Very overwhelmed by cat food options, please help me

apollotrigger · Dec 8, 2007

After reading just about anything I could find on why my cats need canned food, I've decided to switch my girls over to about a 90:10, with a little dry food left out over night for them to munch on. Now here's where I need the help. I have 5 cats, and I'm having a very hard time finding something that I could possibly afford to do.

I'm also very interested in going raw with them. I've looked at several companies that were always popping up in my reading with favorable reviews, but the most reasonable I've found there would be an $85 box that would last 7 days with the recommended servings.

I desperately need help. I'm realizing how my mother fed our cats, and how I've been feeding mine, is wrong. I'm also quote prone to panic attacks, which have increased greatly since learning all this. So I have a feeling the panic attacks won't let up until I get my girls on the best of what I can afford.

I can only spend $40 a month on cat food, possibly $50. I have a horrible sinking feeling that I might not have a big enough cat food budget to support all my girls. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. As you can tell I'm overreacting and giving myself fits over here. Thank you!

sharky · Dec 8, 2007

I would suggest a high end dry food and possibley stocking up on large wet cans when on sale... many premium brands have buy xx number cases get one free

misty8723 · Dec 9, 2007

Also, usually buying the larger cans are a bit more economical.

I can't buy that way, because mine won't eat leftovers. But with 5 cats, I don't think the leftover issue would be a problem.

gracie'sgal · Dec 9, 2007

Dear Apollotrigger,

No kidding, there are SO many foods out there!!! I guess it depends on what your approach on nutrition is. If you go with a high end food, it will cost a bit more, but the upside is, that you would generally feed less at a time. I feed my cat Nature's Logic - a rotation of their dry/canned/frozen- (granted I only have one kitty, but I'm right there with you on the budget thing) which is high end, but I think it's so worth it, and since you don't free feed it (leave it out) it last a LOT longer (www.natureslogic.com). FYI, if you want to do your own research.
I get the impression that you love your 5 very much, so you probably want the best. I don't think you're overreacting at all, they're your girls!
Generally, buying by the case will save you a bit of $$ too.
I hope any of this helps and that you and you're kitties can stay together!

Best of Luck!

Gracie'sGal

sharky · Dec 9, 2007

Originally Posted by Gracie'sGal

Dear Apollotrigger,

No kidding, there are SO many foods out there!!! I guess it depends on what your approach on nutrition is. If you go with a high end food, it will cost a bit more, but the upside is, that you would generally feed less at a time. I feed my cat Nature's Logic - a rotation of their dry/canned/frozen- (granted I only have one kitty, but I'm right there with you on the budget thing) which is high end, but I think it's so worth it, and since you don't free feed it (leave it out) it last a LOT longer (www.natureslogic.com). FYI, if you want to do your own research.
I get the impression that you love your 5 very much, so you probably want the best. I don't think you're overreacting at all, they're your girls!
Generally, buying by the case will save you a bit of $$ too.
I hope any of this helps and that you and you're kitties can stay together!

Best of Luck!

Gracie'sGal

I will give the natures logic is tasty but TOO many ??? able ingrediants for my blood...

40 $ is what i spent on two cat s

Dry food in a decent to good premium likely would run about 30 month for a 20lb bag... i would suggest feed stores as you can often get good food for 20$ for a 20lb bag ....

Lower priced yet good ( big canned ones under 1.40
meow mix
some of the iams
authority
nutro max (some big cans
chicken soup ( some big cans
innova / evo /cal natural easier to find 13ox can s but they run 1.60-2.40 here
Eagle pack
Talk to the stores many will give a case or a multi case discount ... this includes Big box ... 10-20% off the case is not uncommon

apollotrigger · Dec 9, 2007

Thank you for all the suggestions guys. :-) I wish I had a bigger budget to feed my babies, but I definitely want to get them the best I can. I was researching raw but the princes are _INSANE_ for the amount of kitties I have.

Right Ms. Picky Eater is eating IAMs canned chicken, and the others are eating a 50/50 mix of IAMs mutli-cat dry and the IAMS canned chicken. I'll be running into a pet store soon (I've got a PetCo, PetSmart, Hollywood Petstar, and Super Petz within walking distance of my house.), is there a specific brand I should be on the look out for, and what store tends to have the best buy-this-many-get-some-free policy? I'll definitely be on the look out for the larger cans. The IAMs I got today are the small cans. :/

Thank you so much everyone!

sharky · Dec 9, 2007

petco has a buy 10 get a coupon mailed for a free one

I do not know petstar and petz

petco and petsmart

look at these for dry

no order
authority
nutro
royal canin
blue spa
by nature
natural balence

white cat lover · Dec 9, 2007

I've been buying in Petco, Nutro MAX kitten for my foster kittens. I received some coupons for $3 off a bag on Nutro MAX kitten in the mail recently. I'll also be getting my 10th bag free(sheesh I'm planning on having them that long!

