[kirikara]

So. as I posted in another thread there was a possibility to go to france, and it is now becoming a real option.
My hubby is still not convinved and if it does not happen today hoepfully we will work something out for the future..

I have a bunch of silly questions some geared towards US expats now in france..

cats:
We have 2 kitties and I feed them grain free/high animal protein content WELLNESS CORE dry food and wet food I looked online a lot and it does not look like the whole grain free thing is a big deal in france. Could not find anything except Orijen.. Any advice?
Most people talking about "great" and best brand say they get royal canin, proplan or science diet... Here, in the study I have read, it is the premium stuff to avoid...(beyond the usual supermakret brands)

Also what does it usually cost to go to the vet and get the yearly vaccines?

Dress code:
Is there such a thing as casual friday? If I work in a fairly young but big company any chance for me to wear my jeans on a week day? or is french business even stricter...(field: retail)


Any american expat association you know of in the south of france? I d like to meet with people in our situation.

 

[Guest]

Ive only ever seen Royal Canin etc in the 'sheds' and at the vets.

Why do you give special food to the animals - have they been proved to actually need it, or just because you think its somehow 'better'? We have 6 cats, the eldest is knocking on 20, and they've only ever been given Felix Whiskas and bulk no-name biscuits from the local agricultural dealer - and they certainly don't give the appearance of being malnourished.

As for dress code, Ive never seen frayed jeans in any workplace Ive visited, but no-one except supervisors and above seem to wear real trousers to work any longer - more's the pity.

 

[Bevdeforges]

Well, regarding the cats, I can tell you that it has only been in the last few years that the fancy food brands have come into vogue here. Many vets carry the speciality brands, but as you note they are generally Proplan, Iams or Science Diet. I'm not sure what you mean by "whole grain free", but many garden centers in France carry what seems to be the greatest variety of specialty pet foods. Otherwise, you'll have to rely on finding something available online. (But don't forget - over here you can order from just about anywhere in the EU.)

I'm just about to make an appointment for one of the cats for the annual shots. Last year it cost about 55 - 60€ per cat.

Dress code - it depends on the company you work for and the type of job you hold. There isn't any widespread "casual Friday" AFAIK, but outside of the big cities, office attire can be much more casual than what is the norm in the US. Manager level folks, however, generally are "dressed up" all the time, which doesn't include jeans.

There is a FAWCO group in Montpellier AWG of Languedoc-Roussillon (France)

You can also check with the Consular office closest to where you will be to find lists of local expat and other groups in the area. Consulates and APPs
Cheers,
Bev

 

[GALLUS]

cat food

best is to contact vets (english speaking in Paris are plentlyful) so that you know before if your pet's favorite is available and if not how could it be replaced

Use french yellow pages (pages jaunes) to find out for vets contacts.

good luck

Gallus

 

[GALLUS]

For Friday dress code, 2 rules
- In Rome, do as Romans do
- Large international firms, foreign firms and international organisations have a Friday dress code policy. BUt it is most likely that in a Law firm, the dress code would be formal, even in informal occasions.

Best of luck

Gallus

 

[kirikara]

hi thabnks for your guys answer
well we started with all type of food and after research landed on wellness CORE grain free

and here is why

first we were giving them science diet, proplan, etc.. it was ok but they would not eat the same twice in a row
they kept being sick and not digestin well, they were ALWAYS t
then i switched to 9lives (the possibly WORST brand) and they ate, ate, ate gain weight and were still kinda of sick

took it out after reading the research online.
found out the "premium"animal store brand were really not better than cheaper ones it was just branding
so we settled on wellness core because
it had no grain (cats are carnovore), it was high protein and not full of weird filling/
the cats loved it, it is more expensive but they eat less and they digest well now and are not always hungry.

one of my little ones is really sensitive to different food, and if I am moving them accross the sea, Id like to find food that does not make them sick.. I dont enjoy cleaning up so much

Orijen looks like one of the only option and it is available online. Cool.

 

[kirikara]

ps: you can call me the crazy cat lady