NWFN I agree 100%
Last edited:
-
Too many ads? Join our community of cat lovers now to reduce ads by 90%! Click here to join for free!
Best canned food brand?
- Thread starter felineempathy
- Start Date
Just a note on Tiki: most of the foods in their newer Gourmet Carnivore line are non-fish. Our cats seem to like them, which is kind of a relief because so many other foods have ingredients I won't or can't feed!
I've been reading all the answers on this site. I was surprised to see Fancy Feast listed. That is what I feed my cats in addition to dry, which I will now be limiting. The Fancy Feast Classic that I have in my pantry had great protein content, low ash, no carbs listed and only guar gum. Plus it doesn't break the bank to buy. I was pleasantly surprised and my 3 cats love it. I bought Rachel Ray Nutrish recently and can't believe all the bad stuff in it. i will not be buying that again. I'm glad I found this site to educate myself. Thank you.
V
. I requested a free sample of tricky chicky based on your recommendation before I order in bulk.
When I got my cat 8 years ago I knew nothing about nutrition & I am very sorry I didn't check into it sooner. The people who gave him to me at 5 told me to feed him dry food. I did buy some wet & gave it to him as a treat. After a while I started to give him wet in the morning & evening because he liked it so much. It seems we only have Tiki in fish flavor in this area & he loved it, so he ate this for a long time. Never could get him off that fish after that. I wish my vet would have told me what to feed him. He died of IBD followed by cancer at the age of 13 a couple weeks ago. I don't know whether this caused it but the people who had him before me just feed dry food. They were his second people so I don't know what he was fed before he came to me as they only had him a few months.
Have done a lot of research since his IBD came up and this is what I found:
Cats need wet food for main meals; just kibble for grazing between
Dry food does not do anything for their teeth because they don't chew the way humans do
The name of a meat should be the first ingredient in the can or bag
Cats do not need vegetables or maybe in very small quantities
The smallest number of ingredients is good
If you read the can label chicken is in just about everything
My vet said she does not recommend raw commercial food as it contains a lot of bacteria;
making your own would be OK if you know what to add
Cats do not like their water bowls next to their food
The best food is the one they will eat
I am going to keep researching & getting opinions on this site because I may get another cat in a year or two & want to
make sure he gets the right food.
Have done a lot of research since his IBD came up and this is what I found:
Cats need wet food for main meals; just kibble for grazing between
Dry food does not do anything for their teeth because they don't chew the way humans do
The name of a meat should be the first ingredient in the can or bag
Cats do not need vegetables or maybe in very small quantities
The smallest number of ingredients is good
If you read the can label chicken is in just about everything
My vet said she does not recommend raw commercial food as it contains a lot of bacteria;
making your own would be OK if you know what to add
Cats do not like their water bowls next to their food
The best food is the one they will eat
I am going to keep researching & getting opinions on this site because I may get another cat in a year or two & want to
make sure he gets the right food.
@Riley1 I lost my cat last April and he was only 12 yrs old. I get angry at myself for not learning more about nutrition and how feeding only dry food would eventually harm him. I get angry with my vet for not telling me. My Carby had constant issues with constipation later in life and instead of my vet telling me to get him on wet food he told me to buy high fiber dry food he sold there at the vet office. I get so angry and hurt just thinking about it now.
I have 2 new kitties now and they are benefitting from all that I've learned here and other sites.
I have 2 new kitties now and they are benefitting from all that I've learned here and other sites.
Riley1 and Lokhismom, I am so very sorry to hear about your cats. We had a very similar experience with our previous cat, too, so I understand about the illnesses, the sadness, and the feelings of anger and guilt. For me, the only consolation is that, like you, I learned a lot about cat food and nutrition from Brooksie's illness. I feel like it's her legacy: now I know how to feed our two new cats and what to watch for. The new cats are Siamese mixes with sensitive little stomachs so I really get to put that knowledge to use. We're a good match!
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #48
I'm sorry to hear about the loss of your cat. When I was little my dad rescued a stray calico but my family didn't know much about cat nutrition at the time. She ended up eating dry food her whole life and wouldn't touch canned or even any other dry food brands. Even though she was outdoor/indoor and got a lot of activity she still look overweight. Since we rescued her as a stray she never had a tracking trip, license, and a vet so we never got the proper advice. She may of had diabetes and passed away around age 16-17 in 2006.
she ate meat outside, I guarantee it
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #50
Honestly, I read that in the voice of the former Men's Warehouse owner, George Zimmer. "You're going to like the way you look, I guarantee it."
But yeah, she probably did. I would guess rodents such as mice.
This is an interesting thread! Unfortunately I haven't seen most of these brands available here, which sucks. I think with the troubles we are having with one of our cats, we will just have to go for whatever they will eat. I like the idea of wet food being for meal times and leaving dry food out for nibbling. My parents have two bulldogs (one was supposed to come live with me before... life got in the way) and they eat raw. My mom started making their food a few months ago, ground up bones and all. I wonder if I could do it for a cat. I'm pretty squeamish about raw meat (didn't eat it for over 12 years) but if it would help them I'd be happy to do it. Must do more research!
Hi !! i like to feed my cats Natures variety canned food. It is a little pricey but worth it. Also to try is the Tiki wet food ,but just the chicken variety because too much fish isn't good for cats. I have several cats,and they have all done very well on this grain free diet, Also hounds and gatos, and some of Merricks pate canned food. I feed dry only as a snack and its grain free too. Hope this helps.
I keep researching & found that Tiki has the Gourmet Carnivore stuff now. Chewy recommended Instinct which I have been feeding but after looking at the catinfo site I am going to change to raw & Tiki cat. Will buy the regular Tiki for the non fish & gourmet for the rest. The reviews for gourmet said that it wa Adding raw in slowly as well. What I don't like about Instinct is the fat content is about 60 %. I read somewhere that cats should only have 35% fat, protein for the rest & no carbs.
Sorry, my thread got posted before I was ready.The reviews for carnivore said that it was much more water than the regular Tiki so that is why I will buy the regular for chicken, etc. I know it is pricy but I don't want to create problems for this cat by feeding the wrong things.
Wanted to add: the vets wants to keep the people happy & I don't think they study much on nutrition. If you go to one vet & he says it is fine to feed the cheaper dry & another tells you to get expensive wet which one will you believe. Besides they make a lot of money on all the illnesses that are a result of dry. Cat info. org has great info.
I's true. U haf to do your own research. Most vets know nothing about nutrition and neither does their staff. My cat, Spanky had crystals from eating too much dry even though it was a premium brand and grain free. Switched all of them to all wet food, various grain free brands and the problem never came back. They only get dry kibble "as a snack" So dry food should never be their only source unless they are drinking enough to compensate for it. Also any wet food is better than any premium dry food.
