Comprehensive cat food poll - what do you feed your cats?

juniper

TCS Member
Super Cat
Joined
Jun 15, 2004
Messages
893
Purraise
3
Location
Toronto
Okay, my answer has changed a lot since I first answered this thread, so I'm going to answer again.


All four of my kitties now eat California Natural, dry. We made the switch back in the summer.
 

lexilou

TCS Member
Young Cat
Joined
Dec 5, 2004
Messages
42
Purraise
0
Location
Sterling, VA
this is a fascinating thread.

is human grade food one step up from pet grade? i never knew there were so many different options for food for your kitties!

i feed sabrina and samantha iams dry food and friskies wet food. they seem to like it, but i don't think they've known much from that anyway.
 

pat

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jul 1, 2003
Messages
11,045
Purraise
58
Location
Pacific NW
Originally Posted by lexilou

this is a fascinating thread.

is human grade food one step up from pet grade? i never knew there were so many different options for food for your kitties!

i feed sabrina and samantha iams dry food and friskies wet food. they seem to like it, but i don't think they've known much from that anyway.
Human grade is superior, because it's a guaranteed level of quality, with pet grade it's all bets are off. If dealing with an ill cat especially, why feed them anything that isn't of a guaranteed quality?

Just my 2 cents
 

tuxedokitties

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jul 3, 2003
Messages
4,005
Purraise
31
Originally Posted by lexilou

is human grade food one step up from pet grade?
To my understanding 'human grade' is a buyer-beware sort of term: http://cats.about.com/od/catfoodandn...umaningred.htm

..."Human Grade" and "Natural"
"Although you will occasionally see "Human Grade" listed on pet food labels, the AAFCO does not recognize nor presently address this form of labeling. However, because of the current trend toward "natural," as well as "organic" (in both human and pet food), the AAFCO is currently working to define at least the former description. In the meantime, caveat emptor with those phrases. If you lean toward cat foods with ingredients described as human grade or natural, make sure you completely understand what is meant by the terms.

In other words, "human grade" may mean one thing to one pet food manufacturer, and something entirely different to another. There are presently NO standards to define that phrase on pet food labels, so "caveat emptor" does indeed apply. Until the phrase is officially defined, I would neither attach nor take away any value to that kind of statement by a pet food manufacturer.
...
 

pat

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jul 1, 2003
Messages
11,045
Purraise
58
Location
Pacific NW
I guess I should clarify what I mean by human-grade
...those treats, and those companies that define the ingredient described as human grade, to be suitable for human consumption, i.e. Dr. Harvey's Whisker Smackers are not only made from poultry, beef or fish that could be sold in your local supermarket, they are processed in a facility that only processes human-grade items, using the appropriate standards for "for human consumption" meats (per a discussion I had with Dr. Harvey).

I agree that phrases such as "all natural" and "human grade", and even organic (one should check that it is actually so, that an item labeled organic is certified organic), are to be taken with a grain of salt. But if one reads all that a company has to say about their ingredients, how they process the items being described, I honestly think you can come to a fairly safe conclusion.
 

annalisa

TCS Member
Young Cat
Joined
Dec 10, 2004
Messages
49
Purraise
0
Location
Bay Area in California
I use Nutro or Pro Plan. Sometimes I will use Wellness but it so expensive that I can't do this regularly. Someone recently told me the 'Royal Canin' is very high quality...
 

annalisa

TCS Member
Young Cat
Joined
Dec 10, 2004
Messages
49
Purraise
0
Location
Bay Area in California
Originally Posted by lexilou

this is a fascinating thread.

is human grade food one step up from pet grade? i never knew there were so many different options for food for your kitties!

i feed sabrina and samantha iams dry food and friskies wet food. they seem to like it, but i don't think they've known much from that anyway.
Someone told me that Iams does some rather cruel experimenting on animals when "testing" their cat foods...
 

jcat

Mo(w)gli's can opener
Veteran
Joined
Feb 13, 2003
Messages
73,213
Purraise
9,851
Location
Mo(w)gli Monster's Lair
Originally Posted by Annalisa

Someone told me that Iams does some rather cruel experimenting on animals when "testing" their cat foods...
Try a forum search using "Iams" and "animal testing" - that's a topic that's been covered often. And Happy Birthday - you've got two threads wishing you that in the Lounge.
 

allissa

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
Jun 10, 2004
Messages
346
Purraise
1
Both of mine eat nutro natural choice dry and wet.
I tried to buy them other wet food to try but so far no luck. They don't like any pate food, they prefer chunky as in nutro natural pouches.
I am thinking they will get bored with that so I tried to buy some quaility canned food for them to try like innova, wellness, etc, but they refuse to eat those.
 

