Please help me choose a food (list included)

ayablack

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Hello,

I am sure this has been asked so many times and for that I am sorry. I am quite stumped on what to feed my cats and any help would be appreciated. I am open to and happy to receive any and all advice from you lovely cat lovers.

I have two cats, an 8 month old girl and a male cat that is just over a year old. Both are pretty healthy but I am having trouble figuring out their diet. Both kitties eat a 3 oz can of wet food each  in the morning and at night I split another 3 oz can between them. They mostly eat Fancy Feast wet. They seem to really like it and I am happy to keep their diet primarily wet. I believe it is healthier.

((Would it be enough if they split a 3 oz can in the morning and again at night, to keep the cost down? Or is that not enough?))

However, I do like to leave about a half a cup of dry food down for them both to nibble at throughout the day. I have gone through many different kinds but my biggest issue now is that I am a poor student in college and I need a dry food that will not break the bank.

Currently, my kitties are eating Iams original, and they do like it. Is this an okay choice? My first choice for a less expensive brand was Nutro Max Cat but they turned their cute little noses up at it and refused it. I have also tried President's Choice Nutrition First, Blue Buffalo and Earthborn Holistic, which they absolutely loved but at $25 for the 2 pound bag, I just could not handle it.

Any suggestions are appreciated. Please keep in mind that I am in Canada and a lot of brands available in the US aren't available here. I also do not have access to Costco or any of the bulk stores. I cannot order online, either. Shipping costs to and in Canada are too expensive and I do not have the extra income to factor that in.

Some choices available to me are: Friskies dry, Whiskas dry, Iams, Grreat Choice, Special Kitty, Actr1um Holistic (Walmart brand), Purina One and Authority.

Thank you very much.
 

catpack

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Can you get the Purina's Beyond line? They have grain-free options.

And, yes, you could slit a 3 oz can between them morning and night; but, need to adjust the dry they get accordingly so that they are getting enough food.
 

p3 and the king

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At least it's wet... All of these gave my girl, Phoebe, IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) lots of problems.  But, she can eat Iams.  All of mine seem to love Iams Naturals.  So when I am strapped for cash, this is what they get and I don't feel bad about it at all. 

Purina One, scratch it off your lists immediately.  BAD, bad food.  Special Kitty, as well... The rest of them are fine, in my opinion with Iams in the lead and should be first choice but these 2 are just awful and should not even be on the market.
 
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ayablack

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Can you get the Purina's Beyond line? They have grain-free options.

And, yes, you could slit a 3 oz can between them morning and night; but, need to adjust the dry they get accordingly so that they are getting enough food.
I just checked and it doesn't seem like it's available here.
 
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ayablack

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At least it's wet... All of these gave my girl, Phoebe, IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) lots of problems.  But, she can eat Iams.  All of mine seem to love Iams Naturals.  So when I am strapped for cash, this is what they get and I don't feel bad about it at all. 

Purina One, scratch it off your lists immediately.  BAD, bad food.  Special Kitty, as well... The rest of them are fine, in my opinion with Iams in the lead and should be first choice but these 2 are just awful and should not even be on the market.
I really do like feeding wet but feeding 2 of the 3oz cans in the morning and 2 at night adds up very quickly! I will not give up on the wet food. Just need something to supplement. So far I'm leaning toward Iams, Actr1um holistic and authority grain free.
 

2cats4me

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I really do like feeding wet but feeding 2 of the 3oz cans in the morning and 2 at night adds up very quickly! I will not give up on the wet food. Just need something to supplement. So far I'm leaning toward Iams, Actr1um holistic and authority grain fr
Yes it can get expensive to feed all wet ..  Can  you get Friskies Canned  where you  are ?  They come in 5.5 oz cans  @  around 2 cans  for less than a dollar .. You could split one  can between them morning and night  . They would get almost 6 oz each daily ..  Just a suggestion ....
 

embly

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Hi there! 

I'm in Canada as well, and also a college student on a budget :)

For the dry food, Authority isn't a bad choice! It does come in a grain free option too, which is always good. However, it isn't super high in protein and is only available at Petsmart. Another option you might want to look at (this one is only at petsmart too though) is Simply Nourish, specifically the Source line. Its a bit more expensive, but much higher in protein and is grain free as well :) my kitty loves it.

In regards to the earthborn holistic, have you tried pricing it at different stores? The pet valu near my bf sells it for 18.99 for a 5 or 6 lb bag. Its a pretty decent food if you can get it for a good price!

For shipping, Walmart offers free shipping Canada wide on any order! I occasionally buy wet food from them and get it shipped right to my house if there is a sale. 
 

chromium blues

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Iams scares me because of all the recalls. Proctor and Gamble doesn't seem to care what they do to your pet, as long as they get your money. Scares the hell out of me.
 

2cats4me

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Iams scares me because of all the recalls. Proctor and Gamble doesn't seem to care what they do to your pet, as long as they get your money. Scares the hell out of me.
My cats cannot eat Iams , it gives them diarrhea for some reason ..
 
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