Is dry food really as bad as they say?

mrcloverthecat

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Jul 16, 2015
Messages
28
Purraise
2
Location
Florida
We can't really afford to feed my cat wet food meals; I mean it's kind of expensive. Let's use Friskies, for example. Where I live, it costs $0.98. The can says to divide it into two or more meals, so since Clover is an adult, that's one can a day. 0.98 * 365 = $357.7, plus 7% sales tax means 357.7 * 1.07 = 382.74 (rounding up). A cat is already expensive enough, so I doubt we can afford spending $382.74.a year (and I've also heard Friskies is a low quality food, so if cat food follows the same trends as human food, I'm assuming the higher quality brands will be more expensive).

Right now we feed him Purina Cat Chow (Complete), but I will stop feeding him that once the bag runs out - I looked at the nutrition facts and it says Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 2. According to a placebo study done in Britain, [human] children showed hyperactivity to Yellow 5 and Yellow 6. This might not apply to adult cats, but there's still a possibility.

So, my question is, does anybody here know a high quality low cost wet food?  Especially with no added dyes, preservatives, or chemicals?

If you don't know of one, then how about a high quality low cost dry food?

Thank you, I'm sure you guys will help a lot 
 

EDIT: If you're questioning the authenticity of this post because it says 7% tax instead of Florida's 6%, my apologies. The extra 1% is specific to my county, so if I ever moved to another county, that would become 6% instead.

EDIT 2: Ok, apparently the above I said on yellow 5/6 also applies to Red 40 and Blue 2 (what a lucky combination in my case), and that it can cause hypersensitivity to allergic reactions, behavior problems, and cancer in people.
 
Last edited:

Columbine

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Feb 27, 2015
Messages
12,921
Purraise
6,224
Location
The kitty playground
High quality and low cost is usually a tricky combination. I'm still not great on American food brands, so I can't make any suggestions I'm afraid.

The primary reason kibble is seen as troublesome is simply because its dry. Cats evolved as desert creatures, and so have a very low thirst drive - they're designed to get around 80% of their fluid intake from their food. If you're feeding a dry diet - for whatever reason - it's really important to take extra measures to boost fluid intake to keep everything working as it should.
[article="30756"]Tips To Increase Your Cat S Water Intake  [/article]
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #3

mrcloverthecat

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Jul 16, 2015
Messages
28
Purraise
2
Location
Florida
Interesting, because my cat seems to always drink more water than it eats food. Once we're done giving Clover his medication (last day is the 25th), he'll probably stop having the side effect of dehydration, so I think he would start to get hydrated just as he should be. But that doesn't mean I'm not worried - after all, it's kibble, so I'm assuming it could possibly erode his teeth or get stuck between them, but I haven't asked my vet so I'm not completely sure.

I want the best food for my cat, but it's quite expensive ._.
 
Last edited:

Columbine

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Feb 27, 2015
Messages
12,921
Purraise
6,224
Location
The kitty playground
It's great that they're drinking well, but it never hurts to be sure. Some of the ideas in that article are cheap and easy to do (chicken water or tuna water, for example) - and your cats will love drinking them!

Feeding is all about balancing their needs (and preferences) with your budget. It can be quite a balancing act, but the rewards are huge.
 

Kat0121

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Feb 23, 2014
Messages
15,030
Purraise
20,342
Location
Sunny Florida
Friskies is not the villain that some people make it out to be. Is it the best? No. It also isn't terrible especially if you stick to the pates. What size can are you referring to when you mention a can of Friskies being .98 cents? Dollar Tree has 13 ounce cans for $1.00 and last time I checked, Wal Mart, sells them for $1.08. Does your cat eat 13 ounces a day? How much does he weigh? 

Do you have a Petsmart near you? If you do, give their Grreat Choice line a try. it is a lot like Friskies and very reasonably priced. The one by me has 13 oz cans of the mixed grill pate for .67 cents. The 5.5 ounce cans go on sale sometimes for as low as .39 cents. Like Friskies, it's not the best but if you stick to the pates, it's actually better than you'd think. 

