Grain-Free, Fish-Free options in dry food

Hi all, first post for me.  I'll try to keep it brief. 

We're long time cat owners.  Our first was Katie, who lived to the age of 17, fed a diet of assorted dry supermarket brands.  After Katie died, we adopted Cassie and Sadie as 7-week old kittens.  At that point, I decided to feed the cats a healthier diet and started them on Science Diet's Nature's Best food.  Cassie died at 6 from severe kidney failure.  After Cassie died, we adopted Mia who has always had a loose stool problem from the day we adopted her.  The vet suggested she might have a fish allergy, and suggested avoiding all fish.  We switched the girls from the Ocean Fish Nature's Best to the Chicken Nature's Best and that helped Mia's bowels. 

We were trucking happily along with the two of them, and then Sadie (my avatar) died last month at 9 from pancreatitis after two weeks of constant hospitalization, tests, and thousands of dollars spent.  It finally occurred to me that maybe the Nature's Best was a problem.  So, I've been doing a lot of research and I'm finding that a grain-free food is highly recommended if you're going to be dry-feeding, which we are.  Mia, our sole survivor, doesn't really love canned food, although she does eat a tiny bit each day. 

However, I'm finding it almost impossible to find a grain-free, fish-free option.  Everything has herring meal, or anchovy oil, or salmon meal somewhere in there, even if it's listed as a chicken or turkey flavor.  The one that looks to be pretty clean is the Merrick Before Chicken food.

Opinions?  Am I overreacting about the Nature's Best?  We're still reeling from losing our baby girl.  Are those of you who are feeding the BC finding that your cats are doing well on it? 

Any input and advice will be so greatly appreciated. 

Okay, so I just re-read the ingredient list and found salmon oil, albeit pretty far down.  Now what?  Any other suggestions as to fish-free, grain-free?

Thanks again.

I would look into wellness core. It is supposed to be fabulous. It's what we switched our cats too. It IS grain free. They have two wet flavors - chicken and a fish recipe. And for dry, they only have one for now. Petco carries it. It's a bit on the pricey end, but it's very, very worth it. Especially if you wish for them to have a healthy life.

Core is good, but has fish too. The Core dry food is only offered in the Fish/Fowl recipe. Excellent, top-notch food but you said you want to avoid fish. Natural Balance and Instinct from Nature's Variety both carry Limited Ingredient dry foods. I would look into a limited ingredient grain-free dry food. I do think that many dry grain-free foods contain some fish in the ingredient's, so a limited ingredient diet might work for you. I am sorry for your losses hno: Such young kitties too

I have started my cat's on a bit of raw food each day now. I buy Nature's Variety frozen raw meat and/or Stella and Chewey's freeze-dried raw cubes. My cat's all love the stuff - although I am working on Pipsqueak to enjoy it But the other five - chow down the raw product's.....

Hi! Although I am not aware of any fish allergies with my cats, they are doing extremely well on Before Grain Chicken. The only issue I had was when I fed any of the cats the Tuna flavor dry, they all ended up puking on that one.

They get a mixture of wet (grain free) and dry (Before Grain Chicken). They sell 1lb bags of it online. This might be good for transitioning and testing in your home.

debmj1 said:

However, I'm finding it almost impossible to find a grain-free, fish-free option.  

Opinions?  Am I overreacting about the Nature's Best?  We're still reeling from losing our baby girl.  Are those of you who are feeding the BC finding that your cats are doing well on it? 

Any input and advice will be so greatly appreciated. 

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I don't know of any grain free dry cat food that doesn't have at least some fish in it.

As for Natures Best, I will not feed Science Diet. I looked at Natures Best dry cat ingredient list. 

Chicken, Cracked Pearled Barley, Corn Gluten Meal, Whole Grain Oats, Brown Rice,

4 out of the first 5 ingredients are grains. 

Considering its an oil versus actual salmon, I would assume they'd be fine, but of course, you will want to confirm with your vet. I know salmon oil is great for cats coats and stuff, so it could be an additive for that reason as well (considering it is dry versus wet).

PrincessEsme said:

Considering its an oil versus actual salmon, I would assume they'd be fine, but of course, you will want to confirm with your vet. I know salmon oil is great for cats coats and stuff, so it could be an additive for that reason as well (considering it is dry versus wet).

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I also would say check with your vet. I think salmon oil will be okay. If all else fails, you may have to switch to wet. Which isn't a problem since its better for them anyways.

Thank you for all the input.  I have samples of Natural Balance Chicken and Duck coming, but in the meantime, I thought I'd try the Before Chicken.  She absolutely LOVES it.  Unfortunately, she loves it to the exclusion of the attempted transitioning from the Nature's Best.  She won't touch it; she won't even touch the BC that's mixed with the Nature's Best.  What a stinker!  So of course, we're having loose stool issues now.  And I have no idea whether those are a result of the fish allergy and the salmon oil in the BC, or if it's just the new food introduction.  We'll give it time and see what happens. 

Thanks again!

Hopefully its just from the switching of foods and not the oil.

I'd say its more than likely from her refusing a slow transition.

This is a year later, but Wellness now has a CORE, grain and fish free dry food for cats.  Hope Mia is doing well.

Yes, Wellness Core Grain Free Indoor Formula (dry) contains no fish. I give my kitties this food for grazing in between Wellness Grain Free wet and others wet brands (Blue Wilderness, Evo, Weuva, Merricks).

Glad your kitty is doing well.

jlc20m