Concerns over popular catfoods

eliotfinn · Oct 7, 2005

I have a new kitten, and my vet (as well as an empolyee at my local pet store) told me that I should be feeding him something healthy like Science Diet, and stay away from mainstream favorites like Whiskas and Friskies. Both of them told me that the more meainstream foods aren't very good for my cats and can be much better replaced with food formulated for their health.

Here's where the problem comes in.

I've been feeding my kitten Science Diet: Kitten Food (dry) for a few weeks now. I feed my 2 adult cats canned Friskies wet food.

A few times, my kitten has caught up with my adult cats while they were eating, and has absolutely become addicted to the sweet wet food I feed my older cats. He barely touches his Science Diet anymore (He only eats it when I put him in a room with only that to eat). Every time I let him run around the house, he races frantically to the adult cat bowls in search of the sweeter wet food.

Just now, after I set him down to eat his own kitten food, I popped open a can to feed my adult kitties. I was shocked to see my kitten violently plunge into the wet food, and make horrible noises as it defended the food from the others. The poor little thing was so addicted to it he could barely swallow the large mouthfuls he ripped off.

It was just breaking my heart to see my little baby this... addicted...to a food.

I'm very concerned that these mainstream catfoods are so rich and sweet, and so addicting to cats that they become dependent on them, and nothing else.

Am I being paranoid? Is this food alright to feed my baby? I really want my kitten to grow up healthy, and I really want him to continue eating Science Diet.

What can be done about this? Is my kitten already doomed?

Thank you in advance, I'm really worried about my baby, I hope someone can help me =[

batrice · Oct 7, 2005

science diet is terrible food as is whiskas and friskies amd Iams. If you ever read "foods pets die for" by Ann Martin it may help you realize how bad some cat foods are. Vets half of the time only want to sell what they have there and are not always that knowledgeable about food. Even local pet store people are clueless. Hopefully you will get more answers besides this one that will help you. You may try Innova or wellness and others with no by-products etc. There are more and more human grade foods out there.Also there are healthy foods for kittens as well.

eliotfinn · Oct 7, 2005

Where can I find these types of foods?

I think the healthiest thing my local pet store carries is Science Diet...

goldenkitty45 · Oct 7, 2005

I've feed my cats Iams their entire life with no problems and they are VERY healthy cats. We also use Kirkland cat/dog food (which is made by the Diamond company) and that is also good food.

I've also used canned Iams, Friskies with no problems. I stay away from the dry foods with dye in them (like MeowMix). Most cats like canned food over dry so I'm not surprised.

I don't like Science Diet and neither did my cats - they would not eat it.

eliotfinn · Oct 7, 2005

I'm curious, what is it you don't like about Science diet?

It was recommended to me by two different sources, above the other popular ones anyways.

What don't you like about it?

kai bengals · Oct 7, 2005

Your kitty isn't addicted to the wet food. Just doing what comes natural. Cats are not designed to eat little crunchy dry "crouton like" things. When hungry and left with no other choice...sure they will eat them. That is often the scenario for pet cats.....they get only dry kibble.
Your kitten found out there was something more tasty to be had. In my opinion none of the dry foods available are very good for cats and most cats when offered a choice will choose a wet food over dry.

minil · Oct 7, 2005

Science Diet is a bit better than the mainstream foods but not much better, especially considering the cost of it. When I looked at the ingredients it didn't seem that much better than the mainstream foods. Royal Canin looked much better. Apparantly Eagle Pack is really good but I haven't been able to find it in where I live. And as someone said Innova is v. good.
Lots of the better food compaines sell wet as well as dry food, so you could still feed your little kitty wet since he loves it. The Cat Connection has a selection of some good wet foods.
You can probably buy most of this stuff from online pet supply shops or look on their website for a retailer near you.

This site has a very good checklist of what to look for and aviod when buying cat food:
http://www.api4animals.org/689.htm

This site has good info on cat food, and also how to make your own cat food if your interested:
http://www.catnutrition.org/ClientHandout.htm

capecodcatmom · Oct 7, 2005

Originally Posted by EliotFinn

I'm curious, what is it you don't like about Science diet?

It was recommended to me by two different sources, above the other popular ones anyways.

What don't you like about it?

Science Diet and Iams both have meat by-products, which are not good for kitties. Some good premium brands are Wellness, Nutro's Natural Choice, and Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover's Soul. There are others, too, that I'm sure other posters will tell you about.
You might want to consider switching your kitten to canned food, and switching your older cats to the healthier foods. You can always leave some dry food (healthy brands) in a bowl for them to nibble. We recently switched our Bodi back to premium brands. Our experience is that we're having to try different brands and flavors to find out what she likes.
You can find out where to buy them from the companies' websites.
Here are some links:
Nutro
Wellness
Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover's Soul

yosemite · Oct 7, 2005

I've just recently been trying different foods for our two fur babies.

