I'm at my wits ends with dry cat food!!! Advice?

chupi · Nov 26, 2008

I used to give my cats Nutro Complete Care, but that was discontinued earlier this year. I looked long and hard to find a suitable replacement and settled on Orijen. The cats did well on it, all good.

Now my usual suppliers have increased the price of Orijen by 33% to bring it in line with other suppliers. Unfortunately, with 5 cats, I can't afford the price hike.

Can anyone help me find a good replacement?

I am looking at
1.Eagle Pack
Chicken Meal, Ground Yellow Corn, Chicken Fat (Preserved With Natural Mixed Tocopherols), Corn Gluten Meal, Ground Brown Rice, Dried Beet Pulp, Anchovy & Sardine Meals, Sun-Cured Alfalfa, Brewers Dried Yeast, Flaxseed, Natural Chicken Flavor, Wheat Germ Meal, Dried Egg Product, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Tomato Pomace, Choline Chloride, Taurine, Cranberries, DL-Methionine, Polysaccharide Complexes of Zinc, Iron, Manganese and Copper, Calcium Carbonate, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin Supplement, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Vitamin A Supplement, Sodium Selenite, Ascorbic Acid, Biotin, Lecithin, Rosemary Extract, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Folic Acid, Vitamin B 12 Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Potassium Iodide, Phylloquinone and Cobalt Sulfate, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei, Enterococcus faecium, B. Subtillus, Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus coagulins, Aspergillus oryzae and Aspergillus niger.

2. Solid Gold
fresh lamb, ground chicken, millet, brown rice, ground fish, barley, canola oil - naturally preserved by mixed tocopherol, natural flavouring, salmon oil - provides DHA, flax oil, calcium chloride, choline chloride, taurine, chicory powder, amaranth, parsley flakes, mint, almond oil - naturally preserved by mixed tocopherol, yucca schidigera extract, kelp, thyme, blueberries, cranberries, apple, lentils, quinoa, zinc proteinate, vitamine E, niacin (vitamin B3), manganese proteinate, copper proteinate, thiamine mono-nitrate (vitamin B1), vitamin A, biotin, calcium iodide, calcium panthothenate (vitamin B6), vitamin B12, manganese oxide, sodium selenite, vitamin D, folic acid

3. Eukanuba
Chicken (>40%), chicken liver (>15%), rice flour, fish meal, maize grits, chicken fat, dried beet pulp, dried whole egg, chicken digest, brewer's dried yeast, potassium chloride, sodium chloride, DL-methionine

I haven't really looked at Iams, Hills, James Wellbeloved, Purina Pro Plan or Royal Canin, cos they are not as good as the choices above?

Can you tell I am a little confused? lol
Can anyone recommend one of the above, or tell me what I should be looking for in the ingredients lists?

chupi · Nov 26, 2008

Sorry, just to add one more:

4. Sanabelle
poultry meal, corn, barley, lard, liver meal, fish meal, meat hydrolysate, greaves (dried), cellulose fiber, protein meal, egg (dried), dried beet pulp, flax, yeast, fish oil, calcium chloride, lingonberry, blueberry, mussel meal, chicory powder, marigold blossom, yucca extract

zorana_dragonky · Nov 26, 2008

Of those on the list, I would recommend Solid Gold. I have read a lot of good things about the ingredients that they include in their foods and the quality places that they get those ingredients. They also have some really good testing practices to make sure that their ingredients are safe for your pets.

Eukanuba is owned by the same company as Iams and they are basically the same foods as far as I have seen. I have never heard of Sanabelle and Eagle Pack has a lot of corn in it for a Holistic food.

Good luck with whatever you choose.

sharky · Nov 26, 2008

Here is my take ... None make me jump up and down... james wellbeloved if memory serves has better ingredients ..

Originally Posted by chupi

I used to give my cats Nutro Complete Care, but that was discontinued earlier this year. I looked long and hard to find a suitable replacement and settled on Orijen. The cats did well on it, all good.

Now my usual suppliers have increased the price of Orijen by 33% to bring it in line with other suppliers. Unfortunately, with 5 cats, I can't afford the price hike.

Can anyone help me find a good replacement?

I am looking at
1.Eagle Pack
Chicken Meal, Ground Yellow Corn, Chicken Fat (Preserved With Natural Mixed Tocopherols), Corn Gluten Meal, Ground Brown Rice, Dried Beet Pulp, Anchovy & Sardine Meals, Sun-Cured Alfalfa, Brewers Dried Yeast, Flaxseed, Natural Chicken Flavor, Wheat Germ Meal, Dried Egg Product, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Tomato Pomace, Choline Chloride, Taurine, Cranberries, DL-Methionine, Polysaccharide Complexes of Zinc, Iron, Manganese and Copper, Calcium Carbonate, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin Supplement, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Vitamin A Supplement, Sodium Selenite, Ascorbic Acid, Biotin, Lecithin, Rosemary Extract, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Folic Acid, Vitamin B 12 Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Potassium Iodide, Phylloquinone and Cobalt Sulfate, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei, Enterococcus faecium, B. Subtillus, Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus coagulins, Aspergillus oryzae and Aspergillus niger.

