JUST TODAY CHANGE OF INGREDIENTS

[Davis]

Im glad I can give a little stress relief!! We all need that right now! It is hilarious that way he is acting. I mean its not even a big e-collar! Today Frank just walked casually into the room Cooper was in and he started trembling and flew up, ran up the wall and continued to run around the house...well I guess Frank thought it was hilarious and started to chase Cooper around the entire house in circles! At least 6 laps!! Whats even funnier is the Cooper is  a huge Maine Coon and Frank is a little domestic kitty! Such a sight! 

This is what I love about cats.  They are so entertaining.  I can just sit and watch them for hours.  Fascinating animals.

Ya know, Im not sure Im going to send in the sample. I am going to wait and see how everyone is doing for the next few days. I hope thats the right decision. About the outsourcing, she said they didnt get anything from China. Another lady from there told me everything was from U.S. Im just not sure. Other people have gotten better asnwers from them than what I have gotten.

Thank you for telling us.  It sounds like at least they don't outsource from China, but they may outsource flavoring from within this country instead of making it.  I guess I can live with that.  I feel a little better now.  Maybe you should send the sample, just to make sure, considering that their response was not that reassuring.  I don't know.  Let's see what everyone else thinks.

[Geff]

Ya know, Im not sure Im going to send in the sample. I am going to wait and see how everyone is doing for the next few days. I hope thats the right decision. About the outsourcing, she said they didnt get anything from China. Another lady from there told me everything was from U.S. Im just not sure. Other people have gotten better asnwers from them than what I have gotten.

Lacy, I'm unclear is it Natural Balance or California Natural who asked for a sample?

[Geff]

Geff -  I don't think white rice is UNhealthy for people. It's a perfectly fine source of carbohydrates. (depending on the method used, of course.)

But, from everything I've read, one wants to keep carbs to a minimum with cats.

Gary, the problem with White Rice & White Flour is that almost all of the nutrients are in the brown hulls that they remove when they make it white. The remaining white rice/flour is empty carbs that tend to cause blood sugar spiking.

[garypen]

I understand. I even said basically the same thing. But, for most humans, it is not a problem. I'm concerned, as I said, with cats, who should be ingesting minimal carbs. I would be more concerned with high glycemic index carbs, such as white rice and white flour. I'm less concerned with high-fiber low glycemic-index carbs like brown rice and whole grains.

[lacy]

Geff, sorry, its California Natural who wants a sample.

[Geff]

Lacy, what's the pull date on your bag?

[Geff]

Some of you are going to think I'm nuts, but Lacy's post (& a few others) have me concerned enough that I'm going to try to search out a couple bags of Cal Nat Chicken & Rice with pull dates of October or November 2007 & stock up. (As I've previously posted my guy has had no neg reactions to CN with those dates) That will at least give me what I beieve is safe food through most of this year.

Hope there are still a few older bags out there. The bag I bought in April was the only pre December bag left at that retailer.

[lacy]

The exp on mine is february 08. Do any of you have any back up dry food options that you are comfortable with?

[Cindy Nevarez]

I don't think you are nuts.

For one thing; the 3 million chickens already out there...were sold in Feb. Which means that those of us (including our pets) who eat chicken have already possibly eaten it.

[Javas Mom]

Not nuts at all Geff!!  Just FYI, three weeks ago I (hesitantly) purchased Cal. Nat. Chicken and Rice with a pull date of March 7, 2008. But all three boys have been doing extremely well and with all this talk, I went back yesterday and bought another bag with that same pull date. I don't know what to say about your problems with the feb date, Lacy; produced in a different plant, maybe??  Hopefully it was just an isolated incident unrelated to food; something two months ago, a cat-parent would have just cleaned up and gone about one's day!!

Since all of mine love variety (which is hard to provide right now!), we have also added Fromm's duck into the mix and they all three love that too. I did try Serengeti a couple weeks ago, which they ate but one of them had a little softer stool, so I'm thinking that maybe I need to introduce that a little slower than I'm accustomed, since it is a grain-free recipe. They also eat the Cal. Nat. Herring and Sweet Potato, and I'm waiting yet to introduce the Fromm's salmon and will let you know how that goes.  Lacy, since Cal Nat asked, I'd send them some of the food for testing. It would relieve everyone's mind--most importantly your own. 

[lacy]

Just FYI I just ordered The herring and sweet potato dry. Has anyone tried that one?

[garypen]

That one has substantially higher carb level, 40% vs. 27% for the Chicken n Rice. So, I didn't even bother with it.

[lacy]

oh really? Darn. I just ordered a small bag.

[garypen]

It's in the analysis on their product page.
HERRING and SWEET POTATO
Moisture 10.0  % 
Protein 30.0  % 
Fat 11.0  % 
Linoleic Acid 2.0  % 
Omega 3 1.0  % 
Carbohydrates 40.47  % 
Fiber 4.0  % 
Ash 7.50  % 
Calcium 1.45  % 
Phosphorous 1.23  % 
Magnesium 0.13  % 
Sodium 0.48  % 
Potassium 0.60  %

CHICKEN and VARIOUS TYPES OF RICE
Moisture 10.0  % 
Protein 36.0  % 
Fat 16.0  % 
Linoleic Acid 3.0  % 
Omega 3 0.30  % 
Arachidonic Acid 0.05  0 
Carbohydrates 27.27  % 
Fiber 3.5  % 
Ash 6.43  % 
Calcium 1.05  % 
Phosphorous 0.79  % 
Magnesium 0.12  % 
Sodium 0.35  % 
Potassium 0.90  %

[lacy]

Wow. Thanks for posting that Garypen. I just saw that on their page too. Well Im a little dissapointed. I bet they would have really liked that. They love fishy stuff.