Cat Food

Alicia88

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I know good quality food is important.  I've seen articles talking about the "best" cat foods and those foods are so ridiculously expensive, I wouldn't be able to afford them without a large trust fund.  I've been feeding my boys Purina Kitten Chow.  Is that considered a good quality food?
 

tabbytom

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alicia88

Sometimes the best cat food and even, let's say it's cheap, your cats might not like to eat them. Some cats are picky when comes to food. So you have to know what your cats really like, not necessary the best and left with uneaten food is a waste of money.
I got no idea about Purina Kitten Chow. Can't help you on this one ;)
 
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Alicia88

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They eat it just fine.  They seem to like it.
 

tabbytom

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Kittens need to eat protiens and they need to eat frequently to grow. Giving them the right kitten food will benefit them.
 

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I'm personally not a big fan of Purina's food in general. I don't like kitten chow because the second ingredient is corn, which is not a great protein source for cats; it can't be processed nearly as good as a quality meat protein. As well, it uses by product meal, which on it's own isn't great; I prefer to see it with a non-by-product at the very least (chicken by product AND chicken).  However, it's definitely not the worst food out there. It's high protein (even if a chunk of that comes from corn). So if this is the best you can afford, don't feel bad. But if you can afford to go up a tier, try either a low grain food (preferably with higher quality grains, like oats, rather than corn) or a budget grain free food (although even with grain free, you gotta be careful because they often just replace grains with potatoes, which is still high carb). Mostly you want to look for high protein, low carb.You'll have to do your own research and come to your own conclusions about corn/soy/wheat/grains, but I personally avoid them entirely, or at least only want to see them very low on the ingredient list.

I know Walmart has a pretty good brand of quality, budget cat food called Pure Balance. The kitten formula's first three ingredients are Chicken, Turkey meal, and Chicken meal, and the grains in it are all higher quality than corn or soy or wheat. It's not as high in protein, though. It's about $10 (Canadian) for a 4lb bag. If you're willing to spend a bit more, Chicken Soup for the Soul brand cat and kitten food seems pretty good to me, and is a decent price (20$ for 5lb); it's what my little guy is eating right now, and he likes it. You can also keep your eye out for sales on high quality foods--Petsmart and Pet Valu constantly have deals going on online and in store.

Also, I recommend at least including some wet food, especially for males who are more prone to urinary crystals. The high moisture is good for them, plus wet food is generally better than dry anyways. Again, the Pure Balance wet food from Walmart is actually not bad quality, for a pretty good price. I've also heard good things about Fancy Feast, although I don't like most of their foods because they often include unnamed meat in the ingredient lists (not inherently awful, but I like to know what I'm feeding my cat). Try to avoid fish based foods, they're not great for cats (fish low on the ingredient list is fine imo)
 

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I know good quality food is important.  I've seen articles talking about the "best" cat foods and those foods are so ridiculously expensive, I wouldn't be able to afford them without a large trust fund.  I've been feeding my boys Purina Kitten Chow.  Is that considered a good quality food?
Hi there! 


What else are they eating? Any canned? Kitten Chow, while not the best, isn't awful. Kittens need to have access to as much food as they want while they are growing. What many people do is give the kitten canned food at timed mealtimes and then free feed dry food such as Kitten Chow. Fancy Feast has a good canned kitten food that most kittens (and cats too) love. My cats are all grown and they still love their FF turkey kitten food. You can also feed any canned food that has "all life stages" on the label. 

A good dry grain free kitten food that isn't too expensive is Merrick. https://www.chewy.com/merrick-purrfect-bistro-grain-free/dp/115588  - this is also available at Petco. 

Is that them in your avatar?? How cute!  There is nothing in the world cuter than a kitten- except multiple kittens! 
 
 
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Alicia88

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Hi there! 


What else are they eating? Any canned? Kitten Chow, while not the best, isn't awful. Kittens need to have access to as much food as they want while they are growing. What many people do is give the kitten canned food at timed mealtimes and then free feed dry food such as Kitten Chow. Fancy Feast has a good canned kitten food that most kittens (and cats too) love. My cats are all grown and they still love their FF turkey kitten food. You can also feed any canned food that has "all life stages" on the label. 

A good dry grain free kitten food that isn't too expensive is Merrick. https://www.chewy.com/merrick-purrfect-bistro-grain-free/dp/115588  - this is also available at Petco. 

Is that them in your avatar?? How cute!  There is nothing in the world cuter than a kitten- except multiple kittens! 
 
Yep, that's them the night they came home with us.  I haven't been giving them any wet food, but I will start.  They always have dry food available.  They yell at me if they can see any part of the bottom of the bowl.

I had always heard to avoid giving them too much wet food because it can cause diarrhea.  They do need extra hydration, though.  They're so picky about their water.  I wash their water bowl out with dish soap every couple of hours and they still won't drink from it if the water has been in there for more than 10 minutes.  I've been planning to get one of those filtered water bowls and see if that helps.  They're not spoiled at all.  Not even a little bit.  They're just . . . well-loved.
 

