Wet Food Options

I know I am opening the flood gates but I need some wet food advice. I have three cats (indoor/outdoor day and indoor night) who free feed on dry food (nature variety instinct turkey and duck). In the evenings they split a 3 oz can of wet food which is mixed with a joint supplement due to leg injury on one. They drink plenty of water (I refill their water fountain at least once a week and they drain one of the outdoor fountains enough I have to top it daily). All three are under five years old and good body condition. I am not concerned with calorie counting at this point. I do need to switch cat foods and am having trouble finding one they will eat.

The criteria is:

1) Absolutely no chicken or shrimp. Through elimination I have figured out chicken and shrimp makes one throw up.
2) No raw. I have tried they won't eat it.
3) High gravy or juice content. The more the better.
4) The boys will not eat pate. They will lick juices if it isn't mixed up but nothing else.
5) No beef. They turned their noses up at the Bravo beef flavor we got for the photo of the month.
6) I am currently doing Fancy Fest Broths but I want something lower or no fish.
7) I prefer 2.5-3.5 ounce cans. The girl would gladly eat the entire can (and she's just 7lbs) but the boys leave leftovers if they get more then a third of a small can. Which the girl then eats.Its not worth the money save to buy bigger in my current situation.
8) $1.50 or less a can in bulk.

I looked at Pride by Instinct but I can't find somewhere to buy a single can to try before buying a full tray. Wureva is carried by a speciality pet store 20 miles away so I can grab some cans to try but I would like a less fishy one. Tiki Cat I think there have been mumblings about formula changes lately.

I did some forum searches and keep finding chicken in suggestions or pate options.

Can anyone suggest something else that would fit the criteria? I have to be missing something. I want to have a list when I make the drive to the specialty store so I don't have to make multiple trips. Once I figure out what they like I'll order in bulk.

Regarding Pride by Instinct, just FYI, there is no way it has a high gravy or juice content, in my view. (The cans say, "in savory gravy" but what I often see is that there is more meat/food product in the cans than "gravy".) But it's a food my cat will eat when I rotate her through the handful of foods she'll consume with regularity. It's also not a limited diet food... it has a variety of ingredients that will raise the "why so many fruits and veggies eyebrows", etc. It does come in 3 oz. cans.

She eats Rockstar's Rabbit and Daredevil's Duck, both are the "Flaked" versions. I find that the "Minced" versions are a bit goopier and might appear to have "gravy".

I'm not sure what the broths are like. is it more liquid or is it more gravy-like?
I've been adding bone broth to my boy's raw to keep him hydrated while he was in the cone of shame for a month.
Caru makes a good broth but it's pricey. Honest Kitchen has a broth you make from powder and neither boy has a problem with it. Honest Kitchen definitely smells more than the carton of Caru did. I end up making ice cubes and then thawing one out from time to time. That is the serving suggestion I believe at 1/8 cup per day

Broth is a lot of liquid with identifiable chunks of tuna, salmon, anchovies, or sardines.


Thank you for the suggestion.

Have you tried the Bravo turkey fricassee, Kieka? It's just turkey and our cats liked it pretty well when I feed it. And they love Nutro Natural Choice sliced turkey, which is usually pretty saucy.

A couple of pates, just in case: Nutro's chunky pates -- which include turkey -- have large enough chunks that they might work for your cats that don't like pates. Our cats generally prefer shreds and chunks, too, but love that one. I was also surprised that they like a very smooth pate, Rawz (which makes a turkey recipe), which is also very soft.

I, too, wish there were more non-chicken options! And you are right about Tiki: the recipes (most of which were fish- or chicken-based anyway) are changing. And our cats are very unhappy!

Kieka said:

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The criteria is:

1) Absolutely no chicken or shrimp...
2) No raw. I have tried they won't eat it.
3) High gravy or juice content. The more the better.
...
6) I am currently doing Fancy Fest Broths but I want something lower or no fish.
8) $1.50 or less a can in bulk.

... I want to have a list when I make the drive to the specialty store so I don't have to make multiple trips. Once I figure out what they like I'll order in bulk.

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Kieka said:

Broth is a lot of liquid with identifiable chunks of tuna, salmon, anchovies, or sardines.

Fancy-Feast-Broths-Classic-Tuna.jpg

• Kieka
• Mar 30, 2017

...

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I've not used Fancy Feast products, so I am not sure what they are like nor what is in them (e.g. how much fish they do have). It does look like identifiable pieces of chunks.


If you are looking for a gravy-type "broth" ----

Even though the chunks aren't as identifiable as in your Fancy Feast photo, and if you don't mind tuna being the first ingredient named (benefit: it is the only fish in these products), I would recommend Weruva's B.F.F. (Best Feline Friend) pouches. Definite gravy there, which can also be diluted with water when you are looking for a thinner "gruel".

When my cat is having days of not eating as well, I entice her with adding some water and some of the grain-free B.F.F. 3-oz pouches to her NV Pride meals (the Pride rabbit or duck I mentioned earlier, as I don't think it would go with some of her other foods). I just mix a few teaspoons if combining with other food; and if feeding it to her as a stand alone meal, I give her about 2 oz.

