Interesting food comparison chart

Cool chart. My question - I am currently feeding Marlee Eukanuba. When I posted that in another thread, a lot of people told me Nutro would be better. But looking at that chart, will someone explain to me why Nutro is better? Eukanuba has no corn in the first 5/6 ingredients, when Nutro does. Is it the one by-product that makes it worse?

I would think is is the by-product meal, by products, and the ground corn.
In my home, it would be avoided simply because of the corn itself, because of allergies.
By products are garbage protiens.
Nutro has corn gluten meal, not the corn itself.

I just wanted to make note that the chart is referencing the best kitten chow for ferrets.... I don't know anything about what is needed nutritionally by ferrets in comparison to cats, but I just wanted to point that out.

Originally Posted by AshleyNicole

Cool chart. My question - I am currently feeding Marlee Eukanuba. When I posted that in another thread, a lot of people told me Nutro would be better. But looking at that chart, will someone explain to me why Nutro is better? Eukanuba has no corn in the first 5/6 ingredients, when Nutro does. Is it the one by-product that makes it worse?

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The eukanuba chicken on that chart does have corn in the first 5-6 ingredients - corn grits is the 6th ingredient.

I actually do not like Nutro's Max Cat Gourmet - the ingredients for it's kitten food are: "Chicken Meal, Corn Gluten Meal, Wheat Flour, Poultry Fat (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of natural Vitamin E), Ground Rice, Natural Flavors, Beet Pulp, Lamb Meal, Rice Bran, Brewers Dried Yeast, Dried Egg Product.."

and prefer the Nutro Natural Choice Complete Care Kitten over Eukanuba though - yes, it is the chicken by-products I most wish to avoid, along with those corn grits "Chicken Meal, Ground Rice, Corn Gluten Meal, Poultry Fat (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of natural Vitamin E), Dried Beet Pulp, Natural Flavors, Oat Fiber,"..

I would not say I like Nutro the best of all the foods on that chart however...Felidae which is a "for all lifestages" food, is quite nice, as is the Innova, and if talking adult formula, there are several others (not to mention the UK available kitten food - Arden Grange looks wonderful!

My one complaint with the chart, and I realize it would NOT be feasible for them to do it otherwise, is that by not seeing all ingredients, you can miss other ingredients you might wish to avoid (in my case that includes garlic, dyes, artificial flavors, more grains)

Corn Gluten meal is the offender. I would stick to the eukenuba

The eukanuba chicken on that chart does have corn in the first 5-6 ingredients - corn grits is the 6th ingredient.

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You're right, I'm sorry! I was looking at the adult formula rather than the kitten, (kitten is what i'm using). I only bought the small bag atleast, so once this bag of Eukanuba is close to gone, I can try another kind. There are no speciatly pet stores in my town, only WalMart and PetCo. I know Petco has Nutro, do you know if they carry Felidae or Innova that you recommended?

Sailfish - is the corn gluten meal worse than the corn grits? I know that corn and other carbs aren't good at all, but I don't have the money to pay for an expensive brand that has no corn, thats why I'm trying to find what is the least offensive.

Originally Posted by AshleyNicole

You're right, I'm sorry! I was looking at the adult formula rather than the kitten, (kitten is what i'm using). I only bought the small bag atleast, so once this bag of Eukanuba is close to gone, I can try another kind. There are no speciatly pet stores in my town, only WalMart and PetCo. I know Petco has Nutro, do you know if they carry Felidae or Innova that you recommended?

Sailfish - is the corn gluten meal worse than the corn grits? I know that corn and other carbs aren't good at all, but I don't have the money to pay for an expensive brand that has no corn, thats why I'm trying to find what is the least offensive.

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Ah no..unfortunately. I don't recall (and have got to zip) but Petco does carry Natural Balance (by Dick Van Pattern)..check out this food as well.

I know you asked Sailfish, but my 2 cents is that the corn gluten meal, while it may also be a problem for cats who react to corn, is being used here as a protein source, I find it less objectionable than corn grits, corn meal, whole or cracked corn. Just my 2 cents,

Thanks so much for the info, it did help! I'll be checking Petco, probably this weekend, and hopefully can make a good decision!