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Hi there! 


What else are they eating? Any canned? Kitten Chow, while not the best, isn't awful. Kittens need to have access to as much food as they want while they are growing. What many people do is give the kitten canned food at timed mealtimes and then free feed dry food such as Kitten Chow. Fancy Feast has a good canned kitten food that most kittens (and cats too) love. My cats are all grown and they still love their FF turkey kitten food. You can also feed any canned food that has "all life stages" on the label. 

A good dry grain free kitten food that isn't too expensive is Merrick. https://www.chewy.com/merrick-purrfect-bistro-grain-free/dp/115588  - this is also available at Petco. 

Is that them in your avatar?? How cute!  There is nothing in the world cuter than a kitten- except multiple kittens! 
 
I was reading that it's a bit of a myth that they should have as much food as they want (for dry, anyways; wet isn't as likely to overeat apparently). It's more "as much as the want within the specified amount." I premeasure so much for my kitten, which he gets free access to the premeasured amount through the day, plus wet in the morning and evening. 
 

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Yep, that's them the night they came home with us.  I haven't been giving them any wet food, but I will start.  They always have dry food available.  They yell at me if they can see any part of the bottom of the bowl.

I had always heard to avoid giving them too much wet food because it can cause diarrhea.  They do need extra hydration, though.  They're so picky about their water.  I wash their water bowl out with dish soap every couple of hours and they still won't drink from it if the water has been in there for more than 10 minutes.  I've been planning to get one of those filtered water bowls and see if that helps.  They're not spoiled at all.  Not even a little bit.  They're just . . . well-loved.
Many people feed 100% wet with no problems in diarrhea. I could see it being an issue in some cats, but it shouldn't be for most (except when first being introduced the wet; changing any food can result in a few digestive problems, so introduce new food slow). Also it may not be that they're picky about water, just a lot of cats don't have a strong thirst drive so are only interested if it's super fresh or moving. A little water fountain can help, since it's more enticing. I like to add water to the wet food since I feed dry, and mine actually prefers his wet with a bit of water added.
 

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Dr. Lisa Pierson, a renowned cat nutritionist (catinfo.org) will tell you that the worst quality wet food is better than the best quality dry food.  An exclusive diet of cheap dry food will suck moisture out of their system, while a diet of primarily wet food will add much-needed moisture to their system.  This is important since cats do not have a high thirst drive as it is.  Take a piece of dry food and place it in a cup of water and watch what happens.  It will expand up to 3x its size.  It is absorbing water - actually taking water from their system.  Canned (wet) food is much better for a cat than dry.

Having said this, I have fostered hundreds of cats and kittens and can tell you that we always give them wet food (does not matter what brand) and Science Diet Kitten dry food to supplement their activity level, until they are about 9 months old.  After that, it is not necessary as the dry food has so many calories they no longer need as they slow down.  If you MUST feed dry, then at least use a high-quality dry food.  Look for a blend of ingredients that primarily uses meat - not meat by-products (these are things like beaks and feet - - little nutritional value).  
 

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Yep, that's them the night they came home with us.  I haven't been giving them any wet food, but I will start.  They always have dry food available.  They yell at me if they can see any part of the bottom of the bowl.

I had always heard to avoid giving them too much wet food because it can cause diarrhea.  They do need extra hydration, though.  They're so picky about their water.  I wash their water bowl out with dish soap every couple of hours and they still won't drink from it if the water has been in there for more than 10 minutes.  I've been planning to get one of those filtered water bowls and see if that helps.  They're not spoiled at all.  Not even a little bit.  They're just . . . well-loved.
My cats eat very little dry. They get it as an occasional snack or topper to the wet food when they are being fussy. Other than that, they are on a wet only diet and they do not have any kind of digestive issues. 

Wet foods can be changed without any kind of adjustment/transition period. I do it all the time. More often than not, they get 2 different foods in the same meal. I have 3 picky eaters. Just pate won't cut it. I give them pate and add something on top of it that has a different texture. Today they had Friskies pate topped with Nature's Recipe shredded chicken. We have a very wide variety of foods in our rotation because of how picky they are. 

Dry food does indeed need a transition period if switching brands. 

I have a fountain and they like it a lot. I have this one but you can probably go for a smaller model. I have the big one because the dog drinks out of it as well. 


The smaller version 


These fountains are well made, quiet and easy to clean. 

Spoil them all you want. I do. They deserve it and they know it! 
 
 
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Alicia88

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Dr. Lisa Pierson, a renowned cat nutritionist (catinfo.org) will tell you that the worst quality wet food is better than the best quality dry food.  An exclusive diet of cheap dry food will suck moisture out of their system, while a diet of primarily wet food will add much-needed moisture to their system.  This is important since cats do not have a high thirst drive as it is.  Take a piece of dry food and place it in a cup of water and watch what happens.  It will expand up to 3x its size.  It is absorbing water - actually taking water from their system.  Canned (wet) food is much better for a cat than dry.

