My cat's food cans are dented. Is it safe? What should I look for?

That's a good question. If the paint was all nice and dry, it should be fine. It's good to keep food in an airtight container, even better if you put the original bag itself in an airtight container. This prevents oxidation. I'm not sure where paint buckets fall on the airtight scale. It's likely safe, but if you don't need to use it, I'd probably avoid it just in case.

That piece appears to be very small. I don't think you will see any ill effects. Do monitor for not eating and any vomiting or diarrhea and have KD examined if needed. Please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It is difficult to know how Pumpkin will tolerate the expired food. If it had any evidence of mold, he may experience some gastrointestinal upset such as vomiting or diarrhea over the next 24-48 hours. If you notice that he is more lethargic/sleepier than usual, loses his appetite, vomits or has diarrhea, I would have him evaluated by your veterinarian. He may require some symptomatic gastrointestinal support. If he continues to act normally at home (eating, drinking, urinating and passing normal stools), and he is otherwise healthy, I think he should be OK! (And I would definitely throw out that old bag of food!). I hope this is helpful!

Buying cat food from a sealed bag is definitely best. I don't recommend buying from an opened sack. You did a great job by putting the food in an airtight container and I would keep doing that after you open a sealed sack to keep the food stored fresh. Hope this helps. Great question!

I would advise against feeding many of these canned fish options meant for human consumption due to the extremely high sodium content. Cats do not do well with that much sodium in their diet. If there is no other option and it is going to be a ONE TIME thing, don't let your cat starve, but I wouldn't do it more than once.

If you keep the tin in the fridge then spoilage is slowed, ie the important nutritional ingredients will not change and the full nutritional value of the food will be retained. You should, however take the food out of the fridge and let it warm up or put it into the microwave for a few seconds, to get it to room temperature to avoid gastro-intestinal problems in your kitty,

I don't think it has anything to do with the glass container. I would just to make sure clean the container very well and make sure it is dry. Then try using it again. If she is still having this issue but is eating from the food in bag, I wouldn't be too concerned. To make sure there is nothing medical going on I do recommend a check up from your vet.