Adding to what Pat stated RE: Corn Gluten meal.
I do have one cat, and my dog, both with Corn allergies, they can actually tollerate corn gluten meal ( I believe it is because the bulk of the corn itself has been processed away).
I do know that cats and dogs can have reactions to the Gluten meal as well, it just hasn't been my experience with my two.

I'm as far away from an expert as you can get with cat nutrition. I'm just going by what I've heard from different sources that seem to point to cats being unable to process the protien from corn in the same way they process protien from animal. Someone actaully posted an aticle here somewhwere on just that. I'm now trying to treat our cats for what they are..Carnivours. On the chart I was impressed with the Wellness and it's content of protien from animal. I would classify corn meal and rice fillers as packed with carbohydrates And not the best choice for a cat. I think that the use of these foods if portion regulated could probably be used as food for cats. But I learned the hard way that free feeding these "profit rich" foods to our cats was the wrong choice. Unless we think that 25 pound cats are cute. I think that any credible thoughts about cat food would be better taken from our advisor Pat & Alex. The rant here is just my opinion.

Originally Posted by Sailfish

I'm as far away from an expert as you can get with cat nutrition. I'm just going by what I've heard from different sources that seem to point to cats being unable to process the protien from corn in the same way they process protien from animal. Someone actaully posted an aticle here somewhwere on just that. I'm now trying to treat our cats for what they are..Carnivours. On the chart I was impressed with the Wellness and it's content of protien from animal. I would classify corn meal and rice fillers as packed with carbohydrates And not the best choice for a cat. I think that the use of these foods if portion regulated could probably be used as food for cats. But I learned the hard way that free feeding these "profit rich" foods to our cats was the wrong choice. Unless we think that 25 pound cats are cute. I think that any credible thoughts about cat food would be better taken from our advisor Pat & Alex. The rant here is just my opinion.

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It's not a bad rant...it's just on the theory of feeding the best one can afford, I do advise corn gluten meal as a lesser evil compared to inferior animal proteins such as by-products. I totally agree with you re animal based protein (and usually add the caveat that I'm ok with corn gluten meal so long as it's not the only or the number one listed source for protein in a food). Wellness...a food I'd love to love, except for my strong beliefs (no, we don't have to go there) re the garlic they insist on adding

Awww, Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover's Soul isn't on there. That's what my boys get!

Originally Posted by Sandtigress

Awww, Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover's Soul isn't on there.

That's what my boys get!

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Likely to low in protein ... it is grain heavy but I did give it to my dog for a short time... If this charts is for ferrets ... then the highest protein food regardless of the ingrediants... I talk to ferret rescue alot... and no cat food should be given strait always mixed

Pat and Alix......I'm just curious as to what you think of Innova-EVO ?? Would you please post your opinion as we just made the switch to it about over the past two months. I will post the link to the website so you can check the ingredients. Thanks in advance 8*)

http://www.naturapet.com/display.php?d=inn-home

Originally Posted by Winter Hawk

Pat and Alix......I'm just curious as to what you think of Innova-EVO ?? Would you please post your opinion as we just made the switch to it about over the past two months. I will post the link to the website so you can check the ingredients. Thanks in advance 8*)

http://www.naturapet.com/display.php?d=inn-home

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I am not Pat
But I like how EVO reads ,,,, my dog loves the Evo for dogs ( she is only getting a little due to garlic)... My kitty didnt do well on evo but it reads and looks great

Originally Posted by Winter Hawk

Pat and Alix......I'm just curious as to what you think of Innova-EVO ?? Would you please post your opinion as we just made the switch to it about over the past two months. I will post the link to the website so you can check the ingredients. Thanks in advance 8*)

http://www.naturapet.com/display.php?d=inn-home

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I like it, it sounds very intriguing We've discussed it here in the past, I know there are a couple of members who feed it, and as with Sharky, at least one who has tried it and just not had it work out. So, ymmv in using this. Sounds like it's going over well with your kitties so far!