Kittens turn one in April and switching to cat food, what brand?

Hi there,

At the beginning of April our two kittens will turn one and we will be switching them to Cat food. They are currently on kitten food we get at the vets. They like this food very much and they are in good health and great weight. They have dry twice a day as well as twice a day of wet canned food.  When we switch them we were going to switch to I ams but I have done some research and read reviews that this isn't good cat food. Now I know a lot would say vet food it not that good either but as I said they are doing well on it and good weight. I am disturbed at the animal testing I ams  have done and apparently low quality people claim to say it is. However my husband is really wanting to switch them to it due to it being a lot cheaper than the vet stuff. Also I ams is sold at the local grocery store we shop at as well as many other stores. 

So what I am looking for is some advice as to what to switch them to once they turn one. I know all wet is better but for convenience and price wise we can't afford to do so. Is there a canned food and dry food that is in the same price range as I ams that is sold in a lot of grocery stores. I live in Canada by the way.  I also read that a lot of cat owners noticed that their cat never seems to be satisfied with I ams they just want more and more, hens the big bags it comes in a marketing ploy.

I have not told my husband yet that I have decided I don't want to feed them I ams but if I can tell him of another that is in the same price range then I think he would be okay with it. If I had my way I could go to the vet stuff but it's very pricey and after mentioning how much cheaper I ams  is I think I would have one unhappy husband to suggest to stay with vet food. 

Also I might have an argument on the hands also because a good friend of ours she feeds her many cats I ams. So I know that would be brought up! If I stuck with Vet food it would be same brand but cat formula. Is it better to keep on same brand?

Thanks for reading and for any advice!

Hello fellow Canadian, here's what I feed, on the economical end of the canned cat food.  Since your budget reins supreme and rightly so, here's some suggestions:

(1) Petsmart - Grreat Choice - Mixed Grill, Country Dinner, Poultry Platter - e.g. ~ $0.45 - 0.55 / 5.5oz can, per cat, per day.  - depending if it's on sale. 

Fancy Feast - classics (Pates) - only if on sale - e.g. ~ 0.55 - 0.65   / 3 oz can / day / x 2 = $1.10 - $1.30 6oz, per cat, per day. 

Simply Nourish -  Lamb&Duck  e.g.~  $1.10 - 1.30 /5.5 oz can, per cat,per day. 

(2) Real Canadian Superstore (RCSS) - President's Choice Extra Meaty - chicken dinner / turkey&giblet / beef dinner / Duck&rice - e.g. ~ $0.50 / 5.5 oz can, per cat,per day (tip: buy in groups of 10 to get the discounted price).

Of course, if you can get the 13 oz cans in any of the above, even better savings. 

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(3) Global Pet Foods - Evo 95%, Wild Calling, Wellness, Hound&Gatos - pricier than above - yet buy a case of 12 for a nominal 10% discount.  I simply go there to get the unique proteins that I can't find elsewhere, such as buffalo, rabbit, pheasant, pork,duck, rat & mouse soufflé  (kidding).

There are others - mostly independents in town that I go to on occasion, for frozen raw rabbit or duck that I just give as treats. 

In answer to your question - yes, good idea to offer different brands - & proteins on occasion.  You can do it on the cheap within your budget if you don't mind 'meat by-products' or similar, which many here, including myself don't fret about.   That's where 'Grreat Choice' offers value for dollar (similar in content & price to Friskies).   It's not great, but it's not bad - your cat isn't going to keel over from eating that.   As well as the PC Extra Meaty line of cat food, nothing wrong with it. 

I offer a variety of brands/protein sources, on no particular schedule:  

For example, I may feed chicken for 4 days, then beef for 3 days, then lamb&duck for a week. No particular set schedule at all. The purpose of protein rotation is to lessen the chances of your cat developing an allergy to a particular protein. 

Heavy meets like beef knock my guy out for a couple hours, lighter meats like chicken make him highly energetic for awhile.  That's pretty normal. 

Edit - I would not stick with the Vet. food. (1) Your hubby isn't too keen on the price of it. (2) You can do much better by offering inexpensive canned wet food. But it's your call and budget. 

If you must feed dry, just try to avoid grains & glutens for the most part. Grocery store? PC does have a house brand that is marginally better than Iams etc. Otherwsie - go to Petsmart or similar and try to find something that suits your budget.  I occasionally give Orijen Cat&Kitten when I'm away, or as a small treat, yet a 5 lb bag can be expensive.  Hence why I freeze it to retain freshness (i.e. the nutrients). It's also calorie dense, meaning a little goes a long way - start reading the labels and getting a feel for calories / cup  and what proteins those calories come from. 

Don't forget - if you feed strictly or mostly dry - you're going to be rolling the dice, in terms of future bills at the Vets - due to many possible issues - one being chronic dehydration.  

They you so much for the in depth response! Lots if good information. We feed a quarter can of wet twice a day to our two kittens and half a cup morning and night of dry. We have to switch as there is no way we can afford the high price cat food at the vet. Going to look at the PC brand when I go shopping next time.