More for less. (cat food)

leto86

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At the cat rescue, we feed the Adult Science Diet and The Kitten Science Diet. Recently we started buying the Blue Buffalo's Spa Select Kitten food, because someone bought us a bag and it seemed to be a really good food (IMO, more so than the SD)
i've been telling the owner of the rescue that Science Diet isn't as good as all the vets say it is. Just look at the ingredients. Corn is in the top 5 I'm sure. Now, the Spa Select is a better food IMO, it doens't even contain corn last time I read the bag(I'm pretty sure).

And with 160+ cats being free fed daily. We go through around 6-8 20lb bags of the science diet a week. And at almost $40 a bag, thats alot of money on a food that is debatable whether it's even good nor not.

I know there are better foods for less money, but I'm not sure where to find them or what they are. Help?

We have a Petsmart in the next biggest city, which is London. I think there's two of them in there actually. Thats where we have been getting the Spa Select Kitten and the Science Diet Kittten. The vet provides us with the Adult.

I'm just trying to find ways to save money. We owe the vets over $4000, and we had to raise $2400 in 4 days just to pay the hydro and morgage on the building.

So any help, please?
 

lakeriedog

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Science Diet was one of the first non grocery store brands that I tried when I was trying to increase the quality of what we were feeding our babies. We used it for a few years before I found this site, and starting reading what goes into their food. I won't profess to know what is best, but it sounds like you are on the right track trying to reduce or eliminate the corn.

I don't have any experience in running a cat rescue, but I was wondering if you or the director of the rescue have looked into getting one of the distributors to sell the kitty food to you wholesale or at a discount? No matter which brand you decide to go with, it seems worth a try.
 

batgirl2good

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Could you tell the distributers or whoever you buy from that this is for a shelter? Maybe they can just donate part of the food to you.

Good luck!
 

katiemae1277

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I think the Blue Spa is a pretty decent food, its comparable to what I feed, the Chicken Soup for Pet Lover's Soul, but you can't get that at Petsmart
they also sell Nutro at Petsmart and the Petsmart brand, Authority, is pretty decent from what I've heard
the problem I have with Science Diet is that there are by-products in their food, for the price the SD sells for, the should only be using the highest quality ingredients and by-products are not high quality IMO
 

sharky

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SD often give s $$$ ti rescues as does purina ...

The best deal I heard was for a dog rescue but it was Canidea makers of Felidea ... every sixth bag was free ...

Nutro and Chicken soup would be great if they cant get on a program since the cost up front is lower...
 
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leto86

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SD and Purina have both been very nice with us, giving us discounts and the like. But $5 off a bag isn't much.

Meowmix has sent us a large amount of food, which we use by mixing it lightly with the SD.


I am going to ask the person who sends letters looking for grants, to see if she will send out some letters to some of these companies. See if we can get anything off.

the local petstore here does sell the Chicken Soup brand.. but it's more than the SD there I think.
Nutro we have used, as well as Felidae, which the cats refused to eat
 

katiemae1277

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Originally Posted by Leto86

SD and Purina have both been very nice with us, giving us discounts and the like. But $5 off a bag isn't much.

Meowmix has sent us a large amount of food, which we use by mixing it lightly with the SD.


I am going to ask the person who sends letters looking for grants, to see if she will send out some letters to some of these companies. See if we can get anything off.

the local petstore here does sell the Chicken Soup brand.. but it's more than the SD there I think.
Nutro we have used, as well as Felidae, which the cats refused to eat
The CS is more than SD?????? I only pay about $20 for an 18lb bag of CS here, and I know for a 20 lb bag of SD its almost $30, that's really weird!
 
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leto86

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Maybe it's a different brand I'm thinking of. They also carry Eagle Pack, so maybe thats what I'm thinking about.
 

sharky

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Cs in a pet store ( not a feed store) is at least priced here like natural choice
25-35 a big bag
 

katiemae1277

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Originally Posted by Leto86

Maybe it's a different brand I'm thinking of. They also carry Eagle Pack, so maybe thats what I'm thinking about.
maybe, Eagle Pack is expensive, at least to me

Originally Posted by sharky

Cs in a pet store ( not a feed store) is at least priced here like natural choice
25-35 a big bag
I get mine at a chain called Pets Supplies Plus, and its the same price at the feed stores round here, like 20 or 21 dollars
 

sharky

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Originally Posted by katiemae1277

maybe, Eagle Pack is expensive, at least to me


I get mine at a chain called Pets Supplies Plus, and its the same price at the feed stores round here, like 20 or 21 dollars
I need to move to you then..lmao.. feed store 18 for CS no chains carry here and reg pet store 30-35 and disc pet 25 ish
 

katiemae1277

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Originally Posted by sharky

I need to move to you then..lmao.. feed store 18 for CS no chains carry here and reg pet store 30-35 and disc pet 25 ish
that's crazy!! I know Pets Supplies are in the great lakes area OH, MI, IN) and in some southern states, at least AL
 

cloud_shade

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Also keep in mind that often when you switch to a higher quality food, you will be using less of it so some of the extra cost per bag goes away. The cats will likely eat less because there are fewer/no fillers and they get better nutrition from less food.
 
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