The high quality foods are expensive. There's not much we can do about that aside from shopping sales and buying in bulk online from vendors like chewy.com, wag.com, amazon.com and petfooddirect.com. These sites all have some kind of subscription service and offer savings for using them. Some have free shipping for an order over a certain dollar amount, usually $49.00. Amazon is the exception to the rule there. If you use the subscribe and save, you get free shipping regardless. 3-5 days if you're not a Prime member and 2 days if you are a Prime member and the item is Prime eligible. Chewy is popular with members here. I personally prefer Amazon. These sites are often cheaper than the big box pet stores even you just order here and there. 

I don't feed dry on a regular basis but they do get some it is the Nature's Variety Limited Ingredient Diet turkey. It is definitely not cheap but IMO, it's worth it. Many people here feed wet and dry instead of all one or the other. it's good that your cat likes to drink water. If he's on a dry heavy diet, he'll definitely need it. When choosing a dry food, try to find one that has real meat as the first ingredient and is as high in protein and low in carbs as possible. I'd also try to avoid one with all the artificial colors in it (I see you mentioned that already though 
)

A big factor in choosing a food is what your cat is willing to eat. I found out the hard way more times than I can count that expensive food doesn't equal a clean dish. Many cans have gone in the trash because the duchesses of fussytown refused to eat them. Shop sales, look for coupons, ask the manufacturers for samples (many send them if you ask) and when you find something affordable that he likes, see if you can save by buying in bulk. If you have a Tractor Supply Company near you, their 4Health brand is pretty good and reasonable. Good luck!!
 
Last edited:

ameys1

TCS Member
Kitten
Joined
Jul 16, 2015
Messages
8
Purraise
1
Location
New York
I'm new to this so I may not be of much help, but I feed Fancy Feast Classic wet foods in addition to my dry. My dry is a mix of Science Diet and Blue Buffalo kitten mixes until I finish it, then I will transition him to Nature's Logic and Nulo wet food (alternating with Fancy Feast Classic when money gets tight). Fancy Feast isn't the best, but the classic foods don't have Carageenan or Wheat Gluten which is my biggest concern. I figure that Fancy Feast isn't horrible when I give it to him in controlled portions throughout the day. He is doing great on his current diet too, I haven't had any problems (knock on wood)!
 
Last edited:

misterwhiskers

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 7, 2014
Messages
2,013
Purraise
714
I second the Friskies canned, esp the pate. It was a surprise to read that the brand is pretty much on the same tier as Sheba. My boy has had no ill effect from eating it. That said, he's a kibble fiend. I just bought a brand of dry that was less than Purina one dry... Looks healthier too. I'll post the name of it with the price and top ingredients and maybe a nutrition expert will weigh in on it. I'm in the same boat--can't afford the very best but want to avoid the really nasty stuff. Vets are pretty expensive so it's a worthwhile trade off.
 

Willowy

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Mar 1, 2009
Messages
31,885
Purraise
28,283
Location
South Dakota
It is expensive to feed all wet food---although I'm sure most people spend more than $1 a day on sillier things than cat food ;). But other people really do have to pinch pennies and don't have any silly expenses to cut out.

I do feel that cats ought to have at least half their diet as wet food though. It really does help prevent a lot of trouble later in life. Of course, cats fed canned food sometimes get urinary problems and kidney trouble too, but, IME, not as often. And vet bills cost a lot more than food!

I agree that 98 cents is high for a 5.5-ounce can of Friskies. That's usually how much the 13-oz can costs, and that should last an average altered housecat about 2 1/2 days, which is a pretty decent bargain. Keep in mind that most feeding recommendations are based on the calorie needs of intact, outdoor cats, so an altered housepet is going to eat a lot less than that---most will need about 5-6 ounces a day of the usual Friskies/Fancy Feast pate flavors, if fed only canned food. There are other brands that are OK, like Grreat Choice, 9 Lives, Special Kitty, and some store brands, but I've seen better results with Friskies, so I only use the others occasionally. Walmart is usually cheapest, although sometimes you can find better sales at grocery stores. Keep an eye on the sales ads and stock up when the price is right!

