What is the best commercial food to feed my 1 year old grandson? (He is my 8 yr olds cat)

I would like to know which dry food and which can food to feed my grandson Tigger. Thank you. I don't have too much time for cooking or raw food.

Dry food really isn't good for cats, and there are lots of canned options that are much better for him. Fancy Feast classics, Friskies pate varieties, and of course there are premium varieties as well. Due to water content and carb content, most canned foods are a better choice overall.

I agree with peaches08. It is much healthier for cats to eat wet food. High protein grain-free foods are the best choice. Cats are carnivores. 

Definitely agree, cats need a canned food diet.  Please visit this site to learn more about why:  http://catinfo.org/

My cats have been eating dry food for most of their lives (they are 7) but I feed them high quality grain free food. Wet food never set well with them. My vet keeps an eye on them and they are very healthy.

Here is what I have learned between my experience of working at pet store and owning cats.

Cats tend to not drink as much water and the wet food contains water in it so it helps keep your cat hydrated. Also, because wet food isn't as processed and filled it contains more meat, which means more taurine, more protein and generally more whole meats. Also, I heard feeding dry only increases the chances of stones and urinary infections for your cat. 

That doesn't mean ONLY feed your kitty wet food though. It's good to provide both to your cat as dry food has its benefits too. 

Keep in mind to that a quality dry food would still be healthier than a lower brand of wet food so look at the ingredients when choosing both types of food for your cat. 

I give my cat a can of wet food in the morning and some dry food at night. Though, every cat is different so find a routine that best suits your kitty. 

So there is no best  food for every cat. I would just lean about the ingredients and what is healthy for cats in general and adapt it to your kitty's needs. I would definitely go with a quality/natural food for you kitty though and not a grocery store brand. You will find more quality and wholesome ingredients in those.

Here is a very helpful website all about cat nutrition:

http://petknowsbest.com/cat-nutrition


I hope this helps.

Hmm DasDas - I think Dr. Lisa Pierson would be displeased by your view of dry food  

But whatever work. 

Is that your own website that you linked? 

From your website link re: dry food:

• Cleans teeth better
• Longer shelf life
• Usually more natural taurine

Umm, no. It actually could be argued that dry food is worse for a cat's teeth.

Longer shelf life? Nope.  I open a can of cat food and the portion is gone within 1/2 hour. Both the dry food bag and canned cat food have a 'shelf life' exceeding 1 year.  If you're referring to dry food sitting out for hours or days vs. wet food, sure you're right. Except wet food will be long eaten before any detrimental bacteria action occurs.  Oh, and a bag a dry cat food once opened starts losing nutritional value within 6 weeks. Unless of course you freeze the bag. 

More natural taurine? I disagree.

It's a great convenience for us to use dry and I think it's great for when you're not going to be home in time, or going away for a couple days. That's about it though. 

DASDAS said:

 
That doesn't mean ONLY feed your kitty wet food though. It's good to provide both to your cat as dry food has its benefits too. 
 
Here is a very helpful website all about cat nutrition:

http://petknowsbest.com/cat-nutrition

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That website is very misleading.  Dry food has no benefits to a cat.  http://www.littlebigcat.com/health/does-dry-food-clean-the-teeth/  It does not clean teeth, it is not healthier for them, it is worse for them.  Cats need moisture in their diet, Dry food only contains 10% moisture if that.  Please visit this site to learn more about proper feline nutrition.  www.catinfo.org 

If you had read what I said correctly I said that a HIGH quality dry food is healthier than a LOW quality wet food.  I didn't say that cats should only have dry food, but "Dry food has no benefits to a cat." is wrong; in my opinion. If a cat only eats wet food their teeth will probably all fall out before they get old, I've seen it happen.  I also said every cat is different and has different needs.

DASDAS said:

 
If you had read what I said correctly I said that a HIGH quality dry food is healthier than a LOW quality wet food.  I didn't say that cats should only have dry food, but "Dry food has no benefits to a cat." is wrong; in my opinion. If a cat only eats wet food their teeth will probably all fall out before they get old, I've seen it happen.  I also said every cat is different and has different needs.