2. Solid Gold
fresh lamb, ground chicken, millet, brown rice, ground fish, barley, canola oil - naturally preserved by mixed tocopherol, natural flavouring, salmon oil - provides DHA, flax oil, calcium chloride, choline chloride, taurine, chicory powder, amaranth, parsley flakes, mint, almond oil - naturally preserved by mixed tocopherol, yucca schidigera extract, kelp, thyme, blueberries, cranberries, apple, lentils, quinoa, zinc proteinate, vitamine E, niacin (vitamin B3), manganese proteinate, copper proteinate, thiamine mono-nitrate (vitamin B1), vitamin A, biotin, calcium iodide, calcium panthothenate (vitamin B6), vitamin B12, manganese oxide, sodium selenite, vitamin D, folic acid

3. Eukanuba
Chicken (>40%), chicken liver (>15%)I don't like organs in a dry food , rice flour, fish meal, maize grits, chicken fat, dried beet pulp, dried whole egg, chicken digest, brewer's dried yeast, potassium chloride, sodium chloride, DL-methionine

I haven't really looked at Iams, Hills, James Wellbeloved, Purina Pro Plan or Royal Canin, cos they are not as good as the choices above?

Can you tell I am a little confused? lol
Can anyone recommend one of the above, or tell me what I should be looking for in the ingredients lists?

chris10 · Nov 26, 2008

I would go with solid gold. In james wellbehaved the first ingredient is rice. And the other ingredients aren't really anything to get excited about.

laureen227 · Nov 26, 2008

Originally Posted by chris10

I would go with solid gold. In james wellbehaved the first ingredient is rice. And the other ingredients aren't really anything to get excited about.

but write to the company for a free sample, 1st - i got some for mine, & no one would eat it

... the ferals ate quite well for a while

skimble · Nov 26, 2008

Have you looked at 'Taste of the Wild' ?

http://www.tasteofthewildpetfood.com...feline_formula

GoldyCat · Nov 26, 2008

I recently changed my cats over to Taste of the Wild. They love it and are all looking very healthy. I've also noticed a dramatic decline in the amount of shedding.

I don't know how the price compares to what you're using. It's more than I was paying before, but they eat less of it because it has more protein and less fillers.

chupi · Nov 27, 2008

Hi - thanks all for recommendations!

Taste of the wild sounds like a good replacement, but its not available here - I should have mentioned I'm in the UK!

This is the James Wellbeloved ingredients:
White rice (min 26%), turkey meat meal (min 26%), turkey fat, maize gluten, potato protein (min 9%), poultry gravy, tomato pomace, omega-3 oil supplement, chicory extract, carrot, cranberry extract (min 0.05%), DL methionine, lysine hydrochloride, taurine, threonine, zinc methionate, yucca extract, rosemary oil.

Typical analysis: Protein 31%, oil 18%, ash 7%, fibre 1.8%.

I was thinking why the white rice, so assumed the other dry foods must be better.

Anyway, I have ordered a bag of Turkey and Rice, so will see how that goes while I research a bit more heavily on which food to settle on.

Can anyone advise me on how to look at ingredients - what I should be looking for, and what shouldnt be there?

sharky · Nov 27, 2008

High meat content like the James welbeloved has 26% so at least a quarter of the bag of meat... being meal it is concetrated ( takes five lbs of fresh to = 1 lb of meal) the majority of protein in this formula is from meat with corn gluten and potato adding in some... why rice is first I do not know but overall it is a one meat to one grain with two accessory proteins... one to one ratio is great in a grain containing food IMHO

By contrast the Solid Gold is 2 fresh meats ( mostly water ) so the real first ingredients are millet , brown rice and an unnamed fish ( I prefer salmon or tuna or herring meal to generic fish meal)... this formula has 3 meats ( 2 fresh and one meal ) and FIVE grains ... the fat in this one is very low in the US it has 34% protein( good ) and 12% fat ( very low )

the Eukanuba has a high meat content but the % s are weird , ie under 40% for the mostly water chicken and under 15% for the organs...

I personally avoid corn and corn gluten ( ie maize in your area ) together , one and not the first ingrediants is fine

No animal by products in a dry food ... ie no organs , heads , ft or other ?? able items of the animal

No artifical flavors , color s or preservatives

althekitty · Nov 27, 2008

I am feeding my cat James Wellbeloved Duck and Rice, ummm, sorry to slightly hijack this thread a teeny bit, sharky, is this good food too? I have thought that it is a good food and my cat loves it! He doesn't haver a lot as he mainly has wet but are these good ingredients?

urbantigers · Nov 27, 2008

I don't know how it will compare price wise (expensive probably!) but Applaws have just brought out a cereal free dry food. It should be available in shops from february.

Ingredients are:
Dry chicken meat, potato, fresh chicken, poultry oil, poultry gravy, beet pulp, egg powder, cellulose plant fibre, salmon oil, brewers dried yeast, cranberry extract, yucca extract, citrus extract, rosemary oil extract.

booktigger · Nov 27, 2008

I use James Wellbeloved, and all my cats do well on it, I dont have any issues with it, and it is easily available, unlike some of the others. You can get free samples off their website. I never bothered by the rice being first, because the rice and meat content is the same.

chupi · Nov 30, 2008

Thanks all, and thanks for the ingredients breakdown sharky.
I think I will go with the james wellbeloved for a while and see how it goes.

Ultimately Im looking for a grain free food - the orijen was really good for them, and they ate less of it, and their weight regulated back from slightly chubby to a normal weight range.

Maybe the applaws will be a good replacement when it comes out - fingers crossed its reasonably priced - some of the high end stuff on zooplus is ccrraaazily priced!

I'm at my wits ends with dry cat food!!! Advice?

chupi

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