Fancy Feast is rather expensive, but the convenience of the smaller can is nice for one-cat homes. If you feed 50/50 canned/dry, 3 oz should be the proper amount of canned food a cat should have daily. Grreat Choce and Sheba come in 3-oz cans too, and are slightly cheaper.
 
Last edited:

ellag

TCS Member
Alpha Cat
Joined
Apr 22, 2015
Messages
424
Purraise
227
even the cheapest wet is better than the best dry. or at least a mix. cats really need some wet. dry is full of carbs, grains and alot of stuff they don't need. it can lead to obesity, diabetes, kidney disease, cancer,etc...i use fancy feast wet and meow mix pate and a case of 24 3oz cans is about $13--$15. at walmart friskies and special kitty is really cheap. i think it's only about 33 cents a can for the special kitty. as far as dry, even tho it's more expensive i think grain free is best. if you look at the label on that purina the main ingredient is corn. cats don't eat or need corn, they need meat. every once in a while i'll get a case of tiki or natural balance as a treat but i can't afford it all the time..

tractor supply also has their brand which is called 4health that is really cheap and it has great reviews. it comes in wet and dry..
 

misterwhiskers

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 7, 2014
Messages
2,013
Purraise
714
I found Friskies 5.5 oz cans for 45 cents at Walmart. Sheba was 50 cents for 3 oz can.

The dry i found ( at Walmart) is called Goodlife, and the top ingredients are chicken, chicken meal, brown rice, chicken by product, Brewers rice, and chicken fat. It was $11.98 for a 6 pound bag. By contrast, Purina One dry is almost $13 for a 7 lb bag, and the first ingredient is corn gluten meal.
 
Last edited:
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #11

mrcloverthecat

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Jul 16, 2015
Messages
28
Purraise
2
Location
Florida
@Kat0121  Well, it looks like we were ripped off at Dollar General (yesterday we bought five cans for treats). It's a 5.5 oz can for $0.98. I don't remember if it was 11 or 12, but I think he weighs 11 pounds (three years old). I have a petsco near me, but they also price things quite high, so I have to check to see how they price their food. But my closest petsmart is a bit of a long trip just for cat food. I think I'm going to try looking on Amazon, though. My brother has a Prime account, so I guess we could send him some money (he's in college right now) to buy cat food whenever we need it.

@ameys1  Currently Clover is a free-feeder, but once we get the money for the wet food, that's going to change. Hopefully both of our situations go out well :)

@Willowy  I'm actually considering Sheba Perfect Portions, I like the idea of a plastic container with a paper cover I can open - it means that once my cat has been fed quite a bit of it, he'll learn to come to the sound so I don't have to lure him to the right spot :p

@misterwhiskers  Ok, so Sheba looks like it's going to be a bit expensive if I settle on that. I know it's not the plastic containers I wanted, but it's still a sign. Also, thank you for recommending Goodlife - I really don't trust Purina dry food, and I'm eager to get rid of it.

Thank you everybody for your tremendous help!!! 
 

Columbine

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Feb 27, 2015
Messages
12,921
Purraise
6,224
Location
The kitty playground
If you're looking at switching from free feeding you might find this article helpful -  [article="31129"]Transitioning Free Fed Kibble Kitties To Timed Meals​[/article]  
 
Last edited:

madamenordica

TCS Member
Young Cat
Joined
Jul 15, 2015
Messages
67
Purraise
6
How much does your cat weigh, because I'm pretty sure on the back of my Friskies can it says to feed an ounce per pound of body weight. For my 16 pound cat, that would be close to 3 of those little 5.5 oz cans a day. Is this the size can you are referring to, or are you looking at one of the bigger cans?
 

misterwhiskers

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 7, 2014
Messages
2,013
Purraise
714
How much does your cat weigh, because I'm pretty sure on the back of my Friskies can it says to feed an ounce per pound of body weight. For my 16 pound cat, that would be close to 3 of those little 5.5 oz cans a day. Is this the size can you are referring to, or are you looking at one of the bigger cans?
Whaaaa?

