Which dry food would be the better option?

Some of you may remember a thread I recently posted regarding my concerns over feeding two very picky and finicky cats. The thread can be viewed here: http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=196268. However, the general gist of the thread was that I was struggling with feeding my two female cats, Cassidy and Delaney, a diet I approved of since they were unwilling to eat anything other than the Science Diet (a 50/50 mix of the Kitten Healthy Development formula and the Adult Optimal Care formula) that they were given while housed at the local animal shelter. Despite trying numerous different dry food brands and varieties, the only food that I could get the girls to consistently eat was the Science Diet. And, while they are also fed canned food (Fancy Feast typically with the occasional Friskies or Whiskas for variety) I am not confident that they are taking in the appropriate nutrition they need in order to continue to grow and maintain their physical condition and health.

You'll see in the original thread that I occasionally supplement with a raw diet as well as other nutritional supplements, but for many reasons going to an all-raw diet is not appropriate. It may become more of a possibility in the future, but, for now, I am mainly trying to determine what I can do in order to meet my cats' needs as well as my own going forward...

Last week, I was away on a business trip. And, despite leaving detailed instructions on what to feed Cass and Laney, she went out and purchased Purina One (Chicken and Rice formula) when the unopened bag of Science Diet I had been destroyed by her dogs during a thunderstorm. I have tried feeding Purina One before, but my girls turned their noses up at it. However, this time things were different and Cassidy and Delaney took right to the new food and have been eating well. It's now been about a week-and-a-half and they have each gained a couple of much-needed ounces and are still eating the dry food consistency. I'm pleased, but, that all being said, is this food better than the Science Diet I had been feeding? Or did I move them from one lesser quality food to another?

Below are the guaranteed analysis and ingredients for the two foods. The first is Hill's Science Diet's Adult Optimal Health and the second is Purina One's Adult Chicken and Rice.

Nutrient
Dry Matter
%Protein33.5Fat23.7Carbohydrate (NFE)36.5Crude Fiber0.9Calcium0.81Phosphorus0.74Sodium0.37Potassium0.66Magnesium0.066Taurine0.21

Chicken By-Product Meal, Ground Whole Grain Corn, Brewers Rice, Animal Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), Corn Gluten Meal, Chicken Liver Flavor, Potassium Chloride, Calcium Sulfate, Choline Chloride, vitamins (L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement), Iodized Salt, Vitamin E Supplement, Taurine, minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), preserved with Mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid, Beta-Carotene, Rosemary Extract.

Crude Protein (MIN)34.0%Phosphorus (P) (MIN)0.7%Crude Fat (MIN)13.0%Magnesium (Mg) (MAX)0.09%Crude Fiber (MAX)2.0%Selenium (Se) (MIN)0.30 mg/kgMoisture (MAX)12.0%Vitamin A (MIN)11,000 IU/kgAsh (MAX)7.0%Vitamin E (MIN)100 IU/kgLinoleic Acid (MIN)1.4%Taurine (MIN)0.15%Calcium (Ca) (MIN)0.8%

Chicken, brewers rice, corn gluten meal, poultry by-product meal, wheat flour, animal fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols (form of Vitamin E), whole grain corn, fish meal, soy protein isolate, animal liver flavor, phosphoric acid, potassium chloride, calcium carbonate, caramel color, salt, choline chloride, taurine, L-Lysine monohydrochloride, Vitamin E supplement, zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, manganese sulfate, niacin, Vitamin A supplement, calcium pantothenate, thiamine mononitrate, copper sulfate, riboflavin supplement, Vitamin B-12 supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic acid, Vitamin D-3 supplement, calcium iodate, biotin, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), sodium selenite.

I am certainly no expert on feline nutrition, but, to me, the Purina One looks like it is a better quality food. Just the fact that the first ingredient is chicken rather than a meat by-product makes me feel better about feeding it. However, based on the guaranteed analysis and the ingredients in both foods side-by-side, which would you choose to feed?

I know neither food is the best available. But, that being said, these are currently my two options as the girls continue to refuse the other foods I offer. I just want to do whatever I can in order to provide Cass and Laney with the best care possible and I figure that this is as good a place as any to discuss their needs and my limitations while receiving input on what I can do in order to better their life and mine.