I've stopped buying any canned food that has any by-products listed in the ingredients. That left me Wellness, Nutro, Felidae, Natural Diet (?), Chicken Soup . . and a couple gourmet ones that cost a fortune. They did not like Chicken Soup nor Felidae at all, will eat the Wellness and Nutro and did like the Natural (not sure right now if the second word was Diet or not).

Our cats don't like these as much as the junk brands, but that's all they are going to get from now on. They will eat it - just not as voraciously as the other stuff and they'll get used to it.

babybee · Oct 7, 2005

Science Diet seem to be promoted by vets who sell the products, but by looking at the ingredients it does not seem better in any way than many of the other brands out there. I don't you think your kitty is addicted to Friskies, he just probably prefers canned food over dry. My cats only eat canned and occasionally nibble on dry because they dont like it as much.
I personally feed my kitties Fancy Feast because that is what they like, and ocassinally Iams. Besides the canned food they also get cooked meat and bone, chicken and duck skin, liver....they love duck skin when I make duck same with the chicken skin...so these is all stuff that I would cook for us as well, including the liver.

I am in the minority here....but animal meat byproducts don't bother me, and I am not worried about them. I know my sisters cats, when they caught the birds and chipmunks and squirrels, they ate the whole thing. Not just the meat, but everything. They had food at home at all times, but for some reason they did prefer hunting and eating whatever they caught. I am not worried if the canned food has chicken brain in it or anything like that, because when I make soup, I cook the chicken head and I eat the brain myself. My dad also cooks cow stomach...and it is very tasty

so is the chicken brain....Now the preservatives are another thing, I am more worried about those than the actual meat byproducts...

If your two older cats are healthy and they eat Friskies I personally wouldn't worry. I don't think they are addicted to it...but that is just my opinion....

vibiana · Oct 7, 2005

My three all eat some canned (Friskies or 9 Lives) and some kibble (Maxximum super premium brand, I buy it at Walmart). Like others have said, cats will usually choose wet food over dry, but one of my three isn't that crazy about it. She'll eat a tiny smidge -- what she likes is the "gravy" from the can. So I give her all of that and a teeny bit of the food, and the other cats usually finish it for her anyway.

Since I buy a premium kibble, I figure their nutritional needs are taken care of. The wet food isn't the best I could buy, but in my mind it evens out in the end. They're all three healthy and happy kitties.

lionessrampant · Oct 7, 2005

The better foods can be found at places online like http://www,petfooddirect.com As for what I reccommend, my cats absolutely adore Evanger's, which, I'm assuming can be pretty hard to find in stores. That particular food can be found at http://www.evangersdogfood.com

mrod1 · Oct 7, 2005

Wet food is the best to give, but dry food is okay, for in between meals. I like Nutro and Trader Joes Premium cat food. They have no by products and my cats love them and they are affordable. Friskies is like giving Macdonalds, it is fattening and has not much nutrition, loaded with by products, science diet is usually recomended by vets because thats what manufacturers push them to do. Just because a vet recommends it, does not mean that it is good. You can buy Nutro cat foods at Petco and Petsmart, or any major pet store chain, and cost only a little more than friskies, Nutro also comes in dry food. Trader Joes Premium natural wet foods at Trader Joes and they cost the same as Friskies.

ravyn · Oct 7, 2005

My kitties are on Nature's Variety Prairie, which is the best kibble/wet food I was able to find. They also make freeze-dried and pre-packaged raw diets.

My kitties also get chicken gizzards, hearts, livers, and raw seafood.

pepper girl · Oct 7, 2005

I just switched my oldest kitty Pepper (she's 4 years old) to Eukanuba and my kitten Pixie (5 months old) is currently on Iams but that's only because the pet store was out of Eukanuba. Is this a ok food? I did some research and it seems to be fine, the first ingredient is chicken and chicken meal. I know Innova is better but my pet store doesn't carry it. I was actually torn between Nutro and Eukanuba. Any suggestions on what is better??? Also, I feed my kitties Fancy Feast which I always thought was ok but I'd only feed them a tablespoon of it in the mornings and evenings. I always thought dry food was better and I only gave can food as a "treat"...well I guess I was wrong..

Should I start giving them full or half a can at each feeding? I'll still leave out the dry food cuz the kitties are home alone all day while my bf and I are at work. Is there any other brand of can food I should look into??? Any advice appreciated...

sharky · Oct 7, 2005

Originally Posted by Pepper Girl

I just switched my oldest kitty Pepper (she's 4 years old) to Eukanuba and my kitten Pixie (5 months old) is currently on Iams but that's only because the pet store was out of Eukanuba. Is this a ok food? I did some research and it seems to be fine, the first ingredient is chicken and chicken meal. I know Innova is better but my pet store doesn't carry it. I was actually torn between Nutro and Eukanuba. Any suggestions on what is better??? Also, I feed my kitties Fancy Feast which I always thought was ok but I'd only feed them a tablespoon of it in the mornings and evenings. I always thought dry food was better and I only gave can food as a "treat"...well I guess I was wrong..

Should I start giving them full or half a can at each feeding? I'll still leave out the dry food cuz the kitties are home alone all day while my bf and I are at work. Is there any other brand of can food I should look into??? Any advice appreciated...

