Buckley was diagnosed with idiopathic cystitis in 2023. We tried all natural remedies at first and they seemed to worked for a short amount of time.
Since we move around a lot, we were always a bit nervous because we didn’t know how Buckley would respond to the move. Long story short, he didn’t do well after our last move and after consulting with his vet, we decided the best course of action was putting Buckley on Science Diet.
We are going to be frank. We didn’t want to put him on this food. It’s not Certified Humane, it contains fillers and grains (not needed for a cat’s diet), and is not organic. But we were at a point where we had to do something because we didn’t want this health to suffer and him develop urinary crystals (which can be deadly).
It’s been almost a year and the Science Diet is working. He’s been healthy and has done well with another move. Did we make the right choice? Yes, we did. Do we still have the same thoughts on the food but are grateful for the food nonetheless? Yes, we are.
Buckley hasn’t liked wet since he was a few months old (another issue with cystitis, not consuming enough wet food). We have tried EVERY wet food out there with no luck. Until now.
Turns out Buckley doesn’t like pate or chunky food but he likes shredded chicken. Buckley eats this food right up! Would highly recommend this brand!
Fussie Cats also has treats and these have also been a lifesaver. Giving him one allows us to groom him and cut his nails, which has been a chore since he was a kitten.
Fussie Cat food can be bought at any pet health food store, Amazon, or Chewy.
One random day while running errands, we picked up a bag of these cat treats and oh my god, Buckley is obsessed. All natural, Amish made, no nasty ingredients. Just yum!
https://www.sugarbrooknaturalpet.com
To keep Buckley’s mind active, we purchased a slow feeder. We use it for dry food but it can be used for soft/pate food also. It has suction cups on the bottom so it doesn’t move and is just a great, easy addition to help keep your cat (or dog) mind active.
We found out the hard way how important having a water fountain is for a cat. Why is a water fountain better than a stationary bowl of water? Because cats need to see their water source. Meaning, they need to see flowing water, that’s why they want to drink from the faucet after you run the water (as a side note, prior to getting a water fountain, we innocently let Buckley drink from the faucet and when we went away for a few days, he didn’t drink much water and got sick. Learn from our mistake, do not let your cat drink from the faucet).
We did a bunch of research on the best water fountain for a cat and this fountain by FeelNeedy is amazing (it would also be good for small dogs). It’s pricey but totally worth every penny, here’s why:
*It’s super easy to clean and doesn’t get a grimy.
*There are three different settings-sensor, intermittent, or constant. We use the intermittent so it goes off every 15 minutes. Buckley gets intrigued when it goes off and he will drink more water because of that. Success!!
*Buckley loves to chew cords so we needed a wireless fountain. And this one is! The charge lasts us about a month. For constant mode, you would need to have it plugged in all the time.
*The filters last about 3 weeks and the price is decent for the replacements.
The water fountain:
Filter refills are here:
Buckley the Adventure Cat 