Cat Food, want to know what you are feeding your cat?

[yosemite]

Originally Posted by purrrplej

Well, I kind of figured I'd try Fancy Feast because he turned up his nose at other wet foods I had given him, and I thought Fancy Feast, being so "likable," would be a safer bet... and I was right. I thought maybe if I could get him into the wet-food habit with the Fancy Feast, then I might be able to switch him to a higher-quality wet food later.

In any event, he doesn't eat much of the Fancy Feast at one time, so it's more a treat than a big staple of his diet.

That's true. If he gets used to FF as a wet food, you can always add good food to the FF - sort of trick him into eating better food.

Originally Posted by zoeysmom

Since we're on the subject, is it really true that "any wet is better than no wet at all"?

I've tried the kittens on several high quality wet foods and they don't show much interest. I've looked at some of the grocery store brands, and they all seem to have things I have learned to avoid: unnamed by-products, wheat gluten, artificial colours. I have a hard time thinking that feeding them that is better than feeding them their high quality dry (Wellness/Orijen). Since, if they ate the lower quality wet, they'd likely eat less of the good stuff. It seems counterproductive.

It took me ages to find a wet my 2 would eat. Finally got it narrowed down to 2 flavours of Merricks - Granny's Pot Pie and Thanksgiving Day Dinner. That's it - they won't touch anything else. But to answer your question, yes, any wet is better than no wet at all as long as they are getting the good dry that you are feeding.

 

[sharky]

Originally Posted by zoeysmom

Since we're on the subject, is it really true that "any wet is better than no wet at all"?

I've tried the kittens on several high quality wet foods and they don't show much interest. I've looked at some of the grocery store brands, and they all seem to have things I have learned to avoid: unnamed by-products, wheat gluten, artificial colours. I have a hard time thinking that feeding them that is better than feeding them their high quality dry (Wellness/Orijen). Since, if they ate the lower quality wet, they'd likely eat less of the good stuff. It seems counterproductive.

IMHO yes... but realize the bottom of the barrel wets may not be really good ie all the artificial stuff which in my book is worse than dry food grains ...
Gluten is NOT a bad thing ... it is grain protein
GOOD NEWS .... many wets are avail and some at grocery or big box

meow mix ( read as they seem to be changing )
Iams ( read the labels )
fancy feast ( read labels at least 6 have NO grains or Animal by products ( I avoid named or unnamed outside of named organs )
Natural life ( avail at walmarts )
Newmans own organics

 

[zoeysmom]

It seems here in Canada that we don't get quite the number of varieties of flavours in some brands as you do in the US. That said, I look whenever I'm in the pet food section....we'll get it eventually!

So far, mine like Merrick's better than they seem to like the others....but they still eat only miniscule amount! And, at $1.65/can (and that's by the case), alternatives would be great!

 

[katkisses]

I love this type of stuff, and if anyone knows of a good feline nutrition book I would be in debt to you forever!!! One of my hobbies is reading about cat food ingredients & health, it is just so intricate and interesting!

Mine are on max cat (I change flavors everytime I buy, I but the BIG bags) dry. I know that is bad, they should be on wet... but I am only 18 and every penny I get goes towards my cats, and I have the hardest time just getting dry nutro for them. I buy stupid cheap clay litter (I know, may cause respitory issues-but it's not a covered box... may help some-can't afford anything else unless I get horrid cheap food) and I STILL have the darndest time scraping enough money up for their food. My mom thinks I am absolutly insane for spending $21+ on a bag of cat food, she tells me that Friskies is 'just as good.' UGH.

I wish I was brave enough to do raw, I am afraid of not getting it just right and my babies might get some type of deficentcy.

 

[kluchetta]

Originally Posted by sharky

I feed the cats I have Taste of the wild dry ... one is a former feral who "catches " her raw and the baby 7 months prefers cooked with his dry ... I tailor the eating to the individual ... do you know how to PM??? send me one I will go more in depth

..

Cool! I feed Taste of the Wild too!!! I feel like I'm doing something right if I'm feeding the same as you! LOL

 

[crofty]

Originally Posted by sharky

IMHO yes... but realize the bottom of the barrel wets may not be really good ie all the artificial stuff which in my book is worse than dry food grains ...
Gluten is NOT a bad thing ... it is grain protein
GOOD NEWS .... many wets are avail and some at grocery or big box

meow mix ( read as they seem to be changing )
Iams ( read the labels )
fancy feast ( read labels at least 6 have NO grains or Animal by products ( I avoid named or unnamed outside of named organs )
Natural life ( avail at walmarts )
Newmans own organics

I avoid Gluten in the ingredients because of all the cat and dog food recalls due to tainted gluten. I know it is not that glutens themselves are toxic to pets. The glutens are imported and can contain added chemicals that caused crystals to form in the kidneys of dogs and cats. Its the possiblity of these dangerous added chemicals that worries me.