IMHO One is a better food ... Not a fav of mine but it is a fairly decent food

\t
Which dry food would be the better option?
Some of you may remember a thread I recently posted regarding my concerns over feeding two very picky and finicky cats. The thread can be viewed here: http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=196268. However, the general gist of the thread was that I was struggling with feeding my two female cats, Cassidy and Delaney, a diet I approved of since they were unwilling to eat anything other than the Science Diet (a 50/50 mix of the Kitten Healthy Development formula and the Adult Optimal Care formula) that they were given while housed at the local animal shelter. Despite trying numerous different dry food brands and varieties, the only food that I could get the girls to consistently eat was the Science Diet. And, while they are also fed canned food (Fancy Feast typically with the occasional Friskies or Whiskas for variety) I am not confident that they are taking in the appropriate nutrition they need in order to continue to grow and maintain their physical condition and health.

You'll see in the original thread that I occasionally supplement with a raw diet as well as other nutritional supplements, but for many reasons going to an all-raw diet is not appropriate. It may become more of a possibility in the future, but, for now, I am mainly trying to determine what I can do in order to meet my cats' needs as well as my own going forward...

Last week, I was away on a business trip. And, despite leaving detailed instructions on what to feed Cass and Laney, she went out and purchased Purina One (Chicken and Rice formula) when the unopened bag of Science Diet I had been destroyed by her dogs during a thunderstorm. I have tried feeding Purina One before, but my girls turned their noses up at it. However, this time things were different and Cassidy and Delaney took right to the new food and have been eating well. It's now been about a week-and-a-half and they have each gained a couple of much-needed ounces and are still eating the dry food consistency. I'm pleased, but, that all being said, is this food better than the Science Diet I had been feeding? Or did I move them from one lesser quality food to another?

Below are the guaranteed analysis and ingredients for the two foods. The first is Hill's Science Diet's Adult Optimal Health and the second is Purina One's Adult Chicken and Rice.

Nutrient
Dry Matter
%Protein33.5Fat23.7Carbohydrate (NFE)36.5Crude Fiber0.9Calcium0.81Phosphorus0.74Sodium0.37Potassium0.66Magnesium0.066Taurine0.21

Chicken By-Product Meal, Ground Whole Grain Corn, Brewers Rice, Animal Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), Corn Gluten Meal, Chicken Liver Flavor, Potassium Chloride, Calcium Sulfate, Choline Chloride, vitamins (L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement), Iodized Salt, Vitamin E Supplement, Taurine, minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), preserved with Mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid, Beta-Carotene, Rosemary Extract.

Crude Protein (MIN)34.0% Not coming from great sources and not really digestible Phosphorus (P) (MIN)0.7%Crude Fat (MIN)13.0%IMHO too lowMagnesium (Mg) (MAX)0.09%Crude Fiber (MAX)2.0%Selenium (Se) (MIN)0.30 mg/kgMoisture (MAX)12.0%Vitamin A (MIN)11,000 IU/kgAsh (MAX)7.0%Vitamin E (MIN)100 IU/kgLinoleic Acid (MIN)1.4%Taurine (MIN)0.15%Calcium (Ca) (MIN)0.8%

ChickenBUT this is mainly water and really should be around fish meal, brewers rice, corn gluten meal, poultry by-product meal, wheat flour, animal fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols (form of Vitamin E), whole grain corn, fish mealCorn or corn gluten is a aid to UTI health but no need for both, soy protein isolate, animal liver flavor, phosphoric acid, potassium chloride, calcium carbonate, caramel color, salt, choline chloride, taurine, L-Lysine monohydrochloride, Vitamin E supplement, zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, manganese sulfate, niacin, Vitamin A supplement, calcium pantothenate, thiamine mononitrate, copper sulfate, riboflavin supplement, Vitamin B-12 supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic acid, Vitamin D-3 supplement, calcium iodate, biotin, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), sodium selenite.

I go to a site called "Dogfoodanalysis" where they give a good review about the ingredients in dog food. They rate the dog food from a 1* to a 6*. If the brand is a good quality dog food then I would assume the cat food would be of equally good quality.

Both of these brands are 1*. This really surprises me considering the price of Science Diet. You can get 6* foods for less.

Here is some info about the first 4 ingredients in each.

