Need a replacement food....

addiebee

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Trying to help a friend with an abundance of cats. She was feeding IAMS but got upset at the recalls... turned to SD but the price is off-putting and she knows it's not the best.

Tried Kirkland but she thinks it was linked to liver disease in several of her cats - one of which died. There was an issue a couple of years ago with aflatoxin. So that is a no-go.

Tried Authority but changed from that when the price went up.

Tried Taste of the Wild, but her cats were not "wild' about it and weren't eating it.

COST is a huge factor for her. She cannot afford wet food except on occasion.

So I am seeking suggestions for her that will feed her crew well and not break the bank.

We both shop at this budget pet store .... I saw Chicken Soup for like $19 for an 18 lb bag. That was one suggestion I made to her. Would love to have others... somewhere between this and SD/IAMs in price but better in quality.

ETA: She is telling me $20-25 for a larger bag is within her range that 15-18 lb bag.
 

bluerexbear

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What we are using and really liking is Buffalo Blue - Wilderness and I think it is comparable in price to SD, but much better food.
 

sharky

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Do you or she have access to a feed type store? If so look at the SportMix or ask about it ... 35lbs is 20-25$ .. If memory serves it is a branch of pro pac
 

white cat lover

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I've fed Purina ONE before, not great but same quality range as SD/Iams.

Chicken Soup, Premium Edge, or Diamond Naturals (all owned by Diamond) are decent.
 
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addiebee

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Originally Posted by sharky

Do you or she have access to a feed type store? If so look at the SportMix or ask about it ... 35lbs is 20-25$ .. If memory serves it is a branch of pro pac
I don't know. We have Tractor Supply Company and I think there are some smaller independents.

ETA: what about 4health sold at TSC? It looks like a decent food with chicken and chicken meal as the first two ingredients. IAMS chicken agreed with MOST of her cats, not all. Which is why she tried TOTW - as a good quality and fairly well priced GF.

ETA2 - Boy, Sportmix reads really cheap - in terms of ingredients... but not any worse that SD. Blech!
 

Willowy

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I mix a few different brands, all in that price range (because I have a lot of cats, too!):
Chicken Soup (if I had to pick only one food, this would be it)
Diamond Naturals Active Cat
TOTW
4Health All Life Stages
(and usually one other brand that varies depending on what's on sale but that doesn't matter for this conversation).

I mix because most of those foods don't settle well with my cats when fed alone, but I want them to have a higher protein level in general.

If finances are really tight, Purina Naturals is pretty cheap ($16-ish for 15 pounds) and is OK quality---at least Chicken Meal is the first ingredient and it doesn't have artificial colors. I'd steer her toward Chicken Soup and 4Health first, though.

I also try to get some wet food into them, for the moisture. . .a big can of Sophistacat is around 80¢ at Petsmart. It's nothing great, ingredients wise, but it is wet. A big can of Friskies is 70¢ at Wal-Mart. I have seen some good results since I started feeding the wet food daily.
 

sharky

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Originally Posted by AddieBee

I don't know. We have Tractor Supply Company and I think there are some smaller independents.

ETA: what about 4health sold at TSC? It looks like a decent food with chicken and chicken meal as the first two ingredients. IAMS chicken agreed with MOST of her cats, not all. Which is why she tried TOTW - as a good quality and fairly well priced GF.

ETA2 - Boy, Sportmix reads really cheap - in terms of ingredients... but not any worse that SD. Blech!
It is .. it is what I deem baseline premium- ie no artificial stuff and no animal by products ( the original Not the gourmet... I went too it for $ and that Iams did okay( ie corn likely is not a issue)

4 health seems to be a good idea ... I do not have personal experience with it

Diamond( which is or should be avail where chicken soup and TOTW are sold) is good but if she did not want Kirkland I would be wary as all four are made by diamond
 

Willowy

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Isn't aflatoxin a corn fungus? I didn't think Kirkland had corn in it. . .

Hmm, I might try Sportmix for my ferals. If it's cheaper than/same price as Cat Chow.
 
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addiebee

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Originally Posted by Willowy

Isn't aflatoxin a corn fungus? I didn't think Kirkland had corn in it. . .

Hmm, I might try Sportmix for my ferals. If it's cheaper than/same price as Cat Chow.
It is actually a GRAIN toxin and was found in the rice protein.

To Sharky- it wasn't the taste or the quality of the Kirkland food that was an issue, but fears that it had caused liver damage in several of her cats.

I think the SportMix might be a bit too "cheapy" for my friend, though as I said, ingredient wise... didn't look that much better than SD.
 

jack31

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We've been using the 4health for about 3 months now and my three seem to be doing well.

How about the new Purina Beyond? I was going to give it a try as a mix in.

Leslie
 

Willowy

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Originally Posted by Jack31

How about the new Purina Beyond?
Soy is very high on the ingredient list (many cats have problems with soy). And it's crazy expensive! Or at least I thought so. Purina Naturals would be better, IMO.
 
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addiebee

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Well - she tried a small bag of Chicken Soup and her gang LOVED it!!! She said she will sample some of the others. Tractor Supply is just too far for her - nearest one is about 30 miles. So Premium Edge and/or Diamond Naturals.

I did tell her it was ok to mix a couple of dry foods together.
 
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