Having said this, I have fostered hundreds of cats and kittens and can tell you that we always give them wet food (does not matter what brand) and Science Diet Kitten dry food to supplement their activity level, until they are about 9 months old.  After that, it is not necessary as the dry food has so many calories they no longer need as they slow down.  If you MUST feed dry, then at least use a high-quality dry food.  Look for a blend of ingredients that primarily uses meat - not meat by-products (these are things like beaks and feet - - little nutritional value).  
Well, it looks like I'll be buying some wet food later.  They're getting neutered today so should I wait a bit before adding the wet food to their diet?  I don't want to do anything that will affect the healing process.
 

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Well, it looks like I'll be buying some wet food later.  They're getting neutered today so should I wait a bit before adding the wet food to their diet?  I don't want to do anything that will affect the healing process.
They may have a reduced appetite for a bit following the surgery because of the anesthetic but you can certainly offer them some and see if they want it, it won't hurt. 

Don't worry. They are going to be just fine. It really is a simple procedure for boys. 
 
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Alicia88

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They may have a reduced appetite for a bit following the surgery because of the anesthetic but you can certainly offer them some and see if they want it, it won't hurt. 

Don't worry. They are going to be just fine. It really is a simple procedure for boys. 
Can't help it.  They're my kids.  They're just a little more hairy than the older 3.
 

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After the neuter, just give them less food than normal, but they can go back to normal after 24 hours (or so my vet recommended for my boy), so you can start introducing wet food then :) Just introduce it slowly. A small amount of wet on the first day in a separate dish (if they don't touch it, you can mix the dry to entice them to try it) and then just increase it a little every day until you have them eating how much you'd like them to be eating per day.

And don't worry about the neuter. Honestly, my little guy was back at it right away, he didn't even realize anything was missing lol
 
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tabbytom

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Everyone's giving you very good advice. Just don't worry so much. Just keep tab and to them it's like it never happened. Most of the kitties are up to their normal self after the anesthesia wears off.
My boy was springing all over the place the next day and he wasn't even on the e-collar.
So don't worry ok?
 

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Your choice of food will depend on your cat's preference. That said, there are some brands that are corn free, wheat free and soy free that are affordable.  Initially I purchased food that contained those ingredients, but these days I tend to avoid them.  There are supermarket brands that actually are suitable choices for your cat.  For example, three 9 LIves 'Meaty Pate' recipes are suitable and I would give them to my cat because they lack corn, wheat and soy; 1. Real Chicken  2. Seafood Platter  3. Super Supper.

Keep in mind that this wet brand is inexpensive for a reason;  the primary ingredient is Meat By-product.  In the U.S.A. beef Meat By-product can be organs, which are perfectly nutritious for cats (and humans, by the way).  Poultry By-products include hearts, gizzards, feet, feather meal etc.; all of which can be nutritious for cats.  For other brands that are primarily muscle meat, take a look at Fancy Feast and Sheba, as well as Friskies, at your supermarket.  The only Friskies recipes that I feed my cat are Turkey & Giblets Dinner, Poultry Platter, and Cat Concoctions Salmon & Liver; none of those recipes contain corn, wheat or soy.
 

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I don't know we're u live but in Canada they have this cat and dog food only sold in a superstore call nutrion first by President choice it hase no corner no wheat no dies no by product in this food and it a good price [emoji]128521[/emoji]
 

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No, its not exactly 'good'. But its not the worst brand out there either, I personally consider it middle of the road - not horrible but not the best either. Meow Mix and Deli Cat are worse in my opinion. I've used Purina Kitten Chow before, so I'm not totally against it, I just don't recommend it. Here in the United States, they recently made Purina Kitten Chow with no artifical colors or preservatives (getting better!) But cats are still carnivores and have always been carnivores; they have no natural use for fruits and vegetables and grains like we do. Purina Kitten Chow has lots of corn in it and wheat/gluten. It is also a dry food which is fine every so often but not good long term. Canned food is usually better. Dispute a common myth; kibble (dry food) does not clean animals' teeth (do pretzels clean ours?). Also cats do not chew their food so most of the kibble gets swallowed whole.


If you're looking for a good brand that is better than Purina Kitten Chow but won't break the bank, have you tried Taste of The Wild? I use and love that brand. Of course I recommend it too. I am unaware of Canada's choices as I've never been to Canada but worth a shot in checking it out. It is also all life stages. Here in the United States, I get 15lbs for $26 bucks or 5lbs for $11 bucks.


Best of luck! :)
 
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Alicia88

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I will.  I stopped by Wal*Mart and picked up a case of 30 cans of Fancy Feast.  They had a few different variety packs so I made sure to get one that had meat as the first three ingredients for all the flavors.
 
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