I know that if the meat source of the pet food does not provide enough protein, glutens are often added to boost the protein level of the pet food. The best nutrition comes from a meat protein pet food not from a gluten protein. I avoid cat foods (and treats) that contain ‘corn glutenâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji], ‘wheat glutenâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji], or ‘soy glutenâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]. But then thats my opinion really based on articles i have read, dont think its worth the risk.

 

[cc12]

Wellness is at Petco now. I am pleased because it means maybe more high quality foods will follow.
I am a purist when it comes to my cats. I am a raw feeder with some canned mixed in. I did a load of research before ever embarking on it. I have a background in Nutrition so jumping to cat Nutrition was not a stretch.

http://www.catnutrition.org/index.php

Above is a great resource for feeding raw and goes into the ins and outs of it. I am a cancer survivor so optimal health is a very big issue for me. I lost a cat to FIP and experiencing that ordeal led me to researching cat food even more. His previous owners were feeding him horrible food as well as bologna and ham chunks.

I make my own raw food and I buy raw food. My litter boxes do not stink, their breath does not stink, their coats are silky, their eyes bright and for the most part at their optimal weight. Except for my treat stealer who put on an extra pound gobbling up treats. They use the box less which evens out the higher cost of food which in the end is not that much more expensive.
I already read ingredients that go into my body so it was second nature to read their labels as well.
I only buy grain free foods. Absolutely no dry kibble at all. Even their treats are mostly meat and I have gotten stricter on that.
My vet is a raw food believer and feeds her own cats the same diet I do.
If you are considering raw then research and decide a plan of action to get them on it. Mine took to it rather easily.

I think it is a good thing that we talk about this stuff with each other. That is why we come here.

 

[littleraven7726]

Originally Posted by zoeysmom

Since we're on the subject, is it really true that "any wet is better than no wet at all"?

I was told a told a resounding YES to that question when I took my cats to a cat vet a few years ago. She said Friskies/Fancy Feast were fine if that's all my cats would eat for wet. Because it was better than no wet at all.

I feed Fancy Feast, Friskies, and Meow Mix for wet foods. One of my cats won't eat anything else for wet. I leave a measured amount of dry food out for snacking between meals. I sometimes grab some Authority Chicken Pate for my other cat who doesn't always like having Purina/Meow Mix wets.

Our current vet, who is also specialising in feline health, wanted to make sure my cats were getting wet food in their diets at their health checks. She didn't say that we needed to change brands (which Nabu wouldn't do anyway).

 

[yosemite]

Originally Posted by zoeysmom

It seems here in Canada that we don't get quite the number of varieties of flavours in some brands as you do in the US. That said, I look whenever I'm in the pet food section....we'll get it eventually!

So far, mine like Merrick's better than they seem to like the others....but they still eat only miniscule amount! And, at $1.65/can (and that's by the case), alternatives would be great!

I hear that! I pay $1.69 per can and I buy 2 cases at a time which, with taxes added comes to almost $92.00. Every so often I'll buy a different brand to try but they turn their noses up and it's back to Merrick's again.

 

[wendyr]

Just wanted to give some advice to my UK/Irish friends on here - we order all of our food from zooplus.co.uk. Great prices, delivery charges are set at one price (none if over £29 or something) and very quick and reliable. We ordered our dry food from there about a month ago because the pet shop here in Ireland stopped stocking our good quality dry stuff (ugh). We are going to order some wet from there as well (Cosma) as soon as they get a restock of their bulk and after this weekend (going back to the UK for a birthday party).

This feline nutrition stuff has me obsessed. I am obsessed with human nutrition (raised by a dietician), so it is understandable - but it can be really disheartening that here Ireland I can't get any really good quality cat food at my pet shop. When I was back in the US visiting my parents, I went with them to a pet shop and was amazed by the quality/variety available. Grr.

 

[tinaparr]

I can't find much of a problem with what goes into most canned cat foods.

 

[sharky]

Originally Posted by TinaParr

I can't find much of a problem with what goes into most canned cat foods.

Canned is EASIER to find a good one ... some exist in the grocery level ... but you do have to read ... one that is a common grocery one says PURE and NAtural yet is preserved by nitrates and BHA/BHT

 

[crofty]

Originally Posted by TinaParr

I can't find much of a problem with what goes into most canned cat foods.

Most of the popular brands like whiskas and felix i have big problems with, they are awful. I think there are however alot more good quality wet foods, its very difficult to find good dry food and i havent found one that you can buy here over the counter. Its hard to find decent kitten wet food, there seems to be a shortage of natures menu kitten at the moment so am feeding applaws kitten for alfie.