Read the label.... Nutro has no by products , no corn (corn gluten is 66% protein ... corn or grits is 10%)

sharky · Oct 7, 2005

I like Nutro , Feline cavier, some of Premium edge s , feleidea , some Royal canin, some Natural balence ,some Petguard ( dont like the dry)

moggiegirl · Oct 7, 2005

By-products are obscure unnamed ingredients. I like to know what my cats are eating. I used to think that by-products were just organ meats but now I know that's not a guarantee so I'm avoiding them now. It would help for you to tell us what pet store is available to you. If you shop at Petco the best you can get there are Natural Balance and Nutro. And I reccommend both dry and canned. The nutro gourmet classics will allow you to spoil your cats like buying various fancy feast varieties but it's a better quality food.

maiseycat · Oct 7, 2005

If you feel good about Science Diet, maybe you could switch the adults cats over to it. Then at least you wouldn't have the little one fighting over food. Personally, I'm not confident that designer food is much better than cheaper brands. The Science Diet for sensitive stomachs that I gave my cat had a strong odor to it, and made my cat's problem WORSE. I have stayed away from expensive brands since then. Just not willing to spend $14 a pop for something that may not even be better quality food. I listen to opinions, but mainly go on what my cat likes, and what seems to be the best for her digestion and weight control.

My cat seems to do best on Iam's and Purina. Her coat looks shiny and healthy - it's strange, but I've noticed her coat gets dull when on certain foods. It was very glossy while on Science Diet, but probably because the food had a greasy texture to it. Yuck - never again. I've heard that dry food is better than wet because dry strengthens teeth and fights tarter build-up. So, you may want to switch them all to a dry food brand that you feel comfortable with.

pat · Oct 7, 2005

Originally Posted by EliotFinn

I have a new kitten, and my vet (as well as an empolyee at my local pet store) told me that I should be feeding him something healthy like Science Diet, and stay away from mainstream favorites like Whiskas and Friskies. Both of them told me that the more meainstream foods aren't very good for my cats and can be much better replaced with food formulated for their health.

Here's where the problem comes in.

I've been feeding my kitten Science Diet: Kitten Food (dry) for a few weeks now. I feed my 2 adult cats canned Friskies wet food.

A few times, my kitten has caught up with my adult cats while they were eating, and has absolutely become addicted to the sweet wet food I feed my older cats. He barely touches his Science Diet anymore (He only eats it when I put him in a room with only that to eat). Every time I let him run around the house, he races frantically to the adult cat bowls in search of the sweeter wet food.

Just now, after I set him down to eat his own kitten food, I popped open a can to feed my adult kitties. I was shocked to see my kitten violently plunge into the wet food, and make horrible noises as it defended the food from the others. The poor little thing was so addicted to it he could barely swallow the large mouthfuls he ripped off.

It was just breaking my heart to see my little baby this... addicted...to a food.

I'm very concerned that these mainstream catfoods are so rich and sweet, and so addicting to cats that they become dependent on them, and nothing else.

Am I being paranoid? Is this food alright to feed my baby? I really want my kitten to grow up healthy, and I really want him to continue eating Science Diet.

What can be done about this? Is my kitten already doomed?

Thank you in advance, I'm really worried about my baby, I hope someone can help me =[

Hi...first, cats do not have the necessary ability to taste sweet...what your kitten is reacting to is the nice juicey meaty food of the canned (though those brands have things in them I do NOT recommend

)

I do not care for Science Diet kitten...highlighted in red are the ingredients I do not like to see in my kitten/cat food:"Chicken By-Product Meal, Ground Whole Grain Corn, Animal Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), Corn Gluten Meal, Brewers Rice, Chicken Liver Flavor, Fish Oil, Flaxseed, Dried Egg Product, Potassium Chloride, Soybean Mill Run,"

By Products are an inexpensive, poor quality protein source...that you are paying top dollar for with this brand. Why? There are other brands out there with better (IMO) quality ingredients that do not use corn (whole, cracked, corn meal or corn grits) which is a common allergen for cats and a filler, or soybeans which I do not recommend in any form for cats.

Consider feeding your kitten a quality canned food instead as the main portion of it's diet with a good quality kitten or 'for all lifestages' dry food also available. Brands to consider for dry (and in some cases they also have canned options) include: Innova EVO, Felidae, Innova, Natural Balance, Nutro Natural Choice Complete Care Line (I recommend this line over nutro's max cat gourmet kitten) are some. Here is the page with the ingredients list and description for Innova EVO Kitten and Cat food, another to consider is California Natural Chicken and Rice (this line also has canned foods) dry click here for the ingredients, description list and click here for info on natural balance ultra premium and last but not least click here for ingredients and product description for Nutro Natural Choice Indoor kitten

hth! Just remember, what ever you decide to switch to, if you do (and I hope you do), do it gradually, mixing in at first a very small amt. of the new food and gradually increasing the amt. of the new food while decreasing the amt. of the old.

Concerns over popular catfoods

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