No!! No way your cat should be eating 3 5 oz cans a day.

A grown cat only needs 220 calories per 10 pounds. A cup of most dry foods are between 320-360 calories.

My cat is overweight at 15 pounds. It's been suggested that one 3 oz can and 1/4 cup of dry is a good feeding regimen for him.

As for the canned only, I'm thinking one 5 oz can might be enough, with a little kibble. Is your cat a large breed cat or is he chubby?
 
Last edited:

2cats4me

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jul 5, 2014
Messages
2,046
Purraise
211
 
@Kat0121  Well, it looks like we were ripped off at Dollar General (yesterday we bought five cans for treats). It's a 5.5 oz can for $0.98. I don't remember if it was 11 or 12, but I think he weighs 11 pounds (three years old). I have a petsco near me, but they also price things quite high, so I have to check to see how they price their food. But my closest petsmart is a bit of a long trip just for cat food. I think I'm going to try looking on Amazon, though. My brother has a Prime account, so I guess we could send him some money (he's in college right now) to buy cat food whenever we need it.

@ameys1  Currently Clover is a free-feeder, but once we get the money for the wet food, that's going to change. Hopefully both of our situations go out well :)

@Willowy  I'm actually considering Sheba Perfect Portions, I like the idea of a plastic container with a paper cover I can open - it means that once my cat has been fed quite a bit of it, he'll learn to come to the sound so I don't have to lure him to the right spot :p

@misterwhiskers  Ok, so Sheba looks like it's going to be a bit expensive if I settle on that. I know it's not the plastic containers I wanted, but it's still a sign. Also, thank you for recommending Goodlife - I really don't trust Purina dry food, and I'm eager to get rid of it.

Thank you everybody for your tremendous help!!! 
I  just bought  20  cans of Friskies Pate at our Walmart , the 5.5 oz cans are only .48 cents ..
 

madamenordica

TCS Member
Young Cat
Joined
Jul 15, 2015
Messages
67
Purraise
6
I don't feed friskies canned except for a morning treat - they generally get dry grain free, which has specific feeding instructions on the back - it's 350 cal per cup and for the 16 pounder it tells you 3/4 to one cup, which is more than she really needs, especially since she hides under the bed most of the time :) I think (after reading the article about switching foods more often) this is why as humans we don't switch foods too often - we get used to how one is fed, and the next package we pick up may or may not have sufficient nutritional information to make an intelligent decision - LIKE THE FRISKIES CAN LOL - I've never been so frustrated by anything as trying to figure out how many calories are in a can of Friskies! the website has nothing. I finally found that my local pet supply store has Dave's at a reasonable price, so I'm likely going to start transitioning them to meal times and Dave's. I have noted in the past that I would buy the 15 pound bag of Taste of the Wild, and that by the time I got to the bottom of the bag, my cats were not eating it as happily as they had when it was first opened. After that I started buying smaller bags so it didn't get stale. The newbie, Tom, has realized that I come home for lunch & make myself a chicken salad most days, so he comes out & gets a piece of chicken :) I'm starting to think chicken is the best bet, because at LEAST people food has the nutritional value listed always, pet food doesn't. I've had cats all my life and find it sad to think I never pondered these things before.
 

Winchester

In the kitchen with my cookies
Veteran
Joined
Aug 28, 2009
Messages
29,722
Purraise
27,990
Location
In the kitchen
If I might add my two cents here.....our clan of six does quite well on Friskies Buffet. We tend to stick with the cans of pate, but will give them a couple cans of bits from time to time as some of the cats really like the bits. We have six cats and they each get 1/3 of a 5.5-ounce can twice a day. That means that the clan goes through 4 cans of food a day, 28 cans of cat food every week. We supplement that with dry kibble for them, so in addition to their canned food, they get at least one good snack of dry every day, sometimes two--or more--snacks, when we're home during the day. Some of the cats eat Hills TD Feline as their dry; the others will eat Friskies Indoor Delights. I don't think that any of our cats are overweight at all, although maybe Tabby could stand to lose a few ounces as active as she is.

