was recalled as well as the Chicken soup products and many more added everyday. It seems anything made in that plant has a ? mark about it
 

Brigitte Cowell

Moderator
Staff member
When you got your cat did they give you the vet records then? Or can your vet call their vet to work out what has been looked for so far...

I don't know that what is ok for most Savannahs is the answer here as most Savannahs don't seem to get itchy from food... and chances are your kitty is special in their needs. Generally with itching you rule out the simple things first like fleas...even if you don't see fleas it is worth treating, my husband had a domestic cat long ago that a flea had only to get within 10 yards of her and she'd be pulling her fur out. We had to be very very regular with flea meds year round to keep her happy.

When looking at food allergies, there are prescription diets which it sounds like she has had... but there are also commercially available ones at your pet store that work out cheaper... still not cheap as they have to be formulated excluding the common kibble ingredients that are generally used because they are cheaper! I know Natural Balance makes a few "limited ingredient" varieties like duck and pea or venison and pea in both canned and kibble. For some reason although chicken is a common enough food allergy, duck is different enough. Fish can be a common culprit of food allergies it seems.

Read the labels at the pet store, just being labeled holistic doesn't mean it will be good for allergies, although generally means it is a higher quality food. Even organic doesn't mean it won't cause allergies. What you want to look for is a food that doesn't contain the commoner food allergy culprits: fish, chicken, corn, wheat.... the easiest thing to do would be to remove all and see how she goes. . Be aware it can take some weeks for a system to calm down from allergies though, so don't expect overnight improvement...

But overall, I would involve your vet in this as they can suggest things that might not be thought of here by being able to examine your cat (which we can't)...
 

Pam Flachs

Savannah Super Cat
I agree it's quite possible she has allergies. My sister went through this with her BG/Abby boy. He would scratch, itch and pull out chunks of fur. After process of elimination, first with different foods, she discovered it was the pine litter she was using. Any kind..pellets, sawdust...sets him off. Since she switched to newspaper pellets, her boy has had no flare-ups. He is also allergic to gnats; so he has limited exposure to their outdoor enclosure.
 

Per Lausund

Moderator
Staff member
And even though cats need lots of protein, make sure she gets her fatty acids! Salmon oil is a great idea, or even salmon with the skin on. Ours love it, and chicken of course. With the skin on (four kitties at 2 months go through a 3 lbs chicken in a day (with a little help from mum!). Mine get it grilled.
 

Kerry

Savannah Kitten
And even though cats need lots of protein, make sure she gets her fatty acids! Salmon oil is a great idea, or even salmon with the skin on. Ours love it, and chicken of course. With the skin on (four kitties at 2 months go through a 3 lbs chicken in a day (with a little help from mum!). Mine get it grilled.
Thanks for the reply Are you talking fresh salmon or can. I was thinking about feeding her fish but I m not sure. I am making her a vet appointment, so I know whats going on with her .
 

DChap

Site Supporter
I read somewhere that raw trout is dangerous to cats and dogs, but if cooked it is ok. I havent heard that about any other seafood though.
 

Per Lausund

Moderator
Staff member
Raw trout has AFAIK never been found dangerous raw, the only fish that is really dangerous raw is saithe (a pollock) that contains enzymes that degrade one of the B-vitamins. It should be cooked before feeding. Freezing is a good idea, though, it kills parasites.
 
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