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Hmmm my 14 year old cat has eaten wet food most of her life and she still has every single one of her teeth and has never needed a dental.  My 7 year old cat who refuses to eat canned food and has only been on dry just had to have 2 teeth pulled and have her teeth cleaned.  I work for a vet and have seen countless cats who eat dry food only lose their teeth.  I have seen cats on canned food lose their teeth.  Tartar buildup is genetic for the most part.  Although diet can have some part in it, it is mostly genetic and due to the bacteria in the mouth   There are countless studies and articles to support what I said.   I am just pointing out correct things, my father is a retired vet I have worked in the veterinary field for 20+ years and have done extensive research on both canine and feline nutrition.  Actually the WORST brand of canned food is better for the cat than the BEST brand of dry food.  See Below.  It is written by a Veterinarian.  Cats are desert animals then need 80% moisture in their diets, dry food is about 10% moisture. 

 http://www.catinfo.org/?link=cannedfoods
Before you get too confused when reading this page, I will say at the outset:  I would much rather see a cat eat any canned food versus any dry food - regardless of quality level of the canned food.  This includes Friskies, 9-Lives, Fancy Feast, etc.

This is because:

1. 
   All canned foods contain an appropriate (high) amount of water which is critical for urinary tract health.  Please see Opie's page - Feline Urinary Tract Health.
2. 
   The protein in canned food is more apt to be higher in animal-based protein versus plant-based protein - contrary to most dry foods.  Keep in mind that we are feeding cats (strict carnivores) not cows.
3. 
   The carbohydrate level of most canned foods is lower than that of most dry foods.

There is no dry food that covers all of the very important points listed above.

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ETA here are some more links about canned food:

http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2012/02/17/dry-food-wrong-for-cats.aspx

http://www.littlebigcat.com/health/why-cats-need-canned-food-2/

Dry food does NOT clean teeth. More natural taurine? How? And as far as shelf life, dry kibble is loaded with bacteria fore most cats finish the bag...not that bacteria scares me that much, but the longer digestion time required for kibble to be processed could create an ugly situation for some cats.

The best dry is still dehydrating to a cat. That can lead to several very preventable illnesses. As can carb values, of course.

I look at it the way I look at human health. Some people can eat whatever they want and gain weight. But their blood profiles often reveal problems. Some people can smoke 2 packs a day and live to their 90's with no problems, but I doubt that I have to explain those risks. Just because a cat can survive on a species inappropriate diet, that doesn't mean it was healthy. However, I'd rather see a cat eat Meow Mix kibble than for it to starve. We have to make certain decisions that are best for our cats and our situations. But the answer is clear from a biological point of view: cats are obligate carnivores with a low thirst drive, so a wet and meat based diet is the best option.

peaches08 said:

Dry food does NOT clean teeth. More natural taurine? How? And as far as shelf life, dry kibble is loaded with bacteria fore most cats finish the bag...not that bacteria scares me that much, but the longer digestion time required for kibble to be processed could create an ugly situation for some cats.

The best dry is still dehydrating to a cat. That can lead to several very preventable illnesses. As can carb values, of course.

I look at it the way I look at human health. Some people can eat whatever they want and gain weight. But their blood profiles often reveal problems. Some people can smoke 2 packs a day and live to their 90's with no problems, but I doubt that I have to explain those risks. Just because a cat can survive on a species inappropriate diet, that doesn't mean it was healthy. However, I'd rather see a cat eat Meow Mix kibble than for it to starve. We have to make certain decisions that are best for our cats and our situations. But the answer is clear from a biological point of view: cats are obligate carnivores with a low thirst drive, so a wet and meat based diet is the best option.

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I hate typing from my phone sometimes. What I meant was some people can eat whatever they want and NOT gain weight...sheesh.

I thank all of you for all your great input.  I had no idea about the downfall of dry food.  I also had no idea that wet food would be all I would have to feed my grandson.  I am now getting educated.  I went out and bought a can from every company I could find.  They all looked about the same nutritionally.  I still prefer to know which can food would be the best so I have an idea.

Many of the canned foods are much the same. But look for one that has less or no corn or other grains, and fewer or no vegetables added. Cats do not need those.

What's all this linking outside TCS? 

Just kidding. No rules broken and it's allowed, of course, but I just wanted to remind everyone that we have our very own articles section and there's plenty of info about these right there - 

Does Dry Food Actually Clean Your Cat's Teeth?  

And some pretty awesome nutrition articles by our own @LDG  

For an in-depth analysis of canned vs. dry (and other options):

Choosing The Right Food for Your Cat - Part 1 and Choosing The Right Food for Your Cat - Part 2

And one more shameless plug: We keep adding new articles this month, as this is Feline Nutrition month here on TCS. You can access all of them (and previous nutrition related articles) from this page - 

http://www.thecatsite.com/atype/46/Cat_Health/tag/cat-food  (scroll down for the specific nutrition related articles)