Around here, right now, Friskies Buffet is running around 50-cents a can; it's on sale at our local grocery store. We also go to PetSmart. I don't go to WalMart that often, so I have no idea what their prices are. The last few times we bought cat food, we had a coupon for $1.50 off 36 cans of Friskies Buffet....from time to time, our grocery store gives them out and we are always glad to get them. When cat food is on a good sale, then we'll stock up. We'll buy 100 cans at a time to try to save a little money. 100 cans doesn't last us a month; it goes quickly.

My personal opinion is that cats should have both dry and wet food. Wet for meals and dry for their snacks. But that's just how I feel. All of our kids were raised on Friskies Buffet and they have never had any problems with it. Like I said, we stick with the cans of pate for the most part, with a few cans of bits thrown in because they like the bits.
 

2cats4me

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jul 5, 2014
Messages
2,046
Purraise
211
 
I don't feed friskies canned except for a morning treat - they generally get dry grain free, which has specific feeding instructions on the back - it's 350 cal per cup and for the 16 pounder it tells you 3/4 to one cup, which is more than she really needs, especially since she hides under the bed most of the time :) I think (after reading the article about switching foods more often) this is why as humans we don't switch foods too often - we get used to how one is fed, and the next package we pick up may or may not have sufficient nutritional information to make an intelligent decision - LIKE THE FRISKIES CAN LOL - I've never been so frustrated by anything as trying to figure out how many calories are in a can of Friskies! the website has nothing. I finally found that my local pet supply store has Dave's at a reasonable price, so I'm likely going to start transitioning them to meal times and Dave's. I have noted in the past that I would buy the 15 pound bag of Taste of the Wild, and that by the time I got to the bottom of the bag, my cats were not eating it as happily as they had when it was first opened. After that I started buying smaller bags so it didn't get stale. The newbie, Tom, has realized that I come home for lunch & make myself a chicken salad most days, so he comes out & gets a piece of chicken :) I'm starting to think chicken is the best bet, because at LEAST people food has the nutritional value listed always, pet food doesn't. I've had cats all my life and find it sad to think I never pondered these things before.
Each 5.5 oz can of the Friskies Pate has an average of 180 calories ..
 

2cats4me

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jul 5, 2014
Messages
2,046
Purraise
211
 
If I might add my two cents here.....our clan of six does quite well on Friskies Buffet. We tend to stick with the cans of pate, but will give them a couple cans of bits from time to time as some of the cats really like the bits. We have six cats and they each get 1/3 of a 5.5-ounce can twice a day. That means that the clan goes through 4 cans of food a day, 28 cans of cat food every week. We supplement that with dry kibble for them, so in addition to their canned food, they get at least one good snack of dry every day, sometimes two--or more--snacks, when we're home during the day. Some of the cats eat Hills TD Feline as their dry; the others will eat Friskies Indoor Delights. I don't think that any of our cats are overweight at all, although maybe Tabby could stand to lose a few ounces as active as she is.

Around here, right now, Friskies Buffet is running around 50-cents a can; it's on sale at our local grocery store. We also go to PetSmart. I don't go to WalMart that often, so I have no idea what their prices are. The last few times we bought cat food, we had a coupon for $1.50 off 36 cans of Friskies Buffet....from time to time, our grocery store gives them out and we are always glad to get them. When cat food is on a good sale, then we'll stock up. We'll buy 100 cans at a time to try to save a little money. 100 cans doesn't last us a month; it goes quickly.

My personal opinion is that cats should have both dry and wet food. Wet for meals and dry for their snacks. But that's just how I feel. All of our kids were raised on Friskies Buffet and they have never had any problems with it. Like I said, we stick with the cans of pate for the most part, with a few cans of bits thrown in because they like the bits.
At our Walmart it is .48 cents per 5.5 oz can ..    I also had a Target coupon for $3.50 off 25 cans  , a great deal since they are .50 cents there .
 
Top