)

Chicken Soup & Diamond Naturals(not Diamond Maintenance, Naturals), are relatively cheap & IMO good foods. I feed the Diamond Naturals Active to my farm kitties, it's about $18 for 18 lbs?

glitch · Dec 9, 2007

Hmmm, that budget is small but maybe look on the internet for discounted prices! The net has some good stuff and is relativly cheap to get! That way you could buy bulk. Also if you have a farming store near by they sell the food by the pound for cheap. The more pounds you buy the cheaper it is, if you wanna go with wet food you'll probably have to spend a little more for them to get the proper nutrition. Let us know!

gracie'sgal · Dec 10, 2007

sharky;2085556 said:
I will give the natures logic is tasty but TOO many ??? able ingrediants for my blood...

I'm just wondering what is questionable? Maybe I can help, or the frequently asked questions?

Please let me know!

stephenq · Dec 10, 2007

Apollotrigger
I think most of us will agree with your decision to feed wet food to your cats, but take a moment to breathe, this is not an emergency. Your cats were doing ok yesterday on dry food, and they will do fine tomorrow. The change your want to do is for their long term health and happiness, not a quick fix so don't feel like you have to do this instantly.

Without speaking for the group, i believe that just about any wet food is better than dry, so even a less expensive brand of wet food will provide benefits over dry. You can definitely save money with large (12oz) cans of food like Iams as an example. You can also save a lot of money if you make homemade cat food by *carefully* following reputable (cooked) recipes that are completely balanced. This is an important issue because even a slightly unbalanced diet over a long period of time could have a negative health effect. And while many people swear by a raw diet, cats are as susceptible to Salmonella poisoning as humans are so this has to be a consideration.

Lastly, some cats become addicted to dry food and you may find that switching them over to wet takes practice and time, and even different brands and flavors.

Go gently, take your time, and breathe

jen · Dec 10, 2007

Gracie'sGal;2086098 said:
Originally Posted by sharky

I will give the natures logic is tasty but TOO many ??? able ingrediants for my blood...

I'm just wondering what is questionable? Maybe I can help, or the frequently asked questions?

Please let me know!

Click to expand...

Sharky means questionable as to whether or not a cat needs those ingredients in their food or not and what benefit they offer to the cat. Not that she doesn't know what they are.

It does contain a lot of various vegetables which I don't know that a cat would necessarily need being carnivores.

gracie'sgal · Dec 10, 2007

Ok, thanks for helping clarify.
I think the reason for the amount of fruit/veggie ingredients is because the whole point of their food is that they don't use any synthesized (man-made) vitamins/minerals, etc. So they need to get them naturally from food ingredients. But if you look at the crude protein level and crude fat level, the cats (being carnivores) would get all they need.
In the wild, they would eat all of their prey, including the stomach/intestinal contents (sorry to get graphic in the A.M.!), so they would be getting that fresh veggie/fruit aspect. It really is a small amount in the big picture of the ingr. breakdown. I think it begs investigating before shutting down...Especially after finding out that the vitamins and minerals that are "added" in other foods (and human foods and supplements) mainly come from China. That is disconcerting to me...

nimbus · Dec 10, 2007

Don't worry! I struggled with cat food for awhile too. I eventually settled with a rotation of Natural Life and Nutro wet food with Nutro dry food to snack on. They are good quality and perfect for my budget. Natural Life is about $20 for 24 (5.5 oz) cans and you can find it at Walmart, Acme, and PetFoodDirect.com. Also, if you buy in bulk from petfooddirect, you can almost always get a 20% coupon and you save a lot of money! My kitten is doing great on those brands and he actually won't even go near Iams anymore (I initially fed him that, before I knew anything about cat food ingredients). Anyway, good luck and don't worry!

-Kristen

sharky · Dec 10, 2007

Originally Posted by Gracie'sGal

Ok, thanks for helping clarify.
I think the reason for the amount of fruit/veggie ingredients is because the whole point of their food is that they don't use any synthesized (man-made) vitamins/minerals, etc. So they need to get them naturally from food ingredients. But if you look at the crude protein level and crude fat level, the cats (being carnivores) would get all they need.
In the wild, they would eat all of their prey, including the stomach/intestinal contents (sorry to get graphic in the A.M.!), so they would be getting that fresh veggie/fruit aspect. It really is a small amount in the big picture of the ingr. breakdown. I think it begs investigating before shutting down...Especially after finding out that the vitamins and minerals that are "added" in other foods (and human foods and supplements) mainly come from China. That is disconcerting to me...

Most of us are careful with NON usa or our local countries now... the whole veggies and fruit giving the vitamins does not hold water for me as the food is all cooked and almost all water souble vitamins are gone ... Plus as a raw and homemade feeder I can tell you there are PLENTY of MEAT based supplements that provide those items in the way the cats body can assimilate... plant based are not always able to be used ...

many natural foods do use NATURAL or FOOD based supplements

kittytales · Dec 10, 2007

I just went through this quality for less search while looking for canned food to feed my 2 "long term fosters" and came up with

Pro Pac
Nature's Recipe
Felidae - (less than $.10 an ounce vs $.16 with the small cans)

PetFoodDirect.com has better prices than my local pet store and always have 20% off coupons available that (for me) more than cover the shipping costs.

Very overwhelmed by cat food options, please help me

apollotrigger

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sharky

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misty8723

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gracie'sgal

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sharky

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apollotrigger

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white cat lover

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glitch

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jen

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