So I would recommend picking up a few packets of the "Weruva B.F.F. Tuna & Lamb Luv-Ya Cat-tastic Recipe in Gravy" (it's a green label), and the "Weruva B.F.F. Tuna & Duck Devour Me Recipe in Gravy" (the label is pink). These are the two I have used; cannot vouch for the other recipes. But they do have a Tuna & Turkey you could also try.

Look here for details on ingredients/ &C:
http://www.bestfriendsfoods.com/pouches.shtml

They are not expensive (I think they are right around a dollar a packet).

Have you tried the Merrick Purrfect Bistro trays?  They have turkey and duck flavors and they are like shreds/chunks in gravy.  My really picky cat loves them.   They are at the high end of your budget though- I think a 12 pack that you can buy on chewy.com works out to around $1.48 a tray- and they are 3.5 ounces each.  Individual trays are around $1.60 a tray if you wanted to pick up a few to try out.   For a cheaper option there's always the Sheba cuts- they have turkey flavor and some fish flavors like salmon and trout.  As for not liking beef- did you try more brands than just Bravos? If not, it could be possible that they don't like it from that brand and may like other brands with the flavor.  My cat doesn't normally like Duck or Turkey but she will eat it from a couple of brands including the Merrick Trays.   

​Kieka, I just wanted to make sure, did you know that the Fancy Feast Broths are only supposed to be a snack? They don't contain vitamins like regular wet food.

MaggieDemi said:

​Kieka, I just wanted to make sure, did you know that the Fancy Feast Broths are only supposed to be a snack? They don't contain vitamins like regular wet food.

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Yes. They get it as an evening treat before bed. They are indoor/outdoor and it's the reward for coming in on time. After it they stay in for the evening.

They do have a nutritionally balanced dry food they eat throughout the day. All three are very healthy. They get annual exams and our vet is well satisfied with their condition.

I am fine switching to an actual food or sticking with treat style. Although I would prefer a better nutritional one. The Broths is just what they really like and will clean the bowl of every time. They only get a smidgen over an ounce each though so it really is more of a snack then a dinner. Honestly, they can't eat more because their systems are used to grazing style eating. When Link was cage bound for injury we gave him a few tablespoons of food several times a day because otherwise he got really hungry or ate too fast.

Thank you everyone for the suggestions!

I will grab a few of each flavor and see which one they go for. I would hope that they like multiple so I can rotate through them. I can't get to the specialty store until next week so I welcome more suggestions.

​Okay, good. I just wanted to make sure because I thought they were like regular food, but then saw on the package it says for supplemental feeding only. My cats really liked them too, I just wish they weren't so expensive. It is a good way to get liquids into them.

Wellness makes a couple things that might be looking into. They have 3oz cans with Turkey and no chicken content. I think the variety is called cubed Turkey dinner. You may need to mix some water in to make the gravy content higher, though. I think their signature selects line and those packets (shredded, meat morsels, etc) either have chicken or I could only find in cans that were 5oz

What about the regular Fancy Feast in the cans, since they already like the Broths? I don't see any chicken listed in the Turkey Feast varieties.

Like @PushPurrCatPaws said, I would try Weruva packets. They have the B.F.F line, and the Cats in the Kitchen line. Some of them have chicken, but many of them don't.

Here are two flavors that meet your standards, I think there are a couple more also.

https://www.chewy.com/bff-tuna-lamb-luv-ya-recipe-in-gravy/dp/44064

https://www.chewy.com/weruva-cats-in-kitchen-mack-jack-sam/dp/37683

I am going to go with the Weruva and see how it goes. It looks like it is in line with what they like but better nutrition then the Broths. I would still like less fish but at least it is quality and it is only a portion of their food each day.

Thank you again for all the great suggestions!

Weruva failed miserably. Even Rocket who is my garbage kitty and eats everything only took a few bites then walked away. Not sure why they all disliked it so strongly but there you have it. Luckily I ordered through Chewy and they allowed me to order replacement food (Broths for the picky children) and refunded me for the Weruva. 

I think its because the Weruva was more solid and less gravy/broth. I may have just gotten the wrong type though so nothing against Weruva. I had read on a different thread about Soulistic which is PetCo exclusive and ran over to grab some of those at lunch today along with Merrick Backcounty pouches. I am hoping those will work. This whole no chicken and no shrimp thing is really not fun to work around.  

Kieka said:

Weruva failed miserably. Even Rocket who is my garbage kitty and eats everything only took a few bites then walked away. Not sure why they all disliked it so strongly but there you have it. Luckily I ordered through Chewy and they allowed me to order replacement food (Broths for the picky children) and refunded me for the Weruva. 

I think its because the Weruva was more solid and less gravy/broth. I may have just gotten the wrong type though so nothing against Weruva. I had read on a different thread about Soulistic which is PetCo exclusive and ran over to grab some of those at lunch today along with Merrick Backcounty pouches. I am hoping those will work. This whole no chicken and no shrimp thing is really not fun to work around.  

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I'm sorry about that! I hope that Soulistic or Merrick will work for you. That's great that you ordered through Chewy though because they are amazing with returns/customer service.