So Garypen, did you quit using Merrick and switch over to Sheba? Many years ago I used Sheba as a treat with dry, but the vet I had didn't like it much. He felt I should use only the dry diet and eventually he coaxed me into giving it up and using only the Hills diet. The Sheba was probably better for my cats than the Hills.

Gary, you said one of your cats doesn't drink water at all. Have you tried getting a pet water fountain? I've noticed since we have been using one the past few years our cats drink a lot more water. I keep water in a couple of other dishes as well, but most of the water they drink is from the fountain. We have purified water with reverse osmosis and I think that makes a difference too. On the average, even though about half of their diet is wet food, my cats drink about 1/2 to 3/4 of a cup of water each, per day.

Mary K,  you're welcome. I know this isn't easy. If only we could give one quick zap with a magic wand to put an end to this pet food issue. But of course, it's not that simple.

However, I will say that with all the foods I've purchased through the years, unlike most, Merrick has real chunks of meat rather than ground up contents that can't be determined by the look or the smell. Despite my skeptism, those large chunks of meat and the way that my cats eat the food has been quite different from other foods. I don't see how they could produce a meaty looking product out of something made from garbage. At the same time, I don't have complete trust in any company. Maybe one day that will change.

I checked through all of my cans of Merrick and none of them have an Oct 07 09 date on them. If you decide to try the Merrick food and it makes you more comfortable, perhaps you can return them for dates that match those that I've used or other people here on the forum.  It's just a thought.

Since I have been looking for a new cat litter myself, I came across this link that has a great deal of information on various brands and types of cat litter including corncob litter. I'm beginning to feel about as confused on cat litter as I did pet food. Looking at what goes into the product and the the effects has changed my entire perspective on what I purchase.

http://www.thelighthouseonline.com/articles/natural.html#CornCob

I understand how you feel Mary K. Honestly, it has taken a lot for me to come to terms with trying both the Evangers and Merrick, but they have both been working so far. Every day I read everything new and watch my cats like a hawk for anything different. I even measure how much water is left in their dishes so I know how much they are drinking as well as monitoring their litter boxes. What I can say is that compared to what my vet had my fur babies eating before, I know their health has improved and the food has proven to be safe so far.

When it came to making my decision on what to feed, I spent over 2 weeks researching and reading blogs before I made a choice. Even then I still felt some apprehension and hoped with everything in me that I was making the best possible selections. At the same time, I still hold my breath as soon as I see an e-mail come through that says recall in the subject line.  As for having 100% trust, I don't. But I had to take a leap of faith and put some trust in someone, or make my own. Since making my own didn't seem like something I would keep up with, I had to make a choice.

When it comes to fears, I think we have all had various types of fears since this entire nightmare began. Though they may vary from person to person, I don't think any of them are silly. And it takes time to get past the fears. I wish you luck in trying to decide whether to move forward with feeding the Merrick food to your 3 kitties or trying something else.  I'll check to see if I have any food dated Oct 07 09 and I'll let you know.

I have some additional new dates of Merrick as well. Let me know if you would like me to post them after I use them.

Thanksgiving Day 5.5 oz

Best by Oct 20 09
2CSTDO H 06293 0213H

Turducken 5.5 oz

Best by Oct 19 09
2CSTKN A 06292 0809H

New England Boil 5.5 oz

Best by Oct 20 09
2CSNE E 06293 1153H

Ocean Breeze 5.5 oz

Best by Oct 13 09
2CSUB F 06286 2202H

In response to the pet treats, years ago when I lived in the Midwest, it was quite common to go into most any vet clinic or feed place and find dried pig ears and other products such as those. I remember purchasing the pig ears for my dogs. They loved them and chewed on them for hours. It seems to me that what Merrick has done is go a few steps further with making a line of additional pet treats out of products that we don't typically think of using.

I've had my skeptism about Merrick, but I have one really picky kitty that will only eat the Evanger's turkey which I haven't been able to get all the time without having it shipped. I don't think she likes the chicken because of the liver.  So out of desperation, I tried some Merrick samples when they had a rep at my local pet store. It has been the only cat food that I've halfway trusted that my picky baby will eat. She prefers dry food and the one she likes, California Natural Chicken and Rice, is one I feel fairly good about, but my preference is for her to eat some canned.

My other two kitties will eat any Evangers without any problem, but I can tell the turkey is their favorite along with anything from Merrick.

You may not have read my blog before we came here SunHawk, but the Mature Formula that is labeled as IVD, a U.S. prescription diet, does have wheat gluten. I wasn't aware until all of this came about that Royal Canin makes the product. My cat was on it, which was why I contacted them.

Originally I thought that my cat vomiting was hair ball related, but now I believe it was related to the food. Maybe not because of the wheat gluten, but after reading what goes in the product, I think the food itself is not a very good product despite my vet suggesting that I use it. When I look back at past history of all the years that I used prescription diets, yet I had cats with so many health problems, I'm convinced now that the food was probably a lot of the problem. So far since changing my cat's diet, she hasn't vomited, but I guess only time will tell.

Davis, I just wanted to say that you made several good points in what you said and it pretty much sums up a lot of what my thoughts were on what I felt after talking with Royal Canin. BTW, great idea for setting up a thread to the companies too and thanks for putting it together Therese.

I'm sure your're right Therese, but there is no question that no matter what changes Royal Canin made in the future, that phone call would have an impact on my purchasing their products. That is probably what they don't recognize in this whole situation.

However, like you I agree with saying "thank you" to those companies that are kind. They are the companies that I would take a second look at if they are making an honest effort to make changes that benefit the needs of my furry family members.

Although the recall for Royal Canin was in Canada, I was curious about one of their dry prescription products with wheat gluten. I contacted the company and of course they assured me the products in the U.S. have been tested and there is no reason for any concern. However the representative was extremely defensive and uncaring.

I told her as a consumer that I was not comfortable with any products that contain wheat gluten, so I had discontinued use of the product. She advised me in her unfriendly tone of voice, that it was my choice if I wanted to continue using it or not. She had no empathy within her and she seemed incapable of validating my concerns.

I went on to say that like myself, I felt other consumers would be looking for products that do not contain wheat gluten. She said that she would pass that on, but I had the feeling that she had no interest in what I had to say.

When I told Hills the reason why I was no longer going to use any of their products, they showed sensitivy and understanding. I certainly hope that is the typical kind of response most people are getting when they contact one of these companies and not the kind that I had with Royal Canin.