Should I buy a "better" cat food?

phishmarisol

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I buy Purina adult dry food. It isn't super cheap but it's a lot less than some of the expensive stuff at Pet Smart. Is there any reason to buy the more expensive food? She likes the Purina fine but if certain food is more healthy I'd definitely buy the expensive stuff. Any advice?
 

sharky

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Can you afford it???

Yes alot of the more expensive stuff is good and often helps keep kitty healthy .....

At petsmart
look at
Authority ( the best quality for $$$ in the big bag )
Nutro
Royal canin
Blue spa
 

MoochNNoodles

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I try to give my girls the best I can afford. I figure it's like eating junk food for us if I give my girls the cheap stuff just because it's cheap. Like they will be healthier in the long run, therefore possibly less in the way of vet bills and what not as they age. They've been on Authority since kittens are doing well with it. I think I pay about $10 for their food and it lasts about 6 weeks max. Petsmart's website does have a little tool for finding food options, and if you use that to compare the options at the end, it will give you a comparison chart for the cost to feed per day even.
 

misty8723

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Originally Posted by sharky

Can you afford it???

Yes alot of the more expensive stuff is good and often helps keep kitty healthy .....

At petsmart
look at
Authority ( the best quality for $$$ in the big bag )
Nutro
Royal canin
Blue spa
I read on another thread in this forum that there is a class action suit against Royal Canin because they use too much Vitamin D in their food, and it's harming cats. Don't they also have wheat gluten? I was giving Royal Canin to Swanie and Cindy as treats, and now that's one more thing I'm worried about.
 

kitytize

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Originally Posted by Misty8723

I read on another thread in this forum that there is a class action suit against Royal Canin because they use too much Vitamin D in their food, and it's harming cats. Don't they also have wheat gluten? I was giving Royal Canin to Swanie and Cindy as treats, and now that's one more thing I'm worried about.
Yes that is true. I currently feed Royal Canin but I have decided I am switching to a food that does not contain wheat gluten. Royal Canin also uses Menu Foods which makes it even more scarier to feed.
 

sharky

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Originally Posted by kitytize

Yes that is true. I currently feed Royal Canin but I have decided I am switching to a food that does not contain wheat gluten. Royal Canin also uses Menu Foods which makes it even more scarier to feed.
Where did you get that info??? see RC only makes RX wet and sensible choice and MENU makes NO dry food
 

roxie225

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Originally Posted by phishmarisol

I buy Purina adult dry food. It isn't super cheap but it's a lot less than some of the expensive stuff at Pet Smart. Is there any reason to buy the more expensive food? She likes the Purina fine but if certain food is more healthy I'd definitely buy the expensive stuff. Any advice?
I used to feed Purina adult as well. I decided to make the switch over to a premium food because all those carbs were making Roxie gain weight. Now that she is on Nutro I can notice a huge difference. Her coat is a lot more soft and fluffy and she seems to shed a lot less. She is finally trimming down! Most importantly, she actually seems to like it.

Like Sharky said, if you can afford it I would say go for it. There are many health benefits in the end!
 

jen

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I always recommend Chicken Soup for the Cat Lovers Soul or Premium Edge, they are both super cheap here and excellent quality.
 

trixie23

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Definitley ditch the Purina! Stay away from By-Products and Corn ingredients! Wellness is a line that I like, others have great suggestions (but Wellness is my favorite thus far)! A wet food diet is a great nutrition choice, and though the premium foods cost more they are worth every penny!
 

catsallover

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Originally Posted by Roxie225

I used to feed Purina adult as well. I decided to make the switch over to a premium food because all those carbs were making Roxie gain weight. Now that she is on Nutro I can notice a huge difference. Her coat is a lot more soft and fluffy and she seems to shed a lot less. She is finally trimming down! Most importantly, she actually seems to like it.

Like Sharky said, if you can afford it I would say go for it. There are many health benefits in the end!
This has been my experience,too with switching from Science Diet to Felidae Chicken and Rice. They also don't eat as much of it, but they look better and seem to feel a bit perkier (3 out of 4 of mine are seniors
). Right now I am feeding them a mixture of half the Felidae Chicken and Rice and half Maxximum Adult formula (Walmart- blue bag) because I have to travel a bit for the Felidae, so I have the option of just running down the street if I run out or if the petstore is out, and I have one cat who actually needs to gain a bit back after being diagnosed with hyperthyroidism, and she likes it better
.

I liked the Chicken Soup for Kittens, but my adults can't have fish, so they can't have CS. That is probably what they would be getting if they could eat fish, due to the good quality for a good price.
 

littleraven7726

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Originally Posted by Misty8723

I read on another thread in this forum that there is a class action suit against Royal Canin because they use too much Vitamin D in their food, and it's harming cats. Don't they also have wheat gluten? I was giving Royal Canin to Swanie and Cindy as treats, and now that's one more thing I'm worried about.
the class action lawsuit involves prescription diets.

here's a link to the article: http://www.cbc.ca/cp/business/070321/b032102A.html
One of the lawyers handling the plaintiffs' case said the suit against Royal Canin has been in the works for months and is unrelated to the high-profile problems that have come to light at Menu Foods Income Fund
a link to the other article.
http://www.dailytidings.com/2006/Mar...031706c1.shtml
 

jpawz

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This is no slight to anyone in here or anywhere, but I do think many, many pet owners underestimate the benefits of a quality pet food.

Just think of how our bodies feel when we eat like less than optimum; for a long time things seem fine, but after a while systems can backfire.

And animals have some areas of even more intricate GI pathways, among others.

I think it's fine to buy whatever one wants to buy -BUT- at least keep a standard high quality diet as the baseline.

I have both seen pet owners and through my own experience discover pets (especially cats) vomit less, have shinier coats with less dandruff (even dander!) , brighter eyes, more happy, responsive, and immunologically stronger cat (and dog).

Every living creature thrives when on the best quality diet--that is no mystery. It's not always possible but I would strive to keep the balance tipped in their favor.

When I fall for a sale and buy something different, my cats definitely puke more or just don't eat much of it. So you end up wasting money anyway. And overall the premium, more natural foods work to age your pet healthier too!
 
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