recommend cheaper high qualities and best among the lower qualities

I have three cats and want to eventually get them all on something other than 9 Lives or FF. When I had just the two adults I tried Weruva but they didnt want it!!! I thought they would go crazy over chicken that actually looks like chicken but alas I was very wrong and ended up taking them back. They did like the other varieties in Weruva but I'm not sure I want that much seafood to be a part of their diets.. Anyhow--

What other high quality wet food should I look into? I'm looking for something on the cheaper end of the high quality spectrum (regarding how much they cost not their quality)

I would like to stick with chunky foods (Norah wont eat the pates unless they smothered in bonito flakes).

Also, for the time being is there something better than FF or 9L that I could start getting until I find a food that agrees with all 3 of them (Norah is a former dry food junkie but the other two will usually eat anything, unless we're talking about Weruva's chicken and how Odessa feels about it)...

If you shop at Petsmart all are under a buck in 5.5oz:
1) Authority (various flavors, most have good ingredients but check labels)
2) Nutro Complete Care (or some Max Cat flavors)
3) Innova Cat and Kitten 13oz (only $1.75 a can)
4) Blue Spa Select (when its on 99 cent sale)

Unfortunately, you just missed their 15% off sale at Petsmart. I bought $150 worth of stuff, since it has a shelf life of around 2013 and for sure we'll use it by then!

Just watch for sales though and learn to read ingredients. And when a great sale comes up, don't hesitate to buy a ton, just be sure to "taste test" it before your return period expires.

Also, even the cheapest wet foods are quite expensive compared to high quality grain-free dry, so if on a budget, I'd make 1-2 dry meals a day dry food. We feed Blue Wilderness, but I recall recently that someone said the The Before Grain Chicken goes for $25 for an 11/lb bag and the ingredients looked good.

I think Natural Balance is around a dollar for a 5.5-oz can, too. Keep in mind that Fancy Feast is really quite expensive (it would come to around $1 for 5.5 oz, if they sold it in that size). 9 Lives is almost the cheapest canned food, though, so it'll be hard to beat that price.

Sophistacat isn't terrific--lots of by-products--but it doesn't have artificial colors or flavors, and is reasonably low in grains. I would say that it's the best of the really cheap canned foods.

My cats love Natual Balance in the lamb and rice. They too are not getting anything from the up grade shelf. Mostly they don't like it. I tryed. I have just barn cats and alley cats. Guess they prefer it.
I tryed natual food too nope. My cats are weird.
Jill.

Check the natural foods section of local grocers ... occasionally you will find very high quality foods for less than a reg prem...

also read labels at the grocery ... some have no grains or colors and occasionally you find a by product free, grain free with no artificial stuff ... I mix in a 40 cents a can food with by products but no grains or artificial stuff from a few local stores

Have you tried the Weruva 'Tender Loving Care', "Chicken & Duck in Gravy"? It's the only Weruva wet that my cats like. I buy it by the case. They also get EVO grainless Turkey & Chicken dry which they love, but I try to keep that to "treats only".

I'm late but if you're still looking wellness has grain free in sliced and cubed. I haven't tried them yet, am glad to see them.