Hills Science Diet:
1. chicken by-product meal - impossible to know the quality but is usually very low quality (bones, beaks, intestines, feet)
2. ground whole corn - low quality grain
3. brewers rice - low quality grain
4. animal fat - low quality ingredient, it is impossible to know the source so likely very low quality

Purina One:
1. chicken - once the water (80%) is removed this belongs much lower on the list ( as the poster above also stated)
2. brewers rice - low quality grain
3. corn gluten meal - low quality (what remains after all the nutritious parts of the corn have been removed)
4. poultry by-product meal - impossible to know the quality but usually very low quality (bones, beaks, intestines, feet)

I would choose the Science Diet because at least it has a sort of meat in it as the first ingredient. The Purina has a low quality grain as it's first ingredient.

Are you open to other food choices, or only to those two?

what about purina naturals? it's first ingredient is a meat meal{chicken}

I also like & use chicken soup.. reasonable price, decent food. alot of feed mills carry it lol

I use Chicken Soup also because it just happens to be only a few dollars more than the Purina One that I was feeding them (unless of course P1 was on sale, but what are the chances of that). I wanted to switch to a grain free and luckily found Taste of the Wild at the same price as Chicken Soup at a different feed store

Sometimes....what they eat is best....doesn't matter if it's the best for them, if it sits in the bowl....it isn't good for them. I love and so do they the Castor Poullx Nutrimix I find it at PetCo, only.
I love EVO dry.....but it made them sick. They hate Blue Spa, I liked it.....so find a happy middle, and hope they aggree....and love the babies.

^Well said Luckily, mine aren't picky, they are just pigs

dry food is not healthy for cats, period.
try to stay away from comapnies that do these tests on animals, such as science diet.
make your own raw foods.

Originally Posted by Passing Through

dry food is not healthy for cats, period.
try to stay away from comapnies that do these tests on animals, such as science diet.
make your own raw foods.

Click to expand...

i am not sure that comment is very helpful at all. it is not possible for everyone to feed their cats raw, nor does everyone want to do that.

i agree with the above poster that said the best food for your cats is the one that they will eat. they will get no nutrients from the best food available if they will not eat it! i completely understand where you are coming from, i have 2 super picky kitties too. good luck with it all

I find that Kirkland (Costco's dry brand) dry food
is a relatively good food. Also, I use Wilderness
Blue Buffalo dry for my IBD cat.

He cannot have
grains, and the Wilderness is 1) high protein and 2)
no grain. It is relatively affordable at 10 dollars for
2.5 lbs dry bag and 17 for a 6 lb bag.

Kirklands only draw back is, it comes in 25 lb
bags!! Costs about 15 dollars for the
large bag. So I feed it to my feral cats that
get dry. I feed it to my house cats too,
but they like the junkie stuff soo much better
than Wilderness or Kirklands! I have to wonder!!

I use the wet Blue Buffalo Spa but ONLy the
tuna and salmon, since the other wet stuff
has Guar gum, which the IBD cat cannot eat...

For the non IBD I use the ole Fancy feast which
they seem to adore.

Another good but pricy option is the Natural Balance
wet foods. I like the Duck and Pea for the IBD cat,
but my other cats don't touch that flavor. They will
eat the chicken and turkey though.

Its hard to know, since I didn't raise these cats,
what they ate as kittens. IMHO that predisposses
them to eat dry or wet, and also influences
the flavors they like.

Just my 2 cents!!

My cats really love Kirkland and not only are the ingredients good, the price is great! And I also love Orijen as well. I mix the two of them.

Are these the only 2 options? There are much better foods for less $$.

I didn't read your other thread, but sometimes cats come across as picky when really it's just that they don't like change. Dry food should be changed gradually over a period of at least one week.

Have you tried any of these brands? In no particular order (some have better ingredients than others on this list (by far), but I would pick any of these over Purina or Science Diet any day):
-Orijen
- Evo
- Innova
- California Natural
- Wellness
-Taste of the Wild
- Chicken Soup
- By Nature Organics
- Blue Buffalo
- Kirkland Signature
- Avoderm
- Chicken Soup
- Natural Balance
- Nutro Natural
- Nutro Max
- Authority
- Healthwise
- Diamond Naturals

To entice cats to eat a new food, you can sprinkle cheese or catnip on top of it. Out of those foods, I would give Natural Balance a try first. It's pretty inexpensive, it's high in calories, easy to find, good for all-life-stages, and all of my cats seemed to really love it right away.

I also think that wet food is better than dry, but I still feed 50% dry and 50% wet. You have to do what works best for your cats, lifestyle, and budget.