whats a good alternative to NUTRO MAX CAT .. thanx in advance

sanboy

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Oct 9, 2006
Messages
37
Purraise
0
Gypsy is my 3 year old ..

she has been on NUTRO basically her whole life .. when from NURTO KITTEN .. to NUTRO MAX CAT ( she didnt like NUTRO COMPLETE CARE ) but had no problem eating MAX CAT

i have kept her on NUTRO MAX CAT .. because i found that NUTRO and have heard from multiple people that the " stool " smell is usually less with NUTRO

just wondering if there is a decent alternative in the same price range that would maybe give her a little " different choice "

PURINO ONE NATURALS ?
say IAMS had a " HEALTHY CHOICE " bag avaialble

I can go to PETSMART and ect like i do now . but if tehre was a science diet or IAM that was available at a more " accessable " place i would try it
 

sharky

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Jan 30, 2005
Messages
27,231
Purraise
38
Originally Posted by ckblv

Here is a good link on choosing a good cat food that isn't authored by a cat food manufacturer.

http://cats.about.com/od/catfoodandn..._Nutrition.htm
the above site is written by a total laymen ( ie you and I could write it ) ... there are many non manufacturer sites with better info IMHO ...

IMHO the old Max formula was better ... NO Naturals is not really the same level ( it has artificial colors, lots of grain and other potential allergens )Naturals IMHO is a decent food

Iams has ground corn , by products( ie heads ft and intestines ) IMHO it is lower than Naturals

Things I dont like about the Max indoor
the protein level is 30% ( great for a senior cat IMHO )
wheat ( old formula was called hairball and did not have this common allergen)
corn gluten meal ( better than grd corn IMHO as it is much more digestible( grd corn 30-50% Corn gluten meal is 66-76% )( corn or corn gluten aid in UTI health in a dry food that is chicken based)
rice , rice bran ( it is a grain and fiber )


Max is what I call entry to mid level premium better than alot but not great

Naturals is a decent entry level premium

Iams IMHO is low grade
 

sharky

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Jan 30, 2005
Messages
27,231
Purraise
38
Originally Posted by Dusty's Mom

Evo by Innova is pretty good.
yes but in most areas this food is about 2 to 4 times the price ...

ie here 16lb of max is 24-30
same size evo is 48-60$
 

sharky

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Jan 30, 2005
Messages
27,231
Purraise
38
costco s kirkland is the same as diamond only 25lb s is only 15-16$
 

followedbydolls

TCS Member
Alpha Cat
Joined
Apr 16, 2007
Messages
504
Purraise
1
Location
Where the fur flies
I was going to suggest chicken soup or if you have costco access to try their signature cat food also made by the same people that makes chicken soup.

That is what i use now, i did have max here as well as nutro but switched over to these other foods.
 

emmylou

TCS Member
Super Cat
Joined
May 2, 2006
Messages
960
Purraise
10
I wouldn't change foods at all. The cat has been eating Nutro and doing well on it her whole life, and you say if you went to a new food it'd be in the same price range. Not understanding why you'd want to change, given that it's good food, your cat does well on it, and you're happy with the price. If you're worried about the cat getting bored, just pick some different Nutro flavors than usual.
 

ckblv

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Mar 29, 2005
Messages
9,633
Purraise
3
Location
Las Vegas Nevada
I am not very knowledgeable about cat food. I would love to switch to a more nutritious cat food but I am afraid that my cat wouldn't eat it and then I would be out the cost of the food. That has already happened once.
 

ckblv

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Mar 29, 2005
Messages
9,633
Purraise
3
Location
Las Vegas Nevada
Originally Posted by sharky

the above site is written by a total laymen ( ie you and I could write it ) ... there are many non manufacturer sites with better info IMHO ...

IMHO the old Max formula was better ... NO Naturals is not really the same level ( it has artificial colors, lots of grain and other potential allergens )Naturals IMHO is a decent food

Iams has ground corn , by products( ie heads ft and intestines ) IMHO it is lower than Naturals

Things I dont like about the Max indoor
the protein level is 30% ( great for a senior cat IMHO )
wheat ( old formula was called hairball and did not have this common allergen)
corn gluten meal ( better than grd corn IMHO as it is much more digestible( grd corn 30-50% Corn gluten meal is 66-76% )( corn or corn gluten aid in UTI health in a dry food that is chicken based)
rice , rice bran ( it is a grain and fiber )


Max is what I call entry to mid level premium better than alot but not great

Naturals is a decent entry level premium

Iams IMHO is low grade
Sharky, do you have any links to any non-mfr cat food sites I could check out. I have had cats forever and am embarrassed how little I know about feline nutrition.
 

ckblv

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Mar 29, 2005
Messages
9,633
Purraise
3
Location
Las Vegas Nevada
One thing I hear is that wet food is better than dry food for cats. Is that true? If so, why is that?
 

arlyn

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
May 9, 2005
Messages
9,306
Purraise
50
Location
Needles, CA
Wet food more closely approximates a natural diet, it has higher moisture, usually far less grain, more easily digested, not as fattening.
It also doesn't stick to their teeth as badly (assuming a cat ever chews).
 

sharky

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Jan 30, 2005
Messages
27,231
Purraise
38
Originally Posted by Arlyn

Wet food more closely approximates a natural diet, it has higher moisture, usually far less grain, more easily digested, not as fattening.
It also doesn't stick to their teeth as badly (assuming a cat ever chews).
that

dry food is usually 8-12% moisture

wet food is usually 75-85% moisture

a mouse or rabbit is approx 66% moisture

dry food listed protein of 32% is likely 31-33% by dry matter analysis

wet food listed 9% protein is 36-40% protein dry matter analysis

I prefer books to websites for nutrition as they usually are easy to check if a vet wrote , consulted or had any knowledge given to the book ... NO vets are not nutrition experts per like what or if grains should be used but they ALL were taught the finite nutrient profile needs of a cat ... plus with a book you can quickly check wheather or not the vet had any formal nutrition education or if it is merely their opinion, unlike some websites done by vets with no actual nutrition credentials beyond a reg everyday vet
 

snake_lady

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 9, 2008
Messages
7,218
Purraise
13
Location
ON./Canada
Originally Posted by ckblv

I am not very knowledgeable about cat food. I would love to switch to a more nutritious cat food but I am afraid that my cat wouldn't eat it and then I would be out the cost of the food. That has already happened once.
Can you get samples? My local stores have sample bags..... that way if the cat doesn't like it, you are only out a buck at the most. Some stores give them for free to promote the food.

Some brands also come in small bags. My store has Before Grain in small bags for about $2.00.

I don't know what to suggest about wet tho, aside from buying the smallest kind.

Personally I like the sample bags. There's enough in them for 1-2 feeds, but it lasts longer because you mix a little bit in with their normal food or offer it to them by hand.
 

dojo

TCS Member
Kitten
Joined
Feb 23, 2009
Messages
9
Purraise
0
Originally Posted by ckblv

One thing I hear is that wet food is better than dry food for cats. Is that true? If so, why is that?
Cats aren't big water drinkers. And, left to their own devices in a natural setting, they aren't likely to eat food that has been baked at super high temperatures, like the dry food we feed them. It has little to offer, moisture-wise.

They get more of what they need, moisture-wise, from wet food (or prey, in a more "natural" setting). Pretty much the first area of difficulty an older cat faces is kidney failure. They will do better throughout their entire lives if they get a good amount of moisture in their diets. The kidneys don't have to work as hard if the little ones are properly hydrated.
 
Top