Affordable wet food for 4 cats

Hello, everyone.

I have 3 cats, one of whom is Cali who has diabetes and I also feed a neighborhood cat outside. Currently, I've been feeding 2 cans of Fancy Feast for each of them, but I can't always afford it. It's impossible to feed my indoor cats separately because they don't always eat everything at once and I have a hard time short shrifting any of them - honestly. They know - even the outside cat.

Do you know of more affordable ways to feed a diabetes-friendly wet food diet for 4 cats?

Another question I have is are freeze-dried seafood and meat treats safe for diabetic cats? When Cali was first diagnosed, we were dealing with a death in the family (my mom) and with Cali's polyuria, and all the changes, all the cats were using the houseplants as a litter box alternative. It's going to get cold enough to bring the plants back in and I'd love a way to reward good behavior.

 

FF Pate and Frieskies are the most economical canned food variety.
You can safe on the same flavors if you shop at Dollar tree or alike stores - they sell larger cans for $.99.

Many on here use freeze dried treats but I am not aware which brands. Might be costly for a company of 4.
If you edit the title of your post to add "& Freeze Dried Treats question" people who use it will respond.

I use plain home (under)baked chicken for treats and rewards - works miracle and very cheap.
Unseasoned, half baked and than cubed, given as needed from the fridge; stays fresh (edible anyway) for several days if air sealed.

 

If you have a Kroger near you, the Luvsome brand of wet food [3 oz. cans] is what I feed Bama. Be careful about accidentally picking up the cans with gravy as the labels are similiar to the straight pate. Bama eats Turkey & Giblets and Salmon. Costs 50 cents per can. I use the app and also get coupons in the mail from Kroger which occasionally includes a coupon for 65 cents off when buying 7 cans.

 

inexpensive treat if you have any stores in the area catering to those who cook Japanese or other Oriental food

bonito curls or flakes -- used to make broth basis for those foods, may be called Katsuobushi -- big potato chip sized bag for $6-8
and it lasts a month or more

 

I also use cooked chicken pieces for treats like Tanya & Dulcia. I bake or pressure cook the chicken in fairly large batches, freeze slices, store in a freezer bag and take out a few at a time to thaw. I also offer raw gizzards for 'chew food' and Idjit loves them. I buy a big pack, spread them out on foil sheets in the freezer then throw them into freezer bags, so I don't have a big clump of gizzard. Then thaw and offer one or two at a time at least every couple of days. Idjit also gets raw chicken wings which he chews and gnaws to the last bit.

 

If you decide to give freeze dried chicken treats to the cats, look for them in the dog treat section of the pet store. You can get a bigger bag for the same amount or even less money than if you bought the same amount of cat treats.