annalisa

TCS Member
Young Cat
Joined
Dec 10, 2004
Messages
49
Purraise
0
Location
Bay Area in California
Originally Posted by jcat

Try a forum search using "Iams" and "animal testing" - that's a topic that's been covered often. And Happy Birthday - you've got two threads wishing you that in the Lounge.
Thank you!
 

wellingtoncats

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Apr 17, 2003
Messages
36,207
Purraise
24
Location
Wellington City, NZ
We have gone back to Royal Canin - but this time using Sensible. So far the cats are doing well, and the kittens are, as always - thriving on babycat.
 

tuxedokitties

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jul 3, 2003
Messages
4,005
Purraise
31
Originally Posted by Pat & Alix

I guess I should clarify what I mean by human-grade
...those treats, and those companies that define the ingredient described as human grade, to be suitable for human consumption, i.e. Dr. Harvey's Whisker Smackers are not only made from poultry, beef or fish that could be sold in your local supermarket, they are processed in a facility that only processes human-grade items, using the appropriate standards for "for human consumption" meats (per a discussion I had with Dr. Harvey).

I agree that phrases such as "all natural" and "human grade", and even organic (one should check that it is actually so, that an item labeled organic is certified organic), are to be taken with a grain of salt. But if one reads all that a company has to say about their ingredients, how they process the items being described, I honestly think you can come to a fairly safe conclusion.
I'm sure it makes a big difference if it's a reputable manufacturer who's making the claim, too.
It's great that you research foods and treats so thoroughly.
 

gratefulbear629

TCS Member
Super Cat
Joined
Dec 5, 2004
Messages
1,106
Purraise
1
Location
Trenton, NJ
My fatty eats Purina OM - Overweight Management. It does work though. When I adopted her she was 18.2 lbs. !! That was in October and now she is 16.9. (as of Dec. 2) She would probably be doing even better if she wasn't so cute so we wouldn't have to feed her treats. haha
 

sol

TCS Member
Alpha Cat
Joined
Sep 27, 2003
Messages
590
Purraise
4
Location
Sweden
Originally Posted by Peacemaker

I voted: Fresh meat - homemade raw with or without pre-mix, because we are here in the house slowly trying to switch to BARF. But it is hard since this way of feeding your cats is not so used here in Denmark ( Mostly catowners feed with the wellknown brand such as Iams, Eukanuba, Hills ect.)So I find meat in the supermarkets as we do not have any firm here which have specialised in selling BARF food for cats.

I have recently started a danish list on yahoogroups where I hope I can exchange receipes and other tips some day, but the list is not huge and we are all beginners so we miss experts who can understand danish.

I am very nerveous about if I give my cats enough taurine ect in their diets, how do I ensure myself that they get what they need of the important amino acid??

Spiin and Purrs
Camilla
Yeah, another Scandinavian cat freak
About the taurine: there's no need to worry about the taurine when feedin a diet based on raw meat, but add some heart every week if your uncertain. Heart contains lots of taurin.

Where in Denmark do you live? We have a BARF-supplier here in Sweden and she delivers to Helsingborg and I know that there are some Danish cat and dog owners that crosses the bridge to pick up food in Helsingborg. If you want her e-mail adress and phone number you can send me a privat message.
 

dragonlady

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Oct 22, 2002
Messages
3,502
Purraise
2
Location
Citrus Heights, CA
I feed Royal Canin with occational canned food. The pregger kitties get a supliment of Eukanuba "hi cal" canned food so the babies get big and strong before they arrive. I continue this addition to their dry food until the kittens are weaned. The kittens start on this canned food, mixed with Royal Canin baby cat, as the canned is liquified and easy to eat. The high water content keeps then hydrated if mom won't nurse them any more and the high calories keep them full of energy. It's worth paying $1.00 a 3oz can IMO just to give them the best start possible. I get it through my vet.
 

glowbugm

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
Dec 14, 2004
Messages
101
Purraise
1
Location
WA state
I follow the suggestions in Anitra Fraziers's book The New Natural Cat and since i can't manage the home-made at this time (though i do feed that to my giant dog with knee problems) I feed canned food with supplements i prepare, and i use Nutro so as to avoid grocery store canned food with all the "byproducts" and preservatives--i also do not freefeed, just available twice a day to strengthen immune system. It has helped with coat and eye quality.
 

mikonu

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
Dec 21, 2004
Messages
269
Purraise
1
Location
Paradise (Hawaii)
I feed Kionu & Sebstian Innova Regular (Dry Formula) and Felidae Chicken & Rice (Canned). Miko eats Innova Cat Lite (Dry) and Felidae Chicken & Rice (Canned). Sometimes I use Innova Regular (Canned) if my local pet store has it in